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Jordan Eugene Brown escaped Palmetto General Hospital, at 2001 West 68th St., on Thursday in Hialeah, hurt a woman while stealing her car, and sped away, according to Lt. Eddie Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Hialeah Police Department.

“It’s a crime punishable by life in prison if you are found guilty,” Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer told Brown in court on Friday about the felony charge of burglary with assault or battery, robbery, and carjacking.

During the chase that followed, Brown put lives at risk as he drove the wrong way several times and passed several vehicles, including a school bus.

Law enforcement performed several maneuvers to try to stop him. Shortly after 1:10 p.m., the car spun out after a Florida Highway Patrol trooper struck it.

Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled Brown out of the car through the window and handcuffed him at Northwest 17th Avenue and 79th Street. He was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing green pants.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Brown shortly before 8:45 p.m. on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.

On Friday morning, Brown faced 10 charges in six cases. Seven charges were in three new pending cases, and the three others were in three warrant cases, according to Miami-Dade County court records.

In one case, Brown faced charges of burglary with assault and battery, robbery or carjacking, and battery on a person 65 or older. He had a pre-trial detention hold.

In a second case, Brown faced a charge of fleeing and eluding a police officer. In a third case, aggravated fleeing while attempting to elude police after damage, aggravated assault on a police officer, and resisting arrest.

In a warrant case, Brown faced a charge of leaving the scene of an accident with property damage. In the two other warrant cases, he faced charges of reckless driving and reckless driving with damage to property or person.

Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.

Afternoon report

Thursday report

• Police pursuit ensues after man escapes Hialeah hospital, steals car in parking lot

In his first speech to the U.N. Security Council since his election as high commissioner for refugees last December, Barham Salih told its 15 members that they have “a unique responsibility to help make peace possible.”

“For the millions of people forced from their homes – and the millions more who should never have to flee – I urge you to use that responsibility,” the former refugee, who was president of Iraq from 2018 to 2022, told the meeting on the sidelines of the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders.

Salih stressed that humanitarians, like those working for the refugee agency known as UNHCR, deal every day with the consequences of conflict, but they can’t create peace. That responsibility under the U.N. Charter is entrusted to the Security Council which is charged with maintaining international peace and security.

The refugee chief ticked off conflicts that have forced people to flee.

The war in Sudan remains the world’s largest displacement crisis, with 12 million people inside and outside the country, he said. “As long as this war continues, people will continue to flee,” he said.

In Congo, Salih said, “generations have now lived through cycles of conflict and violence,” now compounded by an escalating Ebola crisis. In Ukraine, he said, war has displaced millions inside the country and sent millions more fleeing to other countries.

Generations of refugees from disputed Western Sahara, which Morocco claims, have grown up in camps near Tindouf in neighboring Algeria “facing uncertainty and limited prospects while awaiting a political solution,” he said.

In the latest Mideast escalation, Salih said, UNHCR has mobilized resources and staff to help more than 130,000 Yemenis who have fled recent hostilities and remain in the country, and over 3,700 who have sought safety in Djibouti.

The refugee chief acknowledged that a goal he launched earlier this year to reduce the number of refugees in long-term displacement who rely on humanitarian aid by half by 2035 “is ambitious.” But he stressed that “it must be, because keeping people alive year after year while they remain unable to rebuild their lives cannot be our end goal.”

Success can’t mean becoming better at keeping people caught in war alive for another year, or establishing a new camp in response to a 50-year emergency, he said, and it can’t mean having children inherit displacement from their parents.

“Success must ultimately mean creating the conditions in which people no longer need us,” Salih said. UNHCR’s ambition must be “to prevent displacement where we can, resolve it where it has occurred, and create the conditions in which people can rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.”

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Edith M. Lederer has been covering international affairs for The Associated Press for more than a half century.

Sean Ian Thompson, 25, and Dareon Publien, 18, were accused of breaking into a home at about 6 p.m. on Thursday in the area of Northwest 19th Avenue and Eighth Street.

Thompson and Publien were armed when a man who had used Airbnb to rent the home fired at them and injured Publien, according to police.

Police officers found Publien was shot in the torso, and fire rescue personnel took him as a trauma alert to the Broward Health Medical Center, according to police.

Thompson faced charges of attempted murder and home invasion. A judge denied him bond.

But the General Assembly's leader and health officials sought Friday to make sure that the lurking possibility of another worldwide disease emergency stays on the agenda.

COVID—19 sometimes “feels like a fever dream” of lockdowns, overwhelmed hospitals, shuttered schools, economic disruption, personal tragedies and Zoom calls, General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman said as he opened a day-long meeting on pandemic preparedness, prevention and response. He recalled his own sleepless nights when his daughter, a physician, treated coronavirus patients during the crisis.

“Sometimes it is easier to pretend that it never happened,” Rahman said, but “we cannot erase COVID-19 from our memories. Quite the opposite. We have to take a hard look at that period, at where we succeeded and where we failed.”

It's all the more important at a time when history’s fastest-growing Ebola outbreak is spreading in Congo, he noted.

Since the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, various new international funds, collaboratives, scientific programs and agreements have arisen to tackle pandemic threats better. But the international community is navigating divides about the issue — and they were clear Friday, when countries couldn't reach consensus on a declaration that was intended to cap the special pandemic meeting.

Rahman said General Assembly members would consider the document in future.

The draft declaration, obtained by The Associated Press, reiterates an intent to scale up preparedness and improve coordination within countries and among them.

The document calls for enhancing financing, boosting lab capacity and promoting increased medication and vaccine access. Other provisions of the wide-ranging draft endorse trying to counter vaccine hesitancy and health-related misinformation, making all policies gender-equal and ensuring universal access to family planning and sexual health services by 2030.

Proponents said the proposed document would improve much-needed collaboration, risk monitoring and preparedness for a threat that doesn't stop at any one country's borders.

“That declaration can help the world move forward,” said former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, co-chair of Independent Panel on Pandemic Preparedness and Response, a group created after COVID-19 emerged. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference that the document “includes important commitments to concrete, measurable and urgent action to address gaps.”

Countries from South Korea to Cape Verde to Guatemala expressed support for the declaration, facilitated by Armenia and Rwanda.

It's “an expression of solidarity and international cooperation," said Burundian Foreign Minister Edouard Bizimana, speaking on behalf of a group of African nations. A Caribbean countries’ association also backed the document.

But it fell flat with some other nations.

In statements during Friday's multi-part meeting, the European Union said that the document didn't do enough to foster financing accountability and efficiency, among other complaints. Germany called for a stronger focus on prevention.

The U.S. objected to mentions of "divisive ideologies" and of a prospective separate arrangement for countries to share virus samples and in turn get tests, medicines and vaccines.

That potential deal is under negotiations as a follow-on to a pandemic agreement that WHO member countries approved last year. The United States has withdrawn from the World Health Organization and wasn’t part of finalizing the pandemic treaty.

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Gustavo Perez, who was involved in the crash, said he saw a red GMC Canyon Denali pickup truck heading southbound on Northwest 87 Avenue at a high speed.

Perez said the red GMC Canyon Denali pickup truck careened into the northbound lanes of 87th Avenue, and there was a head-on crash and a chain reaction.

“He rolled over on my hood. I saw the same bumper come this close to me,” Perez said.

MDFR deployed more than 20 units, including two air rescue units, shortly before 11 a.m. on Friday, according to the public record on dispatch’s active calls.

MDFR personnel assessed and released four people at the scene of the crash and rushed the two injured to two hospitals, according to MDFR.

MDFR used air rescue to take one of the injured to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.

A technical response pryed open the driver’s side door of a white sedan that was trapped between the GMC Canyon Denali pickup truck and another red pickup truck.

Related record

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Breaking news report

This is a developing story. Local 10 News Assignment Editor Sofia Mendez and Senior Assignment Editor Frine Gomez contributed to this report.

Enough moisture will linger Friday night for a spotty shower or two across the area. Otherwise, Miami-Dade and Broward counties can expect partly cloudy skies and light north winds. Temperatures are forecast to slip into the mid-70s overnight.

Saturday will feature sunshine, scattered clouds and a subtle north breeze. Though a stray shower is not completely out of the question, the north wind will usher in drier air across the region. Temperatures will make a run for the upper 80s.

Sunday will offer sunshine, scattered clouds and light north winds. Temperatures are expected to be in the low 70s Sunday morning, which should feel quite nice with less humid air across the region. Highs are forecast in the upper 80s, which is seasonable. The rain chance will be low.

Firefighters said they began lifesaving measures at the scene before taking the juvenile to the hospital. The person’s age and what led to the incident were not immediately known.

Sky 10 video showed a piece of playground equipment wrapped in crime scene tape as police investigated at the park.

Miami Police are actively investigating.

The justices halted a federal appeals court ruling that would have revived the Republican-friendly map for the November elections, which will determine control of Congress. There were no noted dissents.

The Supreme Court instead let stand a decision by the Missouri Supreme Court, which ruled earlier this month that a citizen petition prevents the new map from being used unless first approved by voters in a November referendum. The decision means Missouri residents will vote under the same congressional districts used in the 2024 and 2022 elections.

“At this late date, ordering reversion to the 2025 map in the midst of an ongoing election would usher in electoral chaos,” the high court wrote in an unsigned opinion. “The District Court and Court of Appeals should not enjoin or otherwise prohibit the use of the 2022 map in the 2026 congressional election in Missouri.”

Republicans had hoped the new House map — which already was used in the August primaries — could help them win an additional seat as part of a nationwide redistricting battle pushed by Trump to gain an edge in the midterms.

The new map had targeted a district held by longtime Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

“I think my reelection prospects shot up significantly,” a jubilant Cleaver said after the Supreme Court ruling.

A panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled Monday that switching districts between the primary and general elections would violate the U.S. Constitution. The panel directed a district judge to bar Missouri from using anything other than the new map but delayed the order's effect until next Monday to allow time for an appeal to the Supreme Court.

The legal wrangling has caused confusion for more than a million potential Missouri voters — nearly 1 in 4 statewide — who were shifted from one district to another, resulting in different candidates on their ballots. Absentee voting began Tuesday under the 2022 congressional districts. Thousands of ballots already had been mailed, and some already have been cast.

A decision from the Supreme Court is “a big sigh of relief," said Kansas City election director Shawn Kieffer. He added, "We just want it over, so we can do our job properly.”

Republican redistricting focused on Kansas City

Republicans currently hold six of Missouri's eight House districts. At the urging of Trump and Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe, Missouri lawmakers last September passed revised districts that were intended to help them win seven seats in the midterms.

The redistricting significantly reshaped a Kansas City-based district held by Cleaver. It shed parts of Kansas City to neighboring districts with Republican incumbents and stretched the remainder of Cleaver's 5th Congressional District far eastward into rural Republican areas.

The result was about 59% of potential voters were new to the district, according to an Associated Press estimate. The ripple effects also shifted some voters in most of Missouri's other congressional districts.

Cleaver was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Republican state Sen. Rick Brattin won a six-way Republican primary under the revised districts. They remain the candidates for the general election, even though the district boundaries have reverted to their prior lines.

Cleaver said the court ruling affirms the people's right to use to referendum petitions against state legislative actions they don't like.

“We just received a healthy dose of encouragement that the voice of people in the United States still matters," he said.

Brattin was a plaintiff, along with Republican Rep. Bob Onder and two other voters, in a federal lawsuit that led to the 8th Circuit's ruling and the last two appeals to the Supreme Court. He had no immediate comment.

Missouri's redistricting prompted a big legal fight

At least 16 lawsuits have been filed in state and federal courts related to Missouri's congressional redistricting. The battle has been the longest and most complex among roughly a dozen states that sought to change their U.S. House districts over the past year.

Missouri's new map survived most of the lawsuits, including ones contending that mid-decade redistricting violated the state constitution and that the new districts ran afoul of requirements to be compact. In one case, the Missouri Supreme Court allowed the new districts to be used while election officials worked to verify petition signatures seeking to put the map to a statewide vote.

Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until the legal deadline on Aug. 4 — the day the new districts were used in the primaries — to reject the petition. He asserted referendum petitions aren't allowed for congressional redistricting.

The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Sept. 3 that the referendum petition was valid. It ordered Hoskins not to use the new map and to instead use the districts adopted in 2022, after the last census. The U.S. Supreme Court let that ruling stand on Sept. 8. But minutes later, U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark issued a conflicting order in favor of the new map.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Sept. 10 blocked Clark's order from taking effect. That day, the Missouri Supreme Court held Hoskins temporarily in contempt for telling local election authorities to use the new map after Clark's order.

But that wasn't the end of the matter. The 8th Circuit, hearing an appeal of Clark's blocked order, ruled in favor of the Trump-backed map Monday. That's what led to the latest decision from the U.S. Supreme Court.

Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri, said the group was pressing forward with its campaign to persuade voters to permanently reject the new map in the November referendum.

“We have said from the beginning, people, not politicians will be the final deciders on this DC power grab," he said in a statement.

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Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst in Washington contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court and redistricting at https://apnews.com/hub/redistricting.

1 pound raw shrimp (21/25 size), peeled and deveined

cornstarch, for tossing

salt and pepper, to taste

For the batter:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

salt and pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 COLD bottle of beer, lager

neutral oil for frying

Place the shrimp in a bowl, season with salt, pepper and toss with a little cornstarch (a couple teaspoons) to help coat the shrimp.

Make the batter by mixing the flour, baking powder, chili powder, salt and pepper with a little beer at a time until you get a nice smooth batter.

Keep very cold.

Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot to 350˚F. Working with a few shrimp at a time, dip them into the batter and gently lower them into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Season with a little salt while warm.

Serve the tacos topped with a little cilantro slaw, chipotle mayonnaise and like wedges on the side.

For serving:

Cabbage and Cilantro Slaw:

¼ head green cabbage, shredded

juice of 1 lime

¼ cup cilantro leaves

salt

Combine all ingredients.

Chipotle Mayonnaise:

½ cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

zest of 1 lime

juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotles

1 teaspoon honey

whisk together until smooth

Warm flour tortillas

Lime wedge

1 pound chicken breast or combination of breast and thighs, poached in chicken stock and pulled into medium chunks (discard skin and bones)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow onion, minced

3 tablespoons aji amarillo paste (Adjust to taste depending on your spice preference)

2 slices white bread, crust removed and soaked in 1 cup milk, smash and mix into a mush/puree (drain and discard any excess milk after soaking

salt and pepper to taste

heavy pinch dried oregano

½ cup evaporated milk

½ cup grated parmesan

steamed rice, for serving

To garnish:

toasted chopped walnuts

hard boiled eggs

black olives

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil.

Add the aji amarillo and mix well. Whisk in the bread paste. Add the evaporated milk whisking. Simmer until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

Fold in the shredded chicken and cheese. Season well with salt and pepper, add the oregano. Allow to warm through.

Serve over rice with garnishes.

For the steak braise:

2 pounds skirt steak, cut in half

32 FL ounces beef stock

8 ounces tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 small yellow onion, peeled, cut in quarters

1 green bell pepper, seeded and stemmed, cut in quarters

3 garlic peeled garlic cloves, smashed

1 tablespoon sazon / complete seasoning

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 whole allspice berries

2 bay leaf

rice, for serving

black beans, for serving

Cut the skirt steak into 4 pieces. Add the steak and all other ingredients in a medium-size pot. Make sure the liquid completely covers the meat. If needed, add a little more water to cover.

Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the meat is very tender and easily shredded with a fork, at least 2½ hours. Meat should be able to be easily pierced with the tip of a knife and have no resistance. Make sure that the liquid in the pot never goes below the meat, add water if needed.

Once the meat is tender, remove the meat from the pot. Allow to cool then shred and set aside.

Strain the broth and reserve for the ropa vieja base. Discard any solids left from the straining process.

For finishing the Ropa Vieja:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 red bell peppers, julienned (cut into thin strips, not too fine)

1 large red onion, julienned (cut into thin strips, not too fine)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon sazon / complete seasoning

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon ground coriander

⅛ teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup crushed canned tomatoes

8 ounces red wine

+cooked meat

+strained sauce

1 tablespoon capers, drained

1 teaspoon kosher salt (season to taste)

Heat oil, add onions and peppers and cook until soft and tender but not browned.

Add garlic and spices, mix until fragrant.

Add crushed tomatoes and allow to cook down for 2-3 minutes. Add ONLY THE shredded meat from the ropa steak cooking procedure, stir.

Add the red wine, cook down. Add the reserved strained broth from the ropa steak cooking procedure, capers and salt.

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the meat is VERY tender, is no longer chewy and the sauce thickens a bit, about 1 - 1 ½ hours.

The runway was transformed into a luxury Gucci boutique, where Cardi B, wrapped in white faux fur, and Donatella Versace, wearing a stole from Demna’s first Gucci collection, sat on cushioned sofas. Brand ambassador Jannik Sinner took a seat beside Vogue’s Anna Wintour.

Models broadcast nonchalance as they strolled through the boutique, casting their eyes over jewelry cases, shelves of handbags and racks of ready-to-wear.

At a moment when the luxury business is struggling, the setting made the commercial imperative unusually explicit: These were clothes intended not merely to project an image, but to move from rack to wardrobe. And the runway offered flexible propositions for eager consumers.

“Gucci is about luxury that wants to be seen,” Demna wrote in show notes.

A bold silhouette made the first pitch, before the details became apparent. Men’s suits had exaggeratedly broad shoulders, while pagoda shoulders shaped women’s jackets and dresses. Collars were turned up, adding to the attitude. The styling remained Italian: cropped pants and elongated loafers with no socks for him, a cinched trench coat over a blouse and skirt for her.

References to Alessandro Michele’s eccentricity and Tom Ford’s sexualized silhouettes were less stark than in Demna’s debut. Instead of asking customers to embody one of his sharply drawn Italian “famiglia” archetypes, the collection proposes borrowing elements without becoming captive to them.

Layering made those identities harder to pin down. Low-slung trousers held precariously in place by three belts suggested the swagger of a maranza, or troublemaking urban youth. But a bourgeois tartan skirt of an impeccably groomed Milanese woman was destabilized by a leather bomber worn over a plaid shirt and finished with an oversized necklace.

The collection’s strongest looks had undoubted commercial appeal: A double-breasted navy peacoat paired with high-heeled equestrian boots — with spurs for a Demna flourish — and a rugby shirt with Gucci stripes for him layered under an Oxford shirt and Gucci logo jacket.

Moschino puts fashion back on the street.

At Moschino, Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo brought the cult credibility they built at Sunnei to their debut as creative directors, taking up founder Franco Moschino’s legacy of intellectual wit.

Their debut show was set on the top floor of a parking garage overlooking the 2026 Olympic ice hockey venue just as the setting sun created a pinkish sky in the background.

The runway was flanked by hundreds of people in their own clothes walking in the opposite direction throughout the show, creating a stream of personal styles that situated the collection among everyday wardrobes.

The house’s irony remained, but it felt less dependent on quirk and gimmick than in recent iterations. Grass fringe punctured the preciousness of luxury, while cartoonish graphics functioned more as art than as characters or caricatures.

Still, humor came through the clothes themselves: exaggerated side bustles brought Marie Antoinette proportions to skirts worn like denim, while padding turned the enhanced backside to suggest a female ideal. It was still recognizably Moschino, but the joke didn’t overwhelm the clothes.

Fans who look to Moschino for novelty bags shaped like milk cartons or cooking pots may be disappointed by the pared-down aesthetic. The bag of the season was a very practical, large bucket bag and the only nod to novelty was a bag shaped like a cat that perched on a model's shoulder.

The designers said they are forging a modern version of the fashion house that isn't stuck in previous decades.

“We want Moschino to become a cultural loudspeaker again,” Rizzo said. “We have the same urgency in terms of creativity and breaking walls, but it's 2026.”

But the legal battle between Trump and some of the media that cover him is far from over.

Here are some things to know about the White House press corps, lawsuits over press access, and the increasingly contentious relationship between the president and the Fourth Estate.

Trump said unfavorable press coverage prompted the ban

Last week, Trump said he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over what he called unfavorable coverage and “fake news.” Some journalists with those organizations had their White House press passes revoked, prohibiting them from White House grounds.

The affected news organizations sued, and several other news outlets and press associations filed legal briefs and released statements supporting them.

The president's attorneys later argued in court that the outlets' coverage threatened national security, but they didn't detail how the coverage put the nation at risk. Court filings cited letters the administration sent each outlet outlining stories it found problematic and dangerous, but the judge found that the standard they described was too vague to justify the ban.

Attorneys for the news organizations called the ban a blatant First Amendment violation and a clear case of ‘viewpoint discrimination’ — government action that penalizes speech because of the viewpoint expressed.

The news organizations scored a temporary win, but the case is not over

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order early Thursday, ordering the White House to reinstate the banned journalists' press credentials. That order lasts 14 days.

There will likely be another round of court filings and legal arguments over the next several days before the judge decides whether to issue a longer-lasting ruling called a preliminary injunction.

Preliminary injunctions are also temporary, often designed to last until a lawsuit is resolved one way or another.

Two constitutional rights are at play

Kelly’s temporary order focused less on whether the news outlets enjoy a First Amendment free press right to White House access and more on whether their Fifth Amendment due process rights may have been violated.

Existing case law is clear, Kelly wrote. Members of the press corps are entitled to fair notice from the government about why their credentials may be revoked, as well as an opportunity to state their case to the government on why their credentials should be preserved.

Kelly wrote that he issued the temporary restraining order because it’s likely the news outlets will be able to demonstrate they weren’t given proper notice or a chance to respond.

The press pool serves as the public’s eye on the president

The work of the president occurs around the clock and often in spaces too small to accommodate every journalist who covers the executive branch. The White House Correspondents' Association — a group of journalists who cover the president — created the press pool decades ago to ensure that a rotating roster of journalists traveled with the president wherever he goes.

The pool typically follows the president almost everywhere, including aboard Air Force One, at state dinners, in the Oval Office and on the golf course. The pool traditionally represents print and wire reporters, photographers and radio and television journalists.

The effort is designed to hold the nation’s chief executive accountable on behalf of the American public, providing information on the president’s activities and the work of the executive branch. The pool is always near the president so journalists can document unexpected developments.

The pool distributes in-person reports and imagery to the broader press corps. They also share their notes, video and audio with other news outlets, congressional offices and interested parties.

The White House video pool consists of five major U.S. television broadcasters that take turns shooting and sharing video. When the White House banned CNN — which belongs to the pool — the other four pool members declined to participate in a show of solidarity. For days, the pool provided no live video of the president. By Friday, the video pool was back in operation.

Trump's relationship with the pool has grown increasingly tumultuous

For decades, the White House Correspondents' Association selected the members of the pool, but that changed Feb. 25, 2025, when the White House announced its officials would pick the pool members — effectively giving the executive control over coverage of the American presidency.

The White House almost always selects journalists who are outwardly favorable to Trump as part of the mix.

To show his displeasure with a news organization's coverage, Trump has hurled personal insults at journalists or tried to exclude outlets entirely. In some cases, the news organizations sue in response.

During Trump's first term, the White House suspended the credentials of Jim Acosta, who was a CNN correspondent at the time. The same judge handling the lawsuit from CNN, MS NOW and Politico also decided Acosta's case, ordering the White House to restore his credentials.

Last year, Trump barred Associated Press journalists from some events and kicked the news agency out of the press pool after it refused to accede to the president's demands to change its style from “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.”

AP sued, and that case is ongoing, though a preliminary ruling from a federal appeals court said Trump could ban the wire service from some highly restricted areas such as the Oval Office or Air Force One.

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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press journalists Jocelyn Noveck in New York and Laurie Kellman in London contributed.

“I wish it had healed a little quicker,” he admitted, “but it did not.”

The tension between Blaney and Carson Hocevar, who delivered the haymaker that left Blaney with the black eye last weekend, has apparently eased a little bit quicker. Blaney called the on-track incident that led to a pit-road fracas “just a racing” thing, upon further reflection, the kind of stuff that happens at a fender-to-fender track like Bristol Motor Speedway.

“It's kind of the opposite of how I normally am. I get fired up quickly but I calm down really quickly,” Blaney explained. “These things happen. The on-track, it happens really, really fast. You're making decisions in a split-second of a moment, and sometimes you can be skewed or not skewed on what you think happened, and then you know, watching the incident, pretty 50-50, I thought.”

The incident last Saturday night unfolded 41 laps before Joey Logano captured the checkered flag.

Blaney had just taken second with a pass around the outside of Hocevar, who countered by steering his No. 77 Chevrolet down the track. Blaney moved to block him, Hocevar stayed on the gas, and the result sent the No. 12 Ford spinning into the wall.

It was a big blow to Blaney, who had led a race-high 202 laps, and his hopes of winning a second Cup Series championship.

“It's just kind of built,” said Blaney, who now trails Kyle Larson by 52 points in the Chase for the championship. “A couple of rough finishes back-to-back and you realize, man, this is not going the way I thought it was going to go.”

Hocevar ended up third behind Logano and Larson last weekend.

But as he brought his car to a stop along pit road, Blaney was there waiting, and despite standing several inches shorter than the 6-foot-4 Hocevar, went right after him with a shove. Hocevar responded with two overhand rights, the first knocking Blaney’s hat off and the second connecting with his cheek, sending one of NASCAR's most popular drivers to the ground.

Blaney scrambled to his feet and threw a left hook that clipped Hocevar’s own hat before team members could intervene.

“We've been cool and stuff. I think Ryan is one of the coolest guys in the garage,” Hocevar said. “I didn't want to hit him, and looking back, I 100 percent see where he wanted to just throw a shove in there and yell. But in the moment you're not going to see that.”

Hocevar said he had no regrets over what transpired on pit road.

“I don't think so. My dad is probably the least controversial person I ever met in my life. He's got a local business so he freaks out if he gets a bad Google review. I texted him and was like, ‘Sorry about that.’ He was proud that I defended myself,” Hocevar said. “If we were racing anywhere lower than second, I think, you know, I maybe look at it differently, but I think Blaney does, too.”

With a brazen driving style, the 23-year-old Hocevar has made plenty of enemies — and, yes, quite a few fans — during his third full Cup Series season. It was just a few weeks ago he spun out Brad Keselowski during the Southern 500, leaving the frustrated former champion to declare: “His day is coming, and it's coming hard. Watch out, Carson.”

Turned out his day came at Bristol, only it was Blaney — not Keselowski — trying to deliver the punishment.

NASCAR seems to be leaning into the brewing feuds, too. Promotional posters for the race at World Wide Technology Raceway, which came on the heels of the Darlington dust-up, declared: “A Rivalry Worth Watching: Hurricane Hocevar vs. Bad Brad Keselowski.”

So it wasn't entirely surprising that NASCAR chose not to punish Blaney or Hocevar this week.

“We’re not going to encourage fighting, but what we are going to encourage is passion,” NASCAR chief executive Steve O’Donnell said during an appearance on Kevin Harvick’s podcast Monday. “Blaney’s showing his passion, showing his fire.”

Blaney called it the right decision by NASCAR, and not just because it kept the series from digging into his pocketbook.

“I would fully understand getting slapped with a penalty if I went over and initiated a punch or something,” Blaney said. “I initiated a confrontation, Carson defended himself. I'm glad they didn't do anything. They just let it simmer. I thought it was the right call.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

JC Tretter wrote in a lengthy post on social media that players union officials have been talking regularly with the NFL to make sure the field is safe and playable for the league's latest visit to Brazil. That included union experts suggesting better traction to make the field more stable.

“They recommended reinforced stitching to help the surface hold together and brought in equipment to reinforce as much of the field as possible before the game,” Tretter said. “Our experts will remain engaged and continue evaluating conditions through kickoff.”

Maracana Stadium has been hit by unusually heavy rainfall over the past six weeks. Nick Pappas, the NFL's field director, told The Associated Press from Rio de Janeiro that the league shipped a tarp there to help protect the turf. A crew has been on site since Monday preparing the stadium.

“We’ve got to have plans in place to ensure that you can mitigate the weather the best you can and, right now, we feel we’re in a good spot,” Pappas said.

The NFL has been playing in Brazil since 2024.

The two previous games were at the 48,000-seat NeoQuimica Arena in Sao Paulo, a larger market where both games were sellouts. Some tickets remain for Sunday’s game in the considerably larger venue. The stadium made news this week after some soccer players raised concerns about the field conditions, though the NFL says it’s confident the playing surface will be fine.

The 78,000-seat Maracana Stadium has hosted two World Cup championship games, Olympic gold medal matches for men and women, and numerous clashes between South America’s biggest teams. Now the Ravens and Cowboys will play one of a record nine international contests on the league schedule this season.

Tretter said this week highlights bigger issues surrounding field standards for safety and performance, saying both the NFL and NFLPA have made progress. Tretter noted players' cleats melting in Nashville last week during Philadelphia's win over the Tennessee Titans or frozen fields creating “unnecessary risks.”

There have been field-related issues at two of the three games in Brazil, and Tretter said that's not a coincidence with the climate at this time of the year — it's early spring in South America — making it challenging to maintain the grass surface expected for NFL games.

“We owe it to them to provide the best possible opportunity to succeed,” Tretter said. “Players can overcome a lot. But they shouldn’t have to overcome the field.”

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Brian Schottenheimer, coaching in his first international game as the Cowboys’ head coach, said players were well aware their visit to Brazil would feel like a business trip.

“It’s a little bit different from other road games,” Schottenheimer said. “We were very up front with the guys early on. You’re not going to have the free time to do what you’d normally do.”

The Cowboys practiced at the training grounds used by local soccer team Flamengo in a remote part of Rio about 26 miles west of the iconic Sugar Loaf mountain. They'll get their first look at the city's historic Maracana Stadium during a walkthrough on Saturday.

The Ravens practiced at the training ground of another soccer club, Botafogo.

The teams arrived in Rio on Friday morning following roughly 10-hour flights. Their game Sunday afternoon will be one of a record nine international contests on the NFL schedule this season.

"It has been a short week but we have a lot of time between now and the game,” said Schottenheimer.

Quarterback Dak Prescott, who will be playing in his first international game, also said the Cowboys are in a “strictly business trip” mode, though he noted he has enjoyed hanging out by the pool with his teammates and had tasted some of the local steaks at lunch.

“It is a place I want to return to as a tourist,” Prescott said, adding that he hopes to see the famous Christ the Redeemer statue from the bus when he heads to the game. “What we are looking for is a win.”

Prescott said he and other members of the team expect to be fully rested by Saturday morning after their long trip.

“This is a first for the majority of the team,” Prescott said. “It is great to have an extra day to massage the game plan.”

The NFL has been playing in Brazil since 2024, but the two previous games were at the 48,000-seat NeoQuimica Arena in Sao Paulo, a larger market where both games were sellouts. Some tickets remain for Sunday's game.

Teams involved in those other games — the Packers, Eagles, Chargers and Chiefs — had more activities in Brazil.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Gustavo Perez dijo que vio una camioneta pickup GMC Canyon Denali roja que circulaba hacia el sur por Northwest 87 Avenue antes de desviarse hacia los carriles en dirección norte.

“Volcó sobre el capó de mi auto. Vi el mismo parachoques pasar así de cerca de mí”, dijo Perez.

MDFR desplegó más de 20 unidades, incluidas dos unidades de rescate aéreo, poco antes de las 11 a.m. del viernes, según el registro público de llamadas activas del centro de despacho.

Personal de MDFR atendió y dio de alta a cuatro de los heridos en el lugar del choque y trasladó de urgencia a los otros dos a dos hospitales, según MDFR.

MDFR utilizó una unidad de rescate aéreo para trasladar a uno de los heridos al Centro de Traumatología Ryder del Hospital Jackson Memorial.

Un equipo de respuesta técnica abrió por la fuerza la puerta del lado del conductor de un sedán blanco que quedó atrapado entre la camioneta pickup GMC Canyon Denali y otra camioneta pickup roja.

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Esta es una noticia en desarrollo. La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Sofia Mendez, y la editora sénior de asignaciones, Frine Gomez, contribuyeron a este reporte.

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Deborah Singleton said her 33-year-old son, Marcel Carter, was killed Thursday morning when the car he was riding in crashed into a utility pole and burst into flames.

“I just don’t know what to do, and I can’t see my son,” Singleton said. “They won’t let me see my son. And I just have to wait.”

Carter, a father of six young children, was in the passenger seat of the car, according to his mother.

“I just want to hold him,” Singleton said. “That’s all I want to do is hold my son. And tell him how much I love him.”

The crash happened around 4:45 a.m. Thursday in the 6500 block of Nova Drive. Witnesses said the car was a white Corvette.

Singleton said her son was close to home when the crash happened.

“He was right there at his house,” she said.

Police say the investigation is ongoing, leaving Singleton with questions about what happened.

“I have so many questions because there’s so many different stories that’s going on, you know, and people are speculating and they don’t know what happened,” she said.

The other victim has been identified as Brandon Kleinberg.

As Singleton waits for answers, she is also preparing to bury her son.

“If anybody would like to donate to help us bury our son, I would appreciate more than anything,” she said.

Singleton said the loss was unexpected and reminded her of how fragile life can be.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses.

Deborah Singleton dijo que su hijo de 33 años, Marcel Carter, murió la mañana del jueves cuando el automóvil en el que viajaba chocó contra un poste de servicios públicos y se incendió.

“No sé qué hacer y no puedo ver a mi hijo”, dijo Singleton. “No me dejan ver a mi hijo. Y solo tengo que esperar”.

Carter, padre de seis niños pequeños, estaba en el asiento del pasajero del automóvil, según su madre.

“Solo quiero abrazarlo”, dijo Singleton. “Eso es todo lo que quiero hacer, abrazar a mi hijo. Y decirle cuánto lo amo”.

El accidente ocurrió alrededor de las 4:45 a.m. del jueves en la cuadra 6500 de Nova Drive. Testigos dijeron que el automóvil era un Corvette blanco.

Singleton dijo que su hijo estaba cerca de su casa cuando ocurrió el accidente.

“Estaba justo allí, en su casa”, dijo.

La policía dice que la investigación continúa, dejando a Singleton con preguntas sobre lo ocurrido.

“Tengo tantas preguntas porque hay tantas versiones diferentes de lo que está pasando, ya sabes, y la gente está especulando y no sabe qué ocurrió”, dijo.

La otra víctima fue identificada como Brandon Kleinberg.

Mientras Singleton espera respuestas, también se prepara para enterrar a su hijo.

“Si alguien quisiera donar para ayudarnos a enterrar a nuestro hijo, lo agradecería más que cualquier otra cosa”, dijo.

Singleton dijo que la pérdida fue inesperada y le recordó lo frágil que puede ser la vida.

Se creó una campaña de GoFundMe para ayudar a la familia con los gastos funerarios.

Jordan Eugene Brown escapó del Palmetto General Hospital, ubicado en 2001 West 68th St., la mañana del jueves en Hialeah, hirió a una mujer mientras le robaba su auto y huyó a toda velocidad, según el teniente Eddie Rodriguez, portavoz del Departamento de Policía de Hialeah.

Brown condujo en sentido contrario varias veces y rebasó varios vehículos, incluido un autobús escolar. Las autoridades realizaron varias maniobras para intentar detenerlo. Poco después de la 1:10 p.m., el auto perdió el control y giró después de que un agente de la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida lo impactara.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Miami-Dade sacaron a Brown del auto y lo esposaron en Northwest 17th Avenue y 79th Street. Estaba descalzo, sin camisa y llevaba pantalones verdes.

El Departamento de Correcciones de Miami-Dade ingresó a Brown poco antes de las 8:45 p.m. del jueves en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, según los registros de reclusos.

La mañana del viernes, Brown enfrentó 10 cargos en seis casos. Siete cargos correspondían a tres nuevos casos pendientes y los otros tres a tres casos con órdenes judiciales, según los registros judiciales del condado Miami-Dade.

En un caso, Brown enfrentó cargos de allanamiento con agresión y lesiones, robo o robo de auto y agresión contra una persona de 65 años o más. Tenía una orden de detención preventiva.

En un segundo caso, Brown enfrentó un cargo de huir y evadir a un agente de policía. En un tercer caso, enfrentó cargos de huida agravada al intentar evadir a la policía después de causar daños, agresión agravada contra un agente de policía y resistencia al arresto.

En un caso con orden judicial, enfrentó cargos de abandonar la escena de un accidente con daños a la propiedad, conducción imprudente y conducción imprudente con daños a la propiedad o a una persona.

Los detectives pidieron a cualquier persona con información sobre este u otros casos que llame a Crime Stoppers del condado Miami-Dade al 305-471-8477 para permanecer en el anonimato.

La primera grúa cayó sobre la vivienda, ubicada en la cuadra 700 de Southeast Eighth Street, la mañana del jueves después de que un camión grúa volcara durante un intento de instalar una carpa para fumigación de plagas, debido al peso de la carga.

La segunda grúa cayó mientras la empresa, Cooper Crane, con sede en West Park, intentaba retirar la primera. Nadie resultó herido en ninguno de los incidentes.

El viernes, los equipos estaban recogiendo el líquido hidráulico derramado y preparando el equipo dañado para retirarlo, utilizando un camión de gran tamaño llevado al lugar para desmontar la grúa y transportarla.

“Estamos aliviados de que nadie haya resultado herido”, dijo un representante de Cooper Crane en un comunicado. “Estamos cooperando con el propietario de la vivienda, las autoridades y nuestra compañía de seguros. El incidente está siendo investigado y no podemos comentar sobre los detalles mientras ese proceso esté en curso”.

La Administración de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional de Estados Unidos participará en la investigación.

But as the 43-second video continues, Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, and Hochul, the governor of New York State, have a conversation that paints them in a negative light. At one point Hochul is described in a voiceover as “the political delusion pill for New Yorkers who would rather think about what four more years could actually cost them.”

That’s because the video is actually a campaign ad for Bruce Blakeman, the Trump-endorsed Republican candidate for New York governor who is running against Hochul, the Democratic incumbent. The images of Mamdani and Hochul were generated using artificial intelligence. Blakeman’s connection to the video is disclosed in small text reading “paid for by Blakeman for New York” that appears throughout. Its use of AI is never mentioned, despite a New York law requiring such disclosures in political communications.

The New York State Democratic Party filed a complaint in August with the state’s Board of Elections about Blakeman’s use of AI in his ads, alleging that he has broken this new law. Blakeman’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Campaign advertisements that use AI to attack rival candidates are not uncommon in the 2026 midterms, some more obviously fake than others. A patchwork of state laws has emerged around how transparent candidates must be about this practice, but data shows candidates at times disregarding those laws. Experts say that although it is too soon to assess the impact such AI-generated ads will have on voters, with or without labels, more effective regulation is imperative.

“I’m generally not opposed to the sort of labels that exist, on narrowly targeted and materially deceptive content,” said Scott Babwah Brennen, the director of New York University’s Center on Technology Policy and a policy research affiliate at its Center for Social Media, AI, and Politics. He added, however, that because misinformation is the result of the existing media environment, it’s important to address the problem as a whole, not just on a case-by-case basis.

By the numbers

The Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks and analyzes election advertising, has identified at least 164 political ads generated or enhanced with AI during the current election cycle. A press release about the data cautions that there are likely many more since it can be difficult to tell definitively if AI was used. Of this total, 69% of the ads did not disclose the use of AI tools.

Asked about how many of the ads without disclosures were aired in states with laws about AI use in political campaigns, Travis Ridout, the project’s co-director, cross-referenced his data with that from the National Conference of State Legislatures. He found that in states with no laws regarding the disclosure of AI use in campaign ads, 32% of such ads contained a disclaimer anyway. Only 29% of those from states with regulations included a disclosure.

Ridout cautioned that there are some caveats to these findings. One, some ads in the project’s database are not subject to regulation by these laws because of how the AI was used. For example, Tennessee’s law only concerns deepfakes impersonating candidates. Two, an AI law may have been enacted after an ad aired. The fact that campaigns disclosed the use of AI when they weren’t legally required to still surprised him.

“I think it’s a time when campaigns are really trying to figure out what are the norms surrounding this, what are the laws surrounding this?” he said. “It may depend on the campaign consultant or the firm that’s producing the ads. It’s a time of uncertainty and so it’s all shaking out right now.”

Deception vs. satire

While some ads appear to be intentionally deceptive, others come across as humorous, satirical, or too extreme to be real.

Republican Mike Rogers, who is in a tight race against Democrat Abdul El-Sayed for an open Senate seat in Michigan, posted a video to X in June that showed him as a superhero performing physically impossible tasks such as stopping an out-of-control car with one hand. “Haters will say it’s AI,” the post read, presumably in jest.

The campaign for North Carolina Republican state Sen. Michael Lee posted an ad in August attacking his opponent, Democrat Jessica Bichler, for being too liberal. It shows Bichler, a yoga instructor, contorting her limbs into impossible positions. A disclaimer states, “You guessed it! AI was definitely used to generate these silly video clips.”

Out of the 164 ads identified by the Wesleyan Media Project, 80% were sponsored by either Republican candidates or pro-Republican groups. Eleven percent were from pro-Democratic sponsors, while the remaining 9% were ads for independent candidates in addition to ads focused on specific issues and more.

What’s next?

Basil Smikle, a Democratic political strategist and policy adviser, said that a lack of disclosure on AI ads could be intentional, but that it could also be an oversight or the result of campaigns simply not knowing that they should include one. He explained that the ease with which AI ads can be created means increased cost savings and efficiency for campaigns. However, their use risks a loss of authenticity and the potential for voters to feel misled. And of course, they can easily lead to the spread of misinformation.

“In the wrong hands, it could be a really dangerous trend, but if done well it can help do things that campaigns need to do and should do, which is tell good stories,” Smikle said.

Labeling ads as AI is important for accountability around technology “we still don’t fully comprehend,” he added, and gives voters the information they need to make good choices.

While they may promote transparency, an October 2024 report co-authored by Babwah Brennen found that labels can end up hurting a candidate. Respondents in an online experiment rated candidates as less trustworthy and less appealing when their ads contained AI disclaimers, and the ads themselves as less accurate. Labels also created a “backfire effect” in which respondents expressed lower opinions of creators of attack ads than of the candidates being attacked. As many as 37% of respondents didn’t even remember seeing an AI label.

Babwah Brennen advocates for more of an overarching approach to addressing the arrival of AI campaign ads. For example, improving campaign transparency in general and investing in local journalism. He also noted that because laws regulating such AI use are so new, it’s not yet clear how enforcement works and what falls within their purview.

Standardizing these regulations could help, Ridout said.

“If we could get something at the federal level I think that would make it clearer for campaigns what we can, what we can’t do,” he said. “Congress hasn’t done anything yet, nor have the regulatory agencies. And so into that vacuum many of the states have entered.”

Rosa Izquierdo, quien dedicó su vida a criar a sus hermanos menores y luego a cuidar de sus padres ancianos hasta que fallecieron, comentó que la visita del pontífice le produce alegría en sus momentos de soledad. “Le daré un abrazo y un beso en la mano al señor papa”, indicó la mujer de 70 años. “Me dará felicidad”, añadió.

El asilo de la congregación Hermanitas de los Ancianos Desamparados tiene una capilla con bancas de madera donde se encuentra la Virgen de los Desamparados, que protege a los enfermos y pobres. Es uno de los 197 hogares que la congregación tiene repartidos en América Latina, Europa, Asia, África y Oceanía.

Todas las tardes Izquierdo y otros ancianos participan del rezo del rosario, relató. Ellos esperan rezar junto a Robert Prevost, quien llegará al asilo la mañana del 16 de noviembre, dijo Izquierdo a The Associated Press.

Las nueve religiosas que administran el asilo reciben la visita de voluntarios e incluso de escolares que llegan a conversar o ayudar a los ancianos a los que les gusta relatar sus historias personales una y otra vez. En una pared hay un cuadro con la frase: “Benditos los que nunca dicen: ya ha contado eso dos veces”.

“Cuidamos los cuerpos para salvar las almas, ese es el único objetivo para lo cual estamos”, indicó Sor María Agripina, una de las religiosas. El anciano de mayor edad tiene 96 años, indicó.

Petronila Roque, de 72 años, dijo que nunca imaginó poder ver tan cerca “al ministro de Dios” al que siempre observó por televisión. ”Lo que más quiero es que me bendiga para que me cure de la migraña que sufro toda mi vida”, dijo la mujer que en su juventud se dedicó a vender dulces y también fue niñera.

Prevost vivió unos 22 años en Perú hasta 2023 cuando fue llamado al Vaticano por el entonces papa Francisco para ejercer un cargo clave. Fue obispo de Chiclayo, una ciudad de la costa norte de Perú, a 700 kilómetros de el Callao. En el puerto —donde el municipio le está construyendo una estatua— fue administrador apostólico encargado.

Pese a que los católicos en Perú han ido disminuyendo desde 98,5% en el censo de 1940 hasta 76% en el de 2017, la llegada de Prevost ha despertado interés en miles de peruanos. Algunos negocios han comenzado a fabricar camisetas, dulces e incluso una cafetería ofrece el rostro del papa en sus tazas de capuchino.

León XIV, de 71 años, visitará Sudamérica por primera vez en noviembre en una gira que incluye Uruguay, Argentina y Perú.

That wasn’t all, Maysa Jalbout, the director of Education Can’t Wait, recounted of her visit to the school a few weeks ago. Even with a classroom temperature of 44 degrees Celsius (111 degrees Fahrenheit) and no water or electricity, “She pleaded with me to make sure that her siblings and her cousins and her orphan friends are also able to attend school.”

But the school was so small that hundreds more kids waiting outside couldn’t get in, Jalbout said. They asked her and the other visitors to deliver a message to build more schools – and she said that’s what she has been urging at the U.N.’s annual meeting of world leaders at the United Nations this week.

The plight of the more than 500 million children in desperate need of an education has been one of the key issues on the sidelines of the meeting – and the appeal for money to make it possible is having some success.

Climate change and conflict are major impediments

Gordon Brown, the former British prime minister is now the U.N. special envoy for global education. He said Thursday that 273 million children are not in school and 270 million others are at school but aren’t learning enough to read and write or be proficient in arithmetic by age 11. Many of them are in areas affected by conflict or climate change, he said.

“The message, I think, is clear," he said. “Instead of the world developing only some of the potential of some children in some countries, we must be determined to develop the potential of all children at all times in every country.”

Governments whose children are not in school must be reminded, he said, that they promised 20% of their spending would go to education, and to remind countries giving aid that in 2015 they signed up for U.N. development goals including achieving quality education for all children by 2030. “We’re so far away from the goal."

Brown said it’s disappointing that the numbers of children not going to school isn’t falling and the message is clear: “If you deny a child the basic right to education, you are doing something that will affect their whole life and, indeed, the life of the family around them."

But the gathering of global leaders did produce some results.

At an event Wednesday, the Global Partnership for Education said $3.5 billion was mobilized from partners and funds to support over 90 lower income countries in transforming their education system to provide quality learning.

It said $2.1 billion came from confirmed and anticipated pledges from governments and private donors, and $1.4 billion in co-financing -- $1 billion from development finance institutions and $400 million from a growing coalition of philanthropic and private sector partners.

Investments can reach where they're needed most

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, co-host of the campaign, said the funding empowers “dynamic and youthful nations like Nigeria to break down the barriers that keep our children, especially our girls, out of school and away from learning, so they can achieve their full potential.”

Education Cannot Wait, which Jalbout heads, focuses on the 258 million school-age children worldwide affected by crises – “far greater than the number that we are able to reach.”

She announced a $3 million emergency investment for children in Gaza and the West Bank to help up to 13,000 of the most vulnerable children and adolescents — with priority given to those with conflict-related injuries and disabilities and to youngsters who have lost parents and are unaccompanied or separated.

Gaza now has more child amputees per capita than anywhere in the world. “For these children," Jalbout said, "survival is only the beginning — a child who has survived this war, lost a limb and perhaps lost their family should not also lose their future because we failed to organize around their needs.”

But the enormous needs far outstrip the funds. For a third year, she said, 660,000 children remain out of school in Gaza, and some 70,000 of the youngest have no access to preschool. Elsewhere, she said, the organization gave $1 million to help children from Nepal’s recent devastating floods start learning again.

During her recent Sudan trip, she said she announced $22 million in funding to help several hundred thousand children — but there are 8 million youngsters out of school.

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Edith M. Lederer has covered international affairs for The Associated Press for more than a half century.

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The first crane fell on the home, located in the 700 block of Southeast Eighth Street, on Thursday morning after a boom truck tipped over during an attempt to install a pest fumigation tent, due to the weight of the load.

The second crane fell as the company, the West Park-based Cooper Crane, tried to remove the first. Nobody was hurt in either instance.

Crews on Friday were collecting spilled hydraulic fluid and preparing damaged equipment for removal, using a large truck brought in to take the crane apart and haul it away.

“We’re relieved that no one was hurt,” a representative from Cooper Crane said in a statement. “We’re cooperating with the property owner, authorities, and our insurance carrier. The incident is being reviewed, and we can’t comment on details while that process is underway.”

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is getting involved in the investigation.

Alcaraz and Mensik beat Alexander Bublik and Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the final match of the day at the O2 Arena.

Rafael Jodar had broken a 1-1 deadlock after the day session by defeating Bublik 6-2, 6-3 in the evening's singles match.

In the day session, Brandon Nakashima made the most of his Laver Cup debut by beating Mensik 6-1, 3-6, 10-7.

The 16th-ranked Nakashima was a late addition to Andre Agassi's roster after U.S. Open runner-up Ben Shelton withdrew last week.

In the event's opener, Casper Ruud beat Francisco Cerundolo 6-7 (4), 6-4, 10-8 to give Europe an early lead.

There are four matches per day in the three-day event.

Wins are worth one point on Friday, two points on Saturday and three points on Sunday. The first team to reach 13 points wins.

Europe has won the Laver Cup five times while Team World took its third title in last year's edition of the Ryder Cup-style event.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Fortune was killed in a disagreement about drugs, and she fought hard with her attackers before she was killed, Jackson police Detective Samuel Dukes told the court. Citing the medical examiner's opinion, he also said the hanging was “staged.”

Fortune was Black, and the Aug. 3 discovery of her hanging body stoked fear and drew widespread attention because the scene recalled actual lynchings in the Southern state, which has a long and troubled history of racial violence.

Authorities haven’t disclosed the exact cause of Fortune’s death or said why they think her body was hanged afterward, but they ruled it a homicide and arrested two men, both of them also Black, on murder charges. They also issued an arrest warrant for an unnamed third person.

Outside court, Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, told reporters that she had been aware that her daughter died before her body was hanged. But that step, she added, “brought all the attention to it.”

“What bothered me was they said Tasia fought for her life. I know she did. I know my daughter,” Spivey said.

The hearing was meant to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to send the case against the first man arrested, Jarques Ratliff, to a grand jury for a possible indictment. It will resume Sept. 30.

Ratliff, 51, was arrested in mid-September and has pleaded not guilty. He remains jailed without bond. Police arrested a second defendant, 25-year-old Earnest Lloyd Jr., this week.

During Friday's hearing, Ratliff blurted out in court that he and Fortune were friends.

“It sounded sincere. Tasia had a lot of friends,” Spivey said later. “I hope if he is innocent that he can prove he’s innocent. We don’t want any innocent people going to jail.”

Ratliff’s stepdaughter, Lashuna Jones, was among her father's supporters at court.

“He didn’t do it, and I’m behind him,” she said.

Spivey has said her daughter, who had four children, struggled with homelessness in recent years, and that she wasn’t sure where Fortune was living at the time of her death. She said Fortune had talked about starting a cleaning business and was trying to get her life in order.

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White reported from Detroit.

Until now, Mexico's government did not share comprehensive data on people who have been forced to flee their homes due to ongoing violence in many parts of Mexico, leaving civil society groups piecing together information to get a wider view of the problem.

The figures published this week by Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography, or INEGI — an autonomous government agency that has at times been at odds with Mexico's ruling party — offer the first wider snapshot of the ongoing crisis.

Between October 2020 and October 2025, people in 510,000 households across Mexico were forced to flee to another part of the country. That could range from a single person to an entire family. The displacement affected 1.6 million people, including those forced to flee and those left behind to cope with the consequences of the crisis.

The figures show the problem has reached every corner of Mexico, but the states with the highest rates of displacement from cartel violence were Zacatecas, Morelos, Michoacan, Queretaro and Colima.

Other autonomous agencies, civil society groups and Mexican state governments have published data on internal displacement, but their findings have often been limited in scope.

Tracking internal displacement can often be tricky because many people leave their homes in fear without the intention of being found or reporting their case, or hope to later return to their homes if they determine it's safe to return home down the line.

David Mora, Mexico analyst for International Crisis Group, described the new data as a “major breakthrough” that will pave the way for authorities and civil society to address the long-term humanitarian consequences of the crisis. Those who are forced to flee criminal violence have almost no resources to turn to when they disappear into the fabric of Mexico and often have to start from zero.

“For years, civil society and victims of forced displacement have been sounding the alarm on the issue and the federal government has not paid attention,” Mora said Friday. “So this coming from the independent INEGI, it’s a breakthrough. It’s huge that they’re trying to put a number on it, which is just the first step.”

The INEGI figures don't include people displaced before 2020, meaning the number of displaced people across the country is likely much higher. Cartel violence has raged in key areas of Mexico since the beginning of the drug war around 2006 under the administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderón. The data focuses specifically on internally displaced people, and doesn’t capture people who have fled to the U.S.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has said little about the issue, focusing instead on the government's efforts to reduce homicide numbers and crack down on criminal groups. She is also facing pressure from the Trump administration to show progress on security.

She has addressed specific cases of families being displaced from bursts of cartel violence, noting that authorities were working on finding a way for them to return home, but has largely not spoken about forced displacement as a widespread phenomenon.

At her morning news briefing Wednesday, Sheinbaum questioned the figures and said she had asked INEGI to provide further details about the data, including the questions and methodology used to reach those numbers.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Instead, he will begin October by stumping in Alabama and Oklahoma, two of the most Republican states in the nation. His events are sure to draw enthusiastic crowds of fans, but his choice of destinations is a reminder of his deep unpopularity in much of the country during a campaign season he's sought to make all about himself.

Trump will hold rallies next week in Durant, Oklahoma, and Mobile, Alabama, where he is sure to draw crowds, but he has also raised eyebrows.

While organizers insist the rallies are in locations with media markets that span state lines and they will help bolster broader turnout, Trump's itinerary is yet another sign of the uphill fight that his party faces. Republicans have already been pouring money into red states once considered safe as they try to shore up candidates facing an unhappy electorate that has soured on Trump and his policies.

Some Republicans have also been distancing themselves from the president in recent weeks as they try to appeal to voters beyond Trump's “Make America Great Again” base. They have removed or downplayed references to the president on their websites and increasingly voiced opposition to his unpopular war with Iran.

But Trump's events — Thursday in Durant and Friday in Mobile — are also likely to deliver something else he craves: adoring crowds. He is almost guaranteed to fill the venues with the kind of die-hard supporters who fueled his political rise, projecting excitement as he tries to bolster enthusiasm and rally Republicans.

“The President’s ability to engage with and activate low-propensity voters is unmatched. That’s why he’ll be barnstorming the country to activate the voters we need to win in November,” said Republican National Committee spokesperson Natalie Baldassarre, promising more October rallies to come.

Democrats, meanwhile, celebrated the announcement. “The political floor is falling out from underneath Trump and Congressional Republicans, forcing them to scramble to spend and campaign in deep red territory in the final weeks,” said Viet Shelton, spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The RNC noted that Durant, Oklahoma, is on the Texas border and next to the Dallas-Fort Worth media market, and will draw Republicans in Texas, which has emerged as one of the most critical states on the map. Scandal-plagued Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom Trump backed over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, is locked in a tight race against Democrat James Talarico. Gov. Greg Abbott is also facing a stronger-than-expected challenger in Democrat Gina Hinojosa.

Mobile is next to Florida’s panhandle, a Republican stronghold where high turnout can help bolster Trump-backed candidates running for Senate and governor. However, Florida Republican Sen. Ashley Moody is not expected to attend.

In Oklahoma, Trump will be stumping for Mike Mazzei, whom he backed as the Republican nominee for governor during a competitive primary. Mazzei is running against Oklahoma's Democratic House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson.

“This race continues to get more competitive — and national Republicans are right to be worried about Mazzei,” Democratic Governors Association spokesperson Kevin Donohoe said in a statement.

Alabama, meanwhile, holds deep nostalgia for Trump and his early supporters. He held his first mega-rally in Mobile more than a decade ago, drawing some 30,000 people to a college football stadium. The crowd made clear to skeptics of his campaign that he was more than a celebrity novelty.

“I think it’s very natural that he would host a rally here as he is gearing up for the midterm elections,” said John Wahl, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor and former chair of the Alabama Republican Party.

Although Republicans remain the heavy favorites in Alabama's statewide campaigns, they face a more challenging political landscape this year.

Former Democratic Sen. Doug Jones is mounting a vigorous campaign for Alabama governor against one of Trump’s most vocal allies, Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who said he welcomed the president's visit.

Republican Rep. Barry Moore, running to replace Tuberville in the Senate with Trump's backing, said the president's rally “will be the jet fuel we need to win big in Alabama.”

Mobile is also near Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, which leans red after its lines were redrawn but is not a slam dunk for Republicans as they try to dislodge Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures.

Figures has been criticizing the president's plan to lower import tariffs on foreign beef in an appeal to cattle ranchers as he tries to fend off a challenge from his Trump-backed opponent, State Rep. Rhett Marques.

Trump has promised to ramp up his campaigning in the election's final stretch and had said he would visit all of the most competitive districts.

“It’s all about 35 races,” he said at a recent Rose Garden dinner attended by Republican lawmakers. “I’m going to go to every one of those 35 places and we’re going to see if we can get everyone elected."

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Colvin reported from New York. Associated Press reporter Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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Nolo’s forecast has trended south and away from Hawaii over the past 24 hours, which lowers the risk that the core of what’s forecast to be a major Category 3 or stronger hurricane will directly impact parts of the state.

Unfortunately, the slight southward trend in the forecast doesn’t do much for the catastrophic, life-threatening rainfall threat Nolo poses in its outer edges to part of Maui and the Big Island this weekend – especially on east-facing slopes of the Big Island where the National Weather Service is forecasting as much as 25 inches of rainfall, nearly half of the rainfall Miami typically gets in an entire year.

In addition to significant, life-threatening flash flooding and dangerous mudslides on Maui and the Big Island from Nolo’s torrential rains, tropical storm conditions (winds 39 mph and stronger) and hurricane force wind gusts (winds 74 mph or higher) in higher terrain will spread over southeastern parts of the state as the storm passes by this weekend. The high winds on Nolo’s periphery could also extend westward to parts of Oahu and Kauai.

Treacherous marine conditions, including waves exceeding 20 feet, will batter north and west-facing shorelines of the state into early next week.

Another weak and fleeting storm for the sluggish Atlantic

The strong disturbance designated Invest 90L near the Cabo Verde Islands off Africa was upgraded to Tropical Storm Gonzalo late Thursday eastern time.

An unusual tropical storm warning was issued for the Cabo Verde Islands as the broad and disorganized storm lifts northward across the archipelago through Friday night.

Like nearly all of its six Atlantic predecessors this season, Gonzalo is expected to stay weak and shouldn’t even survive to next week.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Fay continues to spit and sputter as it creeps over the open central Atlantic. Fay is forecast to wind down again by Sunday and, barring another unforeseen resurgence, that should be all she wrote for the season’s comeback kid.

Elsewhere, no development is expected across the Gulf, Caribbean, or wider Atlantic into at least the start of October.

Polo surges back to a Category 5

Hurricane Polo restrengthened to a Category 5 hurricane for a third time early Friday, logging nearly 50 total hours at the apex of the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

Polo is expected to finally begin to gradually weaken over the weekend as it bends back toward the Baja California Peninsula of northwestern Mexico for early next week, where it’s forecast to strike as a weakening but still dangerous hurricane on Monday.

Residual moisture will also peel off from Polo and contribute to heavy monsoonal rains and the potential for flash flooding across parts of the Desert Southwest into the Four Corners region for Monday into Tuesday.

En las últimas 24 horas, la trayectoria prevista de Nolo ha mostrado una tendencia hacia el sur, alejándose de Hawái, lo que reduce el riesgo de que el núcleo de lo que se prevé que sea un huracán de categoría 3 o superior afecte directamente a partes del estado.

Unfortunately, the slight southward trend in the forecast doesn’t do much for the catastrophic, life-threatening rainfall threat Nolo poses in its outer edges to part of Maui and the Big Island this weekend – especially on east-facing slopes of the Big Island where the National Weather Service is forecasting as much as 25 inches of rainfall, nearly half of the rainfall Miami typically gets in an entire year.

In addition to significant, life-threatening flash flooding and dangerous mudslides on Maui and the Big Island from Nolo’s torrential rains, tropical storm conditions (winds 39 mph and stronger) and hurricane force wind gusts (winds 74 mph or higher) in higher terrain will spread over southeastern parts of the state as the storm passes by this weekend. The high winds on Nolo’s periphery could also extend westward to parts of Oahu and Kauai.

Treacherous marine conditions, including waves exceeding 20 feet, will batter north and west-facing shorelines of the state into early next week.

Another weak and fleeting storm for the sluggish Atlantic

The strong disturbance designated Invest 90L near the Cabo Verde Islands off Africa was upgraded to Tropical Storm Gonzalo late Thursday eastern time.

An unusual tropical storm warning was issued for the Cabo Verde Islands as the broad and disorganized storm lifts northward across the archipelago through Friday night.

Like nearly all of its six Atlantic predecessors this season, Gonzalo is expected to stay weak and shouldn’t even survive to next week.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Fay continues to spit and sputter as it creeps over the open central Atlantic. Fay is forecast to wind down again by Sunday and, barring another unforeseen resurgence, that should be all she wrote for the season’s comeback kid.

Elsewhere, no development is expected across the Gulf, Caribbean, or wider Atlantic into at least the start of October.

Polo surges back to a Category 5

Hurricane Polo restrengthened to a Category 5 hurricane for a third time early Friday, logging nearly 50 total hours at the apex of the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

Polo is expected to finally begin to gradually weaken over the weekend as it bends back toward the Baja California Peninsula of northwestern Mexico for early next week, where it’s forecast to strike as a weakening but still dangerous hurricane on Monday.

Residual moisture will also peel off from Polo and contribute to heavy monsoonal rains and the potential for flash flooding across parts of the Desert Southwest into the Four Corners region for Monday into Tuesday.

Those were among the key findings in an after-action report released Friday by Utah Valley University. The external, independent review found that the university failed to conduct a formal security assessment, did not create a written event action plan and deferred critical decision making for the conservative activist’s talk to Turning Point USA.

Kirk, 31, was killed on Sept. 10, 2025, by a sniper perched on a rooftop more than 400 feet (122 meters) away, authorities said. He had been debating students in an outdoor courtyard on the Orem, Utah, campus surrounded by tall buildings and elevated walkways, and with several thousand people in attendance.

The report makes nearly 150 recommendations, including hiring a police sergeant to focus on campus events and creating clear criteria for when events must be moved indoors or to more controllable venues because of crowd size and line-of-sight concerns.

In a statement, Utah Valley President Jon Anderson said the university has a responsibility to “learn from the findings of this review, and follow through on its recommendations.”

“This requires humility, an honest examination of our policies and practices, and a commitment to act on what we learn,” said Anderson, who took over as president last month. He added that the university has made “meaningful progress in strengthening campus safety over the past year.”

That includes hiring a chief public safety officer to coordinate with campus police and other emergency response agencies and hiring more campus police officers. At the time of the shooting, the university had just 13 sworn officers, which the report said was not sufficient for Utah Valley's size and the types of events and activities held on its campus. Utah Valley is the state's largest university, with about 50,000 students on a sprawling campus beneath the Wasatch Mountains.

Tyler Robinson has pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder in the shooting, a charge that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. Prosecutors say he told his romantic partner that he “had enough of his (Kirk’s) hatred.” No trial date has been set.

Last week, Kirk’s family sent a wrongful death notice — a precursor to a possible lawsuit — accusing Utah Valley officials of hastening his death with a string of “reckless decisions.” They included failing to conduct an adequate risk assessment, failing to establish a secure perimeter and failing to have first responders immediately available, which led to Kirk being taken to a hospital in a private vehicle instead of an ambulance.

The family’s lawyer, Brett Parkinson, said in a statement that the report reaffirms those allegations. By hosting the event, he said, Utah Valley assumed responsibility for the safety of all in attendance, including Kirk.

“The buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement,” Parkinson said. “Justice for Charlie and his family requires true accountability for UVU’s fatal shortcomings that day.”

According to the after-action report, a Turning Point representative insisted at an August 2025 planning meeting that Kirk speak at a courtyard on campus because he had been there previously and the organization was familiar with the location. Some Utah Valley officials expressed reservations about holding the event in an outdoor space with tall buildings around, but ultimately allowed the event to proceed.

“In our assessment, those decisions were consequential,” the report said.

The location “created significant protective operations considerations,” the report said, but the planning process failed to include a documented line-of-sight assessment, pre-event briefing or walk-through with security stakeholders. Nor was there clear coordination with the speaker’s private security team and external law enforcement partners, the report said.

An Associated Press review found that the campus did not use several public safety practices that have become standard at events around the country. Among other things, campus police did not fly a drone to monitor rooftops or coordinate with local law enforcement to secure the event attended by about 3,000 people. Nor were there bag checks or metal detectors.

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Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.

Celebrini was presented the captain's jersey at a team meeting by former captain Joe Thornton before practice Friday.

“It’s a huge honor,” Celebrini said. “It’s just something that I can’t really take lightly. Obviously, there’s a responsibility that comes with that. But at the same time I’m not really going to change who I am or what I do. Just a huge honor first and foremost and with that comes some responsibility.”

Celebrini takes over the spot that had been vacant since Logan Couture went down with a career-ending injury, becoming the 11th full-time captain in Sharks history.

Couture was given that role for the 2019-20 season and held it through the 2024-25 season even though he didn't play a single game that year because of a chronic injury to his groin and pelvic area that ended his career.

Celebrini was one of five players who rotated as alternate captains last season but now has the role for the foreseeable future. He is the youngest player to fill the leadership role, with Patrick Marleau previously holding that mark when he was named captain at age 24 in 2004. He is also the youngest current captain in the NHL, edging out 21-year-old Connor Bedard, who was named captain in Chicago earlier this month.

“He’s earned it through the way he works and competes and the way he’s played on the ice and the way he’s handled himself off the ice,” general manager Mike Grier said. “I don’t know if anyone drafts someone at 18 and thinks by the time they’re 20 they’re going to be leading your team and be your captain. But there are those rare special players who do it and Macklin is one of them.”

Celebrini has become the face of the franchise since being drafted first overall in 2024 and quickly developing into one of the game's biggest stars. He signed a five-year, $94 million extension this summer and is under contract through the 2031-32 season.

Celebrini, who turned 20 in June, has 178 career points for the fifth-most ever for a teenager and his 70 career goals are seventh best for a player before turning 20.

“We’ve seen it since day one, the type of player he is, but also the type of person he is,” coach Ryan Warsofsky said. “The way he leads our group on and off the ice. The guys gravitate towards him."

Celebrini had 45 goals and 70 assists last season, with his 115 points breaking Thornton’s franchise record of 114 set in 2006-07 and trailing Wayne Gretzky (137 in 1979-80) and Sidney Crosby (120 in 2006-07) for the most in a season for a player before turning 20.

He had the 10th-most points ever for a player who missed the playoffs, recording a point on 46.2% of San Jose goals for the second-best rate in the league behind Connor McDavid (48.9%) and the best ever for a teenager.

He also was the leading goal scorer in the Olympics, with five goals to help Canada win the silver medal. He then served as captain of Team Canada for the World Cup in the spring.

Despite Celebrini’s exploits, the Sharks still missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season. They improved by 34 points for the 10th best single-season jump in the last 30 years but landed four points out of the playoffs.

“It definitely starts with his work ethic,” teammate Tyler Toffoli said. “It’s not always the things he says. Obviously, he’s very vocal in the sense of he’s still a young kid and he enjoys coming to the rink and cracking jokes and having fun. But at the same time, when it comes to work and in the middle of a period in a game, he can be serious. It’s one of those things when whenever he talks, you listen."

Celebrini is part of a strong young core in San Jose alongside fellow promising players like Michael Misa, Will Smith, Igor Chernyshov and Sam Dickinson. The Sharks added even more young talent this offseason with three first-round picks headlined by Swedish left winger Ivar Stenberg at No. 2 overall.

Grier also brought in veteran reinforcements at the start of the offseason, trading for defenseman Darnell Nurse and signing defenseman Jacob Trouba and forward Mason Marchment.

Now with those veterans and Celebrini leading the way, the Sharks are hoping to get back to the postseason.

“When you get a special player, it changes, you know, the trajectory of things that you’re on,” Grier said. “He gives the group a certain level of belief that things are possible. We were fortunate to win the lottery and be able to select Mac."

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The U.S. president delighted in the personal rapport he says he's built with Xi, while the Chinese leader emphasized the two sides “must hold the line” to ensure there is “no conflict and no confrontation between us.”

The two leaders discussed the wars in Iran and Ukraine as well as artificial intelligence and Taiwan. The biggest policy announcement of the visit was modest: an agreement to extend by two months a trade truce that had been set to expire in November.

Here are seven key takeaways from the visit:

Trump shows deference to Xi after trade tussle

Trump's red-carpet treatment for Xi is remarkable considering less than a year ago the two were locked in a tariff battle that threatened to send the global economy into a recession.

The warmth sharply contrasts with the hostility Trump shows for America’s northern neighbor and biggest export market, Canada, and Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Only China and Canada fought back against Trump’s tariffs last year with retaliatory tariffs of their own.

But Trump has been deferential to Xi while raging against Ottawa, announcing 50% tariffs on some Canadian imports and a ban on some Canadian products, including motorcycles and alcohol. The ban takes effect Tuesday. Trump even posted an image of himself in a U.S. hockey uniform, looming over Carney cowering on the ice.

Former U.S. trade official Jeff Moon said the explanation is simple.

“Trump is a bully who enjoys punching down when he can but will stop when he can’t,” said Moon, noting Canada sends about 70% of its exports to the U.S.

Trump eased up on China last year when Beijing cut off supplies of critical minerals needed for advanced manufacturing. “Punching down was no longer possible,’’ said Moon, the founder of China Moon Strategies.

No breakthroughs on the thorniest global issues

The leaders are facing calls to collaborate on guardrails for artificial intelligence even as they compete to dominate the rapidly developing technology.

Xi acknowledged that the U.S. and China have the “responsibility to develop and manage AI for good” while ensuring it remains under human control. But Trump appears more focused on his push to rebrand artificial intelligence to “super intelligence,” claiming on social media Friday that Xi “seems to like” the term without divulging the substance of their discussions.

Trump, a Republican, has repeatedly said that he doesn’t want to impede the industry and that the U.S. must ensure an edge over China.

The leaders also delved into the Iran war, which Trump is struggling to wind down. China urged Washington and Tehran to return to talks and an interim deal, but Iran’s largest trading partner has played no major public role in pushing for peace despite its outsize influence.

The costs of the war -- including higher gasoline prices and dwindling stockpiles of advanced weapons -- are hurting Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Xi’s push on Taiwan with Trump alarms Taipei

In their private talks, Xi told Trump he hoped the U.S. will “adhere to the correct position of opposing” the independence of Taiwan, a self-governed island, according to an official Chinese statement.

Trump hasn’t said much yet about his private conversations with Xi. But Taiwan’s foreign ministry said the Chinese statement was “distorting” the facts, while underscoring that Taiwan’s sovereignty belongs to its people.

The Chinese government’s choice of the word “adhere” is revealing, because it implies Beijing believes Washington is already behaving in ways it wants, says Craig Singleton, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

“Beijing’s objective is to get Trump to absorb Chinese red lines into his own definition of a stable relationship,” Singleton added.

Anxiety was already heightened about Trump’s position on Taiwan. Following his May visit to Beijing, Trump paused a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan.

Xi challenged Trump’s zero sum worldview. Trump didn't push back

Xi seemed to subtly reject Trump’s framing of global competition as zero sum with nations either winning or losing.

The Chinese leader said any competition with the U.S. should be limited and “within bounds” and suggested that Trump need not worry about trying to contain China.

To be sure, Xi couched his remarks in history and diplomatic nuance. But Trump did not offer a counterargument.

U.S. policies have tried to contain Chinese manufacturing through tariffs and export controls. Those have achieved mixed results. China continues to innovate with electric vehicles, match AI breakthroughs and expand its global trade surplus.

“It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” said Xi, openly contesting Trump’s claims that the front-runner in AI automatically “wins.”

Trump takes his military rival into his helicopter

The U.S. president took pains to show Xi around and spent time looking at a new helicopter landing pad he had rushed to finish ahead of the state visit. But it was surprising when Trump invited Xi -- the head of a communist country that is a key military rival -- to step on board the chopper, which is one of the most secure and well-protected aircraft on earth.

Trump has had other issues with airborne security recently. A luxury jet gifted to him by Qatar for use as Air Force One lacked the advanced defense systems of the traditional presidential aircraft — a problem acute enough that Trump in July was concealed in a catering truck before secretly flying out of Turkey on a different plane in the face of credible threats from Iran.

Trump also showed off the construction site for his new White House ballroom, a project he has partially justified because it will house military and security operations. At Xi's state dinner, Trump invited Chinese officials and all his guests to walk over for a firsthand look at the project. It’s unclear whether anyone took him up on that invitation.

Trump's ongoing media battle created an awkward dynamic

Trump last week barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, sparking a legal fight that overshadowed Xi's visit.

The White House’s five-network television pool rotation refused to cover Trump’s events in response to the action against CNN, and Trump grumbled on social media that TV networks “refused to cover one of the Biggest and Most Beautiful Events to take place in many years.”

His fight with the press created an extraordinary split screen as he welcomed the world’s most powerful autocrat with a lavish state visit all while battling in court to keep prominent American media outlets out of the People’s House.

It’s all to be continued …

After Xi’s trip to Washington, the two leaders are still on track to meet two more times this year.

That means their exchanges are part of an ongoing dialogue, rather than a set of finalized agreements. It also creates opportunities for the trade truce that was extended for two months through Jan. 10, 2027, to get another extension.

In November, Xi will host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, and in December, the Group of 20 summit will be held at the Trump National Doral Miami golf club in Florida.

Xi confirmed before leaving Washington on Friday that he expected to see Trump again soon.

Instead, he’s in contention at a big European tour event for the second week running after shooting a 6-under 65 on Friday to be three shots off the lead at the halfway point of the French Open.

Matt Fitzpatrick, the world No. 4, shot 64 and held the second-round lead on 13-under 129 at Le Golf National outside Paris, where the Ryder Cup was staged in 2019.

Jeff Winther was a shot back after also shooting 64, while defending champion Michael Kim of the United States — the first-round leader — bogeyed the last hole for a 68 that dropped him into third place.

Then, in a share of fourth place, was the No. 23-ranked Gerard, who wasn’t picked by U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker in his 12-man roster for the Presidents Cup taking place at Medinah despite a third-place finish at the Tour Championship last month. That came after he contended briefly at the British Open.

Even last week, Gerard led by two shots after 36 holes at the BMW PGA Championship — the European tour's flagship event — before finishing tied for 27th.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

The band ripped through a seven-song set including an encore of “With or Without You” for hundreds of students in the schoolyard of Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin and a crowd of others who got word of the gig or — like a construction crew several floors up a nearby building — were lucky to be within earshot and have a bird's eye view.

“We escaped the lab — how’s the experiment going for you?” Bono said as he pointed to the science classrooms.

The band got its start at the school 50 years ago when a 14-year-old Larry Mullen posted a note on a message board reading: “Drummer seeks musicians to form band.”

Originally known as Feedback, the group consisted of singer Paul Hewson, now Bono, guitarist David Evans, known as The Edge, and Adam Clayton on bass.

The rest, as they say, is history, though it would be a couple of years before they settled on the name U2 and not until 1980 that their first album, “Boy,” dropped, featuring “I Will Follow,” the first tune they played for the enthusiastic children.

The 30-minute gig was not quite as secret as it may have seemed. A camera crew was rolling, international news media were gathered and a group of 32 students accompanied the band on stringed instruments for the hit, "One.”

It was part of a promotional push for their new album, “Carnaval De Luz,” which features a duet between Bono and Dolly Parton, who died of cancer last month.

They later performed from a balcony to a crowd of fans on popular Grafton Street in central Dublin.

Students, some sticking their heads out of classroom windows, screamed and cheered. They captured the moment on their phones and sang along to the familiar tunes. Some yelled, “I love you Bono!”

Bono thanked his captive audience but noted they had “nowhere else to go.”

As he counted down the signature start of “Vertigo,” with “uno, dos, tres, catorce” (one, two, three, 14), he quipped: “If you’re taking Spanish lessons, don’t take them from me."

In a tribute to teachers, he became philosophical about his time at the school, saying it was where the band began the “humblest and hardest lesson” of learning how much they needed to be taught.

“Part of that started here and the sense was that maybe all we needed was around us, just under our feet — if we could see it in our mates, our wider community that was going to help us get through the next 50 years," he said. "So we want to thank them — and the wider community around this rock ‘n’ roll high school.”

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Melley reported from London.

The jury found over 43 million violations of state consumer protection law and it is now up to the judge to determine how much the company would pay, with attorneys representing the state asking for the maximum $5,000 penalty per violation.

“The verdict marks a significant victory for New Mexico consumers and holds one of the world’s largest technology companies accountable for its conduct,” the New Mexico Department of Justice said in a statement.

The two-week trial in Santa Fe centered on accusations that Facebook, owned by Meta, deceived users about a data breach stemming from a third-party personality quiz that harvested data from roughly 87 million profiles and sold it to a political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, to generate targeted ads. The now-defunct firm’s clients included the 2016 campaign for Donald Trump.

Jurors sided with prosecutors, finding Facebook made deceptive statements about protecting users’ data that affected New Mexico’s entire population of more than two million people. The jury also found Facebook misled the public about investigations into third-party app developers that harvest user data following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Facebook claims state's evidence was ‘outdated’

“We disagree with the verdict and will continue to defend ourselves against efforts to distort our record,” said Alex Burgos, a spokesperson for Meta in an email.

During closing arguments, lawyers for Facebook claimed the state’s evidence was outdated and that despite having five years to gather material, New Mexico found only one other instance of a data breach.

In one of the few wins for the defense, jurors found the state didn’t prove that Facebook made false claims about removing harmful content, including misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state claimed the company favored certain accounts and allowed for violent or inaccurate content to proliferate. During closing arguments, Randi McGinn, an attorney representing the state, argued that Facebook profited off harmful content.

Facebook denied the claims, arguing the company has adapted its policies since the state's lawsuit was filed in 2021 and that it removes 99% of content that violates standards. In a deposition played for jurors, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company had robust systems to determine whether content should be taken down.

“Meta’s platforms are forums for free expression. We have a First Amendment right to manage those platforms in a way we believe best serves the interests of our community. This means prioritizing free speech, protecting our users’ information and giving them control over their data,” Burgos said in a statement after the verdict.

Expert says impact on the company remains unclear

Despite jurors finding millions of violations, it's unclear how much of an impact the case will have on the company's bottom line, given how profitable Meta is.

"It's unlikely that this is going to be the case that effectively penalizes the company in a meaningful way," said Peter Ormerod, an associate professor of law at Villanova University.

Ormerod said the social media company has very high margins and previously skirted regulatory actions on its platforms.

If the state successfully persuades the judge to award the maximum civil penalties for every violation, the company could owe over $200 billion, with interest accruing if it decides to appeal. The judge will have to weigh complex arguments from both sides about what penalties are fair. In a previous case, New Mexico secured $942 million over the platform’s policies to protect minors.

Ormerod commended the state’s “dogged prosecution” of the social media giant, but isn’t sure the judgment will be significant enough to change Meta’s ways.

“There’s been a lot of criticism that none of these amounts of money are enough to discipline the company,” Ormerod said.

Judge will decide penalties at later date

The judge will decide on penalties during a hearing on Oct. 1. Attorney General Raúl Torrez told reporters following the verdict that all money awarded will go into a fund for the state's education system. The state is also seeking an injunction to stop similar practices in the future.

Friday's verdict follows several others against Meta recently.

In August, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle a multistate lawsuit involving child safety issues. Buried in the 130-page settlement was an agreement to release Meta from future liability related to the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, making New Mexico the only state to decide to pursue a case on its own. Florida was the only other state that did not sign the settlement, saying it was not tough enough on Meta, leaving the door open for future litigation.

Also this year, New Mexico won judgments totaling $942 million from Meta in a two-phase trial about the company’s safety protections for minors. The court ordered Meta to implement new safeguards, including age-verification technology and time limits on its platforms.

—

Schuettler reported from Phoenix.

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

Thousands of people rallied in rain to express their anger over the verdicts earlier this month that found former President Hashim Thaci and three others guilty of war crimes during the 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. The Netherlands-based court also sentenced them to 13-25 years in jail.

Residents of Kosovo view the verdicts as unjust, saying that the Kosovo Liberation Army, or KLA, which Thaci once led before entering politics, fought against Serbian oppression. More than 13,000 people died during the conflict, which ended after a NATO bombing forced Serbia to pull out.

Though largely peaceful, protests dubbed “Not in my name” have added to already high political tensions following an impasse of more than 18 months, which has blocked the election of the president and led to two early elections.

Kurti, who took office nearly two weeks ago after an election in June, faces an Oct. 6 deadline to reach a deal with opposition groups on the next president, or another early election will be held. This would further damage the economy and deepen the uncertainty in one of the poorest countries in Europe.

The war crimes protests have “complicated even more the political scene, and the divisions now have become even deeper,” political analyst Artan Muhaxhiri told The Associated Press.

The issue, he said, is “being used for political reasons and, of course, all the parties want to benefit maximally from it.” He said that “the protests are putting big pressure on the government.”

Thousands have come out every day since Sept. 17

The war crimes rallies have been attended by mostly young people, with tens of thousands of people expected at a big gathering in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, on Oct. 1. Protesters on Friday carried red and black Albanian flags, and banners praising the KLA and the jailed former fighters.

The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo, formerly led by Thaci, has demanded that Kosovo limit the reach of the Specialist Chambers based in The Hague, Netherlands, which tried Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.

Kurti, who traveled to New York for the U.N. General Assembly this week, has yet to respond to the opposition bid. He has promised to stand by the jailed Kosovars and provide any help they need.

Muhaxhiri said that any anti-court initiatives are “more symbolic than realistic” and could strain relations with the European Union, which has backed its founding. Kosovo's parliament on Monday also is expected to pass a declaration about the war crimes verdicts.

The EU is seeking to restart stalled talks to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia, which have been tense since Kosovo declared independence in 2008 without Belgrade’s consent.

Kosovo’s independence is backed by the United States and most EU countries while Belgrade has the support of Russia and China for its claim on the territory. The EU has told both Kosovo and Serbia they must resolve problems to move forward in their efforts to join the 27-nation bloc.

Protesters want concrete action

Protesters in Kosovo say they want the government to take concrete actions to help the former rebel leaders, including financially and by hiring law firms, said Ismail Tasholli, from the Freedom Has a Name group behind the protests.

Tasholli said that the protests will continue until the convicted former rebels are released from prison. He warned that “the government has reached the final moment when it must react, because we have no other option.”

“We will not back down in the face of this injustice,” Tasholli said. “It is not good for those in power to create a gap with the citizens.”

“While we're in grave danger, but I think there is a possibility that 2026 will be looked back upon in the history books as the beginning of a positive tipping point,” Gore said in a sit down interview with The Associated Press during New York Climate Week. He sees a good chance the world is peaking its use of coal, oil and gas, which cause global warming, as solar and other renewable power is overtaking dirtier fossil fuels.

History makes the former U.S. vice president hopeful. He compared the effort to make a cleaner world to the U.S. civil rights movement, Nelson Mandela's anti-apartheid movement and women's equality efforts as “the other great morally based challenges that humanity has confronted in the past.

“And in all of those prior movements,” he said, "there were times when the advocates felt despair but they kept going because courage is not the absence of fear, it's the determination to go forward in spite of it."

Nature makes him nervous because Earth's warming is accelerating and with it extreme weather, such as heat waves and the deadly glacier collapse and flooding that killed 1,300 people in Nepal.

“I’m temperamentally optimistic, but the dangers are extremely grave, getting more so all the time,” said, Gore, often accused of being a doomsayer by nonscientist political opponents. “We’re seeing these extreme events come fast and furious. They’re worse as well as more frequent. ... It’s like a nature hike through the book of Revelation.”

A race between old and new power

“This is a close race between the unfathomable risk we are taking, the unacceptable damages we are enduring on one hand, and the incredibly exciting advance of all the clean, cheap, job-producing alternatives that people not under the sway of the fossil fuel industry are adopting in droves,” Gore said.

He ticked off factoids such as Africa installing 100,000 solar panels per day, that 91% of the new U.S. electricity generation was renewable and that 30% of all new car s sold globally this year will be electric. And, he said, in Pakistan the common dowry now includes three solar panels.

Who will win the race? “The answer is in our hands,” Gore said. “The last chapter of this story won’t come for a while, but I think we really are at a turning point."

Ten years ago, 55% of the world's investment was in fossil fuels and 45% in renewables. Now it's 65% renewables, Gore said. He said society changes when a new technology becomes cheaper than the old one, much like cellphones supplanting, then replacing landlines.

Experts say Gore is right to be optimistic

Three climate scientists basically agreed with Gore's assessments of both increasing dangers, but also still had an optimistic outlook.

"I agree with Al Gore that we have incredible progress on exponential rise in adoption and decline in price for renewable electric green solutions," said Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts Research in Germany. “But the dilemma, so far, is that they largely meet growing energy demand. We are not yet bending the curve on oil, gas and coal.”

Climate Analytics CEO Bill Hare of Australia said he's generally optimistic like Gore “about what we can achieve particularly with the rapid development of clean technology." But, he said, "I am the at the same time fearful that this is not fast enough and is being held back by the fossil fuel industry.”

Even though change isn't fast enough, the University of Pennsylvania's Michael Mann said Gore's tone is crucial: “Doomism, despair and disengagement is the greatest threat at this point. We must not fall victim to it.”

Gore is having none of that. At 78, he thinks he'll see meaningful bends in the carbon pollution curve in his lifetime. But even if it takes longer, that's OK, Gore said, paraphrasing the Jewish Talmud:

“You are not required to finish the work, but you are required to undertake it.”

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

Woodford Town is getting a full game replay.

An FA Cup qualifying match will be replayed because of a refereeing mistake made in Mulbarton Wanderers' 2-1 win over Woodford last weekend, both lower-division clubs announced Friday.

The original result has been voided and the teams are set to square off again Tuesday.

Woodford had filed a protest with the English Football Association based on the referee's ruling following a penalty in the first half.

Woodford scored from the spot but the referee disallowed it because of encroachment by its own players.

The match official then awarded an indirect free kick for Mulbarton. But Woodford argued to an FA panel that was a mistake.

“The sub-committee concluded that a technical error had been made by the referee, determining that the correct outcome under Law 14 should have been either the awarding of the goal or the ordering of a penalty retake,” Woodford said in a statement.

As a result, it said, the FA determined that “the original fixture was not completed in accordance with the 2026-27 FA Cup Rules,” and must be “replayed in its entirety.”

Mulbarton said in its statement Friday the FA had originally determined the protest was not allowed, but that Woodford further appealed and prevailed with a rules sub-committee.

“The club is deeply upset and disappointed by this decision, the impact that it will have upon our football club, and the potential wider implications regarding the finality of results for any FA Cup match in the future played by any team and the integrity of the game as a whole,” Mulbarton said.

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

Pakistan’s Information Ministry said in a post on X that its forces repelled what it called an “attempted Afghan aggression” in the Gulistan sector of southwestern Balochistan province. It said “at least 13 Afghan Taliban personnel were killed and several injured” Thursday night.

The strikes marked a sharp escalation in fighting between the two South Asian countries and risked further complicating international efforts to ease tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan routinely accuses Kabul of allowing militants, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks across the border. Kabul denies the accusation.

The Pakistani Information Ministry rejected a claim by Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry that Afghanistan had destroyed a Pakistani post near the southern Afghan border town of Spin Boldak, opposite the Pakistani city of Chaman. It posted videos it said showed Pakistani troops firing artillery at Afghan positions.

Residents in Chaman said the exchange of fire continued for hours on Thursday.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the footage or the casualty claims by either side. An uneasy calm prevailed along the border Friday, with no new fighting reported.

In Kabul, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry denied that its forces had suffered any casualties. It said in a post on X that Afghan personnel had instead destroyed a Pakistani post Thursday and described Pakistan’s account of the fighting as false.

The competing claims came a day after Pakistan said it carried out airstrikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan that it described as storage and launch facilities for drones used in attacks against Pakistan on Wednesday.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Thursday that the Pakistani strikes hit the southern and eastern provinces of Kandahar, Paktia and Khost, killing four civilians.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a statement Thursday that the strikes were carried out after eight drones were launched from Afghanistan and Afghan forces shelled Pakistani border posts. He said the attacks followed an attempt by militants to infiltrate Pakistan that was thwarted by Pakistani troops.

Tensions had already intensified Monday when Pakistani fighter jets struck sites in eastern Afghanistan that Islamabad described as militant hideouts. Pakistan said those strikes killed 28 militants, while Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed, a toll confirmed by the United Nations.

The renewed hostilities threaten mediation efforts by China, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia aimed at securing lasting peace between the two countries.

The Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban. The group has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.

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Afghan reported from Kabul.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Miami, agentes acudieron a la cuadra 400 de Southwest Eighth Court alrededor de las 5:45 a.m. y encontraron a la víctima herida.

Paramédicos trasladaron al hombre de 33 años al Centro de Traumatología Ryder del Hospital Jackson Memorial. Las autoridades dijeron que se encontraba “estable” hasta la mañana del viernes.

Las autoridades no han anunciado ningún arresto ni un posible motivo.

La policía dijo que está investigando las “circunstancias que rodean este incidente”.

The decision allows the Pentagon to continue to remove Anthropic’s Claude models from its systems and bar the use of its products for Defense Department work. Judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled 2-1 in the Pentagon's favor.

“Today’s DC Circuit Court ruling completely validates the Department’s position,” the Pentagon’s top spokesman, Sean Parnell, wrote in a social media post.

The dispute between the AI company and the government broke out in February when President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth accused Anthropic of endangering national security and designated the company a supply chain risk. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei refused to back down over concerns the company’s products could be used for mass surveillance or autonomous armed drones.

The ruling is separate from one this summer in California, where a federal judge found the Pentagon acted illegally by punishing the AI company for its criticism of the Pentagon’s views on AI use. This case, which was filed earlier this year in Washington, D.C., focused on a different rule the Pentagon was using to try to declare Anthropic a supply chain risk.

The majority opinion states the Pentagon had “ample support” for its actions. It notes that by Anthropic's own admission, “the company encodes restrictions into Claude that prevent the model from performing tasks that Anthropic wishes to prevent.”

“The Department reasonably feared that Anthropic might manipulate Claude’s design to prevent it from performing national-security functions that the Department deems contractually authorized and necessary,” Judge Gregory G. Katsas wrote in the majority opinion. Both Katsas and Judge Neomi Rao, who formed the majority, were nominated by Trump. The sole dissenter, Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson, was nominated by Republican President George H. W. Bush.

The judges said that they have "no reason to doubt" that Anthropic acts with “noble intentions” in restricting Claude, specifically with respect to its concerns around privacy and AI safety. But they said the definition of a supply chain risk in this context hinges “on what Anthropic does, not why Anthropic does it.”

An Anthropic spokesperson said in a written statement the company “respectfully disagrees” with the court’s decision. “Another federal court has already held the government’s parallel designation unlawful,” the statement continued. "We remain confident in our position and are considering all options, including further review.”

The judges who ruled against Anthropic said they had “no quarrel” with the conclusions of the the separate case that was filed in San Francisco, but they found that a “bad motive” on Anthropic’s part is not required to support a supply chain risk designation.

The Department of Defense began removing Claude from its workflows earlier this year, and the ruling upholds its ability to do so, including prohibiting contractors from using Anthropic products in their work for the department. Anthropic’s products are not barred from the federal government as a whole under this ruling.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A weekend nor'easter bound for New England has prompted the cancellation of the English pop singer's concerts Friday and Saturday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, about 22 miles (37 kilometers) southwest of Boston. Refunds will be provided.

“Due to the severe weather warnings in place in Boston and New England throughout the weekend and following consultation with local officials, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Ed Sheeran concerts at Gillette Stadium,” concert promoter Messina Touring said in a statement Friday.

The decision “was made with the safety of fans, staff and everyone involved in the shows as the top priority,” the company said.

The storm is expected to sock much of the East Coast with strong winds, coastal flooding and heavy rain. The National Weather Service said gusts could hit 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 kph) on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on Friday night, and about 50 to 55 mph (80 to 89 kph) around Boston.

The storm also led organizers of the Global Citizen, CBGB and All Things Go festivals to cancel performances in New York set for this weekend. Global Citizen, which had already raised nearly $210 million this year for its antipoverty efforts, was going to be headlined this year by Ms. Lauryn Hill and her Fugees’ bandmate Wyclef Jean.

All Things Go in New York was going to include performances by Zara Larsson, Lola Young, Brandi Carlile, Carly Rae Jepsen and others, while CBCB headliners included Morrissey and Patti Smith.

A tumultuous two weeks for Sheeran's Loop Tour

The cancellations are the latest disruption to Sheeran’s Loop Tour after Macklemore was dropped from the lineup for making pro-Palestinian comments onstage during a Sept. 5 show in New Jersey and supporting acts withdrew in solidarity.

Sheeran said at a concert Saturday in Philadelphia that he wants his music and shows to be about unity and humanity, not politics. But he said the attacks in Israel of Oct. 7, 2023, were horrific and called what is happening in Gaza “catastrophic and unjustifiable.”

The decision to drop Macklemore came at the urging of Robert Kraft, the owner of the NFL's New England Patriots and Gillette Stadium, who said in a statement that it was the result of the rapper’s recent comments “and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery.”

Sheeran has said he was not responsible for cutting Macklemore from the tour, blaming the tour promoter.

Macklemore said last week that he was donating $1 million to support Palestinian relief efforts and called on Kraft to match the gift. A spokesperson for Kraft said the billionaire and Sheeran each agreed to donate $2 million, but they haven't specified where the money will be directed.

As of last year, the Grammy-winning “Shape of You” singer was the No. 3 top-earning concert act of the millennium, according to industry magazine Pollstar.

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This story has been updated to correct that Sheeran’s Philadelphia concert was on Saturday, not Sunday.

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According to the Miami Police Department, officers responded to the 400 block of Southwest Eighth Court at around 5:45 a.m. and found the wounded victim.

Medics took the 33-year-old man to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. Authorities said he was “stable” as of Friday morning.

Police were combing a Nissan as they investigated.

Authorities have not announced any arrests or a suspected motive.

Police said they are investigating the “circumstances surrounding this incident.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami police or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

The vast majority of the total 214 companies, which are based in 11 countries, are Israeli. Five of the 158 companies listed last year were removed in the latest update.

The blacklist, first published in 2020, was born of a vote by the U.N.’s Human Rights Council, which has no ability to force companies to act. Its main goal is to name and shame businesses with ties to the settlements.

It is unclear how the inclusion on the list has affected the companies financially.

“This report is another reminder to companies that they have human rights responsibilities and are expected to conduct due diligence to ensure that they do not become involved in human rights violations or abuses,” said Volker Türk, the U.N. human rights chief, in a statement.

Israel's diplomatic mission in Geneva, which has repeatedly criticized the rights council, called the database a “political tool” used by Türk's office “to advance a smear campaign against business enterprises that committed no wrongdoing.”

The latest report comes as Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas have faced new scrutiny.

Earlier this month, Britain banned trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where it says “settler terrorists” are carrying out “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians. France and Canada announced they would take similar action.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill, also a Democrat, had given Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell until Friday to resign, seeking to end a scandal that threatened to be a drag on her fledgling administration.

Republicans have hammered Sherrill for weeks about the investigation into Caldwell, who served as acting governor in her absence. He also oversaw elections as New Jersey’s secretary of state, and his resignation comes weeks ahead of midterm elections that will decide who controls Congress.

At a news conference announcing the resignation, Sherrill said she was committed to changing what she called a longstanding problem in state government of people turning a blind eye to sexual harassment.

“There has been a culture in Trenton, probably since the birth of our nation, to sweep this under the rug,” she said.

“That is not the kind of government I’m running,” she added. “When I say there is a culture change taking place, I mean it.”

The governor had called for Caldwell to resign on Thursday after a law firm she hired released a report saying he behaved inappropriately around women.

In a statement Friday, Caldwell said he stepped down to keep the controversy from interfering with Sherrill’s important work, while maintaining that the matter had damaged his reputation.

“My decision to resign should not be interpreted as an acceptance of the report’s findings,” he said. His attorney, Thomas Calcagni, said they were looking into legal options to challenge the report.

Caldwell's resignation was far from certain

Sherrill picked Caldwell, a Methodist pastor and former president of Centenary University, as her running mate last year. They took office in January, but within four months, Caldwell had become the subject of an anonymous complaint about his behavior with women.

Caldwell at first showed no signs he would leave office willingly. In New Jersey, a governor can’t fire the lieutenant governor, but Caldwell could have been impeached and removed by the legislature.

Sherrill told reporters she'd spoken and texted with Caldwell in recent days, but wouldn’t say whether he expressed any remorse.

Sherrill faces questions about her judgement

Republican state Sen. Kristin Corrado on Friday questioned Sherrill’s judgment for allowing Caldwell to serve as acting governor when she left the state, even as his conduct was being investigated.

“New Jersey residents deserve leadership, transparency, and answers from their government,” she said. “So far, we have gotten none.”

The resignation probably won’t move the needle much in New Jersey’s midterms, said Matt Hale, a political science professor at Seton Hall University, but it gives Republicans fresh ammunition against the governor.

Still, he said, Democrats can contrast Caldwell’s swift dismissal with the Trump administration’s attitude toward controversy.

“This wouldn’t even make page six news if it was at the federal level,” Hale said.

The allegations went beyond inappropriate comments

The law firm’s report released Thursday said Caldwell committed several violations of state policy. It said Caldwell, 66, made an advance toward a staff member’s friend and when he was rebuffed told the staffer, “you young women are looking for young sperm.”

The report said Caldwell had tried to get a promotion for a state employee he was dating and brought personal guests to the opera and other ticketed events without paying for them, as required by ethics rules.

Caldwell’s lawyer said his client “categorically denies” making the sperm statement but acknowledged that Caldwell had recommended the woman for a promotion, although he denied ordering anyone to promote her. Caldwell denied other claims, including that he gave out his business cards to women for inappropriate reasons.

In a letter included in the report, Caldwell said he suspected his relationships with women were being subjected to extra scrutiny because he was a single Black man.

“This (resignation) might hurt her with some Black Democratic men,” said Richard Bensel, a government professor at Cornell University, “but I suspect that will be more than compensated by the approval of Black Democratic women.”

Until a new lieutenant governor is named, state Senate President Nicholas Scutari will step in as acting governor if Sherrill is away or unable to perform her duties. The secretary of state roll will be filled by the acting state comptroller, Shirley Emehelu.

Lieutenant governor turmoil isn't unique to New Jersey

In neighboring New York, a similar impasse has played out over the past year between Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and her estranged Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, who launched a caustic primary challenge to unseat her only to withdraw from the race as the election neared.

Hochul is now running for reelection in November with Adrienne Adams, the former speaker of the New York City Council, as her replacement lieutenant governor nominee.

Caldwell, the fourth lieutenant governor since the position was created in 2009, is the first to resign. But he’s hardly the first Garden State politician to be felled by scandal.

U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, who quit in the wake of his 2024 bribery conviction, and New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, who resigned in 2004 after coming out as gay as questions swirled about him appointing his one-time lover as the state’s homeland security adviser. Both are also Democrats.

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Marcelo reported from New York.

Let's play two more.

The league is going to an 84-game regular season for the first time since 1994 — it was in place for two seasons — and just the second time in its 109-year history. Players and owners agreed to the increase from 82 for each of the 32 teams as part of the collective bargaining agreement that is in place through 2030, doubling down on more hockey for all.

How much more? A record 1,344 regular-season games because there were fewer teams in the early 1990s.

“That will power some of our growth,” Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said. “That uplift is very subtle. People aren't realizing it, but that's an organic way to grow.”

The change meant shorter training camps and fewer exhibition games, and it could have an effect on everything from goaltending tandems to stats and records.

“Eighty-four games is a long, long road,” said ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro, who was a player the last two times the schedule was this long. “I’m just interested to see what the new rhythm of the season will be like.”

Early start spreads out the games

The Sept. 29 opening night is the soonest play is getting underway in North America and matches the earliest start date on the calendar worldwide from when Los Angeles and Anaheim took the ice in London in 2007. The season started Oct. 7 each of the past two years and Oct. 10 in 2023.

“I’m excited that we’re starting early,” Boston winger David Pastrnak said. “That’s probably the biggest change or thing that I’m excited about is that you don’t have to wait until Oct. 10, 11 when you’re already in the town the whole September.”

The 1,344 games are spread out over a 194-day span before every team plays its finale on April 10 ahead of the playoffs. With the exception of the holiday break for Christmas and the All-Star break in early February, there are only two days without at least one game on the schedule.

“There’s going be more time in between games,” Tampa Bay's Jake Guentzel said. “I think last year it was kind of condensed with the Olympic schedule, so I think the spread-out of games will help. ... You just got to take care of your bodies (because) it’s obviously a war of attrition.”

Pittsburgh has the most back-to-back sets with 15. Vegas and Calgary are tied for the fewest with eight each.

Less fake hockey evens out the workload

Rod Brind'Amour, coach of defending champion Carolina, made headlines by saying he'd rather go to 86 games and eliminate the preseason altogether because it lacks value for fans.

The way the NHL Players' Association sees it, limiting the exhibition schedule to two games for anyone with 100-plus games of experience more than makes up for extending the regular season.

“The thought behind it is the workload is the same, if not a little less,” said NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey, who played 17 seasons from 2002-20. “Those exhibition games sometimes are more difficult than a regular-season game. You’re out there with players, not necessarily NHL players, and things get a little haywire. Whereas, there’s a lot of reasons that if you just flip two exhibition into two regular season games, it’s a good thing."

What to watch for in an 84-game season

— Gone are the days when a goaltender would play in nearly every game. Grant Fuhr's single-season record of 79 appearances in 1996-97 is safe, and the last time a goalie surpassed 70 was Cam Talbot's 73 in 2016-17. Utah's Karel Vejmelka started 63 games last season and played in 64. The NHL has become much more of a rotation in the crease and coaches now have an extra two games to apportion the responsibilities.

— Alex Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky's career goals record of 894 in April 2025, and now Washington's longtime captain returns for a 22nd season, sitting on 929 with a couple of extra chances to put the mark further out of reach for the next player who might one day approach it.

“He knows how to score goals,” said Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby, who holds the record for the most point-a-game seasons with 21. “You don’t lose that. Maybe as you get older, you might have to adjust a little bit, but his shot is his shot and that’s not going anywhere.”

— Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov and Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon have combined for the 11 highest-scoring seasons among active players. With two extra games, any of them — plus San Jose's Macklin Celebrini — could set career highs and maybe even top McDavid's 153 points that are the most since the salary cap era began in 2005. The NHL record is 215 points set by Wayne Gretzky in 1985-86.

What happened the last time the NHL had 84 games

In 1992-93, the first season with 84, there were 24 teams so there were 1,008 regular-season games in all. The following year, the NHL added two teams wo there were 1,092 games.

The idea then was to grow the game by playing real games in non-NHL cities. So every team played a pair of neutral-site games in Atlanta; Cincinnati; Dallas; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Hamilton, Ontario; Indianapolis; Miami; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Orlando, Florida; Peoria, Illinois; Phoenix, Providence, Rhode Island; Richfield, Ohio; Sacramento or Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A few of those cities now have NHL teams.

In 1993-94, Gretzky led all scorers with 130 points, while Pavel Bure scored the most goals with 60. The New York Rangers had the best regular season and won the Stanley Cup, ending their 54-year drought.

Mario Lemieux's Penguins won the Presidents' Trophy in '92-93 but got knocked of the playoffs in the second round. The Montreal Canadiens hoisted the Cup that spring and remain the last team based in Canada to do so.

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

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According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Johnathan Richard Albury sent the victim “multiple sexual videos of the two, including one in which she can be heard on the video stating she does not want to be recorded” and had multiple videos taken without her consent.

MCSO spokesperson Adam Linhardt additionally said Albury, 23, “called and texted the victim hundreds of times and waited for her at her place of employment without her consent” and “repeatedly threatened the victim.”

Authorities said they obtained a warrant for Albury’s arrest and took him into custody on Thursday on charges of stalking, digital voyeurism, and sexual cyber harassment.

He did not appear in MCSO’s active jail roster as of Friday morning.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Monroe, Johnathan Richard Albury envió a la víctima “múltiples videos sexuales de ambos, incluido uno en el que se puede escuchar a ella decir en el video que no quiere ser grabada”, y tenía varios videos grabados sin su consentimiento.

El portavoz de MCSO, Adam Linhardt, dijo además que Albury, de 23 años, “llamó y envió mensajes de texto a la víctima cientos de veces y la esperó en su lugar de trabajo sin su consentimiento” y “amenazó repetidamente a la víctima”.

Las autoridades dijeron que obtuvieron una orden de arresto contra Albury y lo detuvieron el jueves por cargos de acoso, voyeurismo digital y acoso sexual cibernético.

Hasta la mañana del viernes, no aparecía en el registro de detenidos activos de MCSO.

Las ráfagas máximas de viento podrían acercarse a 97 a 105 km/h (60 a 65 mph) en el Cabo, Martha’s Vineyard y Nantuckety entre la noche del viernes y la mañana del sábado, en comparación con unos 80 a 89 km/h (50 a 55 mph) en el área de Boston y 56 a 64 km/h (35 a 40 mph) más hacia el interior, según Matthew Belk, meteorólogo del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional en Norton, Massachusetts.

“Definitivamente va a ser un caso en el que, cuanto más cerca de la costa se esté, más impactos de la tormenta es probable que se vean”, afirmó Belk.

Belk señaló que los ciclones extratropicales no son inusuales a medida que Nueva Inglaterra entra en el otoño, pero una preocupación tan temprano en la temporada es que las hojas aún permanecen en los árboles, lo que crea mayor resistencia al viento. Eso podría aumentar el riesgo de caída de ramas, lo que a su vez puede provocar cortes de energía y dejar escombros en las carreteras, explicó.

Cuando los residentes se preparaban para la tormenta este viernes, el equipo Medias Rojas, de Grandes Ligas, anunció modificaciones en su serie de fin de semana contra los Cachorros de Chicago. El equipo de Boston informó que trasladará el partido del domingo por la tarde al viernes para programar una doble cartelera dividida. Por otra parte, Ed Sheeran anunció la cancelación de sus esperados conciertos del viernes y el sábado en el Gillette Stadium de Foxborough, Massachusetts, debido a la tormenta.

El servicio público de ferry que conecta Cape Cod con las islas de Nantucket y Martha’s Vineyard registraba cancelaciones generalizadas el viernes debido a los fuertes vientos y el oleaje. En Rhode Island, también se cancelaron los ferris hacia Block Island. Se esperaba que las interrupciones del servicio de transbordadores se extendieran también al sábado.

Para las personas que viajan con regularidad hacia y desde las islas, la posibilidad de quedarse varados de un lado u otro es “parte de la vida”, comentó Sean Driscoll, portavoz de la Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. La mayoría de la gente tiene planes alternativos para cuando se cancelan los barcos.

“Es una molestia, pero ya sabe, a estas alturas sabemos qué hacer con este tipo de cosas", añadió Driscoll. "Esto no está fuera de lo normal. Parte de vivir en esta región es, en cierto modo, saber cómo lidiar con estas cosas”.

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Willingham reportó desde Boston.

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

Se prevé que Nolo se intensifique hasta convertirse en un huracán de categoría 3 o mayor el sábado. Sus vientos máximos sostenidos aumentaron a 169 km/h (105 mph) el viernes. El ojo de la tormenta se ubicaba a unos 298 kilómetros (185 millas) al sur del punto más meridional de Hawai.

Los meteorólogos advirtieron que partes de la Isla Grande podrían registrar acumulaciones de lluvia de hasta 38 centímetros (15 pulgadas), con la posibilidad de hasta 64 centímetros (25 pulgadas). Estas cifras son inferiores a las previstas anteriormente, que estimaban hasta 89 centímetros (35 pulgadas).

“No salgan si no tienen que hacerlo a ese peligroso entorno de inundaciones, pero también de vientos fuertes. Podemos tener árboles y líneas eléctricas caídos”. dijo el viernes Michael Brennan, director del Centro Nacional de Huracanes.

Aunque no se pronosticaba que Nolo impactara directamente las islas, también era posible que hubiera lluvias intensas en las otras islas de Hawai, indicó el centro de huracanes. Maui también podría registrar lluvias fuertes e inundaciones y deslaves potencialmente mortales, advirtieron los meteorólogos.

Cuadrillas en la Isla Grande pasaron horas el viernes tratando de construir bermas para guiar el agua y mover escombros grandes antes de lo peor de la lluvia, dijo Erika Kapu, gerente del programa de Hawai para la organización humanitaria sin fines de lucro CORE.

Polo se fortalece tras recuperar intensidad de categoría 5

Mientras tanto, México seguía bajo la amenaza del huracán Polo, que se dirigía hacia la península de Baja California luego de llevar condiciones de tormenta a la costa suroeste del país.

El NHC señaló que Polo ganó fuerza de manera significativa durante la noche del jueves y arrojó fuertes lluvias en la costa del Pacífico de México. No se reportaron daños importantes ni inundaciones a lo largo de la costa hasta la mañana del viernes.

Para el mediodía del viernes, la atención se centraba en la península de Baja California, donde se preveía que el huracán pasara entre el lunes y el martes. Autoridades locales se preparaban para abrir refugios, y el gobierno de México anunció el viernes por la tarde que cerraría puertos en la región.

Los vientos máximos sostenidos estimados más recientes eran de 290 km/h (180 mph).

Los residentes apilaron sacos de arena para reforzar los comercios frente a la playa y evacuaron sus viviendas en algunas zonas costeras el jueves. Las autoridades mexicanas abrían refugios y retiraban a la gente de las playas, y se desplegaron 15.000 elementos de seguridad a lo largo de la costa. Las escuelas cerraron.

En la ciudad portuaria de Lázaro Cárdenas, en Michoacán, el agua de mar ya había irrumpido en viviendas y dejó muebles esparcidos en las calles. Habitantes y autoridades retiraban escombros y paleaban el lodo espeso que cubría gran parte de la localidad.

Alicia Contreras contó que los muros y el techo de su restaurante habían sufrido graves daños por olas de 4,5 metros (15 pies). Cuando agentes y familiares ayudaban a revisar entre los daños en la vivienda, Contreras se preocupaba por cómo se recuperará económicamente.

“Esto es enorme porque no tenemos otra fuente de ingresos. Ahora sólo estamos sobreviviendo”, lamentó Contreras.

Brennan dijo que algo de humedad asociada con Polo será empujada hacia partes del suroeste de Estados Unidos para el lunes, lo que posiblemente produzca inundaciones repentinas dispersas en la región de Four Corners, particularmente en partes de Arizona y Nuevo México.

Biólogos trasladaron el viernes huevos de dos nidos de tortuga marina golfina en playas del sur de California al Aquarium of the Pacific en Long Beach por preocupación ante las mareas altas y el intenso oleaje mientras las autoridades monitorean el huracán Polo.

Se registran fuertes tormentas durante fenómeno meteorológico El Niño

El Niño está provocando importantes cambios ambientales en todo el mundo, recrudeciendo la sequía en algunas zonas y las inundaciones en otras. Tradicionalmente atenúa la temporada de huracanes en el Atlántico, pero tiende a intensificar la actividad de ciclones tropicales en el Pacífico con aire húmedo y pocos vientos cortantes.

Una tercera tormenta en el Pacífico, el huracán Odalys, estaba en categoría 4 y aún se encontraba lejos de tierra el viernes, aproximadamente a 1.537 kilómetros (955 millas) al oeste-suroeste del extremo sur de la península de Baja California.

Otras dos tormentas poderosas avanzaban en el océano Atlántico, pero no estaban cerca de tierra.

En el Atlántico norte, la tormenta tropical Fay se reconstituyó el jueves. Hasta el viernes, se encontraba a unos 1.674 kilómetros (1.040 millas) al oeste-suroeste de las Azores, informó el centro de huracanes. Frente a la costa occidental de África, la tormenta tropical Gonzalo se fortaleció temprano el viernes al acercarse a las islas de Cabo Verde.

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Los periodistas de The Associated Press Dave Collins, en Hartford, Connecticut; Gabriela Aoun Angueira, en San Diego; y Kathy McCormack, en Concord, Nueva Hampshire, contribuyeron a este despacho.

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

The crisis could merge conflicts in several parts of Ethiopia and draw neighboring Eritrea into another war. Here are five things to know:

Fighting has returned to Tigray

Federal and Tigrayan forces accuse each other of restarting hostilities nearly four years after signing the Pretoria peace agreement.

Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Tigray this week following the seizure of Mekelle airport by Tigrayan forces. Residents told The Associated Press that roads connecting Tigray with the neighboring Afar region had been closed, although AP could not independently verify the closures.

Internet monitor NetBlocks also reported disruptions across northern Ethiopia, reviving memories of the previous war, when Tigray was largely isolated and civilians struggled to obtain food, medicine and reliable information.

Former enemies have joined forces

The Tigray People’s Liberation Front has joined six other opposition groups in an alliance that aims to remove Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government.

Its members include the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Army. Tigrayan and Amhara forces fought on opposing sides during the previous war.

Magnus Taylor, deputy project director for the Horn of Africa at the International Crisis Group, described the coalition as combining political opposition to Abiy with an “opportunistic military alliance.”

Effective coordination could force federal troops to fight across several regions. But it remains unclear whether groups divided by territorial disputes and deep grievances can conduct joint military operations.

The 2022 peace agreement is close to collapse

The Pretoria agreement ended major fighting in November 2022 but left disputes over territory, security and accountability unresolved.

Taylor said the agreement was “on life support.” A TPLF spokesman told the AP this week that it was no longer valid.

Laetitia Bader, a regional director at Human Rights Watch, said key provisions had been violated for years. She cited continuing abuses, including what the organization describes as the forced expulsion of ethnic Tigrayans from western Tigray. AP could not independently verify the allegations.

Eritrea could turn it into a regional war

Eritrean troops fought alongside Ethiopia’s federal forces during the previous Tigray war. Relations between Addis Ababa and Asmara have since deteriorated sharply.

Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of supporting armed opponents. Eritrea has accused Abiy’s government of preparing for war as Ethiopia presses for greater access to the Red Sea.

Taylor warned that the fighting could spread across Ethiopia and draw in Eritrea. That would create another regional conflict next to Sudan, which is already experiencing a devastating war and humanitarian crisis.

Civilians again face the greatest danger

Researchers at Ghent University have estimated that the earlier war caused about 500,000 civilian deaths in Tigray alone. The estimate includes deaths from direct violence, but researchers attributed most of the toll to famine and the collapse of the region’s health system. The conflict also displaced millions of people across northern Ethiopia.

The war’s effects persisted after the ceasefire, with researchers later documenting deaths from hunger in Tigray.

Bader warned that another Ethiopian conflict could deepen the wider regional emergency. Transport and communications restrictions could quickly interrupt supplies of food and medicine while making civilian suffering harder to document.

Preventing a wider war would require an immediate halt to the fighting, renewed negotiations and sustained international pressure before Ethiopia’s separate conflicts converge.

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The White House maintains the ads are “public service announcements” like those used by past presidents, but multiple lawmakers of both parties on Thursday criticized the first one, questioning its legality and appropriateness given its political nature, proximity to November's midterms and the use of taxpayer funds.

The new, minute-long ad features scenic videos of Mount Rushmore at night with quotes and clips from Trump’s Fourth of July weekend speech there honoring the country’s 250th anniversary.

“We know that this is not an ending,” Trump says in the ad. “This is only the beginning of the golden age of America.”

At the end, text appears onscreen that reads, “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”

The ad's costs weren't immediately clear but it was airing Friday on Newsmax, with a spot on at least two programs, “Carl Higbie Frontline” and "Greg Kelly Reports," according to AdImpact, which tracks media spending.

The first ad, a 30-second spot that began airing Wednesday, features clips of Trump talking about defeating communism interspersed with onscreen text promoting the “largest tax cuts in history,” “reigniting American manufacturing” and a call to “defend law and order and police.” The ad’s soundtrack includes a chorus singing “love me” repeatedly and ends with a message disclosing it was paid for by the U.S. government.

The White House on Friday defended its ads as “very clearly not campaign ads,” saying Trump isn't on the ballot and the ads don't include a call to action. It provided examples of past administrations from both parties that bought network time for public service announcements, including George W. Bush's administration airing a campaign about a Medicare law and the Biden administration running one about COVID-19 vaccinations.

“Patriotism isn’t partisan. These public service announcements are unapologetically American, clearly disclosed, and aimed at the country — not a line on the ballot,” the White House said.

It didn’t answer an inquiry about what part of the government supplied the funds.

Politicians of both parties on Thursday criticized the ads, with some noting that laws prohibit taxpayer funds from being used for “publicity or propaganda” and limit the partisan political activities of government employees. Republicans running to defend their majorities in Congress in the upcoming midterm elections have created ads with similar messaging about communism, the economy and crime.

Several House Democrats with senior committee roles on Thursday demanded that the first ad be taken off the air, calling it “the sort of government propaganda one might expect in North Korea.”

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican who is not running for reelection, called the ad “inappropriate” and likened it to something he would expect from the former right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

An embassy spokesperson in Harare confirmed the decision and released remarks delivered this week by U.S. Ambassador Pamela Tremont at an event titled “Beyond assistance."

Tremont said the end of U.S.-supported health programs followed “Zimbabwe’s decision to decline a bilateral health MOU." She added that the U.S. will now shift its relations with Zimbabwe “from one largely focused on health and humanitarian assistance, to one built on broader economic, trade and investment opportunities.”

Zimbabwe is among the first countries to face the consequences of Washington’s new approach of tying health aid to bilateral country-to-country agreements.

The withdrawal casts uncertainty over programs to combat HIV and other diseases in a country where shortages often force patients to bring basic supplies such as bandages to clinics and buy their own medicines.

For decades, the U.S. has been Zimbabwe’s largest health donor, supporting HIV prevention and treatment, tuberculosis and malaria programs, clinical care, laboratory systems, health workers, medical supplies and community-based programs.

Zimbabwean officials have raised concerns over diminishing international aid, saying the country would prioritize raising funds domestically as assistance from the U.S. and other Western countries dries up. Some health advocates, however, question whether Zimbabwe’s financially troubled government can absorb the costs.

“Zimbabweans have already been suffering gravely as a result of abrupt disruptions to lifesaving malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV programs caused by the U.S. stop work orders and USAID award terminations in 2025," said Asia Russell, executive director of Health GAP, an international advocacy group. “This deadly decision will trigger a public health catastrophe,” she added.

The dispute dates to February, when both countries announced the collapse of talks on a bilateral deal proposed under U.S. President Donald Trump’s “America First” approach to foreign aid.

Zimbabwe government spokesperson Nick Mangwana said the proposal contained conditions the country could not accept, citing concerns over data sharing, fairness, sovereignty and Washington’s shift away from global health institutions.

According to Mangwana, the proposal was tied to “comprehensive access to Zimbabwe’s sensitive health data, including virus samples and epidemiological information from our citizens.”

Namibia also rejected a bilateral agreement with the U.S. because of concerns about provisions for sharing health data and biological specimens, local media reported. In early September, the U.S. said it would start phasing out its financial support for Namibia’s HIV response programs. The U.S. will provide Namibia with $45 million for its HIV response in fiscal 2027 before shifting to “technical cooperation,” the two governments said in September, but did not cite the health data fallout as the reason for the development.

African governments have in recent months increasingly called for “health sovereignty,” reflecting efforts to finance and manage their health systems with less reliance on foreign aid.

Africa CDC has described the continent as facing “an unprecedented financing crisis,” saying official development assistance to Africa has halved over the last five years.

Under the Trump administration’s new approach, Washington has been negotiating country-by-country health agreements that it says will reduce donor dependency and increase domestic financing. So far, 35 countries have signed such agreements, the majority in Africa, according to KFF, a U.S. health-policy research organization tracking the deals.

At least four African countries — Ghana, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe — have publicly resisted or failed to conclude new U.S. bilateral health agreements, while Kenya’s agreement has faced a legal challenge.

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said Friday the U.S. wanted information about endemic diseases and the country's medical records and that Ghana would have no right to inspect medications or medical products brought into the country.

Mahama was in New York for high-level meetings and the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, he said the U.S. proposal was taken to the Cabinet and “thrown out in record time.”

“I've never seen anything thrown out as fast as that,” he said.

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AP Writer Jennifer McDermott contributed to this report from New York.

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

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The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The 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.

The court's three liberal-leaning justices publicly dissented from the decision.

The emergency order allows states, for now, to use the Trump administration's revamped version of a Department of Homeland Security program, called Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, in their efforts to verify the eligibility of voters on their rolls. It's a program that has drawn scrutiny for its use of voters' sensitive personal data and its tendency to wrongly flag some eligible voters as noncitizens.

States' use of the SAVE program is voluntary, limiting the ruling's impact on the midterm elections. Existing law also blocks most states from systematically purging voters from their rolls within 90 days of an election, said David Becker, an election law expert who leads the Center for Election Innovation and Research. He said DHS itself has admitted the data is not perfect.

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat who has refused to participate in the SAVE program, said the ruling will have no effect in her state because it “does not force states to change the way we run our elections.”

The plaintiffs and their lawyers in the case called the ruling “profoundly disappointing” and said it puts “millions of Americans at risk of being unlawfully targeted by the administration’s unreliable voter purge database” before the midterms.

On X, James Percival, the general counsel for DHS, responded to a post about the decision with, “Yes, you read that right. We had to file an emergency petition in the Supreme Court just so we could use government data to help states stop noncitizens from illegally voting.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Ruling pauses a lower court's ban on the tool

The court’s order puts on hold a federal judge’s June ruling that had deemed the Republican administration’s recently revamped version of SAVE illegal. U.S. District Court Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan had blocked the use of the tool, saying it violated Americans’ privacy rights and could result in voters being wrongly removed from the rolls.

A federal appeals court let her order stand.

But the Supreme Court majority found that a 1996 law explicitly allows DHS to get information about citizenship and immigration from other federal agencies. The federal government also has “an obligation to respond” to states seeking to verify citizenship.

“The order below prevents the Federal Government from using the program it believes is best suited to the task,” the majority wrote in the unsigned order.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor. The database has long been seen to fall under federal privacy laws, she wrote, and there are real risks that legitimate voter registrations could be mistakenly revoked.

“The harm caused by burdening or disenfranchising even a few lawful voters outweighs the nonexistent harm that the Government experiences when it is prevented from taking an action that it likely lacks the authority to take,” Jackson wrote.

The plaintiffs pledged to do “everything in our power” to ensure the district court decision stands.

Trump administration tool has wrongly flagged some legal registrants

The SAVE program was created under an immigration law mandating that DHS help federal, state and local agencies prevent government benefits from going to noncitizens. The Trump administration last year moved to significantly expand its search abilities. Since then, at least 67 million registrations have been scanned through the program, but critics worry it could end up purging valid voters from the rolls.

Some registrants have already been wrongly flagged. In Travis County, Texas, for example, officials said they investigated 97 voters flagged by SAVE as apparent noncitizens and found that at least 10% of them — and likely up to 21% — were U.S. citizens. The county urged the Supreme Court to reject the administration’s appeal, while the state of Texas submitted its own brief defending the database.

In Denton, Texas, north of Dallas, voter Anthony Nels was disappointed that the Supreme Court allowed the continued use “of a system that harms people’s constitutional right to vote.”

Last year, after Texas ran its voter registrations through the SAVE system, Nels, 29, was flagged as a potential noncitizen, even though the South Africa native had become a U.S. citizen more than a decade ago. His local election office temporarily canceled his registration while he obtained a new passport to replace an expired one.

“This just seems like another illegitimate way to affect upcoming and future elections,” he said in a text to The Associated Press.

Stephen Richer, the Republican former top election official in Arizona's largest county, said the Supreme Court's ruling could be a positive step “if used responsibly.”

“That being said, the SAVE program has been shown time after time to be a highly-imperfect tool, so election administrators should only use it as a starting point, not as a definitive indicator of citizenship,” he wrote on social media.

SAVE is one piece of the administration's crusade against noncitizen voting

Even though the use of the SAVE program was blocked for months ahead of Friday's ruling, the administration has said in court filings that it has continued using Social Security Administration data "in certain cases to verify information and help determine whether illegal voting may have occurred."

DHS in August launched its own investigation to find noncitizen voters on state rolls, according to a federal whistleblower statement that said the effort is rushed, filled with errors and potentially violates state laws. DHS has defended that investigation as being conducted “diligently and professionally.”

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also suggested over the summer that there could be as many as 250,000 noncitizens registered to vote across four states, an unsubstantiated claim that puzzled state election officials who said the numbers dramatically exceeded their own findings.

The effort to create a national voter list is among numerous steps Trump has taken during his second term to try to overhaul the way elections are run. Most of those steps have been blocked by various courts, in part because the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, but provides no such power to the president. In mid-September, the Supreme Court rejected a bid from Trump to restrict mail ballot procedures before the midterms.

Trump has remained fixated on the idea that massive numbers of noncitizens are voting in U.S. races, but all evidence says otherwise.

Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, Georgia’s secretary of state found that 20 of the state’s 8.2 million registered voters were not U.S. citizens. In Ohio, prosecutors secured indictments against nine people for voting as noncitizens over the span of 10 years. The state has some 8 million registered voters. Even with the Trump administration laser-focused on the issue in his second term, DHS said its investigations into potential noncitizens on voter rolls nationwide had led to 160 arrests.

Those numbers are supported by a mountain of research at the national and state level that has found the percentage of noncitizens on voter rolls is a tiny fraction of the nation's nearly 228 million registered voters.

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Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas, and Whitehurst reported from Washington.

Breel Embolo will not join the squad in Scotland as planned, the Swiss soccer federation said Friday, due to fresh reporting in national media about his past case of obtaining forged test certificates in 2021.

“This decision aims to allow the team to remain fully focused on the next matches,” the federation said about the Atlanta United forward.

Switzerland captain Granit Xhaka agreed with team officials last weekend to withdraw from the squad because he is implicated in an investigation of a doctor issuing fake vaccination certificates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Xhaka, the Swiss record holder with 152 caps, admitted getting the forged document in 2022 and accepted he made mistakes.

Switzerland starts its Nations League second-tier group Saturday at North Macedonia, plays at Scotland on Tuesday, then has home games in Lucerne against Slovenia and North Macedonia.

Embolo already was suspended for the game Saturday because of his controversial red card against Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals.

Soccer’s Zurich-based rules panel, known as IFAB, later acknowledged Embolo was mistakenly sent off in a breach of video review protocol.

On Friday, the Switzerland Today outlet reported details of Embolo’s financial sanction imposed last year for the previously known false test result documents.

At the World Cup, the 29-year-old Embolo scored in Switzerland's opening game — a 1-1 draw with Qatar — despite arriving at the tournament days later than teammates because of a visa issue with United States authorities. He also scored in a round of 32 win over Algeria.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Madison police said some of the men, who they described as pledges to the fraternity, had signs of being physically assaulted.

Police went to the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity house Wednesday night after receiving an anonymous tip. Two fraternity members, both 20, were arrested on tentative misdemeanor charges of hazing and disorderly conduct, police said. No formal charges had been filed against them as of Friday morning.

The university said it was taking the incident seriously and launching its own investigation.

“UW–Madison is fully committed to preventing and addressing hazing and takes all incidents involving our community seriously,” the university said in a Thursday statement.

Any student found to have broken the law or university policy could be subject to sanctions ranging from a written reprimand to expulsion, the university said.

Police released a photo that shows about two dozen men, all shirtless, in the basement of the fraternity with trash and other debris littered on the ground. The faces of the people in the photo are blurred out.

Police said the thermostat was set to 81 degrees, causing hot and humid conditions in the basement where the walls appeared to be painted black. A majority of those in the basement were 18 years old, police said.

The fraternity’s status as a recognized student organization on the Madison campus was terminated in 2015 for holding events while suspended. It had been suspended in 2013 for hosting a party in which a 17-year-old and another person were taken to detox after being served alcohol at a party hosted by the fraternity, according to university records.

The termination came after a fourth incident involving either events, alcohol or both, the university said.

Since 2016, there were seven additional allegations involving the fraternity related to intramural sports, disrespectful behavior, drinking and hazing, the university said.

Because the fraternity is still recognized by its national organization, it is able to operate as a fraternity chapter unaffiliated with the university, UW-Madison said.

Jon Pierce, spokesperson for the national fraternity, said it is taking the allegations “very seriously” and will cooperate fully with investigations. Any member found to have participated will be expelled from the fraternity, he said.

“Hazing is a betrayal of everything our fraternity stands for,” Pierce said. “There is no place for it in AEPi. No exceptions. No excuses.”

The fraternity house is located just blocks from the heart of the UW-Madison campus, which is home to about 52,000 students.

Police said their investigation is also ongoing. The university's Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards is also investigating in accordance with its nonacademic misconduct process, UW-Madison said.

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Morgan Cole was the apple of her grandfather’s eye, and he was the light of her world. When her grandfather was afflicted with a terrible disease, Morgan used her wit and ingenuity to improve his quality of life — and their favorite pastime.

“My grandfather was the best grandfather I ever could’ve asked for,” Cole said.

When Morgan thinks of her grandfather Howie, she thinks of him as a role model, a mentor and a friend.

“I could tell him anything. If I was having a good day. If I was having a bad day, he would listen to me for hours. We’d talk. We’d play games,” she said.

The pair would spend hours playing cards, and Grandpa would seamlessly turn fun and games into a workout for the mind.

“He would give us word problems or math problems and he would time my brother and I, and we would race to see who could guess them faster,” Morgan, a student at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, recalled.

But before Morgan finished elementary school, Grandpa Howie’s health took a dramatic turn.

“My grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2018,” Morgan said. “It was hard for my family to see him in some ways disappear.”

To help her grandfather and guard their time together, the Gen Alpha teen went online in search of games he would enjoy.

“He would get one of those ads and it would completely distract him,” Morgan said. “No matter how hard we looked, we couldn’t find something that worked for him.”

So she got to work. Harnessing her computer coding skills and penchant for taking on challenging projects, Morgan developed an inclusion-focused app at age 16.

“The whole process took two years,” she said.

The app was aptly named after Grandpa.

“Howie’s Place doesn’t have those extra buttons that can make an experience complicated for a user. all you have to do is click the buttons and play the game without every experiencing an interruption,” Morgan explained.

Howie’s Place boasts six interactive games, along with various modes for selecting a skill level. For the more challenging puzzles, there’s a lifeline.

Since its launch in April, the app has seen up to hundreds of downloads a day.

“We’ve seen kids playing with their grandparents, being able to have that engagement together through that technology,” Morgan said.

That was the goal: to create a platform that bridges generations and stands as a tribute to her beloved Grandpa Howie.

“I feel that in some ways his memory and his legacy is able to live on through the app,” Morgan said.

Howie’s Place is trademarked and completely free to download on both iOS and Android devices.

Grandpa Howie died in 2023, before the app was completed. But Morgan is confident he would have enjoyed it.

Reports Friday said an independent panel had upheld nearly all of the 100-plus financial charges against the club in a case that was initiated more than three years ago.

City did not confirm the decision, saying its case with the Premier League was “ongoing."

City, however, would appeal a guilty decision and the process would take several months, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity to respect confidentiality elements of the process.

The Athletic first reported that City has been found guilty of all but one of more than 100 charges laid by the Premier League, which accused the club in February 2023 of providing misleading information about its finances over a nine-year period from 2009-18. The report said the sanctions have not been decided and all possibilities remain open.

The BBC also reported the story.

In response, City said in a statement: “The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality.”

City added that its position “remains consistent” with previous comments about the case. The club has always denied the charges.

“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years,” City said, “on the basis that the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair-minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

City’s punishment could be a huge points deduction, and as extreme as expulsion from the Premier League.

When contacted by The Associated Press on Friday, the Premier League said it couldn’t comment on the reports.

City has always protested its innocence after supposed leaked emails and documents, likely hacked, were published starting in 2018 by German magazine Der Spiegel. The documents allegedly showed City tried to mask the source of revenue from deals tied to Abu Dhabi, whose ruling family bought the club in 2008 and has overseen the spending of hundreds of millions of dollars on some of the world’s best players over the following two decades.

City has been the most dominant team in England over the last 15 years, winning eight Premier League titles since 2012 as well as the Champions League in 2023. Over the period in question — 2009-18 — City won the league three times, in 2012, 2014 and 2018.

Friday's news comes after Pep Guardiola stood down as City manager at the end of last season following an unprecedented period of success.

Guardiola always maintained the club's innocence.

“What people accuse us of, we do not agree with what they say,” he said in 2023.

And Spain midfielder Rodri, who played for City from 2019 until leaving this offseason for Barcelona, said he still believed the club has done nothing wrong.

“They always expressed the confidence that they never did something wrong, and we believe in that. That’s the thing,” Rodri said of City's ownership.

“Until the moment they are proved wrong, we believe in the club. I’ve been there, I know how they work, and how they co-operate.”

Speaking at Wembley Stadium on Friday night the day before Spain plays England in the Nations League, Rodri said nobody would be able to take away City's recent titles.

“It is something that is not paid by money, it is paid with effort, with partnership and with being shoulder to shoulder every day,” he said.

“We had a lot of success over the years, and here in Wembley, so I can tell you everything was deserved and I’m glad I could live one of the best eras of English football.”

Former Manchester United and England player Rio Ferdinand suggested City's titles should be expunged and awarded to the runner-up for each season in question.

“Another premier league medal to be added to the cabinet,” he posted on X in reference to City’s 2012 title win over United.

The Premier League competition has had financial fair play rules designed to ensure clubs essentially spend what they earn from deals that are assessed to determine if they are at legitimate market value. City had previously been accused by UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, of overstating sponsorship revenue to comply with Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

In 2020, UEFA ruled City had committed “serious breaches” of FFP regulations from 2012-16. But a two-year ban was later overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport because allegations were either rejected or found to have happened too long ago to be investigated.

The Premier League charges came subsequently, after a four-year investigation. City was accused of more than 100 breaches including providing misleading information about its finances and failure to co-operate with the investigation.

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Douglas reported from Sundsvall, Sweden

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Millions of people were under warnings associated with the storm, which has already canceled concerts and prompted people on islands near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to head to the mainland in the days ahead of the nor’easter’s arrival. Dangerous flooding was expected along the Mid-Atlantic coast, particularly near New Jersey and Delaware starting Friday and heading into Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

“The heaviest rain is probably going to be from coastal Jersey, Long Island, up to Rhode Island, and eastern Massachusetts,” said Brian Hurley, senior national forecaster with NWS' Weather Prediction Center, adding that the storm was expected to weaken later Saturday.

A voluntary evacuation had been issued in some low-lying areas of Manasquan, a coastal New Jersey borough, while the governors of New Jersey and New York declared states of emergency in advance of the storm.

“We’re definitely seeing at the high end of moderate and maybe the low end of major flooding,” said Manasquan Mayor Mike Mangan. “That may not mean a lot to people, but that means there is going to be a lot of water in the streets for a long time.”

Peak wind gusts could approach 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 kph) on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket on Friday night and Saturday, compared with about 50 to 55 mph (80 to 89 kph) around Boston and 35 to 40 mph (56 to 64 kph) farther inland, according to Matthew Belk, a meteorologist with NWS in Norton, Massachusetts.

“It’s definitely going to be a case of the closer to the coast you are, the more impacts from the storm you’re likely to see,” Belk said.

Belk said nor'easters are not unusual as New England moves into fall, but one concern this early in the season is that leaves remain on the trees, creating more wind resistance. That could increase the risk of downed limbs, which in turn can cause power outages and leave debris in roads, he said.

As residents braced for the storm Friday, the Red Sox announced their weekend series against the Chicago Cubs would be adjusted. The team moved the Sunday afternoon game to Friday to create a split doubleheader. Separately, Ed Sheeran announced that his high-profile Friday and Saturday shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, would be canceled due to the storm.

Meanwhile, the public ferry service connecting Cape Cod with the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard was experiencing widespread cancellations Friday due to strong winds and choppy water. Over in Rhode Island, ferries were also canceled for Block Island. The disrupted ferry service was expected to also spill into Saturday.

For people who regularly travel to and from the islands, the possibility of getting stuck on one side or the other is “part of life,” said Sean Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Woods Hole, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. Most people have backup plans in place for when boats are canceled.

“It’s a nuisance, but you know, we know what to do with this kind of stuff at this point,” he said. “This is not out of the realm of ordinary. Part of living in this region is just kind of knowing how to deal with this stuff.”

Ashley Destino of Gloucester, a coastal city in northern Massachusetts, enjoyed a stroll along the beach with her two young children before preparing to hunker down at home during the storm.

“We came to the beach on Friday afternoon because we knew we were going to be inside all weekend,” said Destino, who has Legos and arts and crafts activities prepared to entertain her two children, ages 7 and 4.

She also prepared for the high wind and tides by securing her boat with additional lines, and her husband pulled out a generator in case the electricity goes out.

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Willingham reported from Boston. Associated Press writers Michael Casey in Boston; Rodrique Ngowi in Gloucester, Massachusetts; and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this report.

"As of right now, surgery is not on the table, and we haven’t discussed IR,” Peters said on 106.7 The Fan. “So it’s just a matter of how we’re going to get him back on the field. That’s still to be determined.”

Peters said Daniels returned late Thursday night and was meeting with the Commanders on Friday. Team officials have talked with medical officials around the country, and Peters called it a medical decision that Washington is working through.

Being placed on injured reserve would mean Daniels would miss a minimum of four games.

Daniels was hurt during Sunday’s loss at Dallas on a broken play at the end of the first half. He took a snap under center, and left guard Chris Paul stepped on Daniels' foot as he backed away from the line. Daniels braced himself with his non-throwing arm, which bent awkwardly under the pressure.

A similar thing happened last November, when Daniels used his left arm to brace himself and dislocated his elbow against Seattle. He returned just over a month later, only to aggravate the problem and miss the rest of the season.

Marcus Mariota is set to start Sunday’s home opener against Seattle.

Coach Dan Quinn said Friday that he'll have updates later on the guidelines for Daniels' return once he gets to that stage. For now, he is considered week-to-week.

Asked about his initial reaction to the injury, Quinn said sometimes the scenarios that play out in someone's mind “are worse than the actual news.”

"But you just wait to get all the information you can, and then, spoke with him (Daniels) on the phone and again we had a chance to visit this morning. So, I thought just what a great bit of news for him and for us,” Quinn said.

The coach said the team has a lot of confidence in Mariota.

“In fact, so much — I thought this was such a cool thing — the captains huddled up with me earlier in the week and said, ‘Hey, we’d like to make Marcus our sixth captain.’ And I thought what a great tribute of brotherhood of those guys asking,” Quinn said. “Of course, they were all like as on board, as you can imagine. I thought it was awesome, too, but what a great example of teammate and leadership.”

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Video shows deputies arresting Francisco Mendiola, 31, who officials said is homeless.

Investigators said Mendiola was drunk when he fired four shots inside an MIA garage. One of the bullets hit a car windshield.

Mendiola went before a Miami-Dade County judge on Thursday.

Mendiola was previously arrested in California in December for criminal charges at Los Angeles International Airport.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, he was sitting on a bench firing the gun when he was arrested.

It was a mad dash for cover as passengers were confused and worried there was an active shooter.

SKY10 flew over the chaos, which shut down parts of the airport for several hours.

Dozens of deputies with tactical gear could be seen swarming the departure area before it was opened back up.

Mendiola has been in Miami for a little less than a year.

He remains behind bars on a $26,000 bond.

Authorities said they are trying to figure out how obtained the gun.

Un video muestra a agentes arrestando a Francisco Mendiola, de 31 años, quien, según funcionarios, no tiene hogar.

Los investigadores dijeron que Mendiola estaba ebrio cuando disparó cuatro veces dentro de un estacionamiento de MIA. Una de las balas impactó el parabrisas de un automóvil.

Mendiola compareció ante un juez del condado Miami-Dade el jueves.

Mendiola fue arrestado previamente en California en diciembre por cargos criminales en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Los Ángeles.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, estaba sentado en un banco disparando el arma cuando fue arrestado.

Los pasajeros corrieron desesperadamente para ponerse a salvo, confundidos y preocupados de que hubiera un tirador activo.

SKY10 sobrevoló el caos, que provocó el cierre de partes del aeropuerto durante varias horas.

Decenas de agentes con equipo táctico fueron vistos desplegándose por el área de salidas antes de que fuera reabierta.

Mendiola ha estado en Miami durante poco menos de un año.

Permanece tras las rejas con una fianza de $26,000 USD.

Las autoridades dijeron que están tratando de determinar cómo obtuvo el arma.

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The pursuit was after a shirtless man with green pants pulled a woman out of her car at about 10 a.m. in the parking lot at the Palmetto General Hospital at 2001 West 68th St., in Hialeah, according to a witness.

That man has since been identified as 35-year-old Jordan Eugene Brown.

“The suspect approached a female victim exiting her vehicle and forced himself inside her car and fled the scene,” Lt. Eddie Rodriguez, a spokesman for the Hialeah Police Department, said.

Shortly after 1 p.m., Brown drove on the wrong side of road several times, and passed a school bus. Law enforcement performed several maneuvers to try to stop him.

Shortly after 1:10 p.m., law enforcement hit the car twice until it spun out, and law enforcement approached, guns drawn.

About five minutes later, deputies pulled Brown out and handcuffed him at Northwest 17th Avenue and 79th Street. He was barefoot, shirtless, and wearing green pants.

Brown is facing charges of burglary, assault and battery, robbery, carjacking, battery on a person 65 or older, fleeing and eluding a police officer, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and reckless driving.

He’s being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.

Morgan Cole era la niña de los ojos de su abuelo, y él era la luz de su mundo. Cuando su abuelo fue afectado por una terrible enfermedad, Morgan utilizó su ingenio y creatividad para mejorar su calidad de vida y su pasatiempo favorito.

“Mi abuelo fue el mejor abuelo que podría haber pedido”, dijo Cole.

Cuando Morgan piensa en su abuelo Howie, lo recuerda como un modelo a seguir, un mentor y un amigo.

“Podía contarle cualquier cosa. Si estaba teniendo un buen día. Si estaba teniendo un mal día, él me escuchaba durante horas. Hablábamos. Jugábamos”, dijo.

Ambos pasaban horas jugando a las cartas, y el abuelo convertía de manera natural la diversión y los juegos en un ejercicio para la mente.

“Nos planteaba problemas de palabras o de matemáticas y cronometraba a mi hermano y a mí, y competíamos para ver quién podía resolverlos más rápido”, recordó Morgan.

Pero antes de que Morgan terminara la escuela primaria, la salud del abuelo Howie dio un giro drástico.

“A mi abuelo le diagnosticaron Alzheimer en 2018”, dijo Morgan. “Fue difícil para mi familia verlo, de alguna manera, desaparecer”.

Para ayudar a su abuelo y preservar el tiempo que pasaban juntos, la adolescente de la Generación Alfa buscó en internet juegos que él pudiera disfrutar.

“Le aparecía uno de esos anuncios y lo distraía por completo”, dijo Morgan. “Por más que buscábamos, no podíamos encontrar algo que funcionara para él”.

Así que se puso manos a la obra. Aprovechando sus habilidades de programación y su inclinación por asumir proyectos desafiantes, Morgan desarrolló a los 16 años una aplicación enfocada en la inclusión.

“Todo el proceso tomó dos años”, dijo.

La aplicación recibió apropiadamente el nombre del abuelo.

“Howie’s Place no tiene esos botones adicionales que pueden hacer que la experiencia sea complicada para un usuario. Todo lo que tienes que hacer es pulsar los botones y jugar sin experimentar ninguna interrupción”, explicó Morgan.

Howie’s Place cuenta con seis juegos interactivos, junto con varios modos para seleccionar un nivel de dificultad. Para los rompecabezas más desafiantes, hay una opción de ayuda.

Desde su lanzamiento en abril, la aplicación ha registrado hasta cientos de descargas al día.

“Hemos visto a niños jugando con sus abuelos, pudiendo tener esa interacción juntos a través de esa tecnología”, dijo Morgan.

Ese era el objetivo: crear una plataforma que conectara generaciones y sirviera como homenaje a su querido abuelo Howie.

“Siento que, de alguna manera, su recuerdo y su legado pueden seguir vivos a través de la aplicación”, dijo Morgan.

Howie’s Place es una marca registrada y se puede descargar de forma completamente gratuita en dispositivos iOS y Android.

El abuelo Howie murió en 2023, antes de que se completara la aplicación. Pero Morgan está segura de que la habría disfrutado.

It was 1969, and he was fresh out of Illinois Wesleyan, where when not in class he had played football and baseball, and listened to Cubs and Cardinals games over the radio. Matthews had called some high school games, but when he applied for the Royals job almost on a lark, his big league experience consisted of a demo tape he'd made of a couple innings at Busch Stadium.

But the pool of applicants kept getting whittled down, from hundreds to dozens to just one.

So it was that a 26-year-old Matthews found himself in the broadcast booth at old Municipal Stadium, some 57 years ago, alongside the late Buddy Blattner, describing the action as the Royals beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3 in 12 innings.

On Friday night, Matthews will describe the action for the 8,000th time when the Royals play the Cleveland Guardians.

The 83-year-old Matthews is one of only four broadcasters in major league history to be with the same team for at least 50 seasons, and only the Dodgers' Vin Scully (67) and Jaime Jarrin (64) have done it longer. Over his 58 seasons, touching base in seven different decades, Matthews has called seven division titles, four pennants and World Series titles in 1985 and 2015.

The names of exactly 1,058 different players to wear a Royals uniform have tumbled out of his raspy-yet-somehow melodic voice.

And to think: Matthews never thought he'd get the job.

“I did have the advantage when I was growing up of listening to some really, really good broadcasters out of Chicago and St. Louis,” he recalled. "I would lay in front of the radio — I was 10, 11, 12 years old — and I had my baseball cards, and I just lay there.

“You never think you're going to be a broadcasters when you're 10 years old. You want to play. Get some kids in the neighborhood and go out and play. But I didn't know at the time, listening to those guys all those summer nights, I was getting a college education in how to broadcast baseball, and I didn't have to pay tuition. I didn't have to do homework. But I was still getting a great education."

The voice of Kansas City baseball

Even after Matthews was hired by longtime Royals owner Ewing Kauffman, it was never his intent to stay. His dream was to move to Chicago or St. Louis, and call games for one of the two clubs that had such a profound impact on him as a youth.

Yet when those opportunities came along — and they did, more than once — the tug of what had become home was too strong.

“I went to Ewing Kauffman, and I sat down,” Matthews said. “I was still a little intimidated by Mr. K, but he told me, he said, ‘I’ll tell you what, young man. You're going to have decisions to make as you work your way through this business.' And he said, ‘You have to weigh them carefully, and then you’ll make a decision. But I want to tell you one thing.' He said, ‘We like the way you do games, and you can stay as long as you want.’ And I said, ‘Wow. This is just my third year. So that’s pretty strong.'”

There was never a reason to move, even when teams in New York came calling.

“If you're unhappy in your job,” Matthews said, “you're probably looking to move. I've never been unhappy in this job, period.”

So, as the game went through changes large and small, Matthews' voice over the airwaves remained a Kansas City constant. He was there to describe the first games in the career of a scrappy third baseman named George Brett, and the last. He was there when labor stoppages turned fans away, and there to welcome them back. When the pandemic hit in 2020, and few people were allowed inside the ballpark, Matthews was still behind the mic, calling games from his suburban Kansas City home.

Asked the secret to his longevity, Matthews replied: “Luck.”

“Good health,” he added. “I mean, there's a lot to that. Take care of yourself. And again, be comfortable, as they say, in your own skin, and I've always been comfortable out here, because of the people. This is a comfortable place to be.”

The historical context of a Hall of Fame career

Matthews was bestowed the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcasting excellence in 2007, and he was honored alongside Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn during the induction ceremony at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Ripken played 3,001 games during his career. Gwynn played 2,440 of them.

That puts the 8,000 that Matthews will have broadcasted after Friday night into perspective.

Better yet might be this: The price of gas was 33 cents a gallon when he drove into Kansas City for the first time. Richard Nixon was the president, “The Brady Bunch” had just debuted on TV, and exactly 103 days after Matthews called that first ballgame against the Twins, the world sat in rapt attention in front of their televisions as Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

Over his first 32 seasons, Matthews called 5,061 games while missing just 23 for various reasons. And while he began to trim back his travel starting in 2001, he's continued to be a mainstay at Royals home games, with an occasional trip to Chicago or St. Louis.

Curt Nelson, the director of the club's Hall of Fame, has saved every scorecard from every game Matthews has called, and folks within the organization knew he was nearing 8,000. One day last November, more than a dozen people showed up at Kauffman Stadium for a counting party, and they realized that he'd hit the mark the final week of this season.

On Friday night, when the Royals played the Cleveland Guardians.

Matthews has thought about calling it quits over the years. He's even talked about it with Ryan Lefebvre, who has been calling games with him since 1999. Yet the pull of the game has always been too much, and Matthews plans to keep going next season.

“We decided that the end of the season is a terrible time to be thinking about retirement,” Matthews said, “because you're probably thinking, ‘Man, I’m tired of this season. I want to get some free time.' Then it's spring training, and here we go again. There's just something about spring training. The birds are chirping outside and it's getting warming, and you think, 'Spring training. Let's go.'”

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The 41-year-old James revealed scant details about the free-agency process on his “Mind the Game” podcast with co-host Steve Nash that dropped Friday. James is scheduled to meet the press for the first time as a Sixer on Monday at the team's media day in Camden, New Jersey.

Training camp opens next week.

A four-time NBA champion, James wrote on social media when he signed with the Sixers that he felt he was “done” when his 23rd NBA season ended, his last with the Los Angeles Lakers. But after time away with family, and still feeling physically and mentally strong in offseason workouts, James decided he wanted to keep playing.

James has won NBA championships with every team he's played for: the Lakers, Miami and Cleveland.

“I think I'm more in love with the pursuit of how much more can I defy the odds," James said on the podcast.

James said “Philly was not even a question” early in his decision making until the Sixers pulled the surprising deal with Boston for NBA Finals MVP and champion Jaylen Brown. James and Maxey share an agent and have been friends and workout partners since the Sixers guard broke into the league, a friendship that turned into a recruiting pitch for the NBA’s career scoring leader.

“When I became a free agent and we decided to let the Lakers know that I wouldn’t be returning, he was one of the first people that was on my line, calling me,” James said of Maxey.

James also was intrigued with trying to help the oft-injured Embiid win his first title. Embiid has won an NBA MVP, two scoring titles, and Olympic gold medal, but has yet to lead the Sixers out of the second round of the playoffs since Philadelphia selected him third overall in the 2014 draft.

“He’s done everything in our league, and the only thing he has not done is win a championship. And I want to try to help him get that first one,” James said. "He has a city on his back. He’s been ‘The Process’ for 10 years, 12 years, however long he’s been there. But I think it’s time we even get you deeper into The Process. And I hope that I can be, kind of, that final little piece that can help him get over the hump.”

The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.

James’ résumé is beyond compare in NBA history. He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He’s also coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

James’ eight seasons with the Lakers were the longest continuous stretch with a single team of his NBA career, and he helped the franchise win its 17th championship in 2020. He even became the first father to play alongside his son in league history, teaming up with guard Bronny James for the past two seasons.

James called it “humbling” to play for the Lakers and expressed disappointment he wasn't able to enjoy a championship parade because of the 2020 pandemic. James called Los Angeles home and said it would be for “the foreseeable future.”

So why not return to the Lakers? Or reunite with the Heat or Cavaliers or stay in California and sign with the Golden State Warriors?

James offered no real insight to any teams he may have talked to or how close he may have been with signing with another team. He said he wanted to bring the championship blueprint to Philadelphia and lead the Sixers to their first title since 1983. And he felt great during workouts in the summer, so why stop now?

“If you still have an opportunity to do what you love, then why just say I'm done? What is the reason? Do you have a real reason?,” James asked.

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At 7.36 mills, Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins celebrated it as the lowest in 60 years in her message about the proposed budget.

The operational budget includes $22 million more for the Miami Police Department and about $24 million more for Miami Fire Rescue.

During the process, Commissioner Christine King, who represents District 5, addressed the possibility that Amendment 3 could reduce property taxes after the Nov. 3 election.

Marie Gouin, the city’s budget director, said cuts would be inevitable.

“It doesn’t hit us until Fiscal Year 27-28, so we will be working as soon as whatever happens in November, if it passes, that’s when we start looking at everything,” Gougin said.

Editor’s note: The previous version of this article misidentified the city’s budget director.

Erdrich is this year's recipient of the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. It's named for the late sisters — silent film actors Dorothy and Lillian Gish — whose will called for the establishment of an award for "an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life.”

Since the prize began, in 1994, winners have included Bob Dylan,Frank Gehry, Merce Cunningham and Ava DuVernay.

Erdrich, 72, is already a Pulitzer winner for her 2020 novel “The Night Watchman” and a National Book Award winner for her 2012 novel “The Round House.” In 2015, she received the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. During a recent telephone interview with The Associated Press, Erdrich said that after learning of the Gish award, she researched the lives of the two actors and was impressed by how they made everyone involved in a given film feel appreciated.

“They would talk to the stage hands and anyone else who was around, the people who helped put a production together. That's something very close to my heart,” said Erdrich, citing her experience as a bookstore owner. “I love being part of the entire structure of bringing books to people.”

Like such peers as Ann Patchett and Lauren Groff, Erdrich has firsthand knowledge in both the creation and selling of books. In 2001, she helped found Birchbark Books, an independent store based in Minneapolis that champions “the power of good writing, the beauty of handmade art, the strength of Native culture, and the importance of small and intimate bookstores.” (Erdrich, whose books often center on Native lives, is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.)

In a statement released Friday, Gish selection committee member Sara Reisman praised Erdrich's writing for its “indelible effect on my understanding of Indigenous life.”

“Adjacent to her writing practice is Birchbark Books," Reisman added, “a community-based teaching bookstore with international presence that amplifies the work of Native and non-Native writers (and) celebrates that which makes each of us different.”

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The statistics are sobering, but there is good news. When breast cancer is found early, it’s not only treatable. It’s beatable.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, Local 10’s Kristi Krueger will file health reports that focus on breast cancer detection and prevention.

It’s all part of a new Local 10 campaign called “Proactively Pink.” The goal is to raise awareness that early detection saves lives and significantly improves treatment outcomes. Adopting a healthier lifestyle that includes maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly can lower the risk of the disease.

“Proactively Pink” runs every Thursday in October, beginning Oct. 1, during the 5:30 p.m. newscast.

Nolo was expected to strengthen to a major hurricane on Saturday. Its maximum sustained winds increased to 105 mph (165 kph) Friday. The storm’s center was located about 185 miles (300 kilometers) south of Hawaii’s southernmost point.

Forecasters warned parts of the Big Island could see rainfall totals up to 15 inches (38 centimeters), with a possibility of up to 25 inches (64 centimeters). That was down from an earlier forecast that called for up to 35 inches (89 centimeters).

“People are going to want to kind of shelter in place on the Big Island, be in their safe place, certainly by later today, tonight, well into Saturday," Michael Brennan, director of the National Hurricane Center, said Friday. “Don’t venture out if you don’t have to into the dangerous flooding environment, but also high winds. We can have trees and power lines down.”

Heavy rainfall also was possible on Hawaii's other islands, the hurricane center said. Maui also could see heavy rainfall and potential life-threatening flooding and mudslides, forecasters said.

Crews on the Big Island spent hours Friday trying to build berms to guide water and move large debris ahead of the worst of the rain, said Erika Kapu, Hawaii program manager for the humanitarian nonprofit CORE.

CORE and other nonprofit partners spent the week packing and shipping supplies like camp stoves and hygiene products by air cargo from Oahu to the Big Island for a community relief hub that has been active since August's Hurricane Lala.

Hawaii prepares as northern edge of Nolo is expected to barrel through

Hawaii officials told residents to put together emergency kits, and the governor issued an emergency proclamation, activating more than 230 Hawaii National Guard members. Schools were closed in some areas.

Hawaii County officials on the Big Island were urging residents in flood-prone areas to consider taking refuge at shelters being set up or other locations.

“We encourage everyone to complete their preparations, stay connected to official alerts and weather updates, and secure safe shelter before flooding strikes,” Mayor Kimo Alameda said in a statement.

The heaviest rain from Nolo is likely to fall over the same southeastern region of the Big Island that was hit by Lala and where grounds are still wet from additional precipitation. The storm surge could hit 1 to 3 feet (30 to 91 centimeters), creating large and dangerous waves and coastal flooding, the hurricane center said.

Hawaiian Electric, the state’s primary utility, said crews that had been helping restore power in Kauai after this month’s Hurricane Lowell would return to Oahu, Maui and the Big Island in preparation for the coming storm.

Residents and tourists on the Big Island were busy preparing.

In Hilo, where light rain was falling Friday, residents filled bags with sand and gravel at Francis Wong Stadium, where authorities set up a sand distribution center.

Dean Taise said water was starting to get into his driveway from the street, so he decided to get a few sandbags ready ahead of possible floods.

“They say, prepare for the worst, right? Hope for the best,” Taise said.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green has requested an emergency disaster declaration for four Hawaii counties.

Polo is strengthening after returning to Category 5 intensity

Meanwhile, Mexico is under the threat of Hurricane Polo as it heads toward the Baja California peninsula after bringing storm conditions to the southwestern coast.

The hurricane center said Polo gained significant force overnight into Friday morning and doused parts of Mexico's Pacific Coast. No major damage or flooding was reported along the coast overnight into Friday.

By midday Friday, attention turned to the peninsula, where the hurricane was slated to arch back and hit between Monday and Tuesday. Local authorities were preparing shelters, and Mexico’s government announced Friday afternoon that they were closing ports in the region as dark clouds swirled overhead.

The latest estimated sustained winds were 180 mph (290 kph).

Residents stacked sandbags to fortify beachfront shops and evacuated their homes in some coastal areas on Thursday. Mexican authorities opened shelters and cleared people from beaches, and 15,000 security personnel were deployed across the coast. Schools were closed.

In the port city of Lázaro Cárdenas in Michoacán, seawater swept through homes and left wooden planks and furniture strewn on the streets. Locals and government officials were clearing debris and shoveling thick mud coating much of the town.

Alicia Contreras said the walls and roof of her restaurant had been severely damaged by 15-foot (4.5-meter) waves. As officers and family helped pick through the damage, Contreras worried about how she would recover economically.

“This is huge because we have no other source of income. Now we’re just surviving,” Contreras said.

Brennan said some moisture associated with Polo will be pushed into parts of the southwestern U.S. by Monday, possibly producing scattered flash flooding in the Four Corners region, particularly portions of Arizona and New Mexico.

Biologists on Friday relocated eggs from two olive ridley sea turtle nests on Southern California beaches to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach over concern about high tides and hazardous surf as officials monitor Hurricane Polo.

Powerful storms come during the weather phenomenon El Niño

El Niño is prompting major environmental shifts across the world, fueling drought in some areas and flooding in others. It traditionally dampens the Atlantic hurricane season, while it tends to rev up tropical cyclone activity in the Pacific with moist air and little wind shear.

A third storm in the Pacific, Hurricane Odalys, was at Category 4 status and was still far from land Friday, roughly 955 miles (1,537 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Two other powerful storms were churning in the Atlantic Ocean but were not near land.

In the northern Atlantic, Tropical Storm Fay reformed early Thursday. As of Friday, it was about 1,040 miles (1,674 kilometers) west-southwest of the Azores, the hurricane center said. Off Africa's western coast, Tropical Storm Gonzalo strengthened early Friday as it approached the Cabo Verde Islands.

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Associated Press writers Dave Collins in Hartford, Connecticut; Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego; and Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

At noon on CNN, viewers could see Trump and President Xi Jinping touring the National Archives, along with Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan, Xi's wife. The banner along the bottom of the screen read: “Trump and China’s Xi Visit National Archives.” It was a routine report from a state visit — but for the fact that CNN had not aired live video of Trump in several days.

“As of now, all systems are go,” said a person familiar with the pool, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the fluidity of the situation.

The pool consists of five major U.S. broadcast outlets that take turns shooting and sharing video. When the White House banned CNN — which belongs to the pool — from White House grounds, along with MS NOW and Politico, the other four pool providers declined to participate in a show of solidarity.

A judge temporarily struck down the ban in an overnight ruling early Thursday, but his ruling didn't directly address the pool. The networks continued to refrain from covering Trump as part of the pool, even as reporters from all three outlets were allowed back in the White House.

CNN was not commenting directly on Friday, referring instead to its editorial coverage. But Brian Stelter, the network’s media analyst, posted on X that CNN had a pool assignment at the National Archives event and that the White House had approved the network’s credentials.

The Czechs will face either Ukraine or two-time defending champion Italy in Sunday's final of the competition previously called Fed Cup.

Muchova, who lost to Noskova in the Wimbledon final, got Friday's semifinal started with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

The No. 6-ranked Noskova then defeated Cristina Bucsa 7-6 (5), 6-2 to seal the team victory for the 11-time champion Czechs.

The Italy-Ukraine semifinal is scheduled for Saturday.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

The focus will be on the lower humidity that we will first feel on Saturday with the bulk of it on Sunday. High temperatures will still be in the upper 80s with all the sunshine on the way, but at night and into the morning we’re expecting lows in the lower 70s. These will be the coolest mornings since early May.

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It happened on Thursday at approximately 6 p.m. along the 800 block of Northwest 19th Avenue.

According to police, officers responded to the scene and found a man who had been shot in the upper torso.

He was rushed as a trauma alert to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment.

Police said an Airbnb renter shot a would-be armed robber, identified as 18-year-old Darion Pubien, who broke into the home.

An investigation into the circumstances that led up to the shooting remained active and ongoing.

They said Pubien is expected to face charges. He remained hospitalized on Friday.

Meanwhile, a 25-year-old accused accomplice, Sean Thompson, was taken into custody on attempted murder and home invasion charge.

Ocurrió el jueves aproximadamente a las 6 p.m. en la cuadra 800 de Northwest 19th Avenue.

Según la policía, agentes acudieron al lugar y encontraron a un hombre que había recibido un disparo en la parte superior del torso.

Fue trasladado de urgencia como alerta de trauma al Broward Health Medical Center para recibir tratamiento.

La policía dijo que un inquilino de Airbnb baleó a un presunto ladrón armado que irrumpió en la vivienda.

La investigación sobre las circunstancias que llevaron a la balacera permanecía activa y en curso.

Dijeron que se espera que el presunto ladrón enfrente cargos.

Con una tasa de 7.36 mills, la alcaldesa de Miami, Eileen Higgins, la celebró como la más baja en 60 años en su mensaje sobre el presupuesto propuesto.

El presupuesto operativo incluye $22 millones USD adicionales para el Departamento de Policía de Miami y alrededor de $24 millones USD adicionales para el Departamento de Bomberos y Rescate de Miami.

Durante el proceso, la comisionada Christine King, quien representa al Distrito 5, abordó la posibilidad de que la Enmienda 3 pudiera reducir los impuestos a la propiedad después de las elecciones del 3 de noviembre.

La directora de presupuesto de la ciudad dijo que los recortes serían inevitables.

“No nos afecta hasta el año fiscal 27-28, así que comenzaremos a trabajar tan pronto como sepamos qué ocurra en noviembre. Si se aprueba, será entonces cuando empecemos a revisar todo”, dijo a los comisionados.

Nota del editor: La versión anterior de este artículo identificó erróneamente a la directora de presupuesto de la ciudad.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the proposal to reporters outside the U.N. Security Council on Friday, saying it would also restart stalled talks with the U.S. on Iran's nuclear program.

“The seven-day timeline will start as soon as the United States accepts this plan,” he said.

Araghchi said initial steps would take about four to five days to complete and the strait would be open on the sixth day. “And on day seven, the talks with the U.S. will be started for the final deal on mutually agreed subjects,” he said, referring to the nuclear program.

Iran's disruption of the strait — through which a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas transited before the war — has emerged as its main point of leverage. The effects have been felt far beyond the Middle East.

The White House said only that U.S. officials are having positive and constructive conversations with mediators on the Iran war. In response to questions from The Associated Press, it said the U.S. is facilitating significant oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

There was no immediate comment from Gulf Arab nations, although a person familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations, told The Associated Press that Saudi Arabia was skeptical of the latest push for a deal.

The proposal resembles a June deal that quickly crumbled

The proposal, conveyed to the U.S. by mediators and in public by Araghchi strongly resembles the so-called Memorandum of Understanding reached in June, but with an accelerated timetable. The earlier agreement, which called for a 60-day interim period, quickly collapsed as Iran resumed attacks on shipping in the strait.

Trump has said he is in no rush to reach a deal, even as high oil prices fuel inflation. On the Iranian side, there are questions as to whether the hard-liners who dominate the security forces would accept compromises championed by moderates like President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“If Trump calculates this arrangement is worthwhile and can bring political benefit before the midterms and reduce gas prices, perhaps we'll see flexibility not seen in previous weeks,” Parsi said. But he noted “deep suspicion,” especially around the prospect of Iran merely buying time to ship out more of its oil and ease its economic pain.

There are other signs of renewed diplomacy

In the latest sign of diplomatic movement, Pezeshkian hosted the prime minister of Qatar early Friday. Qatar has been a key mediator, including during hours of indirect Iran-U.S. talks at the U.N. this week.

It was not clear how long Pezeshkian and Araghchi would stay in the U.S. after Pezeshkian addressed the annual U.N. gathering of world leaders on Wednesday, ending his speech by saying Iran remained open to diplomacy.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the same day, said “if there’s an opportunity to exchange ideas and messages, we will.”

After multiple failed attempts at a deal, however, suspicion is high on both sides. The U.S. and Israel have attacked Iran twice while it was engaged in nuclear talks, and the U.S. and Iran accuse each other of having swiftly violated the June agreement.

“The Iranians already know that the chances of this not being accepted by Trump are much higher than the opposite,” Hamidreza Azizi, senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, wrote on X.

“They want to show that they were ready for diplomacy and that it was the United States that, for the third time, decided to attack in the middle of a diplomatic track — something that people within (Iran’s) strategic community have been anticipating over the past few days.”

It's unclear if the proposal would include the Yemen conflict

The proposal would include Lebanon, where Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have been mostly observing a ceasefire. It's not clear, however, if it would include the revived conflict between Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia, which has put even more pressure on global markets.

Iran appears to think the Houthis' newly enhanced ability to threaten the Bab el-Mandeb strait on the Red Sea — another trade chokepoint on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula — could push Trump to make a deal.

Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, a military adviser to Iran's new supreme leader, told state television that the Americans “face a new problem called the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.”

He added: “I think the process that is unfolding is in our favor, and the Americans will be forced to accept Iran’s conditions.”

With the Houthis' latest surge in attacks, Saudi Arabia was skeptical of Araghchi’s latest push for a deal with the U.S., according to the person familiar with the matter.

The kingdom, along with other Gulf states, had advocated over the summer for a return to negotiations, saying they could live with an agreement that gave Iran a temporary role in managing the Strait of Hormuz, the person said.

But the Saudi calculations changed as the Houthis seized Yemen’s strategic Red Sea coast from pro-government forces and a vital Saudi pipeline came under attack.

Earlier this month, Gulf leaders planned to gather in Oman to discuss an emerging agreement between Oman and Iran on the Strait of Hormuz, which runs between the two countries. But the meeting was canceled after Saudi Arabia called for amendments, only some of which were accepted by Iran, the person said.

Iran's leadership has shown signs of divisions

Iran's leaders have sought to project unity, but some hard-liners want to continue or escalate the war to secure bigger U.S. concessions and have criticized Pezeshkian and Araghchi's diplomatic steps this week.

Firebrand lawmaker Ebrahim Rezaei wrote on X that merely meeting with “the aggressor enemy” showed weakness. Iran’s Assembly of Experts, a panel of Shiite clerics who appoint the supreme leader, said “there is no path other than resistance.”

The head of Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, highlighted the U.N. speech by “the esteemed president” while focusing on Pezeshkian’s comments that Iran doesn’t fear war.

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, who served as chief negotiator in earlier talks with the United States, provided a rare public acknowledgment of the internal divide.

“There is a view that speaks of war but offers no prospect or mechanism for bringing it to a powerful conclusion,” he wrote on social media. “At the opposite end is a current that makes the error of underestimating national capabilities.”

He added: “The first error keeps the country in a state of permanent crisis, while the second hands national resources and dignity over to the enemy.”

___

Associated Press reporters Josh Boak and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed.

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Below is our list of restaurants that recently accumulated 30 or more violations during an unannounced, routine food safety inspection.

These restaurants were not ordered shut, but 30 or more violations is still a serious red flag.

Do better!

**CHOW TIME GRILL AND BUFFET

6997 WEST COMMERCIAL BLVD.

TAMARAC

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

INSPECTION DATE 9/21

34 VIOLATIONS FOUND

Air gap between water supply inlet and flood rim of equipment/sink is less than one inch. “At ice cream station no air gap on water inlet and floor rim, water inlet under water, discussed with operator to correct.”

Dish machine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dish machine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dish machine is repaired and sanitizing properly. “Dishwasher (Chlorine 0ppm) Discontinue use of dish machine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dish machine is repaired and sanitizing properly.”

Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. “Employee handled raw chicken and without washing hands or changing gloves employee handle clean dishes, discussed with operator employee washed hands and changed gloves.”

Employee touched soiled surface and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. “Employee handled trash can and without washing hands employee handled container of raw fish, discussed with operator, employee washed hands.”

Food-contact surfaces not sanitized after cleaning, before use. Do not use equipment/utensils not properly sanitized. “Employee rinsed slicer with water and after without sanitizing placed on rack to dry, discussed with operator to sanitize utensil.”

Presence of insects, rodents, or other pests. “Approximately 1 live beetle on floor in electrical room. Approximately 38 dead beetles on floor in dry storage next to back door. Approximately 28 dead beetles on floor in electrical room. Discussed with operator to kill live beetle and clean and sanitize all areas.”

Raw animal food stored over or with ready-to-eat food in a freezer - not all products commercially packaged. “Non commercially packaged raw ground pork filled wontons stored directly above French fries, discussed with operator who corrected storage of products.”

Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. “In walk in cooler raw shrimp stored above cooked noodles, discussed with operator who corrected storage. In sushi bar reach in cooler raw tuna stored above cream cheese, discussed with operator who corrected storage of products.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. “In walk in cooler raw chicken stored above raw beef, discussed with operator who corrected storage of products.”

Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. “Approximately 1 live roach crawling up wall in employee bathroom in back of kitchen. Discussed with operator who killed roach and began to clean and sanitize area.”

Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Commercially processed reduced oxygen packaged fish bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package. See stop sale. “At sushi bar approximately 8 packages of Commercially processed reduced oxygen packaged tuna bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package. See stop sale.”

Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control cannot be determined. “Establishment using time as a public health control for hot and cold buffet no products time marked. Written procedures state times will be marked on containers, discussed with operator to make chart of products and times prepared.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Vacuum breaker missing at hose bibb or on fitting/splitter added to hose bibb. “Under dish washer line splitter with no vacuum breaker installed on hose, discussed with operator install.”

Food being cooled by nonapproved method as evidenced by inadequate rate of cooling during time of inspection. “In reach in cooler at cook line plastic wrapped container of diced tomatoes (51F - Cooling) at 1:55 since 12:00 to 58F at 3:05, at this current rate of cooling product will not reach 41F within 4 hours, discussed with operator who removed plastic wrap to allow adequate air flow cooling. In walk in freezer large plastic tub of krab salad (58F - Cooling) at 2:25 since 1:25 to 58F at 3:05, at this current rate of cooling product will not reach 41F within 4 hours, discussed with operator who began to move products to shallow pans to allow air flow cooling.”

Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. “Hand washing sink filled with dirty dishes, discussed with operator who removed dishes.”

Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. “Unlabeled spray bottle with window cleaner discussed with operator to label bottle.”

Accumulation of dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, or other pests, in control devices. “Approximately 100 small dead insects on glue sticky tape hanging from ceiling in front of walk in coolers, discussed with operator to discard sticky tape.”

Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. “Multiple reach in cooler door handles and gaskets soiled with accumulation of debris, discussed with operator to clean and sanitize.”

Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. “Multiple ceiling and air vents damaged and in disrepair, discussed with operator to repair or replace.”

Commercially processed reduced oxygen packaged fish bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package. See stop sale. “At sushi bar approximately 8 packages of Commercially processed reduced oxygen packaged tuna bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package. See stop sale.”

Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. “Multiple cutting boards grooved and no longer cleanable, discussed with operate repair or replace.”

Dead roaches on premises. “Approximately 2 dead roaches in electric room on floor. Approximately 2 dead roaches on floor under prep sink. Approximately 1 dead roach on floor at make line.”

Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. “At cook line open employee beverage stored on clean cutting board, discussed with over who removed drink.”

Floor area(s) covered with standing water. “Multiple areas of kitchen with standing water from leaking ceiling, discussed with operator to repair clean and sanitize areas.”

Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair. “Multiple areas of kitchen floor tiles in disrepair with water and debris between tiles, discussed with operator to clean and sanitize.”

Ice buildup in reach-in freezer and/or walk-in freezer. “Walk in freezer has accumulation of ice buildup discussed with operator to clean and sanitize.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Ice scoop handle in contact with ice. “Discussed with operator who removed scoop.”

Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. “Back of reach in cooler has accumulation of grease and soil residues, discussed with operator to clean and sanitize.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Open dumpster lid. “Discussed with operator to close lids.”

Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. “In reach in cooler at cook standing water in bottom discussed with operator to clean unit.”

Time/temperature control for safety food thawed in an improper manner. “Raw fish thawing in prep sink, discussed with operator who turned on cold water.”

Unwashed fruits/vegetables stored with ready-to-eat food. “In walk in cooler unwashed mushroom stored above cooked rice noodle, discussed with operator who corrected storage or products.”

Utensils in poor condition. “Dry storage bin lids have large cracks, discussed with operator to repair or replace.”

Wiping cloth chlorine sanitizing solution not at proper minimum strength. “Sanitizer Bucket (Chlorine 200+ppm) discussed with operator to correct to 100ppm.” REPEAT VIOLATION

**PICCOLA PIZZERIA PINECREST

11421 SOUTH DIXIE HIGHWAY

PINECREST

INSPECTION DATE 9/23

33 VIOLATIONS FOUND

Employee handled soiled equipment or utensils and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. “Observed food employee on personal phone while engaged in food prep.”

In-use utensil stored in unclean water. “Observed utensils in dirty water at cook line.”

Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. “Observed raw sausage over oranges in walk in cooler.”

Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. “Observed 1 salmon and 4 tuna filet thawed in ROP in cooler drawer under grill. Observed 8 fish filet thawed in ROP in walk in cooler.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. “Observed in cooler across cook line: diced tomato (54F - Cold Holding); ham (48F - Cold Holding); Gorgonzola (48F - Cold Holding); cut romaine (47F - Cold Holding); cooked spaghetti (53F - Cold Holding) . As per operator, constantly opening doors and food being restocked.”

Vacuum breaker missing at mop sink faucet or on fitting/splitter added to mop sink faucet. “Observed splitter attached; no breaker.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. “Observed cart blocking hand sink next to ware wash.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. “Observed bucket in hand sink next to ware wash.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Menu contains an item made with a raw/undercooked animal food as an ingredient and description of item does not inform consumer of raw/undercooked animal food ingredient. “Observed tiramisu on menu not marked; made with raw egg.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin.

Accumulation of debris on exterior of ware washing machine. “Observed exterior soiled.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. “Observed bowl used as scoop in crouton container.”

Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. “Observed microwave handle soiled.”

Ceiling tile missing. “Observed in storage area.”

Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. “Observed dust accumulation in kitchen.”

Cleaned and sanitized equipment or utensils not properly stored. “Observed ice picks for cooling of foods stored on floor in walk in freezer.”

Commercially processed reduced oxygen packaged fish bearing a label indicating that it is to remain frozen until time of use no longer frozen and not removed from reduced oxygen package. See stop sale. “Observed 10am on and 4 tuna filet thawed in ROP in cooler drawer under grill. Observed 8 fish filet thawed in ROP in walk in cooler.”

Employee with ineffective hair restraint while engaging in food preparation. “Observed no hair restraint for employees engaged in food prep.”

Floor area(s) covered with standing water. “Observed in front of mop sink.”

Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. “Observed behind prep table and mixer.”

Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair. “Observed in walk in.”

Food stored on floor. “Observed fires on floor of walk in freezer.”

Ice scoop handle in contact with ice. “Observed at bar ice machine.”

In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. “Observed in between table and cooler across cook line.”

Interior of oven/microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris. “Observed microwave interior soiled.”

No copy of latest inspection report available. “Observed no copy on site.”

Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. “Observed soiled gaskets in reach in cooler.”

Old labels stuck to food containers after cleaning. “Observed old labels on containers that are on dry storage rack.”

Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues.

Reach-in cooler shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. “Observed in multiple reach in coolers.”

Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. “Observed in cooler under stove.”

Unsealed concrete floor in food preparation, food storage, ware washing area or bathroom. “Observed at cook line.”

Walk-in cooler/freezer shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. “Observed in walk in.”

**CHINA LEE RESTAURANT

559 SW 8TH ST

MIAMI

INSPECTION DATE 9/23

32 VIOLATIONS FOUND

Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. “Observed employee going outside restaurant and engaging in food preparation and not washing hands first.”

Employee rubbed hands together for less than 10-15 seconds while washing hands. “Observed employee rubbed hands together for less than 10 sec.”

Employee switched from working with raw food to ready-to-eat food without washing hands. “Observed employee switching task with raw and ready to eat foot and no washing hands. Stop employee and coached how to wash hands properly.”

Employee touching ready-to-eat food with their bare hands - food was not being heated as a sole ingredient to 145 degrees F or immediately added to other ingredients to be cooked/heated to the minimum required temperature to allow bare hand contact. Establishment has no approved Alternative Operating Procedure. “Observed an employee handling diced ham and cooked beef without gloves, placing them into a single-use container to begin cooking.”

Employee washed hands with cold water. “Observed employee wash hands with cold water at hand washing sink.”

Observed Dish machine not sanitizing properly. Discontinue use of dish machine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dish machine is repaired and sanitizing properly.

Observed Employee washed hands with no soap. Coached employee proper method.

Observed Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food at chest freezer located at front counter.

Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. “Observed cooked shrimp (52F - Cold Holding); diced ham (57F - Cold Holding); diced cooked beef (56F - Cold Holding); cooked beef (58F - Cold Holding); cooked ribs (47F - Cold Holding); breaded chicken (47F - Cold Holding) at reach in cooler across cooking line.”

Employee has not received adequate training related to their assigned duties as evidenced by lack of general knowledge in performing their assigned duties. “Observed employee with lack of knowledge for work assignments.”

Employee washed hands in a sink other than an approved handwash sink. “Observed employee taking out flour on two compartments sink, no soap.”

Records/documents for required employee training do not contain all of the required information. “Observed training records incomplete. Person in charge completed at time of inspection.”

Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. “Observed all reach in cooler and reach in freezer, handle with accumulation of food residue.”

Employee phone stored on top of preparation table across cooking line.

Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. “Observed keys, cell phone and bandages stored on top of preparation table across cooking line.”

Floor not cleaned when the least amount of food is exposed. REPEAT VIOLATION

Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. “Observed preparation tables, oven, wok station, and crash cart are soiled with an accumulation of grease.”

Food stored on floor. “Observed plastic bottles soda stored on the floor at front counter area.”

Hole in or other damage to wall. “Observed corner wall next to back exit door in disrepair.”

In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. “Observed knives between reach in coolers.”

Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. “Observed cooking line equipment’s soiled with accumulation of grease, also between equipment’s.”

Observed Accumulation of debris inside ware washing machine.

Observed Accumulation of debris on exterior of ware washing machine.

Observed Accumulation of lime scale on the inside of the dish machine.

Observed Cardboard used to line clean plates on top of steam table.

Observed In-use tongs stored on oven door handle between uses.

Observed a bowl (or other handle less container) being used as a scoop to dispense food inside the rice bin at the front counter, as well as inside the dry storage bin located at the back of the kitchen.

Observed all Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable in kitchen area.

Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. “Observed a mold-like substance and food residue inside multiple units: the front lobby reach-in cooler, the cooking line reach-in cooler, and all reach-in coolers within the kitchen area. All reach in coolers and freezers soiled at the bottom shelves. Heavy debris has accumulated on the sliding door gaskets of the produce reach-in cooler and the lobby soda cooler.”

Single-service articles improperly stored. “Observed single used items containers stored on top of cardboard on prep table.”

Time/temperature control for safety food not maintained frozen solid in a freezer. “Observed diced ham, chicken inside reach in freezer not frozen.”

Time/temperature control for safety food thawed in an improper manner. “Observed frozen chicken wings being defrosted inside sink with no running water.”

**RIO GRANDE CHURRASCARIA CORAL WAY

11995 SW 26TH ST

WESTCHESTER

INSPECTION DATE 9/23

34 VIOLATIONS FOUND

Employee handled soiled equipment or utensils and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. “Observed staff handle dirty dishes and not wash hands.”

Live, small flying insects found. “Observed approximately 10 flying insects with some landing on the ceiling and walls in dry food storage room.”

Nonexempt fish offered raw or undercooked has not undergone proper parasite destruction. Fish must be fully cooked or discarded. “Observed no parasite destruction for swai fish using in ceviche.”

Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. “Observed raw sausage stored over raw bacon at RIC at cook line. Staff arranged product accordingly.”

Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. “Observed Ceviche (50F - Cold Holding); Pico de gallo (48F - Cold Holding); chicken corn salad (45F - Cold Holding); cut tomatoes (45F - Cold Holding); tuna salad (46F - Cold Holding); cut melon (50F - Cold Holding). As per manager, 1 hour.”

Vacuum breaker missing at mop sink faucet or on fitting/splitter added to mop sink faucet. “Observed splitter missing vacuum breaker at mop sink.”

Employee has not received adequate training related to their assigned duties as evidenced by the inability to answer basic food safety questions. “Observed staff not knowing how to calibrate a thermometer using the cold method. Coached staff on correct procedure.”

Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. “Observed utensil inside HWS at preparation area. Utensil was removed.”

No chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at three-compartment ware washing machine or wiping cloths. “Observed no quaternary test strips.”

No measuring device available for measuring utensil surface temperature when using hot water as sanitizer in a dish machine.

No plan review submitted and approved - renovations were made or are in progress. “Observed equipment installed by new operator does not match plans approved on file.”

Spray bottle containing toxic substance not labeled. “Observed spray bottle of blue chemical stored over preparation table at dessert area.”

Water treatment device has not been inspected or serviced according to manufacturer’s instructions. “Observed large ice machine filter with no service date.”

Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. “Observed interior of ice machine near back exit area soiled.”

Accumulation of lime scale on the inside of the dish machine. “Observed at dish machine.”

Bathroom located inside establishment not completely enclosed with tight-fitting, self-closing doors. “Observed doors not self closing at employee bathroom.”

Cove molding at floor/wall juncture broken/missing. “Observed cove molding in disrepair at kitchen area.”

Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. “Cutting board grooved at cook line.”

Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside. “Observed gap under back exit door”

Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair. “Observed floor tiles in disrepair at bar area.”

Fly sticky tape hanging over food/food preparation area/food-contact equipment. “Observed fly sticky paper over preparation table at prep area. Tape was removed.”

Hole in or other damage to wall. “Observed wall in disrepair next to WIC entrance.”

Ice buildup in reach-in freezer and/or walk-in freezer. “Observed WIF door with ice buildup and inside chest freezer used for ice cream.”

In-use ice scoop stored on soiled surface between uses. “Observed ice scoop stored on soiled surface over small ice machine near back exit door.”

In-use tongs stored on equipment door handle between uses. “Observed tongs stored on oven handle at prepares. Tongs were removed.”

In-use utensil stored in standing water less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. “Observed utensil container with water at 109F at cook line and at 99F at desserts area.”

Missing drain plug at dumpster.

No conspicuously located ambient air temperature thermometer in holding unit. “Observed no ambient thermometer at RIC across from grill.”

No handwashing sign provided at a hand sink used by food employees. “Observed no signage at HWS at cook line.”

Open dumpster lid.

Plumbing system improperly installed or repaired. “Observed 3CS faucet not reaching all compartments.”

Silverware/utensils stored upright with the food-contact surface up. “Observed spoons stored face up at desserts area.”

Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. “Observed WIC walls soiled.”

Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. “Observed container of sugar not labeled at bar area.”

**FRITANGA CAITA

11896 SW 26TH ST

WESTCHESTER

INSPECTION DATE 9/23

44 VIOLATIONS FOUND

Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within 2 hours. “Observed Gallo pinto - (90F - Cooling). As per staff since 6 am. Also observed, Cheese (59F - Cooling). As per staff, cooling since last night. Shredded cooked chicken (62F - Cooling) and Chicken tacos - (56F - Cooling) both products cooling since last night.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. “Observed staff change gloves with no hand washing. Coached staff on correct procedure.”

Employee touched face/hair and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. “Observed staff touched face with no handwashing. Coached staff on correct procedure.”

Employee washed hands with cold water. “Observed staff washed hands with cold water at front counter area.”

Raw animal food stored over or with unwashed produce. “Observed raw shell eggs over unwashed vegetables at RIC at dry storage area.”

Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. “Observed raw cow milk containers stored above ready to eat cheeses in plastic bags inside RIC at front counter. Raw milk containers were removed.”

Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. “Observed Gallo pinto - (90F - Cooling). As per staff since 6 am. Cheese (59F - Cooling). As per staff, cooling since last night. Shredded cooked chicken (62F - Cooling) and Chicken tacos (56F - Cooling) both products cooling since last night. Observed ham (56F - Cold holding). As per staff since last night in cold holding equipment. Observed Morsilla (102F - Hot Holding) As per staff, more than 4 hours.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. “Observed ham (56F - Cold holding). As per staff since last night in cold holding equipment.”

Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. “Observed Morsilla (102F - Hot Holding) As per staff, more than 4 hours out of temperature control.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Commercially processed ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food opened and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked after opening. “Observed cheese commercially packaged portioned and stored in individual bags with no labels inside reach-in cooler at front counter and breads at front counter.”

Employee has not received adequate training related to their assigned duties as evidenced by the inability to answer basic food safety questions. “Observed staff not knowing how to calibrate thermometer using the cold method. Coached staff on correct procedure to calibrate thermometer.”

Employee washed hands in a sink other than an approved handwash sink. “Observed staff washed hands at 3CS at front counter. Coached staff on correct procedure.”

Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment.

Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. “Observed utensil inside HWS at cook line. Utensil was removed.”

Manager or person in charge lacking proof of food manager certification. “Observed Joshua with no certified training.”

No chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at three-compartment ware washing machine or wiping cloths. “Observed no chlorine test strips available.”

No hot running water at three-compartment sink. “Observed water at 80F at both 3CS. Water ran for 3 minutes.”

No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. “Observed no paper towels at HWS at cook line.”

No proof of required state approved employee training provided for any employees. To order approved program food safety material, call DBPR contracted provider: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. “Observed Oscar, Pedro, and Crisbel with no food handlers training.”

No sanitizer of any kind available for ware washing. Only use single-service items to serve food to customers until sanitizer is available for ware washing. “Observed no sanitizer of any kind available. Staff purchased chlorine from convenience store located next to restaurant..”

Raw/undercooked animal food offered and establishment has no written consumer advisory. Raw animal foods must be fully cooked prior to service. “Observed no consumer advisory for carne asada. Provided consumer advisory during inspection and advisory was posted.”

Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked. “Observed rice pudding with no date marking. As per staff, less than2 days.”

Water with a temperature of least 85 degrees Fahrenheit not provided/shut off at employee handwash sink. “Observed water at 80F at all sinks. Water ran for 3 minutes.”

Bathroom located inside establishment not completely enclosed with tight-fitting, self-closing doors. “Observed at only bathroom.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. “Observed bowl with no handle used to scoop rice at dry storage area. Bowl was removed.”

Ceiling not smooth, nonabsorbent and easily cleanable in food preparation, food storage, or ware washing areas. “Observed through establishment.”

Cold holding equipment not maintained in good repair. Do not store time/temperature control for safety food in this unit until the unit is repaired. “Observed RIC across from mop sink with internal temp of 50F.”

Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed.

Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. “Observed cell phone over food preparation equipment at preparation area.”

Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation. “Observed staff doing food preparation with no hair restraint at preparation area.”

Food stored on floor. “Observed frying oil containers on floor at cook line and dry storage area.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Ice buildup in reach-in freezer and/or walk-in freezer. “Observed ice buildup in small white chest freezer at dry storage area.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Ice scoop handle in contact with ice. “Observed ice scoop handle in contact with ice inside ice machine. Staff correctly placed ice scoop.”

No Heimlich maneuver/choking sign posted. REPEAT VIOLATION

No conspicuously located ambient air temperature thermometer in holding unit. “Observed not ambient thermometer at small RIC across steam table.”

No handwashing sign provided at a hand sink used by food employees. “Observed at only bathroom.”

No hot running water at mop sink. “Observed water at 80F. Water ran for 3 minutes.”

Open dumpster lid.

Plumbing system in disrepair. “Observed cold water handle at HWS not functioning at front counter.”

Silverware/utensils stored upright with the food-contact surface up. “Observed utensils not stored upright at preparation area.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Soiled dry wiping cloth in use. “Observed soiled WC at grill area.”

Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. “Observed wall soiled behind cook line.”

Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. “Observed thorough establishment.”

Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. “Observed sugar container not labeled at front preparation area.” REPEAT VIOLATION

HONORABLE MENTION

**CHINA BUFFET II

1032 SW 67TH AVE

WESTCHESTER

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

INSPECTION DATE 9/23

29 VIOLATIONS FOUND

Container of medicine improperly stored. “Observed employee medicine stored on shelves with food containers at back storage area.”

Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. “Observed an employee begin food preparation in the hibachi kitchen without first washing their hands. Discussed proper handwashing procedures with the operator and provided coaching on the required methods.”

Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food. “Observed bitter melon stored inside nonfood grade bag. Manager removed product from bag.”

Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. “Observed raw bacon stored over cooked ribs at reach in cooler near kitchen entrance. Observed mushrooms stuffed with raw chicken stored over raw fish at reach in cooler near fryer. Employee rearranged products.”

Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. “Observed raw chicken stored over raw beef at preparation cooler. Observed mushrooms stuffed with raw chicken stored over raw fish at reach in cooler near fryer.”

Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. “Observed fresh garlic with oil (76F - Cold Holding) at room temperature at cook line. As per employee, for 2 hours. Employee placed product inside reach in cooler.”

Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. “Observed container of chlorine stored next to clean glasses at dish area. Manager removed clean glasses.”

Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. “Observed slicer soiled with old food debris. Observed ice scoop soiled. Observed flour and corn starch scoops heavily soiled with old food debris. Observed stored baking sheets heavily soiled with old food debris.”

Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. “Observed food debris inside hand sink near fryer station.”

No written procedures available for use of time as a public health control to hold time/temperature control for safety food. “Discussed and coached employee, and emailed form.”

Person in charge unable to answer basic Food Code questions pertaining to safe operation of establishment. “Observed person in charge unaware of probe thermometer calibration temperatures. Coached person in charge and demonstrated how to calibrate.”

Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked. “Observed beef soup, cooked pork, cooked chicken and stuffed mushrooms at walk in cooler not date marked. As per employee, products prepared on the previous day.”

Accumulation of lime scale on the inside of the dish machine.

Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. “Observed metal bowl stored inside of raw chicken container at preparation cooler.”

Ceiling tiles and vents soiled throughout kitchen, dish and storage areas.

Equipment in poor repair. “Observed meat grinder in disrepair near walk in freezer.”

Establishment using metal sponges on cleaned and sanitized, or in-use food-contact surface at wok station.

Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside. “Observed gap between double doors at dry storage area.”

Floor at walk in cooler and dish area covered with standing water.

Floor soiled at walk in cooler and walk in freezers.

Food stored on floor. “Observed plastic containers of bbq sauce and soy sauce stored on floor at cook line.”

Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. “Observed exterior of food storage containers soiled with black substance. Observed preparation cooler gaskets and side of exterior soiled.”

Observed dish racks soiled with black substance.

Reach-in cooler shelves at hibachi station have accumulation of soil residues.

Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. “Observed at reach in cooler near kitchen entrance.” REPEAT VIOLATION

Stored food not covered. “Observed cooked pork and chicken not covered at reach in cooler near kitchen entrance.”

Ten (10) foot-candles of light at least 30 inches from floor not provided in walk-in cooler.

Unclean building components, attachments or fixtures. “Observed hood at hibachi station soiled with grease.”

Wall soiled near ice machines at back area and near soda syrup area. “Observed wall near electrical out let at hibachi station heavily soiled with grease.”

A continuación, presentamos nuestra lista de restaurantes que recientemente acumularon 30 o más infracciones durante una inspección rutinaria de seguridad alimentaria sin previo aviso.

Aunque no se ordenó el cierre de estos restaurantes, acumular 30 o más infracciones sigue siendo una señal de alarma importante.

¡Hazlo mejor!

**CHOW TIME GRILL AND BUFFET

6997 BULEVADOR COMERCIAL OESTE.

TAMARAC

INSPECCIÓN BASADA EN UNA DENUNCIA

FECHA DE INSPECCIÓN 21/9

Se detectaron 34 infracciones.

El espacio de aire entre la entrada de agua y el borde del fregadero/equipo es inferior a una pulgada. “En la estación de helados no hay espacio de aire entre la entrada de agua y el borde del piso; la entrada de agua está sumergida. Se habló con el operador para corregirlo”.

El desinfectante de cloro del lavavajillas no tiene la concentración mínima adecuada. Deje de usar el lavavajillas para desinfectar y realice la desinfección manual hasta que el lavavajillas esté reparado y funcione correctamente. “Lavavajillas (Cloro 0 ppm) Deje de usar el lavavajillas para desinfectar y realice la desinfección manual hasta que el lavavajillas esté reparado y funcione correctamente.”

El empleado no se lavó las manos antes de ponerse los guantes para comenzar una tarea que implicaba manipular alimentos. “El empleado manipuló pollo crudo y, sin lavarse las manos ni cambiarse los guantes, manipuló platos limpios. Se habló con el operador y el empleado se lavó las manos y se cambió los guantes”.

El empleado tocó una superficie sucia y luego preparó alimentos, manipuló equipo o utensilios limpios o tocó artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos. “El empleado manipuló un bote de basura sin lavarse las manos; luego manipuló un recipiente de pescado crudo, habló con el operador y se lavó las manos”.

Las superficies en contacto con alimentos no se desinfectan después de limpiarlas, antes de usarlas. No utilice equipos ni utensilios que no estén debidamente desinfectados. «El empleado enjuagó la rebanadora con agua y, sin desinfectarla, la colocó en una rejilla para que se secara. Se habló con el operador para que desinfectara el utensilio».

Presencia de insectos, roedores u otras plagas. “Aproximadamente 1 escarabajo vivo en el suelo de la sala eléctrica. Aproximadamente 38 escarabajos muertos en el suelo del almacén seco junto a la puerta trasera. Aproximadamente 28 escarabajos muertos en el suelo de la sala eléctrica. Se habló con el operador sobre la eliminación del escarabajo vivo y la limpieza y desinfección de todas las áreas.”

Alimentos crudos de origen animal almacenados encima o junto con alimentos listos para el consumo en un congelador; no todos los productos están envasados ​​comercialmente. «Wantons rellenos de carne de cerdo cruda molida, sin envasar comercialmente, almacenados directamente encima de papas fritas. Se habló con el operador, quien corrigió el almacenamiento de los productos».

Alimentos crudos de origen animal almacenados encima de alimentos listos para el consumo o sin la separación adecuada de estos. “En la cámara frigorífica, camarones crudos almacenados encima de fideos cocidos; se habló con el encargado, quien corrigió el almacenamiento. En el refrigerador de la barra de sushi, atún crudo almacenado encima de queso crema; se habló con el encargado, quien corrigió el almacenamiento de los productos.” VIOLACIÓN REITERADA

Los alimentos crudos de origen animal no estaban debidamente separados entre sí en la unidad de almacenamiento, según la temperatura mínima de cocción requerida. «En la cámara frigorífica, el pollo crudo se almacenaba encima de la carne de res cruda; se habló con el operador, quien corrigió el almacenamiento de los productos».

Se detectó actividad de cucarachas, como lo demuestra el hallazgo de ejemplares vivos. “Aproximadamente una cucaracha viva trepaba por la pared del baño de empleados, en la parte trasera de la cocina. Se habló con el encargado, quien la eliminó y procedió a limpiar y desinfectar la zona”.

Se emitió una orden de cese de venta debido a que los alimentos no se encontraban en condiciones saludables. Pescado procesado comercialmente y envasado en atmósfera reducida, con una etiqueta que indica que debe permanecer congelado hasta su consumo, ya no está congelado y no ha sido retirado del envase. Véase la orden de cese de venta. “En el bar de sushi, aproximadamente 8 paquetes de atún procesado comercialmente y envasado en atmósfera reducida, con una etiqueta que indica que debe permanecer congelado hasta su consumo, ya no está congelado y no ha sido retirado del envase. Véase la orden de cese de venta.”

Control de tiempo/temperatura para alimentos seguros, identificados en el procedimiento escrito como alimentos mantenidos utilizando el tiempo como control de salud pública, no tienen marcado de tiempo y no se puede determinar el tiempo transcurrido desde que se retiró del control de temperatura. “Establecimiento que utiliza el tiempo como control de salud pública para buffet caliente y frío, sin productos marcados con el tiempo. Los procedimientos escritos indican que los tiempos se marcarán en los recipientes, se discutió con el operador para crear una tabla de productos y tiempos de preparación”. VIOLACIÓN REITERADA

Falta el interruptor de vacío en la llave de paso o en el conector/divisor añadido a la llave de paso. “Divisor de la línea del lavavajillas sin interruptor de vacío instalado en la manguera; se discutió con el operador durante la instalación”.

Alimentos enfriados mediante un método no aprobado, evidenciado por una velocidad de enfriamiento inadecuada durante la inspección. “En el refrigerador de acceso en la línea de cocción, recipiente envuelto en plástico con tomates en cubos (51 °F - Enfriamiento) a la 1:55 desde las 12:00 hasta 58 °F a las 3:05, a esta velocidad de enfriamiento actual, el producto no alcanzará los 41 °F en 4 horas, se discutió con el operador, quien retiró el envoltorio de plástico para permitir un flujo de aire adecuado para el enfriamiento. En el congelador industrial, recipiente grande de plástico con ensalada de cangrejo (58 °F - Enfriamiento) a las 2:25 desde la 1:25 hasta 58 °F a las 3:05, a esta velocidad de enfriamiento actual, el producto no alcanzará los 41 °F en 4 horas, se discutió con el operador, quien comenzó a trasladar los productos a bandejas poco profundas para permitir un flujo de aire adecuado para el enfriamiento.”

El lavamanos no está siempre accesible para los empleados. «El lavamanos está lleno de platos sucios; se habló con el encargado, quien retiró los platos».

Botella pulverizadora que contiene una sustancia tóxica sin etiquetar. “Se habló con el operador sobre la botella pulverizadora sin etiquetar que contenía limpiacristales para que la etiquetara”.

Acumulación de aves, insectos, roedores u otras plagas muertas o atrapadas en los dispositivos de control. “Aproximadamente 100 insectos pequeños muertos en cinta adhesiva que colgaba del techo frente a las cámaras frigoríficas; se habló con el operador para desechar la cinta adhesiva”.

Acumulación de restos de comida/residuos de tierra en las manijas de las puertas de los equipos. “Varias manijas y juntas de las puertas de los refrigeradores estaban sucias con acumulación de residuos; se habló con el operador para limpiarlas y desinfectarlas”.

El techo/las baldosas del techo presentan daños o están en mal estado. “Varias rejillas de ventilación del techo y del techo están dañadas y en mal estado; se habló con el operador para repararlas o reemplazarlas”.

Pescado procesado comercialmente envasado en oxígeno reducido con una etiqueta que indica que debe permanecer congelado hasta el momento de su uso, ya no congelado y sin retirar del envase de oxígeno reducido. Ver orden de cese de venta. “En el bar de sushi, aproximadamente 8 paquetes de atún procesado comercialmente envasado en oxígeno reducido con una etiqueta que indica que debe permanecer congelado hasta el momento de su uso, ya no congelado y sin retirar del envase de oxígeno reducido. Ver orden de cese de venta.”

La tabla de cortar tiene marcas de corte y ya no se puede limpiar. “Varias tablas de cortar están rayadas y ya no se pueden limpiar; se discutió con el operador para su reparación o reemplazo”.

Cucarachas muertas en las instalaciones. “Aproximadamente 2 cucarachas muertas en el cuarto eléctrico, en el suelo. Aproximadamente 2 cucarachas muertas en el suelo debajo del fregadero de preparación. Aproximadamente 1 cucaracha muerta en el suelo en la línea de producción.”

Envase de bebida del empleado sobre una mesa de preparación de alimentos o encima/al lado de equipos/utensilios limpios. “En la línea de cocina, bebida abierta del empleado guardada sobre una tabla de cortar limpia; se habló con el supervisor que retiró la bebida”.

Áreas del piso cubiertas de agua estancada. “Varias áreas de la cocina presentan agua estancada debido a una gotera en el techo. Se habló con el operador para reparar, limpiar y desinfectar las áreas afectadas”.

Baldosas del suelo faltantes o en mal estado. “Varias zonas del suelo de la cocina presentan baldosas en mal estado, con agua y suciedad entre ellas. Se habló con el encargado para limpiarlas y desinfectarlas.”

Acumulación de hielo en el congelador vertical y/o en el congelador industrial. “Se ha detectado acumulación de hielo en el congelador industrial; se ha informado al operador sobre su limpieza y desinfección”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE

Mango de la pala para hielo en contacto con el hielo. “Se habló con el operario que retiró la pala”.

Superficie que no entra en contacto con alimentos sucia con grasa, restos de comida, suciedad, lodo o polvo. “La parte posterior del refrigerador presenta acumulación de residuos de grasa y suciedad; se habló con el operador para limpiarla y desinfectarla”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE

Tapa del contenedor abierta. “Se habló con el operador para que cerrara las tapas”.

Agua estancada en el fondo del refrigerador. “Se ha informado al operador sobre la presencia de agua estancada en el fondo del refrigerador para limpiar la unidad”.

Control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad de los alimentos descongelados de forma inadecuada. “Pescado crudo descongelándose en el fregadero de preparación; se habló con el operario que abrió el grifo de agua fría”.

Frutas y verduras sin lavar almacenadas junto con alimentos listos para el consumo. “En la cámara frigorífica, se encontraron champiñones sin lavar almacenados encima de fideos de arroz cocidos; se habló con el encargado, quien corrigió el almacenamiento o los productos”.

Utensilios en mal estado. “Las tapas de los contenedores de almacenamiento en seco tienen grandes grietas; se habló con el operador para repararlas o reemplazarlas”.

La solución desinfectante de cloro para paños de limpieza no tenía la concentración mínima adecuada. “Se habló con el operador sobre el cubo de desinfectante (cloro 200+ ppm) para corregirlo a 100 ppm”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE.

**PICCOLA PIZZERIA PINECREST

11421 CARRETERA SOUTH DIXIE

PINECREST

FECHA DE INSPECCIÓN 23/9

Se detectaron 33 infracciones.

El empleado manipuló equipo o utensilios sucios y luego participó en la preparación de alimentos, manipuló equipo o utensilios limpios o tocó artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos. “Se observó a un empleado de la cocina usando su teléfono personal mientras preparaba alimentos”.

Utensilios en uso almacenados en agua sucia. “Se observaron utensilios en agua sucia en la línea de cocción”.

Alimentos crudos de origen animal almacenados encima de alimentos listos para el consumo o sin la separación adecuada de estos. “Se observaron salchichas crudas sobre naranjas en la cámara frigorífica”.

Se emitió una orden de cese de venta debido a que los alimentos no se encontraban en condiciones higiénicas ni seguras. “Se observaron 1 filete de salmón y 4 de atún descongelados en ROP en el cajón refrigerado debajo de la parrilla. Se observaron 8 filetes de pescado descongelados en ROP en la cámara frigorífica”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE

Control de tiempo/temperatura para garantizar la seguridad de los alimentos refrigerados a más de 5 °C (41 °F). “Observado en el refrigerador de la línea de cocción: tomate en cubos (12 °C - Refrigerado); jamón (9 °C - Refrigerado); gorgonzola (9 °C - Refrigerado); lechuga romana cortada (8 °C - Refrigerada); espaguetis cocidos (12 °C - Refrigerados). Según el operador, se abren constantemente las puertas y se reabastecen los alimentos.”

Falta el interruptor de vacío en el grifo del fregadero para fregonas o en el adaptador/divisor añadido al grifo del fregadero para fregonas. “Se observó un divisor conectado; sin interruptor de vacío”. VIOLACIÓN REITERADA

El lavamanos no está accesible para el uso de los empleados en todo momento. “Se observó un carrito bloqueando el lavamanos junto al área de lavado de vajilla”. VIOLACIÓN REITERADA

Lavamanos utilizado para fines distintos al lavado de manos. “Se observó un cubo en el lavamanos junto al área de lavado de vajilla”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE

El menú incluye un plato elaborado con un alimento animal crudo o poco cocido como ingrediente, y la descripción del plato no informa al consumidor sobre dicho ingrediente. “Se observó tiramisú en el menú sin la indicación de que estaba hecho con huevo crudo”. VIOLACIÓN REITERADA.

Acumulación de una sustancia negra/verdosa similar al moho en el interior de la máquina/contenedor de hielo.

Acumulación de residuos en el exterior de la lavadora de vajilla. “Se observó suciedad en el exterior”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE.

Bol u otro recipiente sin asa utilizado para servir la comida. “Se observó un bol usado como cuchara en el recipiente de los picatostes”.

Acumulación de restos de comida/suciedad en las manijas de las puertas de los electrodomésticos. “Se observó que la manija del microondas estaba sucia”.

Falta una loseta del techo. “Observado en el área de almacenamiento.”

Techo/baldosas/rejillas de ventilación sucias con restos de comida acumulados, grasa, polvo o una sustancia similar al moho. “Se observó acumulación de polvo en la cocina”.

Se limpiaron y desinfectaron equipos o utensilios que no estaban almacenados correctamente. Se observaron picahielos para enfriar alimentos almacenados en el suelo del congelador industrial.

Pescado procesado comercialmente envasado en atmósfera reducida con una etiqueta que indica que debe permanecer congelado hasta su consumo, pero que ya no está congelado y no se ha retirado del envase. Véase la orden de cese de venta. «Observado a las 10:00 h: 4 filetes de atún descongelados en envase de atmósfera reducida en el cajón refrigerado bajo la parrilla. Observado: 8 filetes de pescado descongelados en envase de atmósfera reducida en la cámara frigorífica».

Empleado con sujeción ineficaz del cabello mientras preparaba alimentos. “No se observó sujeción del cabello en los empleados que preparaban alimentos”.

Área(s) del piso cubiertas con agua estancada. “Observado frente al fregadero para fregar.”

El suelo está sucio/tiene acumulación de residuos. “Observado detrás de la mesa de preparación y la batidora”.

Faltan baldosas del suelo o están en mal estado. “Observado en la cámara de entrada”.

Alimentos almacenados en el suelo. “Se observaron incendios en el suelo del congelador industrial”.

Mango de la pala para hielo en contacto con el hielo. “Observado en la máquina de hielo de un bar”.

Cuchillos en uso almacenados en las grietas entre los equipos. “Observados entre la mesa y el refrigerador, al otro lado de la línea de cocción”.

El interior del horno/microondas presenta acumulación de una sustancia negra/grasa/restos de comida. “Se observó suciedad en el interior del microondas”.

No se dispone de copia del último informe de inspección. «No se observó ninguna copia en el lugar».

Superficie que no entra en contacto con alimentos sucia de grasa, restos de comida, suciedad, lodo o polvo. “Se observaron juntas sucias en el refrigerador”.

Etiquetas viejas adheridas a los recipientes de alimentos después de la limpieza. “Observamos etiquetas viejas en recipientes que se encuentran en el estante de almacenamiento en seco”.

El interior y los estantes del refrigerador tienen acumulación de residuos de tierra.

Estantes de refrigeradores verticales con óxido que ha corroído la superficie. “Observado en varios refrigeradores verticales”.

Agua estancada en el fondo del refrigerador. “Observado en el refrigerador debajo de la estufa”.

Piso de concreto sin sellar en área de preparación de alimentos, almacenamiento de alimentos, área de lavado de utensilios o baño. “Observado en la línea de cocción”.

Estantes de la cámara frigorífica/congeladora con óxido que ha corroído la superficie. “Observado en la cámara frigorífica”.

**CHINA LEE RESTAURANT

559 SW 8TH ST

MIAMI

FECHA DE INSPECCIÓN 23/9

Se detectaron 32 infracciones.

El empleado comenzó a manipular alimentos, equipos o utensilios limpios, o a tocar artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos previamente. “Se observó al empleado salir del restaurante y participar en la preparación de alimentos sin lavarse las manos antes”.

El empleado se frotó las manos durante menos de 10-15 segundos mientras se las lavaba. “Se observó que el empleado se frotó las manos durante menos de 10 segundos”.

Un empleado cambió de manipular alimentos crudos a alimentos listos para el consumo sin lavarse las manos. “Observé a un empleado cambiando de tarea, manipulando alimentos crudos y listos para el consumo, sin lavarse las manos. Detuve al empleado y le expliqué cómo lavarse las manos correctamente”.

Empleado manipulando alimentos listos para el consumo con las manos desnudas; los alimentos no se calentaban como ingrediente único a 63 °C ni se añadían inmediatamente a otros ingredientes para cocinarlos/calentarlos a la temperatura mínima requerida para permitir el contacto con las manos desnudas. El establecimiento no cuenta con un procedimiento operativo alternativo aprobado. «Se observó a un empleado manipulando jamón en cubos y carne de res cocida sin guantes, colocándolos en un recipiente de un solo uso para comenzar a cocinarlos».

El empleado se lavó las manos con agua fría. “Se observó al empleado lavarse las manos con agua fría en el lavamanos”.

Se observó que el lavavajillas no desinfectaba correctamente. Suspenda el uso del lavavajillas para desinfectar y realice la desinfección manual hasta que el lavavajillas sea reparado y desinfecte correctamente.

Se observó que el empleado se lavaba las manos sin jabón. Se le indicó al empleado el método correcto.

Se observaron bolsas no aptas para uso alimentario en contacto directo con los alimentos en el congelador ubicado en el mostrador principal.

Control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad de los alimentos refrigerados a más de 41 grados Fahrenheit. “Se observaron camarones cocidos (52 °F - Refrigeración); jamón en cubos (57 °F - Refrigeración); carne de res cocida en cubos (56 °F - Refrigeración); carne de res cocida (58 °F - Refrigeración); costillas cocidas (47 °F - Refrigeración); pollo empanizado (47 °F - Refrigeración) en el refrigerador ubicado en la línea de cocción.”

El empleado no ha recibido la capacitación adecuada para sus funciones, como lo demuestra su falta de conocimientos generales para desempeñarlas. «Se observó que el empleado carecía de conocimientos para las tareas asignadas».

El empleado se lavó las manos en un lavabo distinto al autorizado. “Se observó al empleado sacando harina de un fregadero de dos compartimentos, sin jabón”.

Los registros/documentos de la capacitación obligatoria de los empleados no contienen toda la información requerida. “Se observó que los registros de capacitación estaban incompletos. La persona a cargo los completó al momento de la inspección.”

Acumulación de restos de comida/residuos de tierra en las manijas de las puertas de los equipos. “Se observó acumulación de residuos de comida en todas las manijas de los refrigeradores y congeladores”.

El teléfono del empleado estaba guardado encima de la mesa de preparación, al otro lado de la línea de cocción.

Artículos personales de los empleados almacenados en o sobre un área de preparación de alimentos, alimentos, equipos y utensilios limpios, o artículos de un solo uso. “Se observaron llaves, un teléfono celular y vendas almacenados sobre la mesa de preparación al otro lado de la línea de cocina”.

El suelo no se limpió cuando había la menor cantidad de comida expuesta. VIOLACIÓN REITERADA.

El suelo está sucio y presenta acumulación de residuos. “Se observó que las mesas de preparación, el horno, la estación de wok y el carro de emergencias estaban sucios con acumulación de grasa”.

Alimentos almacenados en el suelo. “Se observaron botellas de refresco de plástico almacenadas en el suelo en la zona del mostrador.”

Agujero u otro daño en la pared. “Se observó que la pared de la esquina junto a la puerta de salida trasera estaba en mal estado.”

Cuchillos en uso almacenados en las grietas entre las piezas del equipo. “Se observaron cuchillos entre los estantes de los refrigeradores”.

Superficie que no entra en contacto con alimentos sucia de grasa, restos de comida, suciedad, lodo o polvo. “Se observó acumulación de grasa en los equipos de la línea de cocción, incluso entre los propios equipos”.

Se observó acumulación de residuos dentro de la lavadora de vajilla.

Se observó acumulación de residuos en el exterior de la lavadora de vajilla.

Se observó acumulación de cal en el interior del lavavajillas.

Se observó cartón utilizado para forrar los platos limpios sobre la mesa de vapor.

Se observó que las pinzas en uso se guardaban en el tirador de la puerta del horno entre usos.

Se observó que se utilizaba un tazón (u otro recipiente sin asa) como cuchara para servir comida dentro del recipiente de arroz en el mostrador principal, así como dentro del contenedor de almacenamiento en seco ubicado en la parte trasera de la cocina.

Se observó que todas las tablas de cortar tienen marcas de cortes y ya no se pueden limpiar en el área de la cocina.

El interior y los estantes de los refrigeradores presentan acumulación de residuos de suciedad. “Se observó una sustancia similar al moho y restos de comida dentro de varias unidades: el refrigerador del vestíbulo, el refrigerador de la línea de cocina y todos los refrigeradores de la zona de la cocina. Todos los refrigeradores y congeladores presentan suciedad en los estantes inferiores. Se ha acumulado una gran cantidad de residuos en las juntas de las puertas corredizas del refrigerador de frutas y verduras y del refrigerador de refrescos del vestíbulo.”

Artículos de un solo uso almacenados incorrectamente. “Se observaron contenedores de artículos de un solo uso almacenados encima de cartón en la mesa de preparación”.

Control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad de los alimentos que no se mantienen congelados. “Se observó jamón en cubos y pollo dentro del congelador sin congelar”.

Control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad de los alimentos descongelados de forma inadecuada. “Se observó que se estaban descongelando alitas de pollo congeladas dentro del fregadero sin agua corriente”.

**RIO GRANDE CHURRASCARIA CORAL WAY

11995 SW 26TH ST

WESTCHESTER

FECHA DE INSPECCIÓN 23/9

Se detectaron 34 infracciones.

El empleado manipuló equipo o utensilios sucios y luego participó en la preparación de alimentos, manipuló equipo o utensilios limpios o tocó artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos. “Se observó al personal manipular platos sucios y no lavarse las manos”.

Se encontraron pequeños insectos voladores vivos. “Se observaron aproximadamente 10 insectos voladores, algunos de los cuales se posaron en el techo y las paredes del cuarto de almacenamiento de alimentos secos”.

El pescado no exento que se ofrece crudo o poco cocido no ha sido sometido a una correcta eliminación de parásitos. El pescado debe cocinarse completamente o desecharse. «No se observó eliminación de parásitos en el pescado swai utilizado en el ceviche».

Los alimentos crudos de origen animal no estaban debidamente separados entre sí en la unidad de almacenamiento, según la temperatura mínima de cocción requerida. “Se observó salchicha cruda almacenada sobre tocino crudo en la unidad de control de temperatura (RIC) en la línea de cocción. El personal reorganizó el producto en consecuencia.”

Control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad alimentaria: alimentos refrigerados a más de 5 °C (41 °F). Se observó ceviche (10 °C - Refrigeración); pico de gallo (9 °C - Refrigeración); ensalada de pollo y maíz (7 °C - Refrigeración); tomates cortados (7 °C - Refrigeración); ensalada de atún (8 °C - Refrigeración); melón cortado (10 °C - Refrigeración). Según el gerente, 1 hora.

Falta el interruptor de vacío en el grifo del fregadero para fregar o en el adaptador/divisor añadido al grifo del fregadero para fregar. «Se observó que falta el interruptor de vacío en el divisor del fregadero para fregar».

El empleado no ha recibido la capacitación adecuada para sus funciones, como lo demuestra su incapacidad para responder preguntas básicas sobre seguridad alimentaria. “Se observó que el personal desconocía cómo calibrar un termómetro mediante el método en frío. Se les instruyó sobre el procedimiento correcto”.

El lavamanos se utilizaba para fines distintos al lavado de manos. “Se observó un utensilio dentro del lavamanos en el área de preparación. El utensilio fue retirado.”

No se proporcionó ningún kit de prueba química al usar desinfectante en la lavadora de vajilla de tres compartimentos o paños de limpieza. “No se observaron tiras reactivas cuaternarias”.

No se dispone de ningún dispositivo para medir la temperatura de la superficie de los utensilios cuando se utiliza agua caliente como desinfectante en un lavavajillas.

No se presentó ni aprobó ninguna revisión del plan; se realizaron o están en curso renovaciones. «El equipo instalado por el nuevo operador no coincide con los planos aprobados».

Se observó un frasco pulverizador con una sustancia tóxica sin etiquetar sobre una mesa de preparación en la zona de postres.

El dispositivo de tratamiento de agua no ha sido inspeccionado ni revisado según las instrucciones del fabricante. “Se observó un filtro grande de la máquina de hielo sin fecha de mantenimiento”.

Acumulación de una sustancia negra/verdosa similar al moho en el interior de la máquina/contenedor de hielo. “Se observó suciedad en el interior de la máquina de hielo cerca de la salida trasera”.

Acumulación de cal en el interior del lavavajillas. “Observado en el lavavajillas.”

El baño ubicado dentro del establecimiento no está completamente cerrado con puertas que cierren herméticamente. “Se observó que las puertas del baño de empleados no se cerraban automáticamente”.

Moldura de cornisa en la unión del piso y la pared rota/faltante. “Se observó moldura de cornisa en mal estado en el área de la cocina.”

La tabla de cortar tiene marcas de cortes y ya no se puede limpiar. “La tabla de cortar tiene una ranura en la línea de cocción”.

La puerta exterior tiene una abertura en el umbral que da al exterior. “Se observó una abertura debajo de la puerta de salida trasera”.

Baldosas del suelo faltantes o en mal estado. “Se observaron baldosas del suelo en mal estado en la zona del bar.”

Cinta adhesiva para moscas colgando sobre alimentos/área de preparación de alimentos/equipos en contacto con alimentos. “Se observó papel adhesivo para moscas sobre la mesa de preparación en el área de preparación. Se retiró la cinta.”

Agujero u otro daño en la pared. “Se observó una pared en mal estado junto a la entrada del WIC.”

Acumulación de hielo en el congelador vertical y/o en el congelador horizontal. “Se observó acumulación de hielo en la puerta del congelador vertical y en el interior del congelador horizontal utilizado para helados”.

Pala para hielo en uso almacenada sobre una superficie sucia entre usos. “Se observó una pala para hielo almacenada sobre una superficie sucia encima de una pequeña máquina de hielo cerca de la puerta de salida trasera.”

Pinzas en uso guardadas en la manija de la puerta del equipo entre usos. “Se observaron pinzas guardadas en la manija del horno durante la preparación. Se retiraron las pinzas.”

Utensilio en uso almacenado en agua estancada a menos de 57 grados Celsius (135 grados Fahrenheit). “Se observó un recipiente con agua a 43 grados Celsius (109 grados Fahrenheit) en la línea de cocción y a 37 grados Celsius (99 grados Fahrenheit) en el área de postres”.

Falta el tapón de drenaje en el contenedor de basura.

No se encontró ningún termómetro de temperatura ambiente en un lugar visible de la unidad de retención. «No se observó ningún termómetro ambiental en el RIC, frente a la parrilla».

No se encontró ningún letrero que indicara la necesidad de lavarse las manos en el lavamanos utilizado por los empleados de la cocina. “No se observó ninguna señalización en el lavamanos de la línea de cocina”.

Abra la tapa del contenedor de basura.

Sistema de plomería instalado o reparado incorrectamente. “Se observó que el grifo 3CS no llega a todos los compartimentos”.

Cubiertos y utensilios almacenados en posición vertical con la superficie en contacto con los alimentos hacia arriba. “Se observaron cucharas almacenadas boca arriba en la zona de postres”.

Pared sucia con grasa acumulada, restos de comida y/o polvo. “Se observaron paredes sucias en el centro WIC”.

Envases de alimentos retirados de su envase original sin identificar por su nombre común. “Se observó un envase de azúcar sin etiquetar en la zona del bar”.

**FRITANGA CAITA

11896 SW 26TH ST

WESTCHESTER

FECHA DE INSPECCIÓN 23/9

Se detectaron 44 infracciones.

Los alimentos cocinados/calentados que requieren control de tiempo/temperatura para su seguridad no se enfriaron de 135 grados Fahrenheit a 70 grados Fahrenheit en 2 horas. “Se observó Gallo Pinto (90 °F - Enfriamiento). Según el personal, desde las 6 a. m. También se observó Queso (59 °F - Enfriamiento). Según el personal, enfriándose desde anoche. Pollo cocido desmenuzado (62 °F - Enfriamiento) y Tacos de pollo (56 °F - Enfriamiento), ambos productos enfriándose desde anoche.” VIOLACIÓN REITERADA

El empleado no se lavó las manos antes de ponerse los guantes para comenzar una tarea que implicaba manipular alimentos. “Observé al personal cambiarse los guantes sin lavarse las manos. Le expliqué el procedimiento correcto”.

El empleado se tocó la cara o el cabello y luego preparó alimentos, manipuló equipos o utensilios limpios o tocó artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos. “Observé que el personal se tocó la cara sin lavarse las manos. Se le instruyó sobre el procedimiento correcto”.

El empleado se lavó las manos con agua fría. “Se observó al personal lavándose las manos con agua fría en el área del mostrador”.

Alimentos crudos de origen animal almacenados encima o junto con productos agrícolas sin lavar. “Se observaron huevos crudos con cáscara sobre vegetales sin lavar en el RIC, en el área de almacenamiento en seco”.

Alimentos crudos de origen animal almacenados encima de alimentos listos para el consumo o sin la separación adecuada de estos. “Se observaron envases de leche cruda de vaca almacenados encima de quesos listos para el consumo en bolsas de plástico dentro del mostrador de RIC. Se retiraron los envases de leche cruda.”

Se emitió una orden de cese de venta por control de tiempo/temperatura en alimentos seguros debido a abuso de temperatura. “Se observó gallo pinto (90 °F - Enfriamiento). Según el personal, desde las 6 a. m. Queso (59 °F - Enfriamiento). Según el personal, enfriándose desde anoche. Pollo cocido desmenuzado (62 °F - Enfriamiento) y tacos de pollo (56 °F - Enfriamiento), ambos productos enfriándose desde anoche. Se observó jamón (56 °F - Mantenimiento en frío). Según el personal, desde anoche en equipo de mantenimiento en frío. Se observó morcilla (102 °F - Mantenimiento en caliente). Según el personal, más de 4 horas.” VIOLACIÓN REITERADA

Control de tiempo/temperatura para garantizar la seguridad de los alimentos refrigerados a más de 41 grados Fahrenheit. “Se observó jamón (56 °F - Conservación en frío). Según el personal, desde anoche se encuentra en el equipo de refrigeración”.

Control de tiempo/temperatura para alimentos seguros, excepto asados ​​de carne enteros, mantenidos calientes a menos de 135 grados Fahrenheit. “Se observó morsilla (102 °F - Mantenimiento en caliente). Según el personal, más de 4 horas fuera del control de temperatura”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE

Alimentos listos para consumir, procesados ​​comercialmente y que requieren control de tiempo y temperatura para su seguridad, fueron abiertos y almacenados durante más de 24 horas sin la fecha de apertura debidamente marcada. Se observó queso envasado comercialmente, porcionado y almacenado en bolsas individuales sin etiquetas dentro del refrigerador en el mostrador principal, así como pan en el mostrador principal.

El empleado no ha recibido la capacitación adecuada para sus funciones, como lo demuestra su incapacidad para responder preguntas básicas sobre seguridad alimentaria. “Se observó que el personal desconocía cómo calibrar el termómetro mediante el método en frío. Se les instruyó sobre el procedimiento correcto para calibrarlo”.

El empleado se lavó las manos en un lavabo distinto al autorizado. “Observé que el personal se lavaba las manos en el mostrador de 3CS. Les expliqué el procedimiento correcto”.

El establecimiento no cuenta con procedimientos escritos que los empleados deban seguir en caso de vómito o diarrea, cuando el vómito o la diarrea se produzcan en las superficies del establecimiento.

El lavamanos se utilizaba para fines distintos al lavado de manos. “Se observó un utensilio dentro del lavamanos en la línea de cocción. El utensilio fue retirado.”

El gerente o la persona a cargo no presenta comprobante de certificación de gerente de alimentos. “Se observó a Joshua sin capacitación certificada”.

No se proporcionó ningún kit de prueba química al usar desinfectante en el lavavajillas de tres compartimentos ni paños de limpieza. “No se observaron tiras reactivas para cloro disponibles”.

No hay agua caliente corriente en el fregadero de tres compartimentos. “Se observó agua a 80 °F en ambos compartimentos. El agua corrió durante 3 minutos”.

No se proporcionaron toallas de papel ni secadores de manos mecánicos en el lavamanos. “No se observaron toallas de papel en el lavamanos de la línea de cocina”.

No se proporcionó comprobante de la capacitación obligatoria estatal para empleados. Para solicitar material del programa de seguridad alimentaria aprobado, llame al proveedor contratado por DBPR: Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (SafeStaff) 866-372-7233. “Se observó que Oscar, Pedro y Crisbel no contaban con capacitación en manipulación de alimentos”.

No había desinfectante disponible para lavar la vajilla. Solo se utilizaron utensilios desechables para servir la comida a los clientes hasta que se dispusiera de desinfectante. «No se observó ningún tipo de desinfectante disponible. El personal compró cloro en la tienda de conveniencia ubicada junto al restaurante».

Se ofrecían alimentos de origen animal crudos o poco cocidos y el establecimiento no contaba con un aviso escrito para el consumidor. Los alimentos de origen animal crudos deben cocinarse completamente antes de servirlos. «No se observó ningún aviso para el consumidor sobre la carne asada. Se proporcionó un aviso durante la inspección y este fue publicado».

Alimentos listos para consumir, que requieren control de tiempo y temperatura para su seguridad, preparados en el establecimiento y conservados durante más de 24 horas, no estaban debidamente fechados. «Observamos arroz con leche sin fecha. Según el personal, tenía menos de dos días».

No se suministró agua a una temperatura mínima de 85 grados Fahrenheit en el lavamanos para empleados, o bien, el suministro estaba cortado. «Se observó agua a 80 °F en todos los lavamanos. El agua estuvo corriendo durante 3 minutos».

El baño, ubicado dentro del establecimiento, no está completamente cerrado con puertas de cierre automático y herméticas. “Observado únicamente en el baño”. VIOLACIÓN REITERADA.

Bol u otro recipiente sin asa utilizado para servir comida. “Se observó un bol sin asa utilizado para servir arroz en el área de almacenamiento de alimentos secos. El bol fue retirado.”

Techo no liso, no absorbente y fácil de limpiar en áreas de preparación de alimentos, almacenamiento de alimentos o lavado de utensilios. “Observado en todo el establecimiento”.

El equipo de refrigeración no se encuentra en buen estado. No almacene alimentos que requieran control de tiempo/temperatura para su seguridad en esta unidad hasta que se repare. «Se observó un refrigerador RIC frente al fregadero de fregonas con una temperatura interna de 50 °F».

No se muestra la licencia actual del hotel o restaurante.

Artículos personales de los empleados almacenados en o sobre un área de preparación de alimentos, alimentos, equipos y utensilios limpios, o artículos de un solo uso. “Se observó un teléfono celular sobre el equipo de preparación de alimentos en el área de preparación”.

Empleado sin sujeción para el cabello mientras preparaba alimentos. “Se observó a un empleado preparando alimentos sin sujeción para el cabello en el área de preparación”.

Alimentos almacenados en el suelo. “Se observaron recipientes de aceite para freír en el suelo, tanto en la zona de cocción como en el área de almacenamiento en seco”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE.

Acumulación de hielo en el congelador vertical y/o en el congelador industrial. “Se observó acumulación de hielo en un pequeño congelador horizontal blanco en el área de almacenamiento en seco”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE

Mango de la pala para hielo en contacto con el hielo. “Se observó el mango de la pala para hielo en contacto con el hielo dentro de la máquina de hielo. El personal colocó correctamente la pala.”

No hay ninguna señal de maniobra de Heimlich/asfixia colocada. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE.

No se encontró ningún termómetro de temperatura ambiente en un lugar visible de la unidad de retención. «No se observó ningún termómetro ambiental en el pequeño RIC situado junto a la mesa de vapor».

No se encontró ningún letrero que indicara la necesidad de lavarse las manos en el lavamanos utilizado por los empleados de la cocina. “Solo se observó en el baño”.

No hay agua caliente corriente en el fregadero para fregar. “Se observó que el agua estaba a 80 °F. El agua corrió durante 3 minutos”.

Abra la tapa del contenedor de basura.

Sistema de plomería en mal estado. “Se observó que la manija del agua fría del calentador de agua no funcionaba en el mostrador principal”.

Cubiertos/utensilios almacenados en posición vertical con la superficie en contacto con los alimentos hacia arriba. “Se observaron utensilios no almacenados en posición vertical en el área de preparación”. VIOLACIÓN REINCIDENTE

Se utilizó un paño de limpieza seco sucio. “Se observó un inodoro sucio en la zona de la parrilla”.

Pared sucia con grasa acumulada, restos de comida y/o polvo. “Se observó la pared sucia detrás de la línea de cocción”.

El paño húmedo no se guarda en solución desinfectante entre usos. “Observado en todo el establecimiento”.

Envases de alimentos usados, retirados de sus envases originales, sin identificar por su nombre común. “Se observó un envase de azúcar sin etiquetar en el área de preparación frontal”. VIOLACIÓN REITERADA

MENCIÓN HONORÍFICA

**CHINA BUFFET II

1032 SW 67TH AVE

WESTCHESTER

INSPECCIÓN BASADA EN UNA DENUNCIA

FECHA DE INSPECCIÓN 23/9

Se detectaron 29 infracciones.

Envase de medicamento almacenado incorrectamente. “Se observó que el medicamento del empleado estaba almacenado en estantes junto con envases de alimentos en el área de almacenamiento trasera”.

Un empleado comenzó a manipular alimentos, equipos o utensilios limpios, o a tocar artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos previamente. “Observé a un empleado comenzar a preparar alimentos en la cocina hibachi sin lavarse las manos. Hablé con el operador sobre los procedimientos adecuados de lavado de manos y le brindé capacitación sobre los métodos requeridos”.

Bolsas no aptas para alimentos usadas en contacto directo con alimentos. “Se observó melón amargo almacenado dentro de una bolsa no apta para alimentos. El gerente retiró el producto de la bolsa.”

Alimentos crudos de origen animal almacenados encima de alimentos listos para el consumo o sin la separación adecuada de estos. “Se observó tocino crudo almacenado encima de costillas cocidas en el refrigerador cerca de la entrada de la cocina. Se observaron champiñones rellenos de pollo crudo almacenados encima de pescado crudo en el refrigerador cerca de la freidora. El empleado reorganizó los productos.”

Los alimentos crudos de origen animal no estaban debidamente separados entre sí en la unidad de almacenamiento, según la temperatura mínima de cocción requerida. Se observó pollo crudo almacenado sobre carne de res cruda en el refrigerador de preparación. Se observaron champiñones rellenos de pollo crudo almacenados sobre pescado crudo en el refrigerador cerca de la freidora.

Control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad de los alimentos refrigerados a más de 5 °C (41 °F). “Se observó ajo fresco con aceite (24 °C - Refrigeración) a temperatura ambiente en la línea de cocción. Según el empleado, durante 2 horas. El empleado colocó el producto dentro del refrigerador.”

Sustancia tóxica/producto químico almacenado incorrectamente. “Se observó un recipiente de cloro almacenado junto a vasos limpios en el área de lavado de platos. El gerente retiró los vasos limpios.”

Superficie en contacto con alimentos sucia con restos de comida, moho o una sustancia viscosa. “Se observó una rebanadora sucia con restos de comida vieja. Se observó una cuchara para hielo sucia. Se observaron cucharas para harina y maicena muy sucias con restos de comida vieja. Se observaron bandejas para hornear almacenadas muy sucias con restos de comida vieja.”

El lavamanos se utilizaba para fines distintos al lavado de manos. «Se observaron restos de comida dentro del lavamanos cerca de la freidora».

No existen procedimientos escritos para el uso del tiempo como control de salud pública para mantener el control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad alimentaria. “Se habló del tema con el empleado, se le dio capacitación y se le envió el formulario por correo electrónico”.

La persona a cargo no pudo responder preguntas básicas sobre el Código Alimentario relativas al funcionamiento seguro del establecimiento. “Observé que la persona a cargo desconocía las temperaturas de calibración del termómetro de sonda. Le brindé capacitación y le mostré cómo calibrarlo”.

Alimentos listos para consumir, que requieren control de tiempo y temperatura para su seguridad, preparados en el establecimiento y conservados durante más de 24 horas, no estaban debidamente fechados. «Se observó sopa de res, cerdo cocido, pollo cocido y champiñones rellenos en la cámara frigorífica sin fechar. Según el empleado, los productos se prepararon el día anterior».

Acumulación de cal en el interior del lavavajillas.

Bol u otro recipiente sin asa utilizado para servir la comida. “Se observó un bol de metal guardado dentro de un recipiente de pollo crudo en el refrigerador de preparación”.

Los azulejos del techo y las rejillas de ventilación estaban sucios en toda la cocina, las zonas de lavado de platos y los almacenes.

Equipo en mal estado. “Se observó una picadora de carne en mal estado cerca del congelador industrial”.

Establecimiento que utiliza esponjas metálicas en superficies limpias y desinfectadas, o en superficies en contacto con alimentos que estén en uso, en la estación de wok.

La puerta exterior tiene un hueco en el umbral que da al exterior. «Se observó un hueco entre las puertas dobles en la zona de almacenamiento en seco».

El suelo de la cámara frigorífica y la zona de lavado de platos están cubiertos de agua estancada.

El suelo de la cámara frigorífica y de los congeladores estaba sucio.

Alimentos almacenados en el suelo. “Se observaron recipientes de plástico de salsa barbacoa y salsa de soja almacenados en el suelo de la zona de cocción.”

Superficie que no está en contacto con alimentos sucia de grasa, restos de comida, suciedad, lodo o polvo. “Se observó el exterior de los recipientes para almacenar alimentos sucio con una sustancia negra. Se observaron juntas y lateral del refrigerador de preparación sucios.”

Se observaron escurridores de platos sucios con una sustancia negra.

Los estantes refrigerados de la estación hibachi presentan acumulación de residuos de tierra.

Agua estancada en el fondo del refrigerador. “Observado en el refrigerador cerca de la entrada de la cocina”. VIOLACIÓN REITERADA

Alimentos almacenados sin tapar. “Se observó carne de cerdo y pollo cocidos sin tapar en el refrigerador cerca de la entrada de la cocina”.

Diez (10) candelas-pie de luz a una altura mínima de 30 pulgadas del suelo no se proporcionan en la cámara frigorífica.

Componentes, accesorios o instalaciones del edificio sucios. “Se observó la campana extractora de la estación hibachi sucia de grasa”.

Pared sucia cerca de las máquinas de hielo en la parte trasera y cerca del área de jarabe para refrescos. “Se observó una pared muy sucia de grasa cerca de la toma de corriente en la estación hibachi”.

Katalyst Space Technologies announced the demise of its three-armed spacecraft named Link. It reentered the atmosphere overnight, bringing the $30 million, NASA-sponsored salvage effort of the Swift Observatory to a close.

Swift is expected to follow in early November as its orbit steadily sinks.

“While we’ll be sad to see Swift’s mission come to a close, we knew this boost effort would be worthwhile either way,” NASA’s Shawn Domagal-Goldman said in a statement.

It provided valuable practice for future satellite-rescue missions and pushed teams to rush against the clock like never before, Domagal-Goldman added.

Thrown together in under a year, Link was supposed to capture the 22-year-old Swift and then boost it to a higher, longer-lasting orbit so it could keep observing some of the biggest explosions in the universe. The sun’s intense flare-ups had put the telescope on a downward spiral faster than engineers anticipated.

To buy time, NASA suspended observations early this year and repositioned Swift to minimize the atmosphere’s downward drag. Otherwise, the telescope would have come down before help could arrive, according to managers.

Link launched on July 3, but quickly ran into electronic problems that took out two of the three reaction wheels needed to turn the spacecraft. Then a bad valve sent the satellite into a fast spin that disrupted communication. Engineers regained control, but Link didn’t have enough fuel left to carry out its job and the rescue effort was called off in August.

Katalyst used the few weeks remaining to practice moving Link’s robot arms, each about 3 feet (1 meter) in length with a handlike gripper on the end. Flight controllers even managed to guide the spacecraft to within 7 miles to 9 miles (12 kilometers to 15 kilometers) of Swift, close enough to snap pictures.

“We knew from the beginning that this was an ambitious mission on an aggressive timeline,” Katalyst CEO Ghonhee Lee said in a statement.

Lee said the company will carry all the lessons learned to its future satellite-recovery endeavors. “This is a foundation we can build on," he added.

Swift is back to scanning the universe in the month or so that it has left.

Launched in 2004, the $364 million observatory is designed to pivot quickly — as its name suggests — to capture gamma ray bursts, exploding stars and other fast-breaking cosmic action. That ability allows Swift to serve as a lookout or first responder for other telescopes that can follow its lead. NASA is scrambling to see how it now will fill that gap.

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The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from the AP Fund for Journalism and 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.

The nine-city iHeartRadio Jingle Ball Tour will visit: Dallas/Fort Worth; Los Angeles; Chicago; Detroit; New York; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and, for the first time, Nashville, Tennessee. The lineup will change depending on the city.

The tour will kick off at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 1 with Katseye, Raye, Ludacris, Myles Smith, Tove Lo, Kylie Cantrall, The Beaches and JYT.

Los Angeles is next with Rodrigo's only appearance on this tour Dec. 4; then Chicago led by Raye on Dec. 7; Detroit led by Warren on Dec. 8; Boston with Duff and Sombr on Dec. 13; Washington, D.C., with Jonas Brothers and Sombr on Dec. 14; Philadelphia with Puth and Sombr on Dec. 15; and Nashville with Duff and Warren on Dec. 17.

The Jingle Ball concert was first introduced in 1996 at Madison Square Garden by New York radio station Z100 and has since become a multicity tour and an annual tradition.

This year, the Dec. 11 Madison Square Garden concert will feature Duff, Sombr, Warren, Puth, Swims, Spiro, Tomorrow X Together & Yeonjun, Stella Lefty and Freya Skye with special guest performances from Bella Kay and The Beaches.

A presale for Capital One cardholders will begin Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. local time and end Oct. 1 or while supplies last. Tickets for the general public from Ticketmaster will go on sale Oct. 2.

The iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour stops will be part of a nationwide television special as well, airing on ABC in December. It will be available on Hulu and Disney+ the next day.

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It happened in the 700 block of Southeast Eighth Street in the city’s Rio Vista neighborhood.

According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, nobody was hurt. The boom truck belonged to Cooper Crane, a company based in West Park.

“Luckily, there was nobody home at the time,” Frank Guzman, an FLFR spokesperson, said.

Officials said crews were working to install a fumigation tent when the weight of the load pulled the crane down.

Video from Sky 10 shows that the crane took out a small section of the outer portion of the home’s roof; it did not appear to have significantly penetrated it.

Guzman said that city inspectors “determined that it is an unsafe structure.”

Cooper Crane had to bring out another crane to lift the equipment off of the home. It, too, collapsed.

Neighbors said the mishap represents a setback for a family that was about to move into the home.

This financial move does not affect Brightline's sister company Brightline West, which is working to build a high-speed railroad between Las Vegas and a stop outside Los Angeles in Southern California.

The deal that Brightline worked out with its creditors will allow the railroad to borrow $490 million more as it works to attract enough riders to pay all of its bills. Assured Guaranty said on Friday that the financing commitments include $350 million of new junior debt and $140 million of additional senior debt.

Assured said that Brightline Trains Florida LLC, which runs the railroad, has not filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but that certain other Brightline Florida entities did file for such protection.

“Brightline is a critical part of Florida’s transportation network that has changed the way people move around the state,” Brightline Florida CEO Patrick Goddard said in a statement. “Today’s agreement brings $490 million in new long-term capital to Brightline from the stakeholders who know this business, and it comes at a time of real momentum.”

Brightline earned the worst safety record of any railroad in the nation with more than 200 deaths along its tracks since it was founded, but Goddard said at a news conference earlier this month that the railroad has been working to improve safety with better safety measures around rail crossings.

The company has seen its ridership grow 14% for the year-to-date through August, with revenue up 17% for the same period when compared with last year.

But Tim Hynes, who is head of Global Credit Research at Debtwire, said Brightline's current ridership of about 3.5 million people a year that generates about $240 million of revenue is less than half the number of riders and one-third of the revenue the railroad predicted in 2024. He said that's why Brightline needed to rework its debt and obtain additional financing.

“The broader lesson is that intercity rail financed mainly with private high-yield debt is very hard to make work, so expect future projects to lean more on public money,” said Hynes, who also thinks investors will demand more conservative ridership forecasts.

Brightline first began running its trains between Miami and Orlando in 2023. The company began operating between Miami and West Palm Beach in 2018. But it is only able to run at its maximum speed of 125 mph (202 kph) on the stretch between the Orlando airport and Cocoa, Florida, because that section is totally fenced off and doesn't have any public grade crossings.

Brightline hopes to eventually extend its service to Tampa.

Nonprofits, foundations and corporations pack Manhattan ballrooms and closed-door meetings each September to direct some sliver of the world's attention — and funding — to their missions. Timed annually to the U.N. General Assembly's high-level meetings, the scramble is even more urgent after recent sharp declines in funding sent by some of the richest countries to poorer ones.

Across the many conferences, forums and roundtables, the week exposed the gulf between the biggest aid organizations, who have the money and connections to weather this period of public aid retrenchment, and others grappling with their role in the changing landscape for humanitarian funding.

Big movers still made big pledges. The Gates Foundation touted its $1 billion commitment to AI-powered tools for farmers, educators and health workers. Bill Clinton called on Clinton Global Initiative attendees to “step into the void created by retreating governments."

There, former USAID administrator Samantha Power highlighted the ways her coalition to end childhood lead poisoning adapted when U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration dismantled her former agency, USAID.

“Philanthropies took risks. Governments took ownership. Multilateral institutions invested and the coalition kept moving," Power, a Harvard professor, said Wednesday at CGI. "That is the story of optimism I want to leave you with today."

Other mid-sized actors described a mixed mood. Major foundations are still in “soul-searching mode,” according to Global Fund for Children co-CEO John Hecklinger. His fund serves as an intermediary between well-endowed foundations and more grassroots nonprofits. Funders, he finds, understandably can't fill every gap but are also hesitant to maintain the previous status quo.

“There’s not this forced, strategic approach. The vision is disjointed,” said Ann Lee, the co-founder and CEO of Community Organized Relief Effort. “It’s very, very sort of ad hoc.”

Nonprofits turn to new donor countries

Still, the U.N. sidelines brought out new nonprofits and funders eager for impact. Eleanor Crook Foundation CEO William Moore spent the week garnering support for his fledgling nonprofit to eradicate child deaths from acute malnutrition.

Operation End Starvation launched this summer with a $100 million, two-year commitment from the U.S. State Department. But Moore anticipates needing 17 times more every year to purchase enough therapeutic foods such as peanut butter paste and get them into starving children's mouths. On Wednesday, OES announced a $5 million grant from the Gates Foundation.

The goal is to eventually become for malnutrition what vaccines alliance Gavi is for immunizations or what The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is for the deadliest infections. His pitch: OES will pay for overhead and match one-third of government money through philanthropy if countries cover the costs of the foods and delivery.

Moore noted one lunch he had scheduled with Nigeria's health minister — part of a sector-wide shift to partner with the high-burden countries where aid organizations work.

“They've said, ‘We’re ready for this. We're ready to take on this additional responsibility. We want to own the systems that are needed to improve the livelihoods of our people,'" Moore said. "We're really excited as philanthropy also to be of service to that.”

Moore's nonprofit is among a growing number turning to Arab Gulf nations. Moore said Operation End Starvation is having good conversations with official state donor entities and the philanthropies affiliated with their royal families.

The region's leaders have recognized a need “to fund and to bridge the gap” created by aid cuts, according to Hammam bin Nasser bin Juraied, executive director of the Arab Gulf Programme for Development.

An ‘openness to collaboration’

Other aid groups are working more closely with local partners in hopes of reducing overhead costs and increasing their impact.

Education Cannot Wait Director Maysa Jalbout, whose nonprofit lost funding from the Trump administration, said they've committed to delivering at least half their funds through local organizations.

She's trying to raise $600 million to provide education for 10 million crisis-affected children by 2030. She's actually continued to see support from Germany, the United Kingdom and Switzerland. She found herself speaking more than usual this week with philanthropies and the private sector about their “collective responsibility” to meet the increased demand for aid. That includes new partners to provide meals, water and electricity in schools.

“There is this level of, at least on our part, openness to collaboration that comes out of need that maybe we haven't seen before,” Jalbout said.

Other leaders saw a greater presence from family offices — the private advisers who manage the affluent's wealth. Agnes Dasewicz, chief investment and program officer at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, said she encountered many family office advisers at a breakfast organized by an informal network of women in climate.

Their presence underscores what Dasewicz said is a growing number of individuals who want their personal wealth to have world influence but don't want the publicity or responsibility of a major foundation. Family offices can act much more flexibly. But they can be harder to find.

“You go talk to them and it turns out they gave out $200 million in grants last year. And you’ve never heard of them,” she said. “But they’re out there. And they’re very interested really in bettering the livelihoods of people in other countries.”

An appearance from a Buffett

Even Howard G. Buffett, the eldest son of mega-billionaire investor Warren Buffett and one of three children tasked with giving away their father's fortune after his death, ditched his private family farm for Midtown Manhattan this year.

He was motivated by what he saw as lagging support for Ukraine. Howard, who recently became Berkshire Hathaway’s new chairman, said Thursday at a forum hosted by the news organization Devex that “you cannot come to this week in New York without making Ukraine one of the highest priorities” of discussion.

His foundation, which doubled its spending when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, has given the country $1.4 billion. The World Bank estimates the total cost of reconstruction and recovery in Ukraine at almost $588 billion — or nearly three times the country's gross domestic product — over the next decade.

From grocery stores to mail delivery, Howard said, there are needs in Ukraine that American companies should invest in. His foundation pledged to finance the rebuilding of a Kharkiv-based publishing house destroyed by Russian missiles. An attack on the maker of children's books and educational materials, he said, is “how you destroy a society.”

It's “amazing” to Howard that he hasn't been joined by more U.S. foundations focused on democracy. “Ukraine is the fight today that is telling the world whether we have the wherewithal to protect those values,” he said.

He also hinted at how his foundation might give away some of his father's hundreds of billions of dollars. They'll have to take more risks, he said, while also finding some recipients prepared to absorb $500 million donations at a time.

“I couldn’t imagine not continuing funding in Ukraine for a lot of years," he added.

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

The European Commission fined X late last year for breaches of the bloc’s landmark digital regulations, stoking tensions with Washington.

The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday that it had filed an application to support X's bid to have the case annulled at the European Union's General Court. It was the second time in three months that the Justice Department has intervened to defend a company owned by Musk.

In July, the Justice Department filed a motion to intervene in a civil rights lawsuit that alleges Musk’s xAI is illegally running dozens of natural gas turbines to power a $20 billion AI data center in Mississippi.

In that case, the NAACP and other groups said xAI failed to get a permit for its power plant — which is located near homes, schools and churches — creating health risks for families in North Mississippi and nearby Memphis and violating the federal Clean Air Act.

Trump and the world's richest businessman appeared to dial down a war of words that stunned Washington and Wall Street alike last year after Musk called Trump's tax breaks and spending cuts a “disgusting abomination.”

Musk on Thursday evening attended a state dinner held by Trump honoring China’s leader Xi Jinping, along with other tech titans.

The EU fine against X, which followed a two-year investigation, was the first penalty issued under the bloc's digital regulations governing online content. Regulators said X’s blue checkmarks broke the rules because they involved“deceptive design practices” and could expose users to scams and manipulation.

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said Friday that it is the EU’s “sovereign right” to draft legislation aimed at protecting its citizens.

“We are enforcing our legislation objectively, transparently and with a solid case,” he told reporters. “We are ready to defend our position in court. We have a lot of evidence at our disposal, and it will be for the court to decide as always.”

The commission is the top enforcer of the 27-nation EU's Digital Services Act, which requires tech companies to clean up their online platforms under threat of hefty financial penalties.

But the rulebook has become a flashpoint with the Trump administration, and U.S. officials have criticized it as amounting to online censorship.

The Justice Department warned that the fine, if upheld, “may have significant implications” for U.S. online platforms and other companies providing digital services in the EU.

Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division said in Thursday's statement that the "European Commission inappropriately attempted to expand its regulatory authority to reach American companies not present or operating within its jurisdiction,”

“We will not tolerate the European Commission engaging in regulatory overreach to try and control American engines of innovation and economic growth,” he said.

When asked whether the Justice Department had informed the commission that it intended to back Musk, Regnier said: “We do not need to be informed about anything.”

He said the commission doesn't expect the case to hurt broader relations between Brussels and Washington, notably in talks to mitigate the damage of Trump administration tariffs.

“From our perspective, nothing will change because of a DSA case,” he said.

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AP Business Writer Kelvin Chan contributed to this report from London.

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This version corrects the day Regnier spoke to Friday instead of Thursday.

The zoo said the quintuplets — four males and one female — that were born on June 18 had faced a tough time from the start.

Their mother, Daenerys, opted to give birth in an outdoor enclosure with a period of strong storms hitting Prague soon after.

Despite her inexperience, Daenerys took “exemplary” good care of her first cubs under such weather conditions.

Daenerys protected the five from torrential rains, licking water from their fluffy fur to keep them dry, curator Pavel Brandl said.

In the wild, the cheetah’s infant mortality is high because of predators, and cheetah cubs also are vulnerable to diseases such as pneumonia.

To make things worse, Daenerys suffered from an intestinal infection in August.

But despite all odds, the five looked lively and healthy on Friday.

“At this moment, everything seems fine, but it’s still a long run,” Brandl said. He said that it might take a year before it’s clear that they will survive the crucial period after their birth.

Scientists say every cub is critical to saving the species, which is threatened with extinction.

Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land that can reach maximum speeds of between 70 and 75 mph (112 kph and 120 kph). It’s estimated that fewer than 7,000 of them remain in the wild.

President Trump announced two days ago that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has started negotiations once again with members of the Cuban government.

Cuba’s Vice Minister Fernández de Cosio was quickly to react and make it clear that such negotiations are not true.

In the meantime the support amongst the Cuban-American and Venezuelan community for Trump is eroding fast ahead of the midterm elections.

Sept. 24: The Trump administration needs a lesson in simple mathematics

At a press conference Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in reference to Cuba that we cannot expect to change a country that has been under a totalitarian regime for 60 years in six months. First, Mr. Secretary, this coming Jan. 1 will mark 68 (2027-1959= 68) years since the Castro’s took over power.

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Trump, Rubio and the Cuban American members of Congress from South Florida have said multiple times that by the end of 2026 the Cuban government would fall. Now they say by the end of 2029. Maybe the 6 was reversed from the beginning.

Secondly, we captured Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela this past January. The following week, President Trump said that in two weeks (a week has 7 days. 7x2=14), Cuba would be next. Let’s check the math, Mr. President. It’s been eight months since the capture of Maduro. That’s about 240 days.

The foreign policy of this administration continues to be a disaster. We have 101 ambassadorial appointments open around the world out of 196. 40 appointees are waiting Senate hearing and confirmation. But their qualifications are so bad they probably will not be confirm. 95% of President Trump’s ambassadorial appointments are political with limited international relations and diplomatic knowledge.

Furthermore, 42 times the Trump administration has announced a cease fire with Iran because both nations were close to a deal. So far the war goes on with no clear exit strategy.

In the meantime, Cuban Americans and Venezuelans in South Florida have realized that the Trump administration strategies are just a game with empty promises.

There is still time to correct your calculations but you are running out of time, mid-term elections are around the corner. Do the math.

Sept. 22: Trump calls Cuba ‘failed state that will fall’

This morning, President Donald Trump addressed the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting.

In his speech, he called Cuba a “failed state that will fall.” He further stated that “communism will never come to the U.S. but liberty will soon come to Cuba.” Trump further stated that Cuba represents a threat to U.S. national security -- all these accusations without giving any specific details.

Sept. 22: Wealthy, influential Cuban-Americans with ties to Trump planning for ‘post-communist’ Cuba if regimes falls

According to an article by the Wall Street Journal, wealthy and influential Cuban-Americans with ties to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have been meeting in lawyer offices and hotel conference rooms to plan for a “post-communist” Cuba if the regime were to fall soon.

The “change” model seems to first attempt to stabilize Cuba by restructuring the economy that could possibly lead to a new form of government.

Many of these individuals are planning to personally play a role in rebuilding Cuba. These individuals run wealthy businesses. However, for the most part, the opposition groups in South Florida have been left out of these conversations or any role they might play in the future of Cuba.

Sept. 21: Cuba’s leadership continue to blame their problems on everybody else except themselves

Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernandez de Cossio made a surreal statement yesterday, claiming that everyone at the top of the Cuban government leadership get, on average, two hours of electricity per day.

We know that most of Cuba’s inner circle of power have generators or solar panels that provide them electricity around the clock each day.

What Fernandez de Cossio does not admit is that the electrical problem has been caused by the Cuban government not being able to fix the outdated electrical plans that are the cause of the problem.

Sept. 18: Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar breaks with Trump over immigration policy

After supporting President Donald Trump’s policy on immigration, Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar issued a video yesterday criticizing Trump.

The Department of Homeland Security was quickly to react and say that the Trump administration will continue enforcing the policy.

We need to ask ourselves whether Salazar’s change of heart has to do more with political survival since she faces a tough race in the midterm elections this coming November from well known South Floridian Eliott Rodriguez (D).

Sept. 17: Cuba is not Venezuela

A new poll recently done by FIU, inside Venezuela and Cuba, show how different the situations are for U.S. foreign policy.

The poll shows that 90% of Venezuelans want free and democratic elections this year, which I do not believe the current Interim President Delcy Rodriguez will agree to. I’m also sure that she will use Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s plan of “stabilization, recovery, and transition phase” to say that the first stage has not been fully accomplished. There was no timetable put on the plan.

The case of Cuba is very different. The population wants their economic and social needs met before political reforms, which goes to my argument that Cuba has a very short history of democratic governments.

So to remind our local members of Congress. To say that “we must return Cuba to democracy” will not happen anytime soon.

Sept. 16: Rubio’s latest actions on Cuba

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently sent more humanitarian aid to Cuba, and it is being distributed by the non-governmental organization (NGO) associated with the Catholic Church, Caritas of Cuba.

At the same time, Rubio warned international banks and businesses not to collaborate with any Cuban business entities that have been sanctioned by the U.S.

Secretary Rubio also called for the Cuban government to change and become a democracy.

By now, we should understand that changing governments like Cuba, which have been under totalitarian control, is not easy and will take time. Especially countries like Cuba that, in their political history, have had unsustainable democratic governments.

Sept. 15: Cuba becomes a betting market for U.S. prediction markets

Cuba has become a betting market in the USA.

The betting site Polymarket shows how people in the U.S. are betting on everything from the removal of Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel from power to when and if the U.S. will invade Cuba or make an economic agreement with Cuba.

The last prediction is whether the U.S. will go and get indicted Cuban leader Raúl Castro.

Sept. 10: Russia denies Cuba full membership in BRICS

BRICS is an organization of 11 emerging economies around the world. The organization works to influence their global importance and reshape economic governance.

The membership includes Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Partner nations include Belarus, Cuba, Nigeria and Thailand.

The Russians turned down Cuba for full membership into the organization because of Cuba’s poor economic conditions and poor predictions by economists moving forward.

Sept. 9: Cuba and the U.S. stuck in diplomatic rhetoric

Cuba’s Brigadier General Emir Mesa Corona, who is in charge of personal security at the Ministry of Interior, sent a strong message to the U.S. not to even think of trying to kidnap Raul Castro or anyone in Cuba’s government or they will face serious consequences.

At the same time, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parilla admitted that backroom negotiations with the U.S. continue but the U.S. will not soften their positions. Cuba wants the economic embargo lifted while the U.S. wants regime change.

Sept. 8: Blind passion for Cuban politics leads to a political circus between Miami, Havana and DC

As a little boy growing up in Miami, I remember when every presidential candidate from both political parties would come to campaign in Miami and promised that if elected, they would work to see a “Free Cuba.” They would end their speeches with “Viva Cuba Libre.” Local politicians representing different municipalities in Miami-Dade would talk about U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba like they controlled it, and yet, they had nothing to do with it within their scope of responsibilities. But it got them the votes they needed to be elected and remain in power, while political leaders in Cuba continued to blame everything wrong on the island on the U.S. economic embargo, or as they call it, “the blockade.”

On Jan. 3, the U.S. military captured Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela with the assistance of their current Interim President Delcy Rodriguez and brought him to the U.S. to face justice. Shortly thereafter, President Donald Trump announced that Cuba would be next.

The Trump administration began to sanction Cuban organizations and individuals of the government in an attempt to squeeze them out of power. So far, they are still in power. The Cuban government began to prepare for a U.S. invasion. To this date, it has not happened and probably never will.

On May 20, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Raul Castro for the downing of the Brothers to the Rescue planes in 1996 in a theater-like political rally at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. So far nothing has happened and nothing is going to happen. There is no Delcy Rodriguez in Cuba. A week ago, many media outlets across Miami reported, based on sources from inside the island, that Raul Castro was gravely ill. This past weekend, Raul reappeared surrounded by Cuba’s military elite.

Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the three Cuban-American members of Congress from South Florida had announced that by the end of 2026, Cuba would fall. Now it has been pushed back to 2029. Furthermore, Rubio recently said that the problem in dealing with Cuba is the Helms-Burton Law (Senator Jesse Helms and Richard Burton, both Republicans) that was enacted by Congress in 1996, also with the hard work of the late Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart and signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.

The three Cuban-American members of Congress made it clear that the goal was to return Cuba to democracy. What democracy? Cuba did not have a democratic government before Fidel Castro took power. How much do they really know about Cuban history? Or is it just a play on words and empty promises?

So as time passes each day, the Cuban-American community is beginning to ask itself, what is really going on in D.C.?

It would not surprise me that in the near future the Trump organizations would negotiate to buy the empty Melia Hotels in Cuba and put the Trump name on them. After all, we now own a big chunk of Venezuelan oil and there was no regime change as promised.

Will we ever learn? How much longer are we going to be blind by our passion?

Sept 6: Raul Castro makes public appearance

After much speculation about Cuba’s Raul Castro being close to death, the Cuban leader showed up at a military event yesterday accompanied by his grandson, Raulito, and Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Sept 3: Raul Castro stable, according to sources

Sources in Cuba say Raul Castro, 95, is stable despite reports about his declining health. According to sources, retired General Abelardo Colome Ibarra, known as “ El Fury,” is currently in worse condition. Colome Ibarra was head of the Ministry of the Interior and highly respected by the Castro brothers and the Cuban military.

Sept 3: President Trump’s hands are tied with regard to Cuba, Rubio says

After months of saying Cuba would be next, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that the president’s hands are tied because of the Helms Burton Law which requires no normalization between the U.S. and Cuba unless there is regime change and a move towards a democratic government.

Even if Raul Castro was to die in the near future, I do not expect regime change.

Only the U.S. can change the Helms-Burton Law and I don’t expect that to happen anytime in the near future or after the mid-term elections.

Sept. 2: Children in Cuba start new school year amid more challenges than any other year before

Children in Cuba started the new school year Tuesday facing a lack of supplies, books, uniforms and teachers, and buildings that are falling apart, along with a lack of food to feed the children.

According to the Cuban minister of education, this will be a very challenging year unlike any others.

Cuban education was once one of the big accomplishments of the revolution. However, it was also used to indoctrinate the students in an ideology that no one on the island nation believes anymore.

Sept. 1: Raul Castro hospitalized, sources say

Reliable sources inside Cuba have informed me this afternoon that Raul Castro has been hospitalized. We need to be careful and not to over speculate what might happen until further notice.

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

Meanwhile, Trump is taking Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the National Archives on Friday, showing off the sacred texts of U.S. democracy to the leader of the world’s most powerful communist country to cap off a three-day state visit criticized for being heavy on pomp and light on substance.

Here's the latest:

Trade analysts question Trump-Xi summit accomplishments

“I can’t recall a U.S.-China summit that produced fewer deliverables,’’ said Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute. “Normally, there’s Boeing purchases and soybean targets ... So far, it seems much lighter than that. A lot of pomp and circumstance or sound and fury but signifying nothing. There’s just not a lot there.’’

Trump’s tariffs drew retaliation from China, forcing the world’s two biggest economies into an uneasy truce. “It’s pretty clear at this point that China has fought the U.S. to a draw, that U.S. tariffs have not been successful in slowing China’s export machine and reversing Chinese industrial policy,’’ Lincicome said.

“Another summit without tangible results merely allows China to run out the clock on Trump’s second term without significant concessions,” said Jeff Moon, a former U.S. trade official and diplomat who runs the China Moon Strategies consultancy.

Protesters near Xi and Trump visit tear up Chinese flag

People carrying signs opposing China’s ruling Communist Party and Chinese President Xi Jinping protested at a plaza next to the National Archives.

Inside, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump showed the U.S. Constitution to Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, during their state visit to Washington.

Two men tore a Chinese national flag, and one of them sat down and used part of it to wipe his shoe.

The protesters held signs calling on Xi and the Chinese Communist Party to step down. They also displayed black-and-white photographs of Xi with large red Xs over his face.

Cattle industry groups protest immigration enforcement in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas

The Texas Cattle Feeders Association, Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association and Kansas Livestock Association say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have delayed shipment of thousands of cattle, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue.

The industry groups say ICE operations have disrupted operations at feedyards, dairy processors, feed and grain companies, and transportation hubs. They say they are frustrated that business is likely to be affected for weeks.

Their joint statement says operations have had “a massive chilling effect on the legal, documented, skilled workers that put beef on the table and keep the cattle supply chain moving.” They anticipate higher beef prices will result.

ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Compared to China, Trump says US still a young country at 250 years old

Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping looked at a copy of the U.S. Constitution at the National Archives and discussed how old their nations are.

“We’re just comparing,” Trump told reporters. “Ours goes 250 years, which is great, and we’re proud of it. But theirs goes 6,000 years.”

By Trump’s math, China is 24 times older than the U.S.

“There’s a little difference between 6,000 and 250, but we’re very proud of our 250,” Trump said.

Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson to meet with tech CEOs on AI next week

The White House meeting set for Tuesday is something the House speaker has encouraged the president to do, suggesting the leaders should go behind closed doors to hash out a strategy as voices sound alarms about AI technology.

Johnson has dismissed concerns about AI as overhyped but the political leaders are under growing pressure from constituents and the tech executives themselves to chart a path forward. The meeting was first reported by Axios.

Xi calls the visit ‘very successful’ and says they are ‘very satisfied’

He expressed his thanks for the treatment he and his wife, Peng Liyuan, have received so far.

Xi thanked Trump and the first lady for “everything” they did for him and his wife.

“The highest courtesies, the most meticulous arrangements,” Xi said in Chinese. “This visit is very successful, and we also feel very satisfied.”

Supreme Court lets Trump administration use revamped federal voter eligibility database for now

The Supreme Court on Friday lifted restrictions on a controversial federal voter database before November’s elections, granting President Trump a temporary win in his aggressive campaign against noncitizen voting.

The emergency order allows states, for now, to use the Department of Homeland Security program, called Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, in their efforts to verify the eligibility of voters on their rolls. But because existing law blocks most states from systematically purging voters from their rolls within 90 days of an election, the immediate impact on the upcoming midterms is likely limited.

States’ use of the SAVE program is voluntary.

The court’s order puts on hold a federal judge’s June ruling that had deemed the Republican administration’s recently revamped version of SAVE illegal.

▶ Read more

After days of tirades against the press, Trump offers thanks for fair coverage

Speaking to reporters alongside Xi on Friday, Trump made a point of thanking the press.

“Thank you very much and we appreciate the fair coverage,” Trump told reporters. “It’s been very fair. We appreciate it.”

It was a hard turn from other comments Trump made throughout the week, attacking the U.S. press for what he sees as unfair coverage and attempting to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.

Xi and Trump have two more opportunities to meet this year

Chinese leader Xi Jinping said he expects to meet President Trump two more times this year as he wrapped up his state visit to Washington on Friday.

Xi extended an invite for Trump and his wife, Melania, to come to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November. He noted that they could meet again a month later at the G20 summit at the Trump National Doral Miami golf club in Florida.

“I do welcome Mr. President and the first lady to visit China,” Xi said.

Trump responded, “We will, and we’ll be speaking a lot.”

White House TV pool appears to be back in operation, but CNN’s media analyst calls situation ‘fluid’

The U.S. network video pool for the White House appeared to be back in operation Friday, although the situation “remains fluid,” according to the media analyst for CNN, one of three outlets that were banned for three days.

A judge temporarily struck down the ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico on Thursday, but his ruling didn’t directly address the pool, which consists of five major U.S. broadcast outlets that take turns shooting and sharing video. In a show of solidarity, the other four had declined to participate in the video pool until CNN was reinstated.

CNN wasn’t commenting directly, referring instead to its editorial coverage. But Brian Stelter, the network’s media analyst, posted on X that the major networks plan to resume TV pool coverage of Trump events on Friday.

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Xi arrives at the White House for more time with Trump

The U.S. president ignored a series of questions from reporters as Chinese leader Xi Jinping came to the White House.

Trump was asked if he’d told Xi to stop buying Iranian oil. He was asked why he had chosen to try to ban some news outlets from the White House and if U.S. taxpayers should be paying for pro-Trump ads.

“Thank you very much,” was all Trump said.

Xi arrived with his wife, Peng Liyuan, and was met by Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, before entering the White House.

Iran has suggested a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in 7 days

Iran has offered to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear program in seven days if the United States lifts its naval blockade, waives sanctions on Iranian oil sales and observes a ceasefire that would include Lebanon.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi detailed the proposal in a private gathering Thursday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, according to one attendee.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute think tank, who attended, said Araghchi suggested that a speedy agreement would help President Trump ahead of November’s midterm elections.

There was no immediate comment from Iran’s U.N. mission or other Iranian officials.

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Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says he urged Trump to enlist China’s help in ending Russia’s invasion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters Friday he hasn’t yet received feedback from the White House about Trump’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping but expects to learn the outcome.

Zelenskyy, who’s keen to muster more international support for Ukraine’s defense, was in the United States this week on a trip coinciding with the U.N. General Assembly. He met with Trump on Tuesday.

NATO countries have called China a “decisive enabler” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

▶ Read more

Xi’s day will begin at the White House

There, President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host the Chinese leader and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for tea.

Macron says a U.S. diesel ban would inflict economic damage across the world

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron said in an interview with French broadcasters that the diesel ban would damage economies across the world, including the U.S.

“This decision would be bad, not just for the rest of the world, but for the American economy, too,” Macron said. “I can tell you one thing: it wouldn’t be a good decision for his country and its economy.”

The European Union has increasingly turned to the U.S. for diesel since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the outbreak of the Iran war in February. The support Trump expressed this week for banning diesel exports to drive down U.S. prices worries the bloc, which would have to find alternative sources of the fuel.

Japan’s Takaichi says her country and the U.S. are allies

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, asked about Trump’s remark during his talks with China’s Xi Jinping that their countries were “allies” during World War II, said Japan and the United States are close allies of mutual trust today.

“Japan and the United States waged war but we have since firmly reconciled, deepened our relationship and now we trust each other as strongly bonded allies,” Takaichi said.

Japan worries about closer U.S.-China ties at a time Tokyo struggles to mend worsening ties with Beijing. Takaichi’s comment last year that a potential Chinese military action against Taiwan could justify Japanese involvement outraged Beijing, spilling over to trade.

Protesters of Xi’s policies push for change in earshot of White House visit with Trump

Trump warmly welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping with a personal airport greeting, a tour of his new helipad and a candlelit dinner. But outside the White House, protests against Xi continued almost nonstop Thursday during his state visit.

The demonstrators represented a range of causes, from calls for religious autonomy and greater freedoms in Tibet, Hong Kong and the ethnic region of Xinjiang to demands to keep China out of self-governed Taiwan.

Protests against visiting Chinese leaders are nothing new — in 2006, a woman heckled Xi’s predecessor Hu Jintao at a White House welcome ceremony — but Xi has become the focus of attacks for his tough approach to tightening control over Xinjiang, Hong Kong and other regions and the Chinese military’s growing threats to Taiwan, which he says must come under Chinese rule.

Crowds gathered behind a fence along Lafayette Park, waving flags and holding signs. Loudspeakers carried their voices across the park to the White House’s North Portico, where an honor guard and a red carpet awaited guests attending the state dinner.

▶ Read more

Xi is wrapping his visit to Washington with a peek at the Constitution and Bill of Rights

Trump is taking Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the National Archives on Friday, showing off the sacred texts of U.S. democracy to the leader of the world’s most powerful communist country to cap off a three-day state visit criticized for being heavy on pomp and light on substance.

Xi is expected to depart Washington after touring the nation’s vault of records, where the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are held. The two leaders have made a show of working to preserve harmony between the world’s two largest economies, though there were no major breakthroughs on issues such as trade or the safety of artificial intelligence.

The visit comes as the U.S. celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, and Trump said Thursday that he wanted to show Xi “some of the greatest treasures of that proud history.”

The U.S. president also said he wanted to show Xi artifacts about the relationship between the two countries.

▶ Read more

With his teammate Antonelli out of the running, Russell showed why Mercedes is such a big favorite at the Baku track as he went nearly a second faster than anyone else.

“When I crossed the line and I saw the gap. I was shocked. I knew the lap was was great,” Russell said.

Still, he added “you can't discount Kimi” for Saturday's race after Antonelli won from 19th on the grid at his home Italian Grand Prix this month. The 20-year-old Antonelli leads Russell by 81 points.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was .837 of a second off the pace in second and Oscar Piastri was third-fastest for McLaren, .001 further back. That was a big turnaround for Piastri after McLaren even resorted to using cable ties to hold together parts of the car's bodywork in a chaotic Friday practice.

“It’s been a little bit of a tricky one for us, but it’s not the first time this year," the Australian said. "I feel like we get to qualifying, we take all the fuel out and the car just comes alive more.”

Isack Hadjar was fourth for Red Bull on his return from injury and no one else got within a second of Russell on a disappointing day for McLaren's Lando Norris in fifth, Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton in sixth and Red Bull's Max Verstappen in eighth.

It's the first pole for Russell since the Austrian Grand Prix in June, which was also his last win. The long straight at Baku favors Mercedes' engine and car design.

Antonelli is set to start Saturday's race in 16th place on the grid after he clipped the wall and damaged a wheel and suspension in the first part of qualifying. He tried to get back to the pits but the team told him to stop because there was too much damage.

The Mercedes driver's previous lap time was enough to reach the second part of qualifying but he was unable to continue.

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Ahead of his confirmation vote last year, Kennedy told lawmakers that he would not collect fees related to litigation he pursued before becoming a government official against the drugmakers of a cervical cancer vaccine, saying he would transfer his financial interests to his adult son.

The lawmakers say they recently learned, however, that shortly after his confirmation hearings, Kennedy quietly changed his ethics disclosures and transferred his stake to his former employer, the personal injury law firm Wisner Baum, apparently contradicting his sworn commitments to members of Congress.

In a letter sent to Kennedy on Thursday, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Ron Wyden of Oregon, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland said the health secretary has provided no explanation for the change.

“Your decision to withhold this information from Congress and apparent failure to report this change to agency ethics officials is deeply alarming,” the senators wrote. “These troubling findings call into question the veracity of your public ethics commitments, your transparency with Congress and the public, and potentially, your compliance with federal ethics disclosure laws and regulations.”

Emily G. Hilliard, an HHS spokeswoman, told The Associated Press that HHS had confirmed Kennedy's compliance with his ethics agreement in May 2025. “Any claim that Secretary Kennedy maintained a financial interest in this litigation after taking office is false,” she said.

Kennedy's testimony to lawmakers during his confirmation hearing has come under scrutiny before.

During the arduous confirmation process in which he needed the support of some skeptical Republican lawmakers to advance, Kennedy pledged to maintain vaccine policies that, once in office, he moved to change. He also said a 2019 trip to Samoa had “nothing to do with vaccines,” an account refuted by documents recently obtained by the AP. The Department of Health and Human Services has denied Kennedy lied over the Samoa trip.

Kennedy's initial ethics disclosure, filed in January 2025, allowed him to retain a 10% contingency fee in cases that he had referred to Wisner Baum. After warnings from lawmakers about the conflict of interest, Kennedy agreed to amend his ethics agreement to divest his interest to his son.

But in an Aug. 25 letter to Warren, HHS revealed Kennedy transferred those fees to Wisner Baum. Kennedy’s son Conor Kennedy is employed at the firm.

“At the time, Secretary Kennedy intended to assign those interests to a non-dependent adult family member,” said the letter. “After further consideration, Secretary Kennedy irrevocably assigned his outstanding contingency-fee interests in the Gardasil cases directly to Wisner Baum.”

The senators are now pushing Kennedy for answers on what his agreement with Wisner Baum entails, noting that if it involves any agreement about future payments, it could amount to a conflict of interest.

“If you made any kind of implicit or explicit agreement for future payment or other future rewards with Wisner Baum in exchange for assigning them this stake, it would mean that you have an ongoing conflict of interest that calls into question your integrity and the motivations for your decisions as HHS Secretary," the lawmakers' letter to Kennedy said.

Zelenskyy told reporters he has not yet received feedback from the White House about Trump’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping but expects to learn the outcome.

Zelenskyy, who is keen to muster more international support for Ukraine’s defense, was in the United States this week on a trip coinciding with the U.N. General Assembly. He met with Trump on Tuesday.

NATO countries have called China a “decisive enabler” of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion.

Zelenskyy shared more details of his U.S. trip in voice messages to a group of journalists.

Here’s what Zelenskyy also said:

Zelenskyy says the US wants initial technical talks

Washington is pushing for a three-way meeting involving delegations from the U.S., Ukraine and Russia, with officials holding technical talks in that format without the countries' leaders, Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine is waiting for the U.S. to propose a date for those meetings, he said, adding that American officials suggested the United Arab Emirates as the location for these talks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday that Putin and Trump during their call earlier this month discussed holding such a meeting in the near future. “As of now, I can’t give you any specifics,” Peskov said.

Representatives from the three countries held three rounds of trilateral negotiations early this year, twice in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and once in Geneva, but the talks achieved no significant breakthroughs.

Speaking to reporters in St. Petersburg on Friday night, Putin decried recent Ukrainian attacks deep inside Russia and on Russian-held areas of Ukraine and said that while “proposals to resume the talks are all on the table,” Moscow “will think carefully about what we need to do in response.”

The Kremlin will make its decisions, “including on the possible resumption of the negotiation process, based on the interests of the Russian Federation,” Putin stressed.

US passed hefty sanctions on Russia

Zelenskyy met with U.S. senators and Congress members during his U.S. trip and said he thanked them for their bipartisan support in passing a powerful sanctions bill aimed at Moscow last month. Trump signed the bill into law last week but hasn’t enacted the measures yet.

Sanctions are key in forcing Putin to the negotiating table, Zelenskyy said, adding that he hoped Trump would implement the measures.

“The sanctions are indeed strong ... all of this is now in the hands of the president of the United States. He can use this tool to pressure the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy says he got Trump's OK for Patriot licenses

The Ukrainian leader said Trump confirmed he had made a final decision that Kyiv would get licenses to produce Patriot air defense systems.

Ukraine is desperate for more of the American-made air defense systems that are needed to stop Russia’s ballistic missiles, but they have been in short supply since the war in Iran started on Feb. 28.

Trump had said in July that he would allow Ukraine to make its own Patriots but later appeared to be reconsidering the move.

Countries urge free flow of food through Black Sea

Ukraine and Russia are both major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food that developing nations rely on. However, wartime attacks on cargo vessels in the Black Sea have choked that supply route, raising fears of shortages.

Zelenskyy said he held separate talks in the U.S. with the leaders of India, Turkey, Egypt and other Middle Eastern countries that want unimpeded Black Sea shipping routes. He added that these leaders were also due to speak to Russian officials.

Kyiv wants Moscow to accept a Black Sea ceasefire that would allow full deliveries to resume, Zelenskyy said.

Ukraine needs more money

Zelenskyy said he also spoke in the U.S. with the heads of the International Monetary Fund and the European Commission about plugging Ukraine’s budget deficit as its finances are strained by wartime expenses and drops in production. Russia's economy is also hurting.

The European Union will extend its financial aid for Ukraine, and the IMF will continue its financial support programs, he said.

Most of the funding gap relates specifically to weapons purchases, Zelenskyy said, and future financing for Ukraine could come in the form of deals for sharing technology and joint drone production. Ukraine is a world leader in military drones.

A boy is killed in a Kyiv strike as Russia also reports civilian casualties

Russian aerial attacks on Ukraine overnight and into Friday killed five people and wounded 11, officials said, while Russian authorities reported one dead and 21 wounded in Ukrainian long-range strikes.

Zelenskyy said eight Ukrainian regions came under attack. Russia kept up its relentless round-the-clock attacks on the Ukrainian capital, hitting an office block where four people were killed, Zelenskyy said. A 14-year-old boy was also killed in a Kyiv apartment building strike and at least seven residents were injured, according to officials.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces hit a missile engine depot near Kyiv, among other targets.

Ukraine hit two refineries as part of its sustained campaign to damage Russia’s economy, Zelenskyy said.

Unconfirmed Russian media reports said Ukrainian drones also struck a Russian military electronics plant and a synthetic rubber producer.

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Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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

“Sharia law has no place in America,” said Cruz. “We need to stand together and stop it now.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott chimed in moments later, vowing to “fully ban Sharia law in Texas.”

Muslim American civic leaders and scholars — in Texas and other states — are responding forcefully to this latest surge in anti-Sharia rhetoric that dates back more than 15 years.

They passionately defend Sharia — the way it’s practiced in the United States — as positive guidance that has elements in common with the codes of other faiths, such as the Ten Commandments and the collective body of Jewish law derived from the Torah. They rebut the claims of GOP critics that Sharia is a coercive code that threatens the U.S. Constitution and judicial system.

Though there are multiple interpretations of Sharia, its essence is to serve as a code for how Muslims should live and worship — covering such matters as prayer, pilgrimages, fasting, charitable donations and personal virtue.

Among the most energetic of Sharia’s defenders is Illinois-based Sabeel Ahmed, director of an outreach project called GainPeace. He travels widely around the U.S., with a recent focus on Texas, speaking at mosque-sponsored workshops and open houses.

“Sharia is often misunderstood,” Ahmed posted on Instagram after a midsummer visit to Plano, Texas. “Many people think Sharia is only about punishments, but in Islam it is Allah’s guidance for living with faith, justice, mercy, and responsibility.”

Ahmed attributes the durability of anti-Sharia vitriol to politicians and social-media influencers who want to rile up their voting base or their followers.

“They gain popularity by saying it,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s the job of the Muslims to educate what is the proper meaning of the word Sharia. We cannot be angry or hateful.”

Sharia's role varies significantly among Muslim nations

Among those appalled by the anti-Sharia surge in the U.S. is Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im, a Sudanese-born Islamic scholar who taught for many years at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta. He is a longtime critic of the relatively small number of governments in Muslim nations that coercively enforce Sharia, saying Muslims are better off in secular states where their religious observance is a matter of free choice.

An-Na’im says he and other Muslim Americans embrace Sharia willingly as a core part of their identity, even as they also embrace American values.

The demonization of their beliefs displays “a shocking ignorance of what Sharia means,” An-Na’im said. “It’s a total dehumanization of the other, the rejection of their right to be human.”

The rhetoric is similarly dramatic among Sharia’s opponents — epitomized by the two U.S. representatives from Texas, Republicans Keith Self and Chip Roy — who co-founded the Sharia-Free America Caucus in Congress.

“Sharia is a direct threat to our Constitution and Western values and seeks to replace our legal system and erode our basic freedoms,” Roy said earlier this year. “Our immigration system must be prepared to confront this challenge and defend our Judeo-Christian values.”

By last count, the caucus had more than 60 members. All of them are Republicans, and its members have introduced several anti-Sharia bills since the caucus was formed last December. None of those measures have been successful.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, has designated the caucus as an anti-Muslim hate group.

“The bigoted rhetoric used by this caucus resembles the hatred that anti-Catholic politicians once unleashed against Irish Americans,” said CAIR research and advocacy director Corey Saylor.

“Islam is an American faith, present for over 250 years,” he added. “No one who wrote the Constitution or enforced it since has empowered these legislators to pick which religions get to exist in America.”

Texas has been a battleground for Sharia disputes

There has been substantive anti-Sharia action in Texas. In August, Attorney General Ken Paxton demanded documents from the Dallas-based Islamic Tribunal, which provides religious guidance to Muslims.

Paxton said in a news release that the investigation by his office sought to determine if the tribunal was engaged in illegal activity, such as acting as a court, applying foreign laws that conflict with Texas or federal law, or issuing rulings that imply government authority.

“This is America, and we will not be governed by sharia law,” Paxton said.

The Islamic Tribunal subsequently updated its website with a “ Clarification of Mission and Activities,” stressing that its guidance “complements, and never replaces, the legal, social, and professional services available in American society.”

“The Tribunal does not function as a court of law and does not issue legally binding judgments,” it said. “Our role is limited to mediation and religious arbitration requested by members of the Muslim community in matters related to faith, family guidance, and internal religious affairs.”

Any matters requiring legal enforcement are referred directly to the Texas judicial system, said the tribunal, which likened its work to the services provided by Jewish Beth Din courts and Catholic ecclesiastical tribunals.

Sharia defenders seek to broaden understanding of its essence

Asma Uddin, a professor at Michigan State University’s College of Law, has argued in her writings that many American politicians are depicting ordinary Muslim religious practices — such as prayer, choice of apparel, family counseling and mosque attendance — as evidence of a political danger.

In an interview with the AP, Uddin depicted the current wave of anti-Sharia rhetoric as fearmongering by politicians who view the issue as advantageous for them.

“When politicians use this, it’s giving them exactly what they’re looking for,” she said. “They’re looking for a scapegoat … and this gets people riled up.”

Sabeel Ahmed, who has made three outreach trips to Texas so far this year, plans a trip to Houston in a few weeks for another mosque open-house. He’s also working on a book to be mailed to Christian clergy across the U.S., seeking to broaden their understanding of Sharia and other Islamic practices.

“Islam is not to be feared,” Ahmed said. “People should meet a Muslim, go to the mosque, reach out to us. Let’s emphasize the commonalities we have.”

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

His time was just 1.30 seconds off the world record held by Lukas Martens of Germany (3:39.98).

Zhang also won the 1,500, 800 and 200 free and added gold in three relays.

He celebrated at poolside by sitting on the lane divider and counting the golds with his fingers.

China claims a record gold haul in the meet

The Chinese won a record 30 gold medals — and 54 overall — during the six days of swimming at these Asian Games and surpassed the 28 gold medals they won three years ago in Hangzhou.

Japan was right there in many races, winning seven gold and 37 medals overall — also better than their totals three years ago.

Japan's 17-year-old Shin Ohashi set the only world record of the games, taking the 200-meter breaststroke on Thursday in 2:04.83. Ohashi obliterated the old mark of 2:05.48 set by China’s Qin Haiyang in 2023 at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

China's 13-year-old Yu Zidi was the most talked about swimmer heading into the Asian Games. She did not disappoint, winning the 200 butterfly, and the 200 and 400 individual medleys.

Her time in the 200 IM was 2:06.10, just off the world mark held by Canadian Summer McIntosh (2:05.70).

Yu’s times are still a bit off McIntosh’s standard in all three events. But she is a legitimate threat at next year’s world championships and the 2028 Olympics where, of course, other swim powers like Australia and United States will be present.

China won gold medals in five of the seven races on Friday, just as dominant as it was all week.

Zhang Yufei won the women's 50 fly in 25.41 with teammate Wu Qingfeng taking silver. China's Qin Haiyang took the 50 breaststroke (26.68) with Ohashi — the record-setter on Thursday — settling for bronze.

Other Chinese winners were Li Bingjie in the 800 free (8:24.02), Zhang Zhanshuo in the 400 free (3:41.28), and the women's 4x100 medley relay (3:54.55).

Japan's Kodai Nishiono won the men's 200 backstroke (1:56.42), and Taiwan's Wang Kuan-hung claimed the 200 fly (1:55.05).

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See full AP coverage of Asian sports here

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s inaction on the mFlusiva vaccine marks a break in longstanding practice. It’s also an example of how the agency’s vaccine review-and-recommendation process has been blown up in the past year, grinding decision-making to a halt.

Efforts by vaccine-wary officials in President Donald Trump's administration to scale back shot recommendations have been put on hold. Federal guidance on new vaccines has stopped. And public discussion of vaccine policy questions that might cross political divides — including whether there’s solid evidence to justify giving fewer shots to kids — has diminished.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s crusade to upend vaccine policy and the legal action opposing it have disrupted longstanding systems that deliver crucial health guidance to Americans, affecting whether people are getting the best available protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.

“We find ourselves at a point where even if credible evidence (for a new vaccine policy) has reached a tipping point, we don’t have an obvious mechanism that can formalize that change,” said Jason Schwartz, a Yale University health policy researcher who studies government health agencies.

Many in the medical field praised a court ruling that halted Kennedy’s changes

For 60 years, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guided the CDC’s vaccine recommendations. The committee met publicly, reviewed vaccine data and sought input from various health groups. The panel voted on recommendations that went to the CDC director, who almost always adopted them as the government’s guidance, leading public and private insurers to pay for the shots.

Trump, a Republican, appointed Kennedy to oversee federal health agencies, including the CDC. Kennedy last year dismissed the committee and replaced it with a group that included several anti-vaccine voices. Controversial decisions followed, leading to a lawsuit from the American Academy of Pediatrics and some other medical groups.

In March, a federal judge said Kennedy likely violated federal procedures, stopped Kennedy’s panel from holding further meetings and suspended Kennedy’s decision to reduce the number of vaccines recommended for children.

Many in the medical and public health communities celebrated the decision and took the order as a respite from what they saw as the Trump administration’s assault on vaccines.

Dr. Jason Goldman, president of the American College of Physicians, said he hoped “it will mean a return to a transparent and evidence-driven process that safeguards the health of all communities and the best interests of our patients.”

In reality, the process stalled and splintered

With Kennedy’s committee shut down by the court order, doctors’ groups that used to collaborate with the ACIP have gone their own way. Working with a University of Minnesota researcher, they have debated — not publicly — the kind of medical evidence formerly presented at ACIP meetings and issued their own recommendations.

The trade association for private health insurers decided to heed the medical societies’ choices, and the insurers have continued to pay for shots recommended by those organizations.

Many of the groups’ recommendations match prior ones made by ACIP and the CDC before Kennedy’s arrival. But they also made their own updates.

For example, ACIP previously recommended that a new shot be given to women late in pregnancy: a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which can be dangerous to newborns. The government panel recommended that the vaccine be given between September and January in most of the U.S., to coincide with the time of year when RSV infections are most common.

But RSV season sometimes remains active longer. For that reason, the medical groups recently said the shot should be offered to those women through the beginning of March.

“We all recognized this needs to evolve,” Chris Regal, director of clinical innovation at America’s Health Insurance Plans, the health insurance trade association, said in a recent webinar.

The official CDC guidance remains unchanged.

Unanswered vaccine issues are piling up

The mFlusiva flu shot is another example of the unusual way vaccine policy updates have stalled.

The shot is the first flu vaccine made with the mRNA technology that was key to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Kennedy has criticized mRNA vaccines and last year canceled contracts for the development of new ones. The shots also took a tortuous path through the FDA, which finally granted full approval in people ages 50 to 64.

But the CDC this month quietly posted that it has decided to maintain its flu vaccine endorsements from last year due to “legal uncertainties and inquiries.” That means mFlusiva is not among the listed flu vaccines recommended to the public this fall.

The medical societies are recommending it as an option, however.

Another ACIP function was to vote on whether certain vaccines should be covered by Vaccines for Children, a government program that pays for shots for children who have no health insurance.

The FDA approved updated COVID-19 vaccines, but as the summer dragged on — and fall vaccination campaigns got underway — the government would not say if the VFC program will pay for those shots. It was only this week that officials confirmed orders could be placed through that program.

HPV vaccine reassessment is derailed

Another question concerns the HPV vaccine, given to preteens to prevent certain cancers.

Two HPV shots are recommended, but some recent research has suggested that perhaps one shot could be enough — at least for girls. Indeed, in 2024 the ACIP formed a working group to begin a reassessment of the recommendations.

That work was derailed when Kennedy fired the entire committee. In January, he decided on his own to order that the number of recommended doses be reduced to one as part of a dramatic contraction of the childhood vaccination schedule. His decision was suspended by the judge’s order.

Experts are trying to better understand the timing and the duration of protection from just one dose, particularly in boys. The American Academy of Pediatrics is weighing a change to its HPV vaccination recommendations and could reach a conclusion later this year, said the AAP’s Dr. James Campbell.

It’s possible that the medical societies will end up agreeing with Kennedy on just how many HPV shots make sense. But that might not necessarily clear up the current mess, Schwartz said.

“The credibility of the Trump administration, when it comes to vaccine recommendations, is so compromised in the eyes of the mainstream medical and public health communities,” he said, “that even recommendations that might align with where the public health community was trending are likely to be viewed with skepticism or distrust.”

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is considering changing the federal government's categories for vaccine recommendations, although a specific proposal has not been released and a Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson did not respond to questions about what is being contemplated. Public comments were due earlier this week.

An alliance of 15 Democratic state governors said the proposed changes are likely to increase confusion and administrative complexity.

“It’s Governors and their residents who bear the brunt of any increased disease outbreaks due to confusion related to hastily made federal changes,” Angela Botticella, managing director of the Governors Public Health Alliance, said in a statement.

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Some told The Associated Press that internet service was disrupted across parts of northern Ethiopia, and roads connecting the northernmost region of Tigray with the neighboring region of Afar had been closed to civilian traffic.

“There is an atmosphere of fear,” said Selam Fantay, who sells garlic in the market in the Tigrayan capital of Mekelle. “People are deeply concerned that the suspension of transport services signals the outbreak of renewed conflict.”

U.N. rights official decries suffering faced by civilians

A top United Nations rights official described the suffering that civilians face as federal troops battle fighters loyal to the Tigray People's Liberation Front, or TPLF.

Airstrikes by the Ethiopian military, some carried out using drones, reportedly hit five schools in Tigray on Tuesday, resulting in an unknown number of casualties. A mortar strike on Wednesday in Kobo, a town in the Amhara region, killed civilians, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in a statement on Friday.

“I am deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in hostilities between Ethiopian Government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and its allies, and the harmful impacts it is already having on civilians," he said.

Türk also raised concern over an “ongoing campaign of forced mass recruitment of civilians, including children, by the TPLF across Tigray,” and violence targeting those who resist recruitment.

Some in Mekelle who spoke to the AP said that they were concerned about displacement and disruptions to their lives.

“As long as this conflict persists, it will continue to drive up the prices of basic commodities,” said businessman Hailay Meles.

Valerie Browning, a co-founder of the Afar Pastoralist Development Association, a humanitarian group, said many people were fleeing Tigray into Afar.

She said that “too many people are being displaced. Our vehicles, including our ambulances, are being taken from us by the government for use (in) the war.”

Federal troops and opposition fighters trade blame

The renewed fighting has shattered a 2022 peace agreement that ended a devastating two-year war in Tigray, the epicenter of renewed hostilities between federal troops and fighters loyal to the TPLF.

The TPLF is an armed political group based in Tigray, and for years it was the dominant party in a coalition that ruled Ethiopia between 1991 and 2018. It has been outlawed by Abiy's government.

After the November 2022 peace agreement between the TPLF and federal authorities, a caretaker administration reporting to Abiy took charge in Mekelle. But tensions remained, and caretaker leader Tadesse Werede was removed in May and replaced with a TPLF leader who led Tigrayans in the 2020-2022 war.

Both sides accuse each other of violating the peace agreement. In recent months, Ethiopian federal authorities accused the TPLF of seeking to build an alliance with neighboring Eritrea to destabilize Ethiopia. The TPLF accused Ethiopian authorities of conducting drone attacks in Tigray.

Neighboring Eritrea, whose soldiers fought alongside Ethiopian troops in the previous Tigray conflict, said it was alarmed by Abiy’s repeated assertions of his wish for sovereign access to the Red Sea via Eritrea.

Ethiopia’s military said Thursday that dozens of TPLF fighters had been killed in ongoing operations. It said other fighters were detained and that federal forces have seized weapons.

Opposition joins forces to try to remove prime minister

Air travel into the region was suspended this week after fighters loyal to the TPLF seized Mekelle’s airport from federal police. Ethiopian Airlines canceled flights to and from the region.

Fighting erupted days after seven opposition groups said they were banding together in a coalition in a bid to remove the recently reelected Prosperity Party government of Abiy.

Magnus Taylor, an analyst with International Crisis Group, said that the new alliance combines political opposition to Abiy with military coordination among armed groups operating in different parts of Ethiopia.

The alliance “is a combination of a political alliance based around mutual antipathy to Abiy Ahmed’s government and also a kind of opportunistic military alliance intended to threaten the Ethiopian military in the areas where the groups operate,” Taylor said.

In addition to the TPLF, the coalition’s other prominent members include the Amhara Fano National Movement and the Oromo Liberation Army.

Taylor pointed out that coordinated campaigns could open several fronts against the federal government.

“I think there is a real risk that the fighting could spread around the country,” he said, adding that the opposition alliance meant different armed groups can coordinate to “develop campaigns against the federal government in parallel to each other.”

___ Desmond Tiro in Nairobi, Kenya, and Rodney Muhumuza in Kampala, Uganda, contributed to this report.

Trump’s rare welcome of Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at the airport, as well as the bilateral and cultural events the leaders attended were closely covered — and praised — by Chinese state media. Those who watched at home saw a China elevated in status.

“I read the news that the U.S. reception standards for President Xi are very high,” Xiang Ziyu, a postgraduate student in Beijing, told The Associated Press. “I’m quite impressed because it shows that our country has become really powerful.”

That takeaway was shared by several people interviewed by the AP as well as in comments on Chinese social media, which praised China's cooperation with the United States.

The official People’s Daily newspaper allocated the entire front page to the trip, featuring six photos of the Xi-Trump meetings.

Meanwhile, on the Chinese search engine Baidu, the three most popular search topics on Friday were the talks between Trump and Xi; the state dinner attended by Xi and Peng; and greetings extended by Xi to Chinese people on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival being celebrated on Friday.

Shen Zuohang, a Beijing resident, felt reassured by the coverage and by Trump and Xi’s seeming agreeability on topics like trade, artificial intelligence and security.

“We have no trade war and no military conflict. Even on the issue of Taiwan we are moving in a good direction instead of having heated confrontation,” Shen said.

“The two sides are handling issues in a more acquiescent way.”

According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Xi called on Trump to oppose the independence of Taiwan, an island democracy China claims as its own territory, and to handle the issue with caution. Trump did not immediately make comments on Taiwan, but had previously described U.S. arms sales to the island as open to negotiations with China.

Xiang, the student, said the summit overall sent a positive signal and will help improve the Chinese public’s opinion of the relations between the two countries.

“It is better than not communicating,” he said.

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Associated Press video producer Wayne Zhang in Beijing and writer Simina Mistreanu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report.

In New York, where the wars in Iran and Gaza have dominated the U.N. agenda, the leaders of Iraq, Lebanon and Egypt were scheduled to address world leaders later Friday.

Here is a look at the latest news from the Middle East. More coverage of the U.N. General Assembly is available here.

Proposal to reopen strait, resume nuclear talks on the table

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Friday reporting that Tehran has put forth a seven-day plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume talks on its nuclear program if the U.S. meets the conditions it has laid out. Talking to reporters at the U.N., Araghchi said the plan was delivered to Washington through Qatari mediators on the sidelines of the General Assembly. “If the necessary conditions are met, the strait can be reopened and normal maritime passage restored within seven days,” he said. “The choice now rests with the United States.” The seven-day clock will begin when the U.S. accepts the plan, Araghchi added. The White House said earlier Friday that U.S. officials are having positive and constructive conversations with mediators on the Iran war

Top religious figure urges Saudi troops to be ready to defend the kingdom

With Saudi oil facilities, cities and ships off its coast coming under escalating attacks, the kingdom's top religious authority has called on soldiers to be prepared to defend the country from Iran-backed Houthis.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Saleh al-Fawzan, who traditionally avoids weighing in on politics in a country that holds enormous influence among Muslims worldwide, issued the strongly worded statement. Al-Fawzan addressed his message to soldiers defending the kingdom's borders and members of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen, peppering it with Quranic verses and religious edicts.

“Protecting this great nation, guarding its borders, defending against aggression and punishing those who want to harm any inch of it is one of the greatest duties,” he said.

The head of Yemen's internationally recognized government, Rashad al-Alimi, likewise urged Yemenis to rally behind Saudi-backed armed forces and allied groups in their fight with the Houthis.

Al-Alimi, who chairs the country’s Presidential Leadership Council, also called on Yemenis fighting alongside the Houthis to defect, announcing a general amnesty.

Al-Alimi says goal is to retake capital Sanaa from Houthis

Al-Alimi said the aim of the fighting is to restore his government’s control over Sanaa, the capital, which the Houthis seized in 2014.

His call to arms came during his first speech since his Saudi-backed forces were routed from the western Red Sea coast by the Houthis’ lightning advance on the city of Mokha and islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where 12% of the world's trade passes.

The swift Houthi advances raised questions about the effectiveness of the Saudi-backed forces in the face of the disciplined, well-armed Houthis. The Houthi assault exploited divisions among the Saudi-backed forces and distrust among its leaders, leading to a chaotic troop withdrawal before the fall of Mokha.

Al-Alimi’s speech came on the 64th anniversary of the military coup that ousted the monarchy ruling northern Yemen, rooted in the Zaydi Shiite sect to which the Houthis also belong. The Houthis battled Yemen’s central government for years before sweeping down from their northern stronghold and seizing Sanaa.

Pakistani, Saudi and Turkish military chiefs hold first joint meeting

The first joint meeting of the military chiefs of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey was held in Riyadh on Friday, following the signing of the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement by the three countries, Pakistan’s military said in a statement.

The chiefs of defense forces and chiefs of general staff from the three countries reviewed the regional security situation and threats facing Saudi Arabia, according to the statement.

“They strongly resented the attacks targeting the Holy City of Mecca and civilian and economic infrastructure,” the statement said.

The military chiefs also praised the vigilance and professionalism of the Saudi armed forces in ensuring the safety of the people and security of the kingdom, it said.

Iran's president says he supports Xi's call for return to MOA

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Friday in a post on X that Tehran supports Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call for a return to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and renewed diplomacy between Iran and the United States.

Pezeshkian said he appreciated Xi’s “thoughtful and responsible support” for resolving differences through dialogue and diplomacy, adding that Iran backed returning to the understanding and honoring previously agreed commitments.

The post came a day after Pezeshkian met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Sharif said Pezeshkian told him the Islamabad memorandum remained “fully acceptable” to Iran and that Tehran was ready to take it forward.

The 14-point memorandum, mediated by Pakistan and signed in June, provided a framework for ending the conflict.

UN Security Council demands halt to attacks by Houthi rebels

In a statement approved by its 15 members, the U.N.’s most powerful body condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The council called for “practical cooperation,” including with Yemen’s internationally recognized government, to prevent the Houthis from obtaining weapons, military material and training enabling them to carry out attacks.

It reminded all countries of their obligation to implement the U.N. arms embargo against the Houthis.

2 Israeli soldiers are killed in Gaza

Israel’s military said two of its soldiers were killed in northern Gaza on Thursday while inspecting an unexploded Israeli drone near a military post. They were the first Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza in months.

Five other Israeli soldiers have been killed since last October’s ceasefire that attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and the militant Hamas group.

While the heaviest fighting has subsided, almost daily Israeli fire has continued. Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones and have killed 1,408 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

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