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Sky 10 was above the area of Southwest 256^th Street and 202th Avenue around 10:15 a.m. as a yellow tarp covered what appeared to be a body outside a home in the rural area.

Multiple Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies were spotted at the scene.

A spokesperson for MDSO told Local 10 News that first responders went to the area just after 8:30 a.m. and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel pronounced both victims dead at the scene.

Authorities said a man was detained for questioning, but the investigation remains ongoing.

MDSO homicide detectives have assumed the investigation.

No other details were immediately released.

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

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Besides three state voyeurism charges stemming from a June 7 arrest by the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Matthew Stilwell is now facing three federal charges related to the attempted production, transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.

Authorities said it all began with a May 31 incident on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas where Stilwell, of Pawnee, Illinois, attempted to take a photo under the dress of a 13-year-old girl whom he knew while the two were in a gift shop.

According to a federal criminal complaint, Stilwell told Royal Caribbean security that he had photos of eight to nine other children on his cellphone, including “nude photos of minors on the device that were AI generated.”

Later, after the ship returned to South Florida on June 7, federal customs officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents searched the phone, according to the complaint.

They said they found the photos of the victim that prompted the original arrest, as well as AI-generated photos depicting the same victim nude.

Authorities said that Stilwell “admitted to using AI websites to create pornographic images of minors” and said most were “not girls he knew,” adding that he “took photos of several 17-year-old girls on Instagram and used AI to remove their clothing.”

Stilwell remained in the custody of the Broward Sheriff’s Office as of Friday and was being being held in the agency’s Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach.

Stilwell’s online federal court file does not list any upcoming hearings as of Friday morning; besides the complaint, the rest was listed as “sealed.”

His state voyeurism case also doesn’t have any upcoming hearings listed in Broward online court records.

Lauderhill Fire Rescue officials said crews responded to the fire and said the family was unable to remain in the home, located in the 2000 block of Northwest 43rd Terrace, following the incident.

Officials said the child was transported by a basic life support unit for evaluation. Authorities have not released the child’s gender or identity.

Investigators said the blaze originated from a pot left unattended on the stove.

They said the mother and two children were displaced by the fire, and the American Red Cross was contacted to assist the family with temporary housing and support services.

No other injuries have been reported at this time.

Además de tres cargos estatales por voyeurismo derivados de un arresto realizado el 7 de junio por la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward, Matthew Stilwell ahora enfrenta tres cargos federales relacionados con el intento de producción, transporte y posesión de material de abuso sexual infantil.

Las autoridades indicaron que todo comenzó con un incidente ocurrido el 31 de mayo a bordo del Allure of the Seas de Royal Caribbean, donde Stilwell, de Pawnee, Illinois, intentó tomar una foto por debajo del vestido de una niña de 13 años a quien conocía mientras ambos se encontraban en una tienda de regalos.

Según una denuncia penal federal, Stilwell le dijo al personal de seguridad de Royal Caribbean que tenía fotos de otros ocho o nueve menores en su teléfono celular, incluidas “fotos desnudas de menores en el dispositivo que fueron generadas por IA”.

Posteriormente, después de que el barco regresó al sur de Florida el 7 de junio, agentes federales de aduanas y agentes de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional registraron el teléfono, según la denuncia.

Indicaron que encontraron las fotos de la víctima que motivaron el arresto original, así como imágenes generadas por IA que mostraban a la misma víctima desnuda.

Las autoridades señalaron que Stilwell “admitió haber utilizado sitios web de IA para crear imágenes pornográficas de menores” y dijo que la mayoría “no eran niñas que conocía”, agregando que “tomó fotos de varias jóvenes de 17 años en Instagram y utilizó IA para quitarles la ropa”.

Hasta el viernes, Stilwell permanecía bajo custodia de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward y estaba recluido en el Centro de Detención Paul Rein de la agencia en Pompano Beach.

El expediente federal en línea de Stilwell no muestra audiencias programadas hasta la mañana del viernes; además de la denuncia, el resto del expediente figuraba como “sellado”.

Su caso estatal por voyeurismo tampoco tiene audiencias programadas, según los registros judiciales en línea del condado Broward.

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Austin Quenten Mitchell-Alfred faces charges including vehicular homicide, reckless driving causing serious bodily injury, reckless driving causing physical injuries, reckless driving causing property damage, two counts of unlawful speeding and one count of disobeying a red light, according to jail records.

The crash occurred Nov. 25, 2025, at the intersection of State Road 7 and Washington Street in Hollywood.

According to an arrest report from the Hollywood Police Department, officers arrived to find a blue 2025 Cadillac Lyriq driven by Mitchell-Alfred with heavy front-end damage.

Police said the SUV was partially on a sidewalk and in the northbound bus lane. A Mercury Grand Marquis involved in the crash also sustained heavy front-end damage.

Investigators confirmed that a scooter rider was killed in the collision. The victim’s identity was not released in the report.

Police said the rider was struck while crossing the roadway. They said the impact caused the scooter to gouge the pavement before the rider was thrown onto the roadway.

When officers interviewed Mitchell-Alfred, he told them he was traveling northbound on State Road 7 at “45-50 mph, maybe 55 mph” as he approached Washington Street. He said he changed lanes as he neared the intersection and the traffic signal turned yellow.

According to the report, Mitchell-Alfred told investigators, “I’m already speeding, well not speeding, I’m already going fast,” before the crash occurred. He also told officers he collided with the Mercury Grand Marquis, causing him to swerve before striking the scooter rider, police said.

Investigators said data recovered from Mitchell-Alfred’s Cadillac showed the vehicle reached a top speed of 85 mph before he applied the brakes. The report states the SUV was traveling 75 mph at the time of impact with the victim.

Police concluded Mitchell-Alfred “operated the 2025 Cadillac Lyriq in a reckless manner without regard for traffic control devices, other vehicles on the road or persons on the roadway.”

Investigators said the Broward Medical Examiner’s Office determined the scooter rider died from blunt force injuries.

They said the driver of the Mercury Grand Marquis suffered serious injuries, including broken bones, lacerations, contusions and abrasions, and continues to undergo therapy. Police also confirmed that a passenger in Mitchell-Alfred’s Cadillac suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

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

Austin Quenten Mitchell-Alfred enfrenta cargos que incluyen homicidio vehicular, conducción temeraria causando lesiones corporales graves, conducción temeraria causando lesiones físicas, conducción temeraria causando daños a la propiedad, dos cargos por exceso de velocidad ilegal y un cargo por no obedecer una luz roja, según los registros carcelarios.

El accidente ocurrió el 25 de noviembre de 2025 en la intersección de State Road 7 y Washington Street en Hollywood.

Según un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Hollywood, los agentes llegaron al lugar y encontraron un Cadillac Lyriq azul modelo 2025 conducido por Mitchell-Alfred con graves daños en la parte frontal.

La Policía indicó que la SUV estaba parcialmente sobre una acera y en el carril de autobuses en dirección norte. Un Mercury Grand Marquis involucrado en el accidente también sufrió graves daños frontales.

Los investigadores confirmaron que un conductor de scooter murió en la colisión. La identidad de la víctima no fue divulgada en el informe.

La Policía indicó que el conductor del scooter fue impactado mientras cruzaba la vía. Señalaron que el impacto provocó que el scooter dejara marcas profundas en el pavimento antes de que el conductor fuera lanzado a la carretera.

Cuando los agentes entrevistaron a Mitchell-Alfred, este les dijo que circulaba hacia el norte por State Road 7 a “45-50 mph, quizás 55 mph” mientras se acercaba a Washington Street. Dijo que cambió de carril al aproximarse a la intersección y que la luz del semáforo se puso amarilla.

Según el informe, Mitchell-Alfred dijo a los investigadores: “Ya voy rápido, bueno, no excediendo la velocidad, ya voy rápido”, antes de que ocurriera el accidente. También dijo a los agentes que chocó contra el Mercury Grand Marquis, lo que lo hizo desviarse antes de impactar al conductor del scooter, indicó la Policía.

Los investigadores señalaron que los datos recuperados del Cadillac de Mitchell-Alfred mostraron que el vehículo alcanzó una velocidad máxima de 85 mph antes de que aplicara los frenos. El informe establece que la SUV viajaba a 75 mph al momento del impacto con la víctima.

La Policía concluyó que Mitchell-Alfred “operó el Cadillac Lyriq 2025 de manera temeraria sin considerar los dispositivos de control de tránsito, otros vehículos en la vía o las personas en la carretera”.

Los investigadores indicaron que la Oficina del Médico Forense de Broward determinó que el conductor del scooter murió a causa de lesiones por trauma contundente.

Añadieron que el conductor del Mercury Grand Marquis sufrió lesiones graves, incluidas fracturas, laceraciones, contusiones y abrasiones, y continúa recibiendo terapia. La Policía también confirmó que un pasajero del Cadillac de Mitchell-Alfred sufrió lesiones que no ponen en peligro su vida.

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

Many of the hardest hit areas saw rainfall rates top 3 inches an hour, an incredible rate that triggered rapid water rises, spawning numerous flash flood emergencies yesterday, with floodwaters overrunning roads and pouring into homes, launching dozens of high-water rescues along parts of the Gulf Coast.

The New Orleans National Weather Service Office, which covers southeastern Louisiana and coastal Mississippi, issued 18 flash flood warnings on Thursday across their parish and county warning area, the second most issued of any calendar day for the office going back nearly 40 years, and second only to Aug. 12, 2016, during one of Louisiana’s worst floods in recent memory.

According to the Associated Press, nearly 200 homes were flooded in rural Avoyelles Parish in east-central Louisiana, about 30 miles southeast of Alexandria. A privately-owned rain gauge at nearby Plaucheville, Louisiana – part of the Citizen Weather Observing Program (CWOP) volunteer-based weather observing network – reported a whopping 23.35 inches of rain in 24 hours, with nearly all of it falling in a 6-hour period between 6 AM and noon local on Thursday. If verified by the National Weather Service, this would set a record for the most rainfall in a 24-hour period ever observed in the state of Louisiana, according to records maintained by NOAA (the current 24-hour rainfall record for Louisiana is 22 inches in Hackberry, Louisiana, from Aug. 28-29, 1962).

Over a foot of rain was also recorded on Thursday just inland of Gulfport-Biloxi along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, 4.49 inches of rain fell to the east at Mobile Regional Airport, nearly doubling the previous record for the day set in 2004, though higher totals nearing double-digits were reported along I-65 just north of Mobile near Saraland.

Nearly 100 reports of damage from high winds associated with Arthur’s remnants were confirmed across the southeast U.S., with the bulk of wind damage focused over western and central Georgia. A few tornadoes across southern Louisiana and Mississippi have also been confirmed so far from Thursday.

Flooding lingers in post-Arthur’s wake

Moderate to major river flooding will persist along the I-10 corridor across the central Gulf Coast in the wake of Thursday’s intense rainfall.

Although rainfall totals will be generally lower today than Thursday, due to saturated soils and the possibility of locally high rainfall rates from slow-moving storms, a moderate risk (threat level 3 of 4) remains for parts of the central Gulf Coast through Saturday morning, which could lead to additional scattered flash flooding.

Arthur’s remnants bailing into the western Atlantic, re-development unlikely

The remnant low-pressure that was once Tropical Storm Arthur was being swept eastward through the Carolinas Friday morning ahead of an advancing cold front.

The low-pressure system will swing off the Carolina coast by Friday afternoon and head quickly into the western Atlantic. While models show an outside shot at re-development over the open Atlantic into early Saturday, any re-development will come primarily from non-tropical processes, and its proximity to frontal boundaries will keep the low-pressure area either non-tropical or subtropical at best.

Regardless of re-development, the low-pressure area will get whisked out to sea over the weekend and poses no additional threat to land.

Otherwise, tropical development isn’t expected across the rest of the Atlantic basin through next week.

Sky 10 sobrevoló el área de Southwest 256th Street y 202th Avenue alrededor de las 10:15 a.m., donde una lona amarilla cubría lo que parecía ser un cuerpo afuera de una vivienda en la zona rural.

Varios agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade fueron observados en el lugar.

Las autoridades no divulgaron de inmediato detalles sobre lo ocurrido, pero Local 10 News tiene un equipo en camino al lugar para obtener más información.

Vea Local 10 News o actualice esta página para conocer las últimas novedades.

U.S. vs. Australia, a Group D match, is at 3 p.m.

Scotland vs. Morocco, a Group C match, is at 6 p.m.

Brazil vs. Haiti, a Group C match, is at 8:30 p.m.

Turkey vs. Paraguay, a Group D match, is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to midnight at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Groups’ stage progress

Group A: Mexico reaches Round of 32

Group B: Canada and Switzerland tie for 1st place

Group K: Colombia gets 3 points

Group J: Austria and Argentina each get 3 points

Group I: France and Norway each get 3 points

Group H: Every team sits at 1 point

Group G: Every team sits at 1 point

Group F: Sweden gets 3 points

Group E: Germany and Ivory Coast each get 3 points

Tournament’s schedule

June 20: There are three matches: The Group F, Netherlands vs. Sweden, game is at 1 p.m. The Group E, Germany vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao, game is at 8 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 11 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach fan party: Doors open at 6 p.m. on June 20 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for an event for Uruguayan fans co-hosted by the Consulate General of Uruguay.

June 21: There are five matches: The Group F, Tunisia vs. Japan, game is at midnight. The Group H, Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Iran, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Egypt, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 22: There are four matches: The Group J, Argentina vs. Austria, game is at 1 p.m. The Group I, France vs. Iraq, game is at 5 p.m. The Group I, Norway vs. Senegal, game is at 8 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Algeria, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 8 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 11 a.m. on June 22 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 1 p.m. Argentina vs. Austria match.

June 23: There are four matches: The Group K, Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Ghana, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Panama vs. Croatia, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Congo, game is at 10 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 1 a.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 24: There are six matches: The Group B, Switzerland vs. Canada, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Bosnia vs. Qatar, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Morocco vs. Haiti, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Brazil, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A, South Africa vs. South Korea, game is at 9 p.m. The Group A, Czech Republic vs. Mexico, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 4 p.m. on June 24 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 6 p.m. Scotland vs. Brazil match.

June 25: There are six matches: The Group E, Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Germany, game is at 4 p.m. The Group F, Tunisia vs. Netherlands, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Japan vs. Sweden, game is at 7 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. U.S., game is at 10 p.m. The Group D, Paraguay vs. Australia, game is at 10 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 26: There are six matcuphes: The Group I, Norway vs. France, game is at 3 p.m. The Group I, Senegal vs. Iraq, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at 8 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Spain, game is at 8 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Belgium, game is at 11 p.m. The Group G, Egypt vs. Iran, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 27: There are six matches: The Group L, Panama vs. England, game is at 5 p.m. The Group L, Croatia vs. Ghana, game is at 5 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Portugal, game is at 7:30 p.m. The Group K, Congo vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 7:30 p.m. The Group J, Algeria vs. Austria, game is at 10 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Argentina, game is at 10 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Sunrise watch party: The indoor Amerant Bank Arena is hosting a free watch party for ticket holders at 7:30 p.m. on June 27. Parking is free. Broward County is offering free Express bus transportation from the arena to the Miami Stadium, also known as Hard Rock, in Miami Gardens, to FIFA World Cup ticket holders.

Round of 32 begins

June 28: There is a match at 3 p.m.

Miami watch party: The fan festival opens from 1 p.m to 10 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 29: There are three matches at 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m., and 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to midnight at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 30: There are three matches at 1 p.m., 5 p.m., and 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to midnight at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 1: There are three matches at noon, 4 p.m., and 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 2: There are three matches at 3 p.m., 7 p.m., and 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 3: There are three matches at 2 p.m., 6 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 1 p.m to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Round of 16 begins

July 4: There are two matches at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to midnight at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 5: There are two matches at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens for the last day from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

July 6: There are two matches at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

July 7: There are two matches at Noon and 4 p.m.

Quarterfinals begin

July 9: There is a quarter-final match at 4 p.m.

July 10: There is a quarter-final match at 3 p.m.

July 11: There are two quarter-final matches at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Sunrise watch party: The indoor Amerant Bank Arena is hosting a free watch party for ticket holders at 5 p.m. on July 11. Parking is free.

Semifinals begin

July 14: The fan festival is closed. There is a semi-final match at 3 p.m.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 3 p.m. on July 14 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the semifinal match.

July 15: There is a semi-final match at 3 p.m.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 3 p.m. on July 15 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the semifinal match.

Finals begin

July 18: The third-place play-off match is at 5 p.m.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 3 p.m. on July 18 at The Sandbowl, behind The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 5 p.m. bronze final.

Sunrise ride to stadium: The Amerant Bank Arena has free parking for FIFA World Cup ticket holders who ride Broward County’s free Express bus transportation to the Miami Stadium, also known as Hard Rock, in Miami Gardens.

July 19: The final match is at 3 p.m.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 1 p.m. on July 19 at The Sandbowl, behind The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 3 p.m. final.

Sunrise watch party: The indoor Amerant Bank Arena is hosting a free watch party for ticket holders for the final on July 19. Parking is free.

Related stories

• Key information for fans attending matches at Miami Stadium
• Security guard accused of stealing FIFA referee uniform from Miami Beach hotel

Track FIFA World Cup groups

• Group A
• Group B
• Group C
• Group D
• Group E
• Group F
• Group G
• Group H
• Group I
• Group J
• Group K
• Group L

FIFA

• Standing tables
• Latest men’s world ranking

The next matches

JUNE 23: DAY 2

Portugal vs. Uzbekistan is at 1 p.m.

Colombia vs. Congo is at 10 p.m.

JUNE 27: DAY 3

Congo vs. Uzbekistan is at 7:30 p.m.

Group stage progress

JUNE 17: DAY 1

Colombia gets 3 points

• Game analysis: Luis Díaz sparks Colombia to a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan in its World Cup opener
• FIFA game video: Luis Diaz scores
• FIFA game video: Jaminton Campaz scores

Portugal and Congo each get 1 point

• Game analysis: Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal held to a 1-1 draw by Congo at the World Cup
• Pre-game coverage: Ronaldo looks to make history by scoring in 6th World Cup

Track the groups

• Group A
• Group B
• Group C
• Group D
• Group E
• Group F
• Group G
• Group H
• Group I
• Group J
• Group L

Next matches

JUNE 24: DAY 4

Bosnia and Herzegovina play against Qatar at 9 a.m. at the Seattle Stadium.

Switzerland plays against Canada at 9 a.m. at BC Place Vancouver.

Group stage matches

JUNE 18: DAY 3

Canada gets 3 more points

• Game analysis: Jonathan David’s hat trick propels Canada to its first World Cup win, 6-0 over Qatar
• FIFA game video: David scores 1st goal
• FIFA game video: Nathan Saliba‘s free kick

Switzerland gets 3 more points

• Game analysis: Switzerland coach uses hydration break to spark late goal barrage in 4-1 World Cup win over Bosnia
• FIFA game video: Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi scores
• FIFA game video: Switzerland’s Rubén Vargas scores

JUNE 13: DAY 2

Qatar and Switzerland each get 1 point

• Game analysis: Boualem Khoukhi’s goal on header in stoppage time earns Qatar a 1-1 World Cup draw with Switzerland
• FIFA game video: Switzerland’s Breel Embolo scores 17th-minute penalty kick
• FIFA game video: Khoukhi’s equalizer

JUNE 12: DAY 1

Canada and Bosnia each get 1 point

• FIFA game video: Canadian Cyle Larin scores goal
• FIFA game video: Bosnian Jovo Lukić scores goal
• FIFA post-match video: Interviews with players in French, English, and Bosnian
• Canada is ready to become a soccer nation as it hosts World Cup opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina
• A Bosnian song about disillusionment with the American Dream becomes a World Cup banger

Track the groups

• Group A
• Group C
• Group D
• Group E
• Group F
• Group G
• Group H
• Group I
• Group J
• Group K
• Group L

Expect scattered storms for Father’s Day weekend, but there will be plenty of dry time. The heat wave continues through all of next week with a heat index of 105°-110° each afternoon.

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Both sides made arguments Thursday about key phrases, down to individual words, they want the jury to have in front of them when they head into deliberations following next Monday’s closing arguments.

The voice of defendant George Pino joined the courtroom by Zoom on Thursday to address a critical question — whether he wanted a lesser included offense presented to the jury for consideration.

“The misdemeanor you were previously charged with,” defense attorney Howard Srebnick began. “Do you continue to decline the lesser included offense instruction?”

“Yes, I do,” Pino replied.

The hearing centered on preparing jury instructions in the manslaughter and vessel homicide case against the 55-year-old real estate mogul, in connection with the 2022 boating crash that killed 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.

“It is the state’s burden to prove ― not us,” Srebnick said.

“This instruction comes straight from statute,” prosecutor Laura Adams said.

Arguments also touched on causation.

“The changing course did not cause her death,” Srebnick said.

“I can’t charge the water for causing her death,” Adams responded.

The judge pushed back, asking: “If there was no change of course there would be no allision?” ― to which she received confirmation.

Jury instructions serve as a road map for the jurors once they head into deliberations and the words in those instructions, the judge said, should focus them on clear statements of the law to guide their deliberations as they weigh the evidence presented at trial.

But what words are a pathway to clarifying a legal concept — as opposed to being confusing or even misleading — can be up for interpretation, which is why the state and defense spent the afternoon litigating specific phrasing.

“What are the acts…” Srebnick began at one point.

“I am not saying that,” Adams shot back.

The defendant was not in the courtroom. His attorney noted: “This is the crux of the case” and “a fundamental part of the proceeding,” adding, “I am sure he would rely on us without a doubt.”

Thursday’s hearing was crucial. The judge said she will check in with Pino on Monday morning ahead of the start of closing arguments.

Ambas partes presentaron argumentos el jueves sobre frases clave, incluso palabras individuales, que quieren que el jurado tenga frente a sí cuando pase a deliberar tras los alegatos finales del próximo lunes.

La voz del acusado George Pino se unió a la sala del tribunal por Zoom el jueves para abordar una pregunta crucial: si quería que se presentara al jurado un delito menor incluido para su consideración.

“El delito menor del que fue acusado anteriormente”, comenzó el abogado defensor Howard Srebnick. “¿Continúa rechazando la instrucción sobre el delito menor incluido?”

“Sí, la rechazo”, respondió Pino.

La audiencia se centró en preparar las instrucciones al jurado en el caso de homicidio involuntario y homicidio por embarcación contra el magnate inmobiliario de 55 años, en relación con el accidente marítimo de 2022 que causó la muerte de Lucy Fernandez, de 17 años.

“Es responsabilidad del estado probarlo, no nuestra”, dijo Srebnick.

“Esta instrucción proviene directamente del estatuto”, dijo la fiscal Laura Adams.

Los argumentos también abordaron la causalidad.

“El cambio de rumbo no causó su muerte”, dijo Srebnick.

“No puedo acusar al agua de causar su muerte”, respondió Adams.

La jueza cuestionó esa postura al preguntar: “¿Si no hubiera habido un cambio de rumbo no habría habido colisión?”, a lo que recibió una respuesta afirmativa.

Las instrucciones al jurado sirven como una guía para los jurados una vez que comienzan sus deliberaciones y, según la jueza, las palabras de esas instrucciones deben enfocarlos en declaraciones claras de la ley para orientar sus deliberaciones mientras evalúan la evidencia presentada durante el juicio.

Pero qué palabras ayudan a aclarar un concepto legal, en lugar de resultar confusas o incluso engañosas, puede estar sujeto a interpretación, razón por la cual la fiscalía y la defensa pasaron la tarde litigando sobre redacciones específicas.

“¿Cuáles son los actos…”, comenzó Srebnick en un momento.

“No estoy diciendo eso”, respondió Adams.

El acusado no estuvo presente en la sala del tribunal. Su abogado señaló: “Este es el núcleo del caso” y “una parte fundamental del proceso”, y agregó: “Estoy seguro de que confiaría en nosotros sin ninguna duda”.

La audiencia del jueves fue crucial. La jueza dijo que hablará con Pino el lunes por la mañana antes del inicio de los alegatos finales.

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Shon Sentelle Filsaime, 46, of Lauderdale Lakes; and Rashaad Aaria Sattar, 29, of Sunrise, face charges of burglary, grand theft and fraudulently trying to use another person’s ID without consent. Filsaime also faces a charge of driving with a suspended license.

According to Davie police, after being notified about the mail thefts, detectives spotted a black BMW the suspects were in heading to commercial mailbox clusters before the suspects opened them with U.S. Postal Service “arrow keys,” which are master keys used to open multiple mail receptacles.

Police said detectives followed the suspects with help from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and Broward Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit before they pulled the BMW over in Fort Lauderdale.

Filsaime and Sattar were both taken into custody after the traffic stop, and detectives said they found almost 400 pieces of mail with them, some of which contained debit and credit cards, U.S. Treasury checks and other banking documents.

Two USPS master keys were also recovered, authorities said.

According to police, both suspects have “extensive criminal histories, with one currently out on bond for a previous unrelated offense.”

Police remind the public to remain “vigilant and report suspicious persons or vehicles around your mailbox.”

“This will help to prevent this type of activity which has become increasingly popular,” the police department stated in a news release.

As of Friday morning, Filsaime and Sattar were both being held at the Broward County Main Jail. Online jail records show their bonds had not yet been set, pending a court hearing.

Shon Sentelle Filsaime, de 46 años, de Lauderdale Lakes, y Rashaad Aaria Sattar, de 29 años, de Sunrise, enfrentan cargos de robo a una propiedad, hurto mayor e intento fraudulento de utilizar la identificación de otra persona sin consentimiento. Filsaime también enfrenta un cargo por conducir con una licencia suspendida.

Según la Policía de Davie, después de ser notificados sobre los robos de correspondencia, los detectives observaron un BMW negro en el que viajaban los sospechosos dirigiéndose a grupos de buzones comerciales antes de que los sospechosos los abrieran con “arrow keys” del Servicio Postal de Estados Unidos (USPS), que son llaves maestras utilizadas para abrir múltiples receptáculos de correo.

La Policía indicó que los detectives siguieron a los sospechosos con la ayuda del Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale y la Unidad de Aviación de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward antes de detener el BMW en Fort Lauderdale.

Filsaime y Sattar fueron puestos bajo custodia tras la parada de tránsito, y los detectives dijeron que encontraron con ellos casi 400 piezas de correspondencia, algunas de las cuales contenían tarjetas de débito y crédito, cheques del Tesoro de Estados Unidos y otros documentos bancarios.

Las autoridades también recuperaron dos llaves maestras del USPS.

Según la Policía, ambos sospechosos tienen “amplios antecedentes criminales, y uno de ellos actualmente está en libertad bajo fianza por un delito previo no relacionado”.

La Policía recuerda al público que permanezca “vigilante y reporte a personas o vehículos sospechosos cerca de su buzón”.

“Esto ayudará a prevenir este tipo de actividad que se ha vuelto cada vez más popular”, indicó el departamento de Policía en un comunicado de prensa.

Hasta la mañana del viernes, Filsaime y Sattar permanecían detenidos en la cárcel principal del condado Broward. Los registros carcelarios en línea muestran que sus fianzas aún no habían sido fijadas, a la espera de una audiencia judicial.

The additional two shots gave Niemann an 11 on the par-4 sixth round, a disastrous hole that began with two lost balls from tee shots that went well to the right in deep grass. He was even par for tournament going into No. 6, his 15th hole of the round.

He finished the first round Friday morning at 78.

The USGA cited Rule 1.2b on “Code of Conduct.” Among incidents that fall under this category are unacceptable language and abuse of clubs or the course.

While the rule has always been in place, the USGA and all the other golf organizations have met in recent years to develop consistent guidelines for a conduct policy, applied separately by each of the organizations at their tournaments.

The Masters used it for the first time in April when Sergio Garcia was issued a warning after a bad drive on the par-5 second hole in the final round. He slammed his club into the turf twice and swung his club at a table holding a green cooler. That left the head of his driver dangling from the shaft.

The PGA Championship also posted the policy in the locker room at Aronimink last month.

The general policy the majors are using this year typically starts with a warning. The second violation is a two-shot penalty, and the third violation leads to disqualification.

There was no warning issued to Niemann because of the serious nature of his outburst.

The USGA policy for serious misconduct says if a player's behavior (or that of his caddie) is “so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game of golf,” officials can assess a two-shot penalty or disqualify the player while considering “the frequency, impact, intent and severity of the misconduct.”

The incident happened on Niemann's final hole Thursday evening of fog-delayed opening round. While video has not surfaced of the club throw, the ShotLink tracer shows his first two tee shots well to the right. The third shot was in high grass short of the fairway.

From 238 yards away, Niemann hacked the next shot into the fairway, but came up short of the green from 113 yards away. This is where the play-by-play indicated he was penalized. He got down in two strokes from there for a 9, which then turned into an 11.

Niemann, who left for LIV Golf after the 2022 season, won in South Korea last month for his eighth career victory in the rival league that began with Saudi Arabia funding but now faces an uncertain future with the Public Investment Fund no longer supporting it.

___

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

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Online jail records show Gentle Edwards was transferred from juvenile detention to the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach on Thursday.

He is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

According to Hollywood police, Robin Bouza Jr., 17, was shot by Edwards shortly before 9:30 p.m. on April 22 in the 7300 block of Farragut Street.

Police said Bouza was pronounced dead at the scene.

Edwards surrendered to authorities at the Hollywood Police Department on May 28.

A motive for the shooting has not been released by investigators.

Los registros carcelarios en línea muestran que Gentle Edwards fue transferido de un centro de detención juvenil al Centro de Detención Paul Rein en Pompano Beach el jueves.

Enfrenta cargos de asesinato en primer grado y agresión agravada con un arma mortal.

Según la Policía de Hollywood, Robin Bouza Jr., de 17 años, recibió un disparo de Edwards poco antes de las 9:30 p.m. del 22 de abril en la cuadra 7300 de Farragut Street.

La Policía indicó que Bouza fue declarado muerto en el lugar.

Edwards se entregó a las autoridades en el Departamento de Policía de Hollywood el 28 de mayo.

Los investigadores no han divulgado el motivo de la balacera.

The three other teams in Group A competing to move forward are South Africa (61), South Korea (22), and the Czech Republic (41).

Next matches

June 24: Day 3 of Group A matches

The Czech Republic plays against Mexico at 9 p.m. on June 24 in Mexico City.

South Africa plays against South Korea at 9 p.m. on June 24 in Monterrey.

Group stage matches

JUNE 18: DAY 2

Mexico gets 3 more points

• Game analysis: Mexico becomes first country to reach knockout stage of World Cup, beating South Korea 1-0
• FIFA game video: Mexico’s Luis Romo scores
• FIFA game video: Edson Álvarez’s save

South Africa and Czech Republic each get 1 point

• Game analysis: South Africa keeps its World Cup hopes alive with a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic

JUNE 11: DAY 1

Mexico’s “El Tri” wins 2-0 against South Africa

• After-game analysis of the opening match
• 3 red cards mar opening World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa
• Get a feel for celebrations in Wynwood and in South Beach
• FIFA game video: Goal by Julián Quiñones
• FIFA game video: Goal by Raúl Jiménez
• FIFA video: Game highlights
• FIFA post-match video: Interviews of Mexican players in Spanish and South African players in English
• FIFA post-match video: Interview of Mexico’s Coach Javier Aguirre in Spanish

South Korea wins 2-1 against Czech Republic

• After-game analysis of opening match
• FIFA Video: Goal by Oh Hyeon-gyu
• FIFA Video: Goal by Hwang In-beom

Track the groups

• Group B
• Group C
• Group D
• Group E
• Group F
• Group G
• Group H
• Group I
• Group J
• Group K
• Group L

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According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was reported just after 10:15 p.m. near a corner store in the area of Northeast 117^th Street and Second Avenue.

Detective Angel Rodriguez said deputies arrived at the scene and found the victim sitting in her vehicle with an apparent gunshot wound to her leg.

A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crew responded to the scene and transported her to a local hospital in stable condition.

Rodriguez said detectives have determined that the victim was sitting in her car when shots were fired between several male suspects.

The victim’s car was struck by at least one of the rounds, and the bullet struck her in the leg, he said.

Rodriguez said they do not have any other information about the men who were shooting at each other.

Anyone with information about their identities is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, la balacera fue reportada poco después de las 10:15 p.m. cerca de una tienda de la esquina en el área de Northeast 117th Street y Second Avenue.

El detective Angel Rodriguez dijo que los agentes llegaron al lugar y encontraron a la víctima sentada en su vehículo con una aparente herida de bala en una pierna.

Un equipo de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue respondió al lugar y la trasladó a un hospital local en condición estable.

Rodriguez dijo que los detectives han determinado que la víctima estaba sentada en su vehículo cuando varios sospechosos hombres intercambiaron disparos.

El vehículo de la víctima fue impactado por al menos uno de los proyectiles, y la bala la alcanzó en una pierna, dijo.

Rodriguez indicó que no tienen más información sobre los hombres que se disparaban entre sí.

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

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According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the first attack happened shortly before 8:45 p.m. near Southwest 67th Avenue and 40th Street.

Deputies said a man was beaten, stabbed and robbed of his vehicle during an armed carjacking.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel transported the victim to a local hospital in critical condition.

According to Detective Angel Rodriguez, the suspect fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, but the violence did not end there.

A short time later, deputies responded to two additional armed robberies and carjackings. The first was reported near Southwest 137th Avenue and 56th Street, followed by another at a gas station near Southwest 157th Avenue and 88th Street.

The victims in those incidents were hospitalized, but are in stable condition, Rodriguez said.

As deputies searched for those responsible, they located one of the stolen vehicles in the area of Southwest 152^nd Avenue and 72^nd Street and spotted a person matching the description of the suspect running away from it, Rodriguez said.

According to Rodriguez, the suspect was taken into custody after deputies chased him on foot.

Robbery detectives are now working to determine whether the suspect is responsible for all three incidents or whether additional suspects were involved in the violent crime spree.

The investigation remains ongoing. The suspect’s identity has not yet been released.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, el primer ataque ocurrió poco antes de las 8:45 p.m. cerca de Southwest 67th Avenue y 40th Street.

Los agentes informaron que un hombre fue golpeado, apuñalado y despojado de su vehículo durante un robo armado de vehículo.

Personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladó a la víctima a un hospital local en estado crítico.

Según el detective Angel Rodriguez, el sospechoso huyó del lugar en el vehículo de la víctima, pero la violencia no terminó allí.

Poco tiempo después, los agentes respondieron a otros dos robos armados y robos de vehículos. El primero fue reportado cerca de Southwest 137th Avenue y 56th Street, seguido por otro en una gasolinera cerca de Southwest 157th Avenue y 88th Street.

Las víctimas de esos incidentes fueron hospitalizadas, pero se encuentran en condición estable, dijo Rodriguez.

Mientras los agentes buscaban a los responsables, localizaron uno de los vehículos robados en el área de Southwest 152nd Avenue y 72nd Street y observaron a una persona que coincidía con la descripción del sospechoso huyendo del lugar, dijo Rodriguez.

Según Rodriguez, el sospechoso fue puesto bajo custodia después de que los agentes lo persiguieran a pie.

Los detectives de robos ahora trabajan para determinar si el sospechoso es responsable de los tres incidentes o si participaron sospechosos adicionales en la violenta ola de delitos.

La investigación continúa en curso. La identidad del sospechoso aún no ha sido divulgada.

It marks a major triumph for a team that failed to get out of the group stage in 2022 and now has won twice on home soil in front of jubilant crowds. Mexico players celebrated at midfield and waved to the fans who cheered and sang from the packed stands at Estadio Akron.

As soon as the final whistle blew, the mariachis began to sing at the Ángel of Independence in Mexico City while thousands of people walked in from all directions. Some streets in Guadalajara were filled with drivers honking horns and fans chanting and waving Mexican flags.

Luis Romo scored in the 50th minute after South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collided with defender Lee Gi-hyuk and dropped the ball inside the area. Romo easily found the open net after picking up the loose ball.

The South Koreans nearly equalized in the 87th minute when Mexico goalkeeper Raúl Rangel stopped a header from close range by Cho Gue-sung, then made an even better save of Yang Hyun-jun’s attempt on the rebound, extending his right arm to keep the ball from crossing the line.

“It was very quick, it was pure reaction,” Rangel said. “I couldn’t really tell you what I saw, because I remember the moment of impact with my teammate and me having the ball.”

Mexico clinches Group A

Mexico won Group A with six points in two matches, three more than South Korea and five more than the Czech Republic and South Africa, who drew 1-1 earlier Thursday in Atlanta.

The top two teams from each group move on to the knockout stage, along with the best eight third-place teams. A round of 32 is being played for the first time at the World Cup after the tournament was expanded to 48 teams.

“We’ve been doing very well,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said. “It wasn’t a great match, but I think that our opponent didn’t let us do too much. But we still were able to score, on that mistake, in addition to another two or three opportunities.”

Aguirre said it felt good for the players to guarantee their spot in the next round back in Mexico City.

“It relieves some of the pressure,” he said. “But not for me, for the players. They are euphoric, they are very happy.”

Mexico opened with a 2-0 win over South Africa, while South Korea rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Czechs.

Mexico closes group play on Wednesday against the Czech Republic in Mexico City, while South Korea takes on South Africa in Monterrey.

Mexico had never won a World Cup game on home soil outside Mexico City. Before 2026, all but one of its nine World Cup matches at home, spanning the 1970 and 1986 tournaments, had been played at Estadio Azteca, with five wins and three draws. When it played in Toluca in 1970, it lost 4-1 to Italy in the quarterfinals.

Thursday’s match got off to a lackluster start, with neither team creating significant scoring opportunities and both squads getting loudly booed after the halftime whistle.

Mexico, ranked 13th, was eliminated in the group stage four years ago in Qatar. That followed seven straight eliminations in the round of the 16.

South Korea star Son Heung-min had another disappointing game and was substituted out in the 57th.

Plaudits for Son

The 33-year-old Son is looking to become South Korea’s top goal scorer at the World Cup and the Asian player with the most goals in the tournament. The former Tottenham star, currently with Los Angeles FC, entered with three goals over three prior World Cups.

Kim kept Mexico from adding to the lead by coming up with a tough save off a close-range shot by Raúl Jiménez in the 75th.

The South Koreans pressed through the end but could not equalize.

South Korea, ranked 22nd, is making its 11th straight World Cup appearance and 12th overall, the most of any Asian country. Its best result was a fourth-place finish at the tournament it co-hosted with Japan in 2002. Since then, the South Koreans have never gone beyond the round of 16.

“The mistake that we made was unfortunate,” coach Hong Myung-bo said.

This time there were not many empty seats in Guadalajara, contrary to what happened in the earlier match between South Korea and the Czech Republic. FIFA had blamed fans standing in the concourses for the empty seats. Thursday’s crowd was announced at 45,522 for the 45,664-capacity stadium, which was hosting the national team for the first time.

Celebrations and protest

Fan zones across Mexico were packed ahead of the game. In the biggest one, in Mexico City’s Zócalo, chants of support for the national team, shouting “Olé!” with every pass, mingled with a homophobic chant — a one-word slur that literally means male prostitute in Spanish — that has previously led to sanctions against Mexico and could spur new punishments by FIFA.

There were peaceful protests in Guadalajara organized by the families of Mexico’s 130,000 missing people.

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Associated Press writers Refugio Ruiz, Alexis Triboulard and Maria Verza contributed to this report.

___

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

Jonathan David scored three goals and Canada won its first World Cup match while all but securing a spot in the knockout round with a 6-0 victory over Qatar on Thursday.

Qatar was reduced to nine players because of red cards in the chaotic match. Assim Madibo was handed a red early in the second half after a tackle on Ismaël Koné, who was stretchered off with a broken left leg. Homan Ahmed was sent off in the first half for a challenge on Tajon Buchanan.

With the outburst of scoring, Canada tripled its overall World Cup goal total. Cyle Larin scored in the Canadians’ opening draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Alphonso Davies scored four years ago in a loss to Croatia in Qatar, where Canada also got on the board with an own goal by Morocco. The Canadians were shut out three times in the 1986 World Cup.

“No one will forget this, and no Canadian will forget this day,” said coach Jesse Marsch, who held up six fingers as he walked off the field. “It’s an incredibly seminal moment for everyone to understand that there’s talent in this country, that there’s mentality, that there’s desire, that there’s a lot of things that make this country special.”

And the supporters who packed BC Place were ecstatic.

“We’re soaking up history right here,” fan Matthias Kempe said.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was among the 52,497 fans in attendance after missing the game in Toronto last week because of the G7 summit in France. He sat with FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

“It was amazing. After every goal it got louder and louder,” David said. “It gave us motivation to get the next goal and the next goal.”

Canada’s triumph was marred by its anguish over Koné’s injury. Teammates surrounded him in concern after he was tackled from behind and crumpled to the pitch with his lower left leg bent at a gruesome-looking angle. Madibo was clearly distraught before he was ejected.

Koné was taken to a hospital, were he was preparing for surgery. His family was with him, said Marsch, who confirmed the player’s leg was broken.

Larin scored his second goal of the tournament on a rebound in the 16th minute. Qatar goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada punched away David’s volley but it fell to Larin, who pointed to his ears in celebration as the red-clad crowd roared.

David doubled the lead with a right-footed volley in the 29th, for his first goal in the run of play in more than a year.

Ahmed was sent off with a red card in the 33rd. The official initially pointed to the penalty spot, but after video review Canada was given a free kick just outside the box and the initial yellow card handed to Ahmed was changed to red.

Canada made it 3-0 in first-half stoppage time when David scored in a scramble in front of the net off a shot that caromed off the crossbar. Qatari players stood with their hands on their hips in frustration while Canada celebrated.

Nathan Saliba, who came in as a substitute for Koné, scored on a free kick in the 64th to make it 4-0. Mohamed Manai deflected a shot past his goalkeeper for an own goal in the 75th.

David completed the hat trick in stoppage time, joining Argentina’s Lionel Messi as the only players with three goals in a match in this World Cup.

“It was a very tough match for many reasons. The players did their best. It was very difficult to face this match with two players less with this environment,” Qatar coach Julen Lopetegui said.

Qatar scored a stoppage-time goal to earn a surprising 1-1 draw with Group B favorite Switzerland in its opener. The Persian Gulf country is still looking for its first World Cup win after losing all of its group matches four years ago as the host.

Switzerland defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1 earlier in the day in Group B.

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

Switzerland used the break to seize it.

Coach Murat Yakin said he timed a triple substitution of speedy players for the second-half pause Thursday, betting that plucky Bosnia-Herzegovina couldn’t handle an abrupt change of pace in what had been a nervy, scoreless match.

Johan Manzambi and Rubén Vargas made their coach look awfully clever while they led a spectacular barrage of goals that put the Swiss in control of the game and atop their group.

Manzambi scored his first World Cup goal on an outstanding volley in the 74th minute, and Switzerland erupted late for a 4-1 victory over Bosnia.

Despite controlling possession deep into the second half, Switzerland couldn’t break through against the Dragons until Yakin used the FIFA-mandated pause to turbo-charge its attack with the 20-year-old Manzambi and the dynamic Vargas. Both substitutes immediately altered the tempo, and both played roles in multiple goals while Bosnia went down to 10 men.

“It was very important that after the second hydration break, we would change a few things, because then the opponent can’t react immediately,” Yakin said through an interpreter. “Maybe that was the edge we had. We brought in very fast players, and our opponent couldn’t run (with them), and it opened up gaps on the edge. That was my strategy. I waited until the break.”

Vargas scored in the 84th minute shortly after Tarik Muharemovic was sent off for a dangerous tackle. Manzambi scored again in the 90th on a pass from Vargas, and captain Granit Xhaka converted from the penalty spot with the final kick of the game in stoppage time.

Switzerland opened the World Cup with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Qatar last week, stoking concern about the team’s mental state. The Swiss then struggled to get loose from the Dragons, who were unbeaten in their last nine competitive matches.

Backed by tens of thousands of raucous fans in the Los Angeles area, Bosnia capably hung with Switzerland into the second half — until the hydration break led to a moment of brilliance from Manzambi, a 20-year-old Geneva native who plays for German club Freiburg.

“This is probably the best moment of my career so far,” Manzambi said. “We knew we didn’t start the match in the best way, but we had to be patient. We know we’re a good team, and we showed it.”

Three minutes after Manzambi replaced standout winger Dan Ndoye, he jumped and connected perfectly on Amar Memic’s attempted clearing header. The volley set off a wild celebration in the nervous Swiss sections of SoFi Stadium.

“He’s a boy who learned how to play football on the streets, but on defense he also has a lot of discipline,” Yakin said. “He still needs to learn how to be more structured, but we are making progress. We try to give him a lot of freedom to play, and he handles it very well.”

Substitute Ermin Mahmic scored in second-half injury time for Bosnia, which still has a legitimate chance of reaching the knockout stage of only its second World Cup. Mahmic’s vicious goal in traffic salvaged some good feeling before a decisive showdown with Qatar next week.

“Maybe our start wasn’t that good, but from (first) cooling break until the goal, we were the better team,” Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said. “We had two or three excellent chances which should have ended in a goal. ... This is the first match we’ve lost in a while, and it is hurtful. It’s quite painful, but we know that if we win the next game, we have an excellent chance of going forward in the tournament.”

Four minutes after Muharemovic was sent off for taking down striker Breel Embolo one step outside the penalty area, Embolo got the ball from Manzambi and slipped a pass across the front to Vargas for a no-doubt goal.

Xhaka then found Vargas in deep for another pass to Manzambi, who finished with aplomb.

Captain Edin Dzeko started and played 63 minutes for Bosnia, becoming the fourth outfield player to start at a World Cup in his 40s — a group joined by Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday. Barbarez said Dzeko didn’t play in the World Cup opener last week because he wasn’t fully fit.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/FIFA-World-Cup

Trump’s overnight social media post Wednesday that he was delaying Jay Clayton’s nomination to become national intelligence director, just hours before the U.S. attorney's confirmation hearing, further strained relations between the Senate and White House that have been worsening for weeks. Later that day, some Republican senators who have been hesitant to challenge the president directly on the Iran war were blunt in their criticism of his deal to end it.

“This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades,” Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said in a post on X.

The open tensions are an almost complete reversal from a year ago when Senate Republicans worked closely with Trump on a complicated effort to push through his massive package of spending and tax cuts.

At the time, criticism of the president was almost nonexistent among Republicans on Capitol Hill, and they planned to highlight passage of that bill in the midterms. But as the November election draws closer and Republicans are trying to defend their majorities, Trump is instead needling Congress with his demands and reversals, driving several Republican senators to disparage his actions publicly for the first time.

“I think somebody’s not dialing the president into the complexities of what he’s done here,” Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said Wednesday after Clayton’s confirmation was postponed. “I mean, my God.”

The slow unraveling of what once seemed like an airtight alliance between the executive and legislative branches in a Republican-led Washington extends to their policy priorities.

Trump appears to have lost interest in most of the GOP agenda and has become almost singularly focused on his voting legislation to require proof of citizenship, which has almost no chance of passing. At the same time, he has asked members of Congress to fund parts of his White House ballroom project, allow a temporary intelligence director that none of them like and cede their powers on the Iran war.

The growing rift has brought much of the Senate’s business to a halt and put Republicans who are up for reelection this year on the defensive. It has also put pressure on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who has been up-front with Trump about what he can and cannot do in the Senate.

Trump pressures Thune on voting bill

Trump has pressured Thune relentlessly to scrap the filibuster and pass the strict proof-of-citizenship legislation, called the SAVE America Act. Thune, R-S.D., has told Trump publicly and privately that the votes are not there for either step. Still, Trump has kept up the push.

In a social media post Thursday, Trump said he would be “the last Republican president” if the voting bill does not pass.

“Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and the Republican Senate, must not let this ‘carnage’ happen,” Trump said. “They will go down on the wrong side of History, as will all Republicans who just stood by and watched.”

Nonetheless, Trump has yet to go after the well-liked Republican leader on a personal basis, as he often did with Thune's predecessor, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.. Trump once called McConnell a “ dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack.”

Trump and Thune talk frequently, even as Thune is sometimes giving the president news he does not want to hear. As Trump pushed for the voting bill, Thune scheduled weeks of floor time to consider it, an effort to make clear that the Senate was supportive, even if the votes are lacking.

Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt, one of the president’s closest allies in the Senate, said he has never heard Trump say anything negative about Thune.

“It’s a difficult position,” Schmitt said of Thune’s role in the Senate. “I think they have a good working relationship.”

One of Thune's closest allies, Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, said the even-keeled leader is the “right person at the right time.”

“In the Capitol today, he is the stable force,” Rounds said. “In Washington, D.C., today, he is the stable force.”

No signs of revolt among Senate GOP

There were no signs of a revolt within the GOP conference, for now, despite Trump's pressure.

Thune “has managed it better than anyone else could manage it,” said Cassidy, who has become a more frequent Trump critic since a primary loss to a Trump-backed challenger.

Criticism of Trump has at times surfaced even among his closest Senate allies, especially with his proposed $1.776 billion settlement fund for his political allies and his pick for acting intelligence director, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence experience.

But the rift with Trump has also stoked some new internal tensions.

Several Republican senators criticized Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who has waged an online campaign to eliminate the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act, in a private conference lunch this week for stoking dissension within the party in an election year.

Trump's dwindling number of allies

Some Senate Republicans have made clear they have no plans to separate themselves from Trump.

As several of his colleagues criticized Trump’s agreement with Iran this week, first-term Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, aggressively defended it on social media.

“Let’s get the Nobel Peace Prize ready!” Moreno posted on X.

But Trump has far fewer of those Senate allies than he did when they narrowly passed the tax and spending cuts legislation a year ago. That is in part because he has picked off some of the most loyal Republican votes himself.

Both Cassidy and Texas Sen. John Cornyn lost in primaries last month after Trump endorsed their opponents. Tillis announced he was not running for reelection last year after Trump repeatedly criticized him on social media.

Now all three have become frequent critics.

Shortly after his election loss, Cornyn posted on social media a fable about a frog and a scorpion. The scorpion asks the frog to carry it across a river, according to the fable, and then stings the frog in the middle of the river, “dooming them both.”

“The dying frog asks the scorpion why it stung despite knowing the consequence,” Cornyn’s post read. “To which the scorpion replies: ‘I am sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. It’s my character.’”

As thousands poured into Atlanta Stadium on Monday to see Spain face Cape Verde in what turned out to be a remarkable scoreless draw, Ramroop stood outside, increasingly stressed as she went back and forth for hours between StubHub representatives on the phone and FIFA representatives in the ticket booth. Each blamed the other.

No one could figure out why the tickets Ramroop bought months ago on StubHub for $485 apiece couldn’t be transferred from the original seller to the FIFA ticketing app. StubHub offered her a refund and, as Ramroop heard the crowd roar for the start of the match, she knew she had no choice but to give up and take the offer.

“I didn’t want a refund, I didn’t want my money back,” Ramroop said. “I wanted to go to the game.”

The World Cup has delivered thrills on the pitch, but fans have flooded social media with complaints about tickets that never arrived, orders that were canceled at the last minute and hours they spent trying to sort out problems between FIFA’s ticketing system and outside resale platforms. The vast majority seem to be about industry titan StubHub, but people who bought through competitors such as SeatGeek and Vivid Seats have also reported issues. Interviews with fans and industry experts show that some cases stem from technical glitches in the transfer process, while others could involve sellers who never had tickets to deliver in the first place, though StubHub denies such sales happen on its platform.

A grandmother’s disappointment

FIFA has urged fans to buy resale tickets through its own marketplace, where it slaps a 30% surcharge on every resold ticket — 15% each from the buyer and seller. But many fans bought through other resale sites, either out of habit or because those sites have lower prices or are easier to navigate.

Ramroop didn’t realize she was taking a risk when she bought through StubHub, which she had used in the past without issues.

As she and her grandson Elijah Gomes took the long, lonely train ride back to the Atlanta suburbs, Elijah followed the score on his phone. The match had ended scoreless, and he tried to cheer up his devastated grandmother by telling her they hadn’t missed much after all (Cape Verdeans would beg to differ ).

“He’s telling me, ‘Grandma, it’s OK, Grandma.’ And he’s trying to console me,” Ramroop said the next day.

She was hardly alone. An Associated Press journalist witnessed more than a dozen frustrated fans at the match who said they were stuck in similar situations.

StubHub blamed FIFA for the transfer problems that buyers like Ramroop have experienced. In a statement, it said FIFA has “poor technology infrastructure,” enacted last-minute transfer restrictions and didn’t launch its new ticketing app until a few weeks before the tournament. The company also called out organizers that “take anti-competitive actions” that limit where fans can buy and sell tickets.

Asked about the technical issues, FIFA on Wednesday reiterated that sales through its official site are guaranteed to go through.

An industry’s longstanding problem

Industry observers say the problems appear to stem from more than one cause. For some, it may indeed be technical glitches — an issue that StubHub says is “very, very rare” and one that it is hard at work to solve. For others, they say it’s likely a more longstanding scourge: speculative sellers.

Scott Friedman, an industry veteran and co-founder of a consultancy called the Ticket Talk Network, said some sellers list tickets before they actually have them, betting that prices will fall closer to the event so they can buy the tickets at a better price later. But because World Cup ticket prices have surged since the tournament began, those sellers have been forced to either buy expensive tickets to fulfill their orders or cancel and accept penalties from resale platforms. StubHub’s penalties are typically 200% of the ticket price, Friedman said.

“This is not new at all,” said Friedman, pointing to other high-profile events where frustrated fans were left empty-handed, including Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. “This has been going on, but it’s making global news because it’s the World Cup.”

StubHub says it requires sellers to prove they have tickets before they list them.

But regardless of the reason for the canceled sales, Friedman said “StubHub should fill every single order to make sure fans get in the biggest global sporting event that happens every four years.”

That’s what many fans say they expected when they purchased through StubHub.

StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee promises replacement tickets or a refund if tickets fail to arrive. But the policy repeatedly says those remedies are provided at StubHub’s “sole discretion,” meaning the company can choose a refund instead of securing replacement seats.

“That is pretty explicit language,” said Michael McCann, a sports law expert at the University of New Hampshire. McCann noted that a buyer could try to challenge the language under state consumer protection laws, but it would be an uphill battle.

A father’s regrets

Pape Ndaw is crestfallen that the high school graduation gift he got for his son — tickets for them to see the Netherlands and Japan near their home city of Dallas — never arrived.

He bought the tickets for about $550 apiece in December. Then, two days before the June 14 match, he received an email from StubHub telling him, “The seller can’t deliver your original tickets.”

Ndaw accepted store credit rather than a refund, thinking he would use the funds to quickly get replacements, only to then realize that the cheapest last-minute tickets were going for more than $1,500 each. Not only were they not going to get to go to the game, but Ndaw said StubHub rejected his belated request for a refund instead of store credit.

Breaking the news to his soccer-obsessed son was brutal, Ndaw said.

“It was a disastrous thing,” he said. “He had told all his friends that he was going to that game. He literally cried. I mean, he is a 17-year-old kid, but he cried.”

A family’s attempt to make the best of it

Others fared somewhat better.

Patrick O’Neil of Pittsboro, North Carolina, traveled to Atlanta with his wife, son and relatives after purchasing five tickets through StubHub for the Spain-Cape Verde match. Two tickets transferred successfully, but three never arrived.

O’Neil’s 15-year-old son and his uncle ended up using the two tickets, while O’Neil, his wife and another relative watched from a nearby bar.

After local media caught wind of their ordeal, O’Neil said StubHub contacted the family and offered tickets to another game. Since the family had already bought tickets to one, though, he and his wife asked the company to instead give the seats to local nonprofit Soccer in the Streets so they could go to people who otherwise might not be able to attend a match.

“StubHub is not evil, but they’re part of the whole system that makes it really hard for just normal kids and people who might want to see a match get to go,” O’Neil said.

On Thursday, a StubHub representative confirmed to the AP that the company would honor the O’Neils’ request and send tickets to the nonprofit.

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

El senador Cepeda promete profundizar la agenda del actual gobierno progresista de Gustavo Petro, su aliado político y quien no se puede reelegir, para continuar con el “cambio” en favor de los más vulnerables alegando que la oposición no le permitió ejecutar todos sus proyectos durante su mandato. También ha anticipado que continuará buscando salidas negociadas al conflicto armado interno.

Mientras De la Espriella, apoyado por el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump, promete un giro total respecto de la actual administración. El abogado centra su programa en una estrategia de mano dura contra el narcotráfico y los grupos armados ilegales con los que aún lidia Colombia, pese a que hace una década firmó un histórico acuerdo de paz con la guerrilla Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).

A continuación las propuestas clave de ambos candidatos.

Seguridad y diálogos de paz

Cepeda, quien ha sido facilitador en varios diálogos de paz con armados, no descarta continuar con los diálogos pese a que la política de Petro ha sido cuestionada por no lograr su objetivo de desarmar a los ilegales. Sin embargo, ha dicho que lo haría con condiciones, como el respeto de la población civil, y que no permitirá que los diálogos sean utilizados por los ilegales para su fortalecimiento militar —una de las principales críticas a Petro— asegurando que fortalecerá a la fuerza pública en capacidad e inteligencia.

De la Espriella, por su parte, acabaría de tajo con los esfuerzos de diálogo y se dedicaría a combatirlos con “la fuerza de las armas”, aumentando la capacidad militar con tecnología. Ha prometido construir “mega cárceles”, inspiradas en las del presidente salvadoreño Nayib Bukele, con quien simpatiza.

Narcotráfico

Así como Petro, Cepeda insiste en que la “guerra contra las drogas fracasó” bajo el modelo prohibicionista, por lo que plantea promover ante el Congreso regulaciones para el cannabis, la amapola y la hoja de coca, “superando enfoques que las han equiparado" con la cocaína y la heroína. También continuaría priorizando que las familias con cultivos ilícitos transiten voluntariamente hacia economías legales, evitando una vía punitiva en su contra.

De la Espriella asegura que no va a permitir que salga más cocaína de Colombia y quiere fumigar con herbicidas biológicos los plantíos de hoja de coca. Además, adhiere a la política antidrogas de Trump, incluyendo los bombardeos a embarcaciones que presuntamente trafican drogas. “Lancha que salga cargada de droga voy a dar la orden de que la hundan con la gente que vaya adentro”, dijo De la Espriella a The Associated Press.

Economía

El próximo gobierno encontrará problemas fiscales. En 2025 el déficit primario —el desequilibrio entre ingresos y gastos—- fue de 3,5% del Producto Interno Bruto, el más alto de los últimos 30 años a excepción de periodos de crisis como la pandemia, según el Comité Autónomo de la Regla Fiscal, un organismo técnico adscrito al Ministerio de Hacienda.

De la Espriella busca un ajuste fiscal que reduzca el tamaño del Estado hasta en una cuarta parte y promete construir una “patria milagro” haciendo crecer la economía al 7% en su eventual gobierno. En 2025 el PIB creció 2,6%. Su propuesta se centra en disminuir las cargas tributarias a las empresas y simplificar las regulaciones para estimular la inversión y la economía. Está a favor de avanzar en el fracking, una técnica de extracción de petróleo y gas de rocas profundas muy criticada por ambientalistas.

Cepeda buscará disminuir las brechas de desigualdad con programas sociales en un país en el que la pobreza alcanza al 28% de la población, según el último dato oficial disponible para 2025, el más bajo desde 2012.

Culpa al modelo neoliberal de profundizar las desigualdades por lo que buscaría superarlo dejando atrás el extractivismo —una política de transición energética iniciada por Petro—, la precarización laboral y la concentración de riqueza. Asegura que, a través de un acuerdo con sectores sociales y económicos, revisará el sistema tributario para aumentar impuestos a los grandes patrimonios. Petro intentó sumar impuestos, pero el Congreso rechazó dos de sus reformas fiscales.

Relaciones internacionales

Petro ha tenido una relación tensa con el gobierno estadounidense desde la vuelta al poder de Trump por diferencias en temas de migración, seguridad regional y lucha antinarcóticos. Cepeda ha dicho que mantendrá las relaciones con Estados Unidos, el principal socio comercial de Colombia, mientras defiende la soberanía y prioriza la cooperación con África y Asia.

De la Espriella, con nacionalidad estadounidense y miembro del Partido Republicano, promete afianzar las relaciones bilaterales con Estados Unidos, especialmente luego de que Trump le diera su apoyo político. El candidato asegura que “comparten valores fundamentales de libertad, democracia y respeto por la ley” y trabajar por “la prosperidad de nuestro continente”.

Cepeda cuestionó la captura de Nicolás Maduro en un operativo estadounidense y ha defendido mantener las relaciones bilaterales con Venezuela, mientras que De la Espriella celebró la operación militar y ha dicho que su relación con Venezuela se canalizará a través del gobierno estadounidense.

The Bank King Card debit card will be offered beginning Friday in honor of Juneteenth by Redemption Bank, which will make a donation from every account opened to nonprofits that will steer the funding to needy families.

“Bank King Card represents a new regenerative banking model that starts with investing in mothers who are a few hopeful dollars away from breaking out of poverty, and opening up America’s vaults of opportunity that have been closed to too many for too long,” Redemption Holding Co. chair and Chief Executive Ashley Bell said.

A 2026 report by the Urban Institute and the Jeremiah Program says households led by single mothers experience widespread economic and caregiving hardship.

Redemption Bank, based in Holladay, Utah, says it intends to make fixed-amount donations based on new Bank King Card account openings. The amount will be determined annually by the bank’s board of directors and will not be based on the amount of card purchases, according to Redemption Bank.

Nonprofits that provide direct-cash services would apply for grants through a foundation developed to make sure the money gets to those who need it most.

“What we’ve seen is these guaranteed income programs have been a jolt out of poverty for women around the country, including many women of color,” Bell said.

Every dollar helps

Money given directly to needy mothers and children is overwhelmingly spent to cover necessary goods or services, according to Chastity Lord, president and chief executive of the Jeremiah Program, which works to improve economic mobility for single mothers.

But it also does so much more, she said.

“It provides dignity,” Lord continued. “It ensures summer learning, not leaving kids at home. It increases nutrition. It allows the mom to make powerful decisions that benefit their children and their families instead of making decisions to just get by.”

A pilot program through the Ohio Mother's Trust funneled $500 each month for a year to 32 single mothers in the Columbus, Ohio, area.

For Juanita Amakor of Columbus, the cash she received through the Ohio Mother's Trust allowed her to catch up on bills and pay rent.

“It's the breathing room it gives you, knowing there is something extra coming in. It relieves a lot of anxiety,” said Amakor, 36, who has a 7-year-old daughter. “This help goes a long way, even if it was for something as little as being able to take my child to the grocery store, to the clothing store.”

In Michigan, Rx Kids gives women a one-time allocation of $1,500 during pregnancy, followed by $500 per month throughout the child’s first months. The $1,500 can be used on food, prenatal care, rent, cribs or other needs. The $500 monthly stipend can be spent on formula, diapers or childcare.

Kinea Wright and her family received funding through the Rx Kids program in Flint. It helped with some bills, diapers for her newborn daughter and other needs, especially after her husband was injured in a forklift accident.

“Initially, (the money) was put up for a rainy day,” said Wright, 46. “I didn't know the rainy day would come sooner than we thought. It was a blessing in disguise.”

Juneteenth connection

A year ago, Redemption Holding Co. completed its acquisition of Utah-based Holladay Bank & Trust, making it the first time a bank has been owned by a Black-led investment group in the Western U.S.

At the time, Redemption Bank had roughly $65 million in assets. It primarily focuses on commercial lending and small business loans. Bernice A. King, the youngest child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is a co-founder and senior vice president of the bank.

“Economic opportunity must be practical, accessible and rooted in the needs of families,” King said. “Bank King Card is an innovative way to support that work. It creates a practical opportunity for people to align their financial choices with their values while supporting mothers, children and families working toward long-term stability.”

A Bank King Card credit card is expected to be introduced later with interest rates capped at 12%.

The announcement of the Bank King Card coincides with Juneteenth, which also is the one-year anniversary of Redemption's acquisition of Holladay Bank & Trust.

Juneteenth — which combines “June” and “nineteenth” — represents the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed. It came two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. In 2021, President Joe Biden designated it a federal holiday.

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Corey Williams is a member of AP's Race & Ethnicity team.

The National Assembly of the Cuban government approved 176 new economic measures Thursday to help jumpstart their moribund economy. Similar economic reforms were introduced when Raul Castro took over power from his brother, Fidel, but they failed because the government’s infrastructure could not implement them. Are these measures in time to save Cuba from a total economic disaster? Many economists even inside the island have come out and said that they are a bit too late.

On Thursday, the European Parliament approved a resolution sanctioning Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and the leaders of the Cuban economic military conglomerate, GAESA. Finally, it suspended the existing agreement between the EU and Cuba.

June 17 update: Can President Trump afford another conflict?

Now that the U.S. and Iran have reached an agreement to stop the war, can President Donald Trump politically afford another conflict? This time it will be with Cuba -- a nation that will offer little military resistance to the U.S., but can also be a political trap for Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s future run for the U.S. presidency.

June 11 update: Rubio announces sanctioning of CUPET:

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Thursday afternoon the sanctioning of Cuba’s oil and gas company, Union Cuba Petroleo (CUPET). This company had been confiscated from American owners at the start of the revolution.

This is a sign that Cuba’s government has not shown any willingness to negotiate with the U.S. This action further chokes the regime who is running out of options as the socio-economic problems get worse each day that passes.

June 10 update: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visits Guantanamo Bay for operational briefings

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth traveled to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba on Wednesday to receive updates and operational briefings on the base’s mission, according to the Pentagon.

According to Reuters, Hegseth flew into the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, marking the latest visit by a senior American official to the communist-led island as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to increase pressure on the Cuban government.

His trip comes less than two weeks after General Francis Donovan, the top U.S. military commander for Latin America, visited Guantanamo Bay and held discussions with a senior Cuban military official near the base’s perimeter.

Hegseth is the third high-ranking U.S. official to visit Cuba in recent months, highlighting Washington’s continued focus on the island amid ongoing tensions between the two countries.

June 8 update: What will be brought up during any future negotiations?

One of the issues that will certainly come up during any future negotiations between the U.S. and Cuba will be the 5,913 American companies, as well as Cuban-American properties, that were confiscated by the Cuban Revolution in the early 1960’s.

According to Mauricio Tamargo, former chairman of the Foreign Claims Office in the U.S. Department of Justice, the estimated values of these properties are in the billions.

June 3 update: Raúl Castro turns 95

Raúl Castro, the former president of Cuba, turns 95 years old Wednesday under the shadow of a criminal indictment from the U.S. and an uncertain future for Cuba with the legacy of his brother, Fidel Castro, on his shoulders.

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June 1 update: Looking to the future: Should Cuban Americans invest in Cuba?

A few months ago, Cuba’s Vice Minister Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, who is the grand-nephew of Raúl Castro, invited Cuban Americans in exile to invest in Cuba.

In 2019, the Cuban government amended their constitution to allow foreign investment. However, they did not change their laws to protect the investments.

Therefore, the risks to invest in Cuba remain greater than the opportunities.

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.

Dustin Johnson, in the final year of his U.S. Open exemption from winning at Oakmont in 2016, atoned for a double bogey late Thursday with birdies on two of his last three holes and a superb par save for a 66, keeping him in touch with Clark.

Gary Woodland — playing alongside Clark and Johnson — and Matt Fitzpatrick were at 67. Among those another shot back was Jon Rahm, who missed two good chances Friday morning but still managed a 68 without a bogey on his card.

The scores were surprisingly low for Shinnecock Hills, where only three players in the previous four U.S. Opens here have finished under par in the last 40 years. But the real surprise was fog at the start of the championship, which led to a two-hour delay.

That meant Clark and Johnson had the advantage of playing Thursday evening in far less wind. The USGA made sure Shinnecock was kind and gentle to account for gusts that consistently topped 30 mph. Without that wind late in the day, players could take advantage.

And they did.

Clark had a birdie-birdie-eagle stretch late Thursday that put him at 6 under. Johnson ran off four straight birdies until his blunder on No. 6, when he three-putted from 6 feet for double bogey.

They returned early Friday, along with 48 other players, to complete the first round. Clark faced Nos. 8 and 9, both with a favorable wind. Clark narrowly missed an 18-foot birdie putt on the eighth, and one from about 30 feet on the ninth.

The Shinnecock record is 63, set by Tommy Fleetwood in the final round of 2018 after the USGA soaked the course to make up for a third round that dried out and got out of control. The U.S. Open record is 62 by Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023.

Clark was more than pleased with a 64. The lowest opening round at Shinnecock had been 66, by three players in 2004 and one player in 1995.

Rory McIlroy faced the worst of the wind on Thursday and thought he did well to post a 69. Scottie Scheffler was in the same wave and had to rely heavily on his short game to salvage a 72, his 10th consecutive round at the U.S. Open without breaking par.

Sam Stevens had the low round from those who faced the toughest wind at 68. He was joined later by Rahm and a group that included Ryder Cowan, who just finished his junior year at Oklahoma. Another Sooner alum, Max McGreevy, also was at 68.

Clark and Johnson had enough time to hit a few shots on the driving range before heading right back out for the second round.

At stake Friday was the 36-hole cut for the top 60 and ties. Scheffler was narrowly inside, but still looking toward trying to stay in range of the lead as he chases the one major keeping him from the career Grand Slam.

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

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Confederate territory on Jan. 1, 1863, but the news didn’t get to Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865.

Juneteenth, which commemorates the day, has been an official federal holiday since 2021, and North Miami has been celebrating it every year with a free festival.

“Juneteenth is not just for African Americans,” said Vincent Spence, who helps organize the festival. “Juneteenth is more about like that road that has been paved for us.”

Spence, who co-founded Our Living Legends, a North Miami-based organization, was looking forward to the 5th annual festival at Griffing Park.

“Juneteenth is a powerful reminder of the resilience, strength, and contributions of generations who paved the way for future opportunities,” Councilwoman Mary Estimé-Irvin said in a statement.

A stage for live music, a kid zone, and a network of tents were near food trucks that were open for business on Thursday at 12220 Griffing Boulevard.

For more information about the community event, visit this page.

Related special report: The origins of Juneteenth

Dr. Andrew Sorial, a psychiatrist whose former office is in Boca Raton, was trusted to listen to people hurting in their mind. Now the state says he had an obsession with women’s breasts.

The alleged victim who asked to go by Donna, which is not her real name, asked Local 10 News to protect her identity.

“I had some mental health issues that I needed help with,” Donna said.

Local 10 News obtained the official notice from the state Department of Health.

The Health Department says that during telehealth sessions, Sorial would ask women to undress in good lighting and put on a sports bra.

The state says Sorial asked one patient to lower her waistband so he could view her midsection and pelvic area. Donna says he asked her to put on skimpy clothing. She refused.

The Department of Health paperwork says Sorial had an obsession with women’s breasts and gave an instruction for patient “L.P.” to squeeze her breasts together and turn in different directions.

Donna told Local 10 News she had to switch to all-women doctors and said Sorial should never see another patient again.

“I would tell him he is evil and vile and he deserves to go to jail for what he did,” she said.

At least one lawsuit has been filed. Attorney Adam Horowitz represents Donna, and says he’ll be filing a lawsuit as well.

“When he made these demands on them — take their clothes off, take pictures — some thought they had to comply, or lose the benefits of his treatments,” Horowitz said.

Donna had a message for any potential victims out there.

“Come forward, say something. It’s not your fault. Not your fault. I can see this is tough. It affected my whole life,” she said.

Local 10 News reached out to Sorial to get his side of the story, but didn’t receive a response.

Local 10 News also confirmed he surrendered his license in Massachusetts.

As of Thursday, no criminal charges have been filed against him.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the United States this weekend, calling Trump’s claims “serious and offensive” toward Meloni and all of Italy.

Meloni for her part posted a video calling Trump’s claims “completely fabricated" and expressing astonishment that he would invent such things about an ally. She concluded: “Italy and I do not beg.”

Trump had made the comments in an interview broadcast Friday morning on the La7 network. The La7 correspondent had asked Trump about Ukraine, but Trump raised Meloni and the conversation turned to their meeting during the just-concluded G7 meeting in Evian-les-Bains, France. Meloni and Trump were filmed speaking at several moments, including alone on a small sofa.

According to La7, Trump said Meloni had “begged” him for a photo-op. Trump said he wasn’t obliged to do it but that he felt sorry for her and agreed, La7 said. The broadcaster has a dubbed version of the conversation online, not the original English audio.

Meloni is astonished and defiant

In her video, Meloni said she was responding to Trump’s claims because “certain things deserve an immediate response."

“Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned,” she said. “I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way toward his own allies. After all, this isn’t the first time this has happened.”

It was an apparent reference to an interview Trump gave to Italian daily Corriere della Sera in April in which he criticized Meloni's refusal to back the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. Meloni didn't respond publicly at the time.

By Friday, it appeared she had had enough of his boasts and broadsides.

“I can only say that it’s a shame he doesn’t show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States — toward leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating," Meloni said Friday. "But there’s one thing he must remember: Italy and I do not beg.”

The White House did not return an immediate request for comment on Meloni’s remarks.

Meloni had initially sought to build on longstanding strong U.S.-Italian ties when Trump began his second mandate, and had positioned herself as a “bridge” between Washington and the European Union. She was the lone EU head of state to attend his inauguration.

But relations have frayed over the U.S. war in Iran, which Meloni has said was illegal, and Trump’s position on Ukraine, which Italy strongly supports. Trump's tariffs and strong U.S. support of Israel over its war in Gaza have been other points of contention.

Italian officials close ranks around Meloni

By Friday afternoon, solidarity with Meloni had poured in from across the government and political spectrum, and included a call from President Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s widely respected head of state.

“Whoever attacks @GiorgiaMeloni attacks all of us,” posted Transport Minister Matteo Salvini.

Justice Minister Carlo Nordio referenced the sacrifice of American troops in World War II in underlining the harm to U.S.-Italy relations caused by Trump.

“The thousands of crosses marking the graves of American soldiers who died to free us from Nazi-Fascist dictatorship did not deserve such a painful blow to our fraternal ties,” Nordio said on X.

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said he didn't believe Meloni would ever beg someone for a photo, “not even under threat.”

“I can, however, imagine how much it cost her to set aside what Trump had said weeks ago, to serve the interests of Italy, of Europe, and of the West,” Crosetto posted on X. “Jokes of this kind do no good to anyone: neither to the USA, nor to Italy, nor to the alliance.”

Tajani had been due to travel to the U.S. on Sunday to take part in an Italy-U.S. business forum in Miami during which he was to have meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a U.S. State Department announcement of the meeting.

A ‘fantastic’ friendship frays

Meloni had long been considered one of Trump’s closest allies in Europe, trying to act as a mediator between the often conflicting interests of the U.S. and the EU.

They had gotten off to a strong start, and the two leaders are ideologically aligned on many issues. As the head of a far-right party, Meloni backs curbing migration and promoting traditional values.

Weeks before Trump’s 2025 inauguration, Meloni met Trump at his Mar-a-Lago retreat, a visit that she said went “beyond expectations.” It was, she said at the time, “an opportunity to confirm a relationship that promises to be very solid,’’ adding diplomatically, “I don’t know if I can say privileged.”

In the months after, Trump had praised her repeatedly, as “fantastic,” “incredible,” beautiful and a friend.

But stark differences emerged over Ukraine, after Trump wavered in his support while Meloni kept backing Kyiv after Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

More recently, she sharply warned against U.S. threats to take Greenland by force, saying she didn’t believe Washington would go so far and that regardless Italy would never support such a move.

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The Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride — the biggest party in South Florida celebrating love, diversity, equality and inclusion — is happening this weekend, despite fears it may not even happen.

“It has been daunting,” said Stonewall Pride producer Jameer Baptiste.

Legislation passed by the state of Florida earlier this year bars local governments from spending money on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives or events like Pride. Soon after, many sponsors pulled out.

“There have been people that have backed out — businesses, companies,” Baptiste said. “You’ve been a sponsor with us over five years, over a decade, and now you’re pulling out — is it truly because your budget has shrunk or is it because of what’s going on politically?”

The city of Wilton Manors, where most of its elected officials are members of the LGBTQ+ community, stepped in to provide safety.

Last year, a man was detained after police said he tried entering the parade with a weapon, which is not allowed. It was the first time metal detectors were used and they went off, helping police make the arrest. Organizers say they’re spending more on security this year than ever before.

Still, the spirit of the event is very much alive.

“It’s really reinvigorating our community to come together and show our strength and resilience,” Baptiste said. “So while you’re out having fun out there, remember that hard work, sweat and tears went into making this possible — that your light isn’t dimmed.”

The Saturday event features a glow night parade, entertainment and food.

“Everybody come out — make sure if you’re an ally, support, come out,” Baptiste said. “It’s all about that resilience and the definition of unity, community and belonging.”

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A student and an instructor departed from the North Perry Airport and crashed at about 11:30 a.m. on May 29, outside of the South Florida State Hospital, at 800 East Cypress Drive, records show.

“I was in shock, but I ran toward the plane, and I pulled two girls out,” Nathan Gansert told a first responder, according to the video.

Vanessa Ledo, the instructor, and Earlene E. Clarke Thomas, the student, survived with back injuries, according to police.

After the crash, Pembroke Pines Mayor Angelo Castillo said engine failure was likely the cause of the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration had yet to announce the findings of the investigation.

Related story: Small plane crashes on psychiatric hospital campus near North Perry Airport; 2 hospitalized

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Known as a longtime hub for the LGBTQ+ community, Wilton Manors is once again transforming into a vibrant destination filled with music, entertainment, advocacy and celebration.

Organizers expect approximately 50,000 people to gather along Wilton Drive for this year’s event, which promises to be bigger and brighter than ever. Community leaders, businesses and partners have spent months preparing for the festivities, all centered around a message of inclusion, equality and pride.

While the event is known for its festive atmosphere, organizers emphasize that Stonewall Pride is about much more than entertainment. The celebration honors the historic Stonewall Riots of 1969, widely recognized as the catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

“Well, it means so many different things, right? It’s honoring and celebrating our victories, but also coalescing together to realize we are a community that needs to work toward full equality,” one organizer, Jameer Baptiste, said.

The celebration begins at 3 p.m. Saturday when Wilton Drive closes to traffic and the street festival officially opens. Safety remains a priority, with metal detectors stationed at all festival entrances.

Once inside, attendees can enjoy performances and entertainment across seven stages. The festival is surrounded by LGBTQ+-owned and LGBTQ+-friendly bars, nightclubs and restaurants, while a marketplace featuring a variety of vendors stretches along the drive.

The evening culminates with the popular Glow Night Parade at 8 p.m. Participants and spectators alike are encouraged to light up the night with glow sticks, glow-in-the-dark paint and illuminated costumes as the parade makes its way through the heart of Wilton Manors.

Organizers say the event welcomes everyone, regardless of background, and serves as an opportunity for allies, friends and family members to celebrate alongside the LGBTQ+ community.

“Although this is a celebration, it also means that we’re having fun and enjoying ourselves, but we’re recognizing that we need our partners and our loved ones and our family to come along with us,” Baptiste said. “That’s why it’s open to everyone to come and enjoy and feel and experience what it means to be around like-minded individuals that love and welcome each other wholeheartedly.”

Local 10 News will provide special coverage of the festivities during “Celebrating Pride,” airing Saturday at 8 p.m. from the heart of Wilton Manors.

“The fact that this holiday has been preserved for thousands of years shows how much we value our traditional customs,” said Meng Dongmei, a retired resident of Beijing’s Tongzhou district.

Meng said her family observes the holiday through a variety of traditional customs. They prepare zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings associated with the festival, and children wear five-colored bracelets believed to ward off evil.

“We also learned online about a traditional recipe using mugwort leaves, red dates, brown sugar and ginger to boil eggs,” Meng said. “We heard that it could help ward off illness and keep people healthy throughout the year, so we hope that through this festival our family will enjoy good health.”

Thousands to gather for boat races

Beijing’s 2026 celebrations will continue through the weekend at the capital’s Grand Canal.

The three-day event features men’s, women’s and mixed dragon boat races over distances of 100, 200 and 500 meters. Teams from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi and Guangdong will compete throughout the holiday weekend.

More than 1,000 athletes and 200,000 spectators are expected to gather for the event, organizers said in a press release.

“The competition helped strengthen our team spirit,” said Li Maoshan, a participant in Friday’s races. “It also gave us an opportunity to demonstrate the spirit of perseverance and hard work.”

Beyond the races

Among the cultural features during Beijing’s Dragon Boat Festival were demonstrations of Wing Chun martial arts, a market featuring traditional handicrafts and a performance in which dancers mimic the movements of a lion.

Activities were intended to highlight cultural exchanges between northern and southern China, officials said.

Friday’s lion dance was presented by a group of performers from Guangdong province in southern China. “Wherever there is a festive occasion, you’ll find dragon and lion dances,” said He Weihong, founder of the group. “Dragon boat racing and dragon-and-lion dancing are inseparable, as they are both part of our intangible cultural heritage.”

Ancient customs on health and protection

The festival’s roots run deeper than sporting competitions. It is widely associated with the ancient poet Qu Yuan, who according to legend drowned himself more than 2,000 years ago.

Tradition holds that people raced out in boats to search for him and threw rice into the river so fish would not eat his body. That story is often linked to both today’s dragon boat races and the zongzi still prepared by families across China.

“The Dragon Boat Festival is probably the richest and most diverse of all traditional Chinese festivals,” said Tsinghua University history professor Liu Xiaofeng. “Across different regions, people developed a wide variety of traditions based on ideas connected to the summer solstice and the balance of yin and yang.”

The holiday falls in the fifth month of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, around the time of the summer solstice. Ancient Chinese viewed this as a period when insects, poisonous creatures and disease became more prevalent, giving rise to a wide range of customs aimed at preserving health and warding off misfortune.

“At its core, the Dragon Boat Festival is about disease prevention, warding off evil and maintaining health,” Liu said.

Some people wear sachets containing medicinal herbs during the festival. Others fumigate their homes with smoke, a practice intended to prevent disease by driving out things considered harmful.

“Chinese people have traditionally placed a special emphasis on happiness, well-being and living in peace and safety,” Liu said. “Nearly all of China’s major festivals are connected in some way to these aspirations.”

Evolving traditions

Participants in Hong Kong’s dragon boat races on Friday wore costumes including a cartoon version of Chinese Taoist deity Ne Zha.

Guided by the thunderous beat of their drummers, crews pulled their paddles through the water in unison, each boat surging toward the finish line as spectators cheered them on. Others watched the races at home as they enjoyed zongzi with their families.

“Today more than 64% of China’s population lives in urban areas and people’s lifestyles have been transformed,” Liu said. “In a large city, it’s difficult to celebrate the festival the way people once did in rural communities. Festivals evolve along with the times.”

Bao Nari, a Beijing resident who spent years away from home while she studied in Japan, said that while boat races were not part of her childhood celebrations, other long-standing Dragon Boat Festival traditions like wearing five-colored bracelets were passed down through her family.

“After coming back, I’m impressed by how much cultural development has progressed here,” Bao said. “This cultural heritage has become deeply rooted in our hearts and it inspires our generation to be more confident.”

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AP video producer Liu Zheng in Beijing and reporter Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

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.

Manchester City, in its first season in 10 years without Pep Guardiola as manager, will host Bournemouth in its opener, and Manchester United will visit promoted Hull. Liverpool plays at Newcastle.

The season's fixtures were released by the league on Friday.

Chelsea and new coach Xabi Alonso visit Fulham in a west London derby on Aug. 24 that concludes the opening round of fixtures.

After facing Coventry, Mikel Arteta's team visits Aston Villa and then hosts Chelsea as it looks to repeat as champion after winning its first league title in 22 years last season.

Andoni Iraola, Liverpool's new manager, will get his first taste of the Merseyside derby on Nov. 28 at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Man United's second game of the season is also against a promoted team — Ipswich — this one at Old Trafford with coach Michael Carrick starting a two-year contract.

The first Manchester derby is scheduled for Sept. 12 at Old Trafford. United visits Anfield on Nov. 21.

The season starts one week later than the 2025-26 campaign, to allow for player recovery following the World Cup.

The final round will be played on Sunday, May 30 — six days before the Champions League final on June 5 in Madrid.

Frank Lampard, the Chelsea great who coaches Coventry, welcomes his old team to Coventry Building Society Arena on Boxing Day, Dec. 26.

Ipswich opens its campaign at home against Sunderland. Ipswich is looking for a new coach after Kieran McKenna stepped down just over a week ago despite leading the club to promotion.

Man City is also without a manager but is reportedly eying Enzo Maresca, the former Chelsea coach who was assistant to Guardiola at City in its treble-winning season of 2022-23.

The season's curtain-raising Community Shield between league champion Arsenal and FA Cup winner Man City will be on Aug. 16 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

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

The poll points to just how unpopular the war, which began Feb. 28, has been with Americans even as the Republican president turned abruptly from threatening Iran to reopening negotiations. Support for his handling of the war remains lopsidedly partisan. About two-thirds, 65%, of U.S. adults disapprove of how Trump is handling issues with Iran. But while the vast majority of Democrats and independents view Trump’s actions negatively, only 28% of Republicans are unhappy.

Americans’ views on how the president is handling Iran are roughly in line with his overall job approval, which stands at 37%, unchanged from an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in May.

The new survey was conducted June 11-17, just after Trump called off threats to escalate the war with Iran. The poll was fielded as Trump announced a deal with Iran and authorized an end to the U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, concluding just before the deal was signed Wednesday.

Approval of Trump’s actions on Iran has been low over the past few months. But in interviews, some Republicans also weren’t pleased with the outcome of this week’s agreement, which gives Iran an immediate benefit, allowing it to sell its oil freely again.

The deal also reopens the strait without tolls for two months, restarts talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program and calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

David Farrington, a 79-year-old Republican-leaning independent in Fort Worth, Texas, “doesn’t have any love lost” for Iran, but he’s frustrated the agreement focused on the strait and didn’t deliver more on the country’s nuclear weapons program.

“Any agreement regarding the strait is hardly what I would consider a recognizable concession on the part of Iran,” Farrington said. “So, I consider that some fluff that attempts to make this agreement look better when it’s not.”

Trump’s approval on Iran remains flat

Only about one-third of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling Iran in the new poll, in line with May.

Donald McBride, a 28-year-old independent in Plano, Texas, is frustrated that Trump has not maintained his campaign promise to keep America out of foreign wars. McBride voted for Trump but he opposed going to war with Iran.

“I would like the war to end,” he said. “The original objective of the war was to end the Iranian regime, and that’s just not possible. I don’t really know why we’d continue fighting.”

The poll suggests most Americans want action in Iran to wrap up. Even with an agreement on the horizon, 53% of U.S. adults said American military action against Iran had “gone too far,” only a slight decline from 59% in March.

About 4 in 10 Republicans, though, said in the latest poll that action has been “about right,” and 37% said it had not gone far enough.

Joan Jones, a 64-year-old independent in northwest Florida, believes the United States’ actions in Iran have been necessary to address the threat Iran posed.

“Those attacks are ultimately to protect us from nuclear attacks,” Jones said. “I think we have to go through that … and eliminate that worry so we don’t have that hovering over us.”

Few approve of Trump’s approach on Israel

About one-third, 34%, of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling Israel.

Tensions have been rising between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump as the president criticizes recent Israeli attacks in Lebanon, which jeopardized negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

James Huffman, a 69-year-old Republican in Medway, Ohio, thinks Trump is taking the wrong strategy when it comes to Netanyahu.

“Netanyahu is not going to do everything Trump wants. He’s going to do what he wants,” Huffman said. “I just don’t think it’s effective.”

Only about one-third approve on the economy

About one-third of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s approach to the economy. That’s in line with last month, and continues a challenging stretch for Trump on the issue.

Jones, the Florida independent, is more optimistic than most. She said she can hardly leave the house some hours without getting stuck in the traffic of tourists headed to the beach on vacation. She also spots lines around the block for Starbucks, McDonalds and Chick-fil-A in her community — all signs to her that the economy is doing well overall.

“I think President Trump’s policies are contributing to a better economy,” Jones said.

Other Republicans are more skeptical, a troubling sign for a president who prides himself on his business acumen. Only 69% of Republicans approve of how he’s handling the economy, slightly lower than the 78% who approve of how he’s handling the presidency overall.

Patricia Bailey, a 42-year-old Republican in Parkersburg, West Virginia, sees an economy where prices have gotten out of control. “I just said the other night, ordering pizza is for rich people,” she said. Bailey voted for Trump but added, “He’s kind of let me down a little bit.”

Even if high prices preceded Trump, Bailey doesn’t think he’s lived up to his pledge to improve the economy.

“I think he got so distracted with the war that he forgot some old promises,” she said.

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The AP-NORC poll of 3,040 adults was conducted June 11-17 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

The defender, who is currently playing with Morocco at the World Cup after winning the Champions League for a second straight year with PSG, had appealed a February decision by an investigative judge. That ruling followed recommendations from public prosecutors that Hakimi should face trial.

The decision was released just hours before Morocco takes on Scotland in their Group C match. Morocco drew 1-1 with Brazil in its opening game.

Hakimi, one of the best right backs in the world, denies any wrongdoing. He faced preliminary charges of rape in March 2023 after a 24-year-old woman said she was raped by Hakimi at his home in a Paris suburb.

The Versailles appeals court said in a press statement that it ordered that Hakimi be formally charged with rape. The court said that the investigations conducted during the inquiry and the judicial investigation led the investigating chamber to conclude that there is sufficient evidence against the player to stand trial.

Rachel-Flore Pardo, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, said that after more than three years of legal proceedings, “and after being defamed and dragged through the mud by Achraf Hakimi’s defense,” the court's decision “brings my client a sense of relief and hope."

“Relief that she has been heard by the justice system and will have her case heard at trial,” Pardo said in a statement to The Associate Press. "Hope that this trial will help other women and further weaken the fortress of denial and impunity surrounding sexual violence, including within the world of men’s football.”

Hakimi claimed in a message posted on X on Friday that his case would have been dismissed if he had not been famous, and that he sometimes feels he has become “an easy target.”

“Justice looked me in the eye and told me: ‘If you were not famous, there would never have been a case,’" Hakimi wrote. “I chose to remain silent for years. I believed that staying dignified, being patient, and trusting the justice system would allow the right decisions to be made.”

He added that the case has been detrimental not only to him, but also to his family, “and above all, to the truth.”

“I have been waiting for this trial since the first day. And I am now waiting for it impatiently,” he added. “Finally, I will be able to speak.”

A date for the trial has yet to be announced.

“The multitude of exculpatory elements uncovered during the investigation and judicial inquiry would, in any other case, have led to the dismissal of the proceedings," Hakimi’s lawyer, Fanny Colin, told the AP.

“Achraf Hakimi’s defense regrets that no consequences were drawn from the contradictions and false statements made by the complainant, her concealment of information from the judicial authorities, her obstruction of the search for the truth, and the psychological assessments noting both her ambivalence and her lack of clarity regarding the events she reported.”

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

The 56-year-old politician presents himself as an amiable northern everyman who prefers T-shirts to a suit and tie and spends spare time playing soccer or spinning 1990s tunes during DJ battles.

He’s also an experienced politician whose career has taken him from high-level government jobs to the mayoralty of Greater Manchester, and now to the cusp of the prime minister’s office.

Burnham is expected to challenge Prime Minister Keir Starmer after winning a seat in Parliament in a special election he hailed as a “turning point” for U.K. politics.

His nickname is inspired by ‘Game of Thrones’

Burnham was born and raised in a pocket of northwest England between Liverpool and Manchester, the son of a British Telecom engineer and a receptionist. He joined the Labour Party as a teenager, attended Cambridge University and was first elected to Parliament in 2001.

He was a lawmaker for a decade and a half, rising through the ranks under Prime Minister Tony Blair and serving in Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Cabinet between 2007 and 2010.

He ran twice for the leadership of the Labour Party, in 2010 and 2015, and lost badly each time, before quitting Westminster to run for Manchester mayor.

His tenure has seen him nicknamed the King of the North, a “Game of Thrones”-inspired nod both to his championing of his home region and his barely disguised political ambition.

He gained the moniker during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he harangued Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson over what he called a “London-centric” approach to the crisis.

Burnham has led the Greater Manchester region since 2017, overseeing rapid regeneration for the city where the Industrial Revolution was forged. The city center has boomed, with skyscrapers blooming on vacant post-industrial sites. Many residents praise him for championing the city. He took a piecemeal public transport system under public control, branded it the Bee Network and improved its services.

He has also won praise for supporting the campaign for justice for victims of the Hillsborough disaster, when 97 Liverpool soccer fans were killed in a crush at a game in Sheffield in 1989. Years of advocacy led by victims’ families exposed mistakes and wrongdoing by police – who initially spread a false narrative blaming drunken fans – and extracted an apology from the government.

He pledges to end trickle-down economics

Burnham is perceived to be to the political left of Starmer – an asset with Labour members – and is acknowledged as one of the party’s best communicators. The rather stiff public speaker of his earlier leadership bids has been replaced by a relaxed figure in jeans and open-necked shirts.

His three mayoral election victories and decisive win in Thursday's election in Makerfield, where he trounced the candidate of the anti-immigration party Reform UK, have cemented his status as a winner. Many in the party hope he can reverse Labour’s precipitous decline in popularity since Starmer won an election landslide two years ago.

Makerfield voter Ellen Picton, 66, said she was “absolutely thrilled” by Burnham's victory.

“I believe that he’s a man for the common people,” she said. “Andy is like one of us, and he understands what we are going through."

Burnham is pledging to repeat on a national scale his signature brand of “Manchesterism” – a politics that, he likes to say, puts people and place before party and centers on regions ignored by governments in London.

“What we’ve built in Greater Manchester needs to go national,” Burnham said during the campaign. “I know what it is to turn places around.”

But it remains to be seen whether he can have national appeal, said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London.

“Calling him King of the North in some ways, I think, raises the question of whether he can also be King of the South, King of the East and King of the West,″ Bale said. “However, he does seem to have the kind of X factor that encourages people to think of him as not an ordinary politician, somebody who can communicate with normal people, someone who can speak human.”

In a postelection speech to supporters, Burnham sketched out his priorities: better vocational education and jobs for young people, lower energy bills and rail fares and “an end to trickle down economics, which didn’t trickle down very much at all to places like this.”

Critics say Burnham’s politics are vague and fail to grapple with tough issues, such as where the money will come from to pay for his pledges. And they note that running a country of 70 million is a lot different from overseeing a city region of 3 million.

Nonetheless Burnham now has momentum that could propel him into 10 Downing Street.

"Andy Burnham is probably one of the most popular politicians in the country,” Bale said. “Although, to be honest, that is not saying much.”

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Kwiyeon Ha in Ashton-in-Makerfield, England contributed to this story.

Guy Gilboa-Dalal, 25, spent two years in captivity in Gaza after Palestinian militants abducted him and 250 others during the Hamas-led attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

“I feel like I have a mission to spread to the world, to use my voice and empower other victims of sexual assaults,” he said Sunday in a conversation with Israel's first lady Michal Herzog in Jerusalem. “I want people who have been through those experiences to know that they’re not alone.”

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly.

According to the United Nations, conflict-related sexual violence is on the rise worldwide, with cases more than doubling in 2025, as state and non-state actors increasingly use it as a tactic of war, torture and political repression.

In Israel and the Palestinian territories, the use of sexual violence as part of the conflict has become highly politicized since the Oct. 7 attacks and the start of the war in Gaza. Rights groups and the United Nations have investigated and documented cases beginning with allegations of widespread rape during the initial Hamas attacks.

The U.N. also said last month that it has verified multiple incidents of conflict-related sexual violence, "including as a form of torture” perpetrated by Israeli military and security forces against Palestinian men and women in Gaza and the West Bank, charges Israel denies.

This year, for the first time, the U.N. included Israel’s armed and security forces on a list of parties “credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict.” Hamas had previously been on the list.

In 2024, the U.N.'s special representative on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, said she “found clear and convincing information” that some hostages were subjected to such abuse, including rape and “sexualized torture.” But in a recent report, the U.N. said it was “not able to verify” public allegations made by former hostages accusing their Palestinian captors of abuse. It blamed the lack of verification on what it said was Israel’s denial for U.N. groups to carry out investigations.

On Sunday, Gilboa-Dalal recounted again the details of the abuse he said he faced and said he was frustrated by the U.N. In a short, separate interview following the conversation with Herzog, Gilboa-Dalal said: “They have no right to say what happened or what didn’t happen, I was there, not them.”

At least six of the released hostages have publicly shared experiences of sexual assault while in captivity. Gilboa-Dalal first spoke of the attacks in an interview with Israeli media last November, about a month after he was released.

Gilboa-Dalal said his abuse took place over two separate assaults, over a year after his captivity began. He said that he froze as it happened and was unable to resist, terrified and physically weakened after spending most of his time in a narrow cell, deep underground, with three other hostages. He said they were forcibly starved or given rotten food, and denied the opportunity to move around or bathe.

In both instances, Gilboa-Dalal said, he was naked and blindfolded. He said the captor threatened to kill him if he ever spoke about what happened, beating him and holding a knife to his throat and a gun to his head.

“He could do whatever he wanted. I was so weak, and he was so strong,” Gilboa-Dalal said. Because he and the other hostages were constantly monitored, he said, he didn’t tell either of them until just before one was released during a temporary ceasefire in Feb. 2025.

Now, he says he is trying to heal and spend time with family. He is also writing a book and an anime script about his experiences.

He said he worries that other sexual abuse victims are likewise isolated and unable to speak about their abuse. “They may think, ‘maybe it’s my fault maybe I could have done something different,’” he said. “But it wasn’t my fault and it wasn’t any of the victims’ fault.”

As thousands of fans streamed toward the stadium last week for the tournament opener, many stopped to snap photos, pet the dog and post videos online. Within hours, Osito was appearing on international broadcasts and spreading across social media, transforming the bicycle-riding dog into one of the World Cup’s most charming viral stars.

For his owner, Jorge Rangel, the attention is less about internet fame than the companionship he shares with the dog who accompanies him almost everywhere. For the past two years, Osito has joined Rangel on his daily rounds delivering household products across Mexico City.

“More than a dog, he’s my daily companion,” Rangel, 50, said.

They travel together on a specially adapted cargo bicycle, where Osito sits calmly in a back compartment, greeting passersby and drawing smiles from strangers.

The arrangement began by chance. One day, Rangel placed the dog in a delivery box attached to his bicycle and took him for a short ride. Osito seemed to enjoy it. Over time, Rangel added cushions, adjusted the setup and gradually brought him along on longer trips through the city. Before long, the pair became a familiar sight.

Now, children rush over to greet Osito, strangers stop to take photographs and some initially mistake him for a stuffed animal because he sits so still, often dressed in one of his many outfits.

“He has a very gentle temperament. Everybody wants to meet him,” Rangel said.

When the World Cup arrived, Rangel saw an opportunity to introduce Osito — whose name means “little bear” — to an even larger audience.

A devoted soccer fan, he spent weeks preparing for the tournament, gathering accessories and adapting a pair of sunglasses to fit the dog. He dressed Osito in a national team jersey and decorated the bicycle, hoping to stand out among the crowds heading to the stadium.

“It exceeded all my expectations,” Rangel said of the response.

What appears to resonate most with fans is not the costume or the viral fame, but the relationship between the man and the dog. Rangel adopted Osito years ago, during a difficult period in his life, and describes him as an emotional lifeline.

“I didn’t know what it meant to love an animal until Osito came into my life,” Rangel said.

Today, the two spend nearly every day together. If Rangel leaves without him, Osito protests with something he rarely does: bark.

Their bond is evident to the strangers who encounter them on the streets. Rangel recalls people approaching him to say that seeing Osito had brightened an otherwise stressful day. Some have thanked the pair simply for making them smile.

Now, as World Cup celebrations continue, videos of Osito keep circulating and requests for photographs remain constant. Yet each morning, Rangel and Osito climb aboard their bicycle and head back into the streets of Mexico City, where they continue working, greeting strangers and spreading moments of joy.

For Rangel, that remains the most meaningful part of the story.

The television appearances and viral fame are gratifying, he said. But what matters most is that people see the affection between a man and his dog — a bond that has unexpectedly become one of the World Cup’s most endearing images.

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

Located on a sprawling campus on Chicago’s South Side, the center for the nation's first Black president has been designed to inspire people to make the change they want to see in their own communities. It's the kind of contemplation that also comes as Americans gather for Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S.

The holiday marks June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Texas at the end of the Civil War with an order declaring the state's enslaved people were free with “absolute equality” 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed enslaved people in the South.

“Juneteenth represents not just a commemoration of the end of slavery but it’s also part of the ongoing struggle for absolute equality and that ideal in American life,” said W. Caleb McDaniel, a Rice University professor and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “Sweet Taste of Liberty.”

Obama's presidential center in Chicago

Several days of events have been planned for the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center, including a dedication ceremony held Thursday.

The center's public opening also arrives as a symbolic convergence of legacy and liberation. The nation is grappling with deepening political division and renewed questions about the arc of racial progress as the Supreme Court hollowed out the Voting Rights Act, endangering Black political representation in Congress.

The nearly 20-acre (8-hectare) campus includes a museum featuring a life-sized replica of the Oval Office, a garden designed by former first lady Michelle Obama complete with lettuce and strawberry plants, a professional-grade basketball court, a picnic area with grills and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library.

In addition to spaces designed to bring people together, the campus that's expected to draw as many as 1 million visitors annually aims to also encourage personal reflection. Louise Bernard, the museum’s director, has said they're “inviting people to bring change home, however change may be defined, both small or large.”

The museum lets visitors experience high-tech and hands-on exhibits spanning the campaigns, key moments of Obama’s presidency and life at the White House.

The history of Juneteenth

This is the fifth year since Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday by former President Joe Biden, who served as Obama's vice president. But the celebrations, which began in Texas and then spread across the country, have a rich and long history in Black America, with the day often spent gathering for picnics and cookouts.

The holiday — a combination of “June” and “nineteenth” — marks the day that U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in the Texas port city of Galveston with the declaration of freedom in General Order No. 3.

As the third year of the Civil War neared, President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring the freedom of “all persons held as slaves” in the still rebellious states of the Confederacy. Though, for many, it did not mean immediate freedom but a promise of freedom with a Union victory.

“It really required the force of arms and the success of U.S. armies to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation,” McDaniel said.

About six months after Granger's arrival in Galveston, the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery was ratified.

Celebrations across the nation

Galveston, the birthplace of Juneteenth, is celebrating with a daylong gathering at a park with music and fireworks, a parade and a worship service in a historic Black church. In nearby Houston, there will be a lineup of musical artists and a domino tournament at Emancipation Park, established in 1872 by a group of formerly enslaved men.

Other events across the U.S. over the long weekend include a parade in Atlanta, a bike ride in Los Angeles and a festival on Martha’s Vineyard.

Several cities across the U.S. will host walks named for Opal Lee, the Texas woman who pushed for years to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Participants will walk 2 1/2 miles to symbolize the 2 1/2 years it took for the Emancipation Proclamation to be enforced in Texas. Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” turns 100 this year.

A holiday for reflection

Black Texans embraced the date of Granger’s arrival as one to celebrate, and by the 1880s, “it was difficult to find a significant community in Texas where it wasn’t being marked by African Americans,” McDaniel said.

“They made it a community celebration, they made it a celebration of not only freedom but also a demonstration of community empowerment and institution-building,” he added.

Corey D. B. Walker, dean of Wake Forest University’s divinity school, said the holiday offers a way to recognize the nation’s “complex history” and what it means to be a U.S. citizen, especially amid efforts by President Donald Trump's administration to undermine the retelling of Black history.

“I think it really reminds people the importance of understanding a fuller, more robust portrait of our nation’s history and the many contributions of many individuals who have contributed to America’s experiment with democracy,” Walker said.

The 20-year-old man was one of three masked offenders who broke into the Adass Israel Synagogue, doused the interior with flammable liquid then set it alight in the early hours of Dec. 6, 2024, a police statement alleged.

The fire caused extensive damage to the synagogue and a worshipper sustained minor injuries.

The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which brings together federal and state police with a spy agency, charged the man, who has not been named, with offenses including arson.

He was charged in a Melbourne jail where he was already being held in custody on unrelated offenses. Police declined to elaborate on those offenses.

His co-accused Giovanni Laulu, 21, was arrested in July last year and another suspect, Younes Ali Younes, 20, was arrested a month later.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of directing the synagogue fire and an arson attack two months earlier at a Sydney kosher eatery, Lewis’ Continental Kitchen.

Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation’s main domestic spy agency, said the Revolutionary Guard used a “complex web of proxies to hide its involvement” in both antisemitic attacks.

Iran’s ambassador to Australia and another three Iranian diplomats were expelled. Tehran has denied Australia’s allegations.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Crozier told reporters on Friday that investigators were working with international partners in the continuing investigation.

Police were also investigating whether the three alleged arsonists knew who ordered the attack.

“They may not actually be aware of the people who are directing or the principals of these investigations. That remains a key line of inquiry for us,” Crozier said.

Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul O’Halloran said police had informed the local Jewish community of the third arrest before the news was made public.

“Our heart goes out to them. Again, this brings back this terrible incident,” O’Halloran said.

“People deserve the right to feel safe and be safe in their community and particularly at their place of worship. Today's charges are a strong testament to this,” he added.

The latest suspect will make his first court appearance on the new charges next week.

The Australian government has established a public inquiry to investigate a rise in antisemitism across the country, including the killing of 15 people when two gunmen opened fire on a Sydney Hanukkah celebration in December.

Pingree and Charles won their primaries Friday, after the June 9 contests advanced to ranked choice voting.

In another ranked runoff in Maine, Democrat Matt Dunlap won the nomination in the 2nd Congressional District. Dunlap will face the state’s former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, for a seat Democrats are trying to hold in the fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The ranked counts conclude a busy primary season in Maine in which Democratic voters also chose oyster farmer Graham Platner to run against longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Platner won that primary by a wide margin and it did not need to proceed to ranked choice.

New governor this year

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who has served since 2018, is termed out of office, creating an open field for governor in both parties. Five Democratic candidates and seven Republicans actively campaigned in the June 9 primary.

That created a scenario in which no candidate in either party broke 50% of the popular vote, leading to the ranked choice runoff, which began shortly after the election. The Democratic race was especially close, with the top four challengers within a few percentage points of each other.

Democrats chose between Pingree, the former speaker of the Maine House of Representatives; Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows; former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson; energy executive Angus King III; and former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Nirav Shah.

The Republican ballot for governor was even more crowded. Republicans chose between Charles, the former U.S. assistant secretary of state; healthcare executive Jonathan Bush; former Maine Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason; former Paris, Maine, selectman Robert Wessels; and businessmen Owen McCarthy, David Jones and Ben Midgley.

Mills ran in the primary for U.S. Senate in Maine but suspended her campaign in April.

“Throughout my two campaigns for governor and this one for Senate, what I have always loved the most is traveling across our beautiful state and getting to talk to Maine people,” Mills said on election night.

Key House race

In the 2nd Congressional District, former Maine Secretary of State Dunlap, state Sen. Joe Baldacci, former U.S. Senate candidate Jordan Wood and social worker Paige Loud were on the ballot for the Democrats.

LePage, an ally of President Donald Trump, was unopposed in the Republican primary. LePage served as governor from 2010 to 2018, during which time he fashioned himself as a vocal critic of liberalism and a staunch Trump defender.

The 2nd District seat has no incumbent in the November election because Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who has held the seat since 2018, is stepping down. Golden, a moderate who sometimes breaks from his party, said last year that he has “grown tired of the increasing incivility and plain nastiness that are now common from some elements of our American community.”

While Golden has won in the 2nd District, its voters have also shown strong support for Trump. He won an electoral vote in the district in three consecutive presidential elections.

The district is geographically large and includes much of Maine’s rural territory and logging country and some of its key fishing ports. It is expected to be among this fall's most competitive House races.

Ranked choice in play

Maine has used ranked choice voting since voters approved it 10 years ago. Voters were allowed to rank the candidates on their ballot in order of preference. Under that scenario, if no candidate breaks 50% of the popular vote, the bottom finisher is eliminated, and voters’ second choices come into play. The tabulations continue until a candidate achieves a majority of the total votes.

Israel and the militant group later agreed to renew their ceasefire, three officials said.

Word of the ceasefire came from two regional officials and a U.S. official. The truce was mediated by Qatar, the U.S. and Iran, the regional officials said. The three officials were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A Hezbollah official said mediators attempted to implement a new ceasefire and that an agreement could be announced soon, but he stopped short of confirming it was in place. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office did not immediately comment. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said the military has not received different instructions from the government. He said Israeli forces were operating in a “forward defense zone” and will continue doing so.

Iranian and U.S. officials cancel travel to Switzerland

Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that the fighting in Lebanon must stop before the talks can take place, according to three regional officials and a fourth person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations behind the scenes. U.S. Vice President JD Vance also postponed his trip.

Israel’s military struck targets in southern and eastern Lebanon overnight, and Hezbollah reported intense fighting. Lebanon's Health Ministry said at least 21 people were killed, and Israel said four soldiers died.

The conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group is the most precarious part of the Iran deal. Neither Israel nor the militant group signed the agreement — but it is supposed to end their fighting, and Iran has signaled its willingness to risk renewed war in the region for the sake of its interests in Lebanon and its most important regional ally.

The interim deal has halted hostilities in Iran and the Gulf and reopened the Strait of Hormuz, after Iranian attacks and threats all but stopped the flow of oil and natural gas through the waterway, creating a global energy crisis.

But future talks are supposed to bring about a permanent end to the conflict, including addressing how to restrict Iran’s nuclear program — the core issue over which Israel and the U.S. went to war on Feb. 28.

The fighting in Lebanon could unravel the deal

The Israeli military said four soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in an attack on a tank in a village near the southern Lebanese city of Nabatiyeh. An explosive drone attack wounded another five, it added.

Israel then launched multiple strikes against “Hezbollah infrastructure sites” in Nabatiyeh and other areas, according to a military statement, which accused the militant group of “blatant ceasefire violations.”

Later, the military said it also struck targets in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, with Lebanese media saying the village of Douris was hit.

“Israel will not tolerate attacks on our soldiers or on our territory, and it will exact a very heavy price from Hezbollah for these attacks,” Netanyahu said in a statement.

Hezbollah acknowledged targeting Israeli tanks and said its attacks were in response to what it called Israel’s own violation of the ceasefire. It said the attacks came after Israeli forces attempted to reach the northern side of Ali al-Taher hilltop, a strategic point that overlooks Nabatiyeh and that Israeli troops have been trying to capture.

In southern Lebanon, many were forced to flee their villages.

“The situation is lawless, we couldn't stay,” said Mustafa Zain, who was with his six daughters in a pickup truck.

Beyond the fighting, Israel's occupation of large swaths of southern Lebanon is also a sticking point. Iran insists Israel must withdraw, but Netanyahu has said that forces would remain in a “security zone” of southern Lebanon as long as “Israel’s security needs require it.”

Israel’s actions have created a rift between Israel and the U.S., with Trump becoming increasingly critical of his close ally Netanyahu, who is also facing increasing criticism at home.

Talks in Switzerland were postponed

Iranian officials balked at starting the talks with Vance in Switzerland because of the Israeli action in Lebanon, according to the person familiar with the White House and Iranian positions.

It was conveyed to Iran that Israel is ready to move on, and it’s up to Hezbollah to stop carrying out attacks, the person added.

Earlier, the White House blamed logistical issues when Vance put off his trip.

Two other regional officials, also speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks, described Pakistan as being “stunned” by Iran’s decision not to go to the talks.

The strait is open but with new guidance

Oil tankers began freely moving through the Strait of Hormuz this week after months of being largely unable to use the critical channel. More than 12.5 million barrels of oil were shipped through the waterway on Wednesday night, the U.S. said.

Still, it is expected to take weeks or months for the normal flow of oil and gas to resume, even if traffic fully resumes.

The interim deal lays out that passage through the strait should be free for 60 days — as it was before the war. But the new Iranian authority charged with overseeing the waterway issued guidance Friday calling on ships to register with it — signaling Tehran likely intends to start charging.

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority said Friday that “during the 60-day period, tariffs for security, safety and environmental services, as well as related Iranian insurance, will not be collected from shipowners and will be borne by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Much still needs to be resolved

The discussions in Switzerland are expected to focus on Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran maintains it is peaceful, though it has highly enriched uranium that could be used to build multiple atomic bombs, should it choose to do so, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Those talks are expected to be extremely difficult. The 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump scrapped during his first term, took more than 18 months to negotiate.

The interim deal gives negotiators 60 days to come up with a nuclear agreement, but that can be extended. It outlines lucrative incentives if Iran does reach a new agreement, including the eventual lifting of all international sanctions and a $300 billion fund for postwar reconstruction.

Already Iran has won some concessions. Following the signing of the interim deal, the U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and is allowing it to sell its oil freely. The deal also calls for Iran’s assets to be unfrozen — though it’s not clear how quickly.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Madhani from Zurich. Associated Press journalists David Rising in Bangkok, Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Samy Magdy in Cairo, Malak Harb in Tyre, Lebanon, Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Areej Hazboun in Jerusalem contributed to this story.

U.S. markets will be closed Friday for Juneteenth.

Planned talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States over their efforts to reach a permanent end to war were delayed, while Israel’s military said its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area.

“Both sides are trying to show some good faith,” Bas van Geffen of RaboResearch said in a commentary. “But even if the water appears calmer, there is still a strong undertow. The agreement remains fragile on multiple fronts.”

Germany's DAX rose 0.2% to 25,079.30, while the CAC 40 in Paris was nearly unchanged at 8,467.75. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.2% to 10,376.64.

The futures for the S&P500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.2%.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 wavered between gains and losses but closed 0.3% higher at a new record of 71,250.06. The government reported that consumer prices excluding volatile fresh foods was unchanged, but analysts said it would likely pick up in coming months despite higher fuel costs.

Higher inflation was a factor driving the Bank of Japan to raise its benchmark interest rate earlier this week to a three-decade high of 1% as it gradually adjusts its policies after years of near-zero or negative rates.

In South Korea, the Kospi lost 0.1% to 9,052.42, just shy of its record set a day earlier. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia declined 0.9% to 8,828.70, while India's Sensex lost 0.8%.

Markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan were closed for the Dragon Boat festival.

On Thursday, stocks rose on Wall Street, erasing most of their losses from a day earlier to notch weekly gains thanks to big advances for heavyweight technology companies. The decline on Wednesday was driven by anticipation that the Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates this year in an effort to fight inflation.

The S&P 500 rose 1.1% and the Dow industrials added 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite surged 1.9%.

Technology stocks had some of the biggest gains and the most influence on the broader market's rise. Intel surged 10.6% after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the semiconductor giant will make chips for Apple in the U.S. Other big semiconductor companies gained ground. Nvidia rose 3% and Micron Technology jumped 8.7%.

On the losing end, SpaceX fell for the second straight day since its big debut on the U.S. stock market last week. The Elon Musk-led rocket maker and AI company was down 3.6% following a 4.9% loss Wednesday.

Oil prices wavered after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic. Brent crude, the international standard, spent most of the day lower before settling 0.4% higher at $79.85 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude fell 0.2% to $75.85 per barrel.

Early Friday, Brent crude was down 0.4% at $79.50 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude was flat at $75.85 per barrel.

Prices for crude oil are still above roughly $70 per barrel from before the war, but are well below the $100-plus price from a few weeks ago.

Rising energy costs have been putting more pressure on already hot inflation. The average price of gasoline in the U.S. has dipped below $4 a gallon, but is still 25% higher than a year ago. Prices have been rising for a wide range of goods because of higher shipping costs.

The Federal Reserve kept is key interest rate unchanged this week but hotter inflation means it will likely raise rates by the end of the year. Lower interest rates make borrowing easier for businesses and households, spurring growth, but they also tend to stoke inflation.

In other dealings early Friday, the U.S. dollar fell to 161.31 Japanese yen from 161.38 yen. The euro was unchanged at $1.1458.

The decision against Rong Chhun, a top adviser to the Nation Power Party, was met with anger by some 300 supporters from around the country who had gathered outside the Supreme Court complex in Phnom Penh.

“Even though he is not in prison, I'm saddened that his freedom has been restricted and he has become a sub-citizen, meaning he has no right to vote or participate in politics,” said Nek Ratha, a 55-year-old from the capital.

“The verdict is hard for us to accept because he is not free, and he has done nothing wrong.”

The 56-year-old had been found guilty last year of inciting social unrest after meeting with villagers displaced by government construction projects, in what was widely seen as one of many legal moves taken by the government of Prime Minister Hun Manet to stifle criticism.

Rong Chhun told his supporters the verdict was “completely unfair” and accused the court of following orders of the government rather than the rule of law.

“If the powerful leader wants black, the court will paint it black for them,” he said. “And if the powerful wants white, the court will paint it white for them.”

Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, said the ruling demonstrates Cambodia's courts “lack of independence from the ruling party.”

"Hun Manet’s government should stop using the courts to silence the political opposition and instead reopen space for parties and civil society groups to operate freely ahead of next year’s election,” she said.

Cambodia’s Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra told The Associated Press that it was “not appropriate to characterize a judicial decision as an executive decision.”

“The Royal Government respects the separation of powers, the independence of the courts, and the rule of law,” he said in a written response to a query. “Any party who disagrees with a court ruling should address the matter through the legal remedies available under Cambodian law, rather than through political assumptions.”

Under almost four decades of autocratic former Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia was widely criticized for human rights abuses that included suppression of freedom of speech and association. He was succeeded in August 2023 by his American-educated son, Hun Manet, but there have been few signs of political liberalization.

Sophal Ear, a Cambodian political scientist in the U.S., called the decision against Rong Chhun “evidence of continuity rather than change under the transition from Hun Sen to Hun Manet.”

“A high-profile case like this inevitably becomes a test of how much political space exists under the current leadership and whether the transition has produced any meaningful changes in governance,” he said. “Many people will conclude that the leadership transition has so far produced more continuity than reform.”

Under the decision, Rong Chhun will be prohibited from any involvement in politics for five years, including voting or standing as a candidate, and will be banned from traveling abroad for three years, the remainder of his original four-year sentence, his attorney Em Chantha told reporters. He had also been free while his appeal was pending.

Supreme Court decisions are final, but Rong Chhun said he and his attorney would study the verdict in detail to decide whether there would be a chance to ask Cambodia's King Norodom Sihamoni for a pardon.

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Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press reporter Anton L. Delgado contributed to this report from Bangkok.

Her unapologetically expansive, left-wing agenda includes subsidized or even free childcare, increased down payment assistance for homebuyers and community resources to reduce crime, plus a promise to aggressively confront President Donald Trump's attempts to reshape the nation's capital.

“People are tired of hearing what government can’t do. They want to hear what government can do,” Lewis George said in an interview before the city's primary, where she defeated her Democratic opponents and positioned herself to win the general election in November in a city dominated by Democrats.

Lewis George's victory signals a break with a quarter-century of centrist governance in Washington, and it puts her in the vanguard of democratic socialists who have ascended in urban politics over the last year. Zohran Mamdani toppled Andrew Cuomo, the scion of a political dynasty, on his way to becoming New York City mayor. Katie Wilson won an upset victory to lead Seattle last fall. And this month, Nithya Raman clinched a spot in the November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

All of them are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA. The political organization has seen its membership ranks swell from a few thousand to more than 100,000 nationwide over the last decade after an influx of younger Americans joined following the presidential bids of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, also a self-described democratic socialist.

There's little sign of national coordination among the candidates, and it’s unclear whether voters are gravitating toward their promises of improved government services, their vows to fight the Trump administration or their critiques of capitalism.

But from coast to coast, confrontational progressives are advancing in mayoral races. City leaders can draw outsized attention for their successes and failures, and democratic socialists will be under pressure from residents to deliver on their vows for a new kind of governance. Whether that translates to national politics is a next test for their movement.

“They are all channeling a displeasure with a status quo and a serious desire for economic populism that the establishment Democratic Party hasn't been preaching,” said Eric Stern, a Democratic strategist with Fight Agency, a political consulting firm that strategized Mamdani's mayoral campaign.

Stern added that Democratic voters appeared more willing to support the most progressive candidate in mayoral races rather than in contests for the U.S. House. Candidates like Mamdani and Raman, Stern said, are “daring voters to dream and fall in love not just with the individual candidates but also the political process as a whole.”

A rising left navigates America's urban challenges

The trend of progressives surging in urban areas may have limits for its broader impact on Democratic politics. Democratic mayors in cities including Atlanta, Houston, Miami and San Francisco won on relatively moderate platforms in recent years.

Progressive have also faced noteworthy challenges. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was endorsed by the city's DSA chapter during his 2023 mayoral run but has since faced criticism from both moderate and liberal local leaders on issues such as immigration, the local budget and public safety. Recalls and public pressure ousted progressives elected to district attorney offices in multiple jurisdictions over the last five years, when criminal justice reform efforts ran into dissatisfaction over public disorder following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump's hardline immigration and law enforcement tactics have also become a challenge for liberal cities. The president's agenda poses an especially serious threat to Washington, D.C., because of its status as a federal territory.

“Maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis,” Trump told reporters this month when asked about the potential election of a democratic socialist as the district's mayor. “We won’t put up with it.”

But progressives hope the current wave of anti-Trump furor in deep blue cities across the country will help buoy the chances of those on the hard left.

“It’s not folks looking for the leftmost option so much as looking for a candidate who’s gonna be on their side,” said Ravi Mangla, speaking for the left-wing Working Families Party. The party often endorses the same candidates as the DSA and is readying to target more mayoral offices in the country's biggest metropolises this fall and in 2028.

“It’s less about whether you are on the right or on the left so much as whether you are willing to punch up at the powerful,” he added.

Mamdani and Lewis George are both self-described “sewer socialists” who emphasize the need for responsive government services rather than critiques of market economics. The phrase recalls the socialist Gilded Age mayors whom critics derided as too preoccupied with managing public works projects.

The term's revival is partly a strategic move to align leftist ideas with concerns over affordability and the economy, voters' top concern in the midterm elections, and shift the public perception of democratic socialists from firebrands who support radical policies to independent-minded public servants.

“This is absolutely a change election and I’m excited to bring the change that people want, which is really putting people first in the city and having the moral clarity and courage to stand up to Trump,” Lewis George said.

For voters the ‘socialist’ label did not seem to matter

While conservatives have used the “socialist” label to attack Democrats as extreme or incompetent, some D.C. voters appeared ambivalent before Tuesday's primary.

Several lifelong residents said they believed Lewis George was a “fighter” but didn't think she'd have much of an impact on the local economy, given the city's status as a federal district.

“I go back and forth on my own labels and whether I am supportive of that movement or not, but I am supportive of making D.C. more affordable,” Owen Fitzgerald, a University of Maryland graduate student, said of his support for democratic socialism.

Fitzgerald voted for Lewis George because she would stand up to Trump and said he'd first learned of her campaign from friends in his neighborhood. But he didn't know she was a democratic socialist until he saw news reports describing her with the label.

“It sends a cultural message to this administration that the people who are surrounding them in the capital are opposed to their platform, opposed to their political agenda, and I think that it will send a message, both nationally and internationally,” Fitzgerald said.

Iranian officials did not travel as planned to Switzerland, insisting that Israel strikes on Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants Lebanon must stop before the talks can take place, according to three regional officials and a person familiar with the matter. They were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing mediation to try to get the talks rescheduled and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The situation was fluid as Israel and Lebanon agreed on Friday to renew their ceasefire, according to a U.S. official and regional officials. It remains to be seen whether that could help put the U.S.-Iran talks back on track.

In Washington, President Donald Trump lashed out once again in the midst of the intensified fighting in Lebanon and the stalled nuclear talks.

“We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did,” Trump wrote in a social media post Friday. “They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!”

Vance was ready for Swiss talks

Trump's vice president, JD Vance, had been prepared to make an overnight flight to meet with his Iranian counterparts at a mountainside resort in the tiny Swiss village of Obbürgen and begin the technical talks.

Vance's staff and a small group of journalists had gathered at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington in anticipation of the trip. Dozens of White House officials, advance staffers and more media were already in Switzerland.

Then the trip was called off — abruptly and for the time being.

A White House statement said Vance, tapped by Trump to lead the negotiations, decided to postpone his travel. It made no mention of the escalating violence in Lebanon.

“The logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable,” the statement said.

But, according to officials, the Iranians made clear to the White House that they had balked at starting the talks with Vance because of the Israeli action in Lebanon.

Fighting in southern Lebanon intensifies

The fighting had intensified with at least 18 killed by Israeli airstrikes, while four Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon, officials said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s military would stay in a “security zone” of southern Lebanon as long as “Israel’s security needs require it.”

Israel and Hezbollah are not parties to the U.S.-Iran agreement.

Iran insists Israel must withdraw from the large swath of southern Lebanon it is occupying, but the wording of the interim deal does not explicitly require that and only ensures Lebanon’s “territorial integrity.”

Hours before postponing his trip, Vance gave some indication of the state of flux when he told reporters at a White House briefing that he was uncertain if the talks were going to happen this weekend.

“We think these technical negotiations start sometime this weekend," Vance said. "That’s still the plan. But that could change.”

Soon after Vance spoke to reporters, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, endorsed direct negotiations with the United States. His terse statement, read by state media, appeared to signal to the Islamic Republic’s leadership that it could move forward with a first round of talks.

“It is obvious that the face-to-face negotiations that will be held in the future will not mean accepting the enemy’s opinion,” Khamenei said.

The messaging seemed to give Khamenei, who was badly wounded in the U.S. strike on Feb. 28 that killed his father, some maneuverability. Hard-liners in the Iranian government, including Khamenei’s father, long opposed direct talks with the White House, especially after Trump, during his first term, pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by Democratic President Barack Obama's administration.

The meeting was initially supposed to be a signing ceremony

Vance was initially expected to go to Switzerland to sign the agreement at a formal ceremony. Instead, Trump signed the document Wednesday during a glitzy dinner at the Palace of Versailles with French President Emmanuel Macron. Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, separately signed the agreement.

It says Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is believed to be buried under rubble left by U.S. military strikes last year targeting Tehran’s key nuclear sites, must at minimum be diluted under international supervision.

It also says Iran shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons — a commitment Tehran has made previously. Other commitments remain to be worked out.

Iran believes it's in a strong negotiating position

Iranians would be going into the talks with a measure of confidence after effectively shutting down the strait, causing global economic reverberations, said Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities in Washington.

She said the U.S. is now “essentially trying to negotiate our way back to the prewar status quo."

Neil Quilliam, an associate fellow with the Middle East and North Africa Program at Chatham House think tank, said the “buoyant” Iranian leadership feels it has the upper hand. The endorsement of the talks by the Iranian supreme leader “sends a very strong signal domestically: ’We’re now on an equal footing with the U.S.'”

”‘Trump has gone from calling for regime change on Feb. 28 to this: Now they’re going to sit down with us directly and talk about these big issues,'” Quilliam said of the Iranians' thinking. “So it’s intended more for the domestic audience, and telling them: ‘We are firmly in control of this. There can be no protests, no revolution: We are a new regime and we’re staying put.’”

Vance has to negotiate through political division

For Vance, a likely 2028 presidential contender, how the negotiations play out could have enormous ramifications for his political fortunes.

Vance's skepticism of foreign wars was a core part of his political identity during his political rise, which included election as a U.S. senator. Now he finds himself the chief defender of negotiating an endgame to Trump's conflict that Democrats have largely derided as a foolish gambit. Some hawkish Republicans are aghast that Trump is getting behind a settlement that could put billions of dollars into Iran's coffers.

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said aspects of the deal are “completely out of step” with Trump's goals.

Trump fiercely criticized Obama for the 2015 nuclear agreement, which Trump argued failed to stop Tehran from advancing toward a weapon and funneled billions of dollars to the Islamic Republic. The Republican president exited the U.S. from the deal in 2018.

Trump has pushed back against comparisons to that earlier agreement, saying he had “negotiated from strength” after a major military campaign while asserting that Obama was paying the Iranians off and not receiving acquiescence.

Wicker, R-Miss., was particularly concerned about the $300 billion fund for the reconstruction and economic development of Iran mentioned in the 14-point agreement. Trump and Vance have said no U.S. taxpayer money would go to such a fund and it would not come without concessions and reforms by Tehran.

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Magdy reported from Cairo.

“In years to come, as people walk down Hollywood Boulevard, they’ll come across my star,” he said to the assembled crowd. “And unless they’re related to me, they’ll ask: ‘Who the hell was that guy?’”

Yet at a time of perpetual upheaval in Hollywood, the unflashy Meledandri has created and shaped one of Hollywood’s most consistent blockbuster-making operations. Family-friendly movies are fueling the box office like never before, and Illumination is at the forefront of it.

Since Illumination’s first release, 2010’s “Despicable Me,” the animation studio has accounted for more than $11 billion in global box office. Its “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is the sole $1 billion movie of 2026 so far. Illumination’s next release, “Minions & Monsters,” which premieres Sunday at the Annecy Film Festival in France, stands a good chance of equaling it.

The Minions — Illumination’s answer to Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny — have done a lot to drive that success. But the studio, a division of Universal Pictures, has expanded to include the “Mario” movies with Nintendo, an upcoming “Barbie” animated movie with Mattel and earlier franchises like “Sing” and “The Secret Lives of Pets.” If Illumination is synonymous with anything, it’s good cartoony fun.

“From the outset, we really wanted to make films that would be joyous above everything else,” Meledandri said in an interview. “I found myself working with filmmakers who appreciated that Looney Tunes style of cartooning integrated into the creation of these animated films today.”

“Minions & Monsters,” which opens in theaters July 1, may be Illumination’s ultimate goofy romp. In the seventh of the “Despicable Me” movies and the third “Minions” standalone feature, the Minions become filmmakers. “Minions & Monsters” has the gumption to give some of the most chaos-inducing creatures, who have mishandled every diabolical device ever handed to them, a camera.

Set in the 1920s Golden Age of Hollywood, the movie has a lot of fun putting the Minions alongside silent slapstick classics like Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” and Harold Lloyd’s “Safety Last!” Jeff Bridges voices a studio head. It's the Minions' answer to “The Muppet Movie.” James, the most creative Minion, is listed as its director — at least in a first draft of the end credits.

The Minions go behind the camera

The movie’s real director, though, is Pierre Coffin, an Illumination veteran who has directed many of its movies and who famously voices the Minions. But Coffin has had a complicated relationship with the Minions ever-expanding world domination, and Meledandri knew he was reluctant to return. But this is an executive who, as a producer, managed to reunite the cast of DreamWorks' “Shrek” for a fifth movie due out next year.

“He called me one weekend and he said, ’You’re going to say no but I’ve got to ask,” Coffin, speaking from Paris, says. “He said: ‘It’s Minions wanting to make a monster movie. They conjure monsters but then that creation turns on them and the Earth.’”

“He got me at ‘Minions making movies,’” adds Coffin. “From that moment, I just had questions.”

The movie, opening two weeks after Pixar’s “Toy Story 5,” will be a new test of just how much of a powerhouse Illumination has become. After a stint running Fox’s animation division and making the “Ice Age” films, Meledandri founded the company, relying heavily on a group of artists at a Paris animation company then called Mac Guff. While Illumination is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, much of its movie production takes place in Paris.

With its collaborations now stretching to Japan, via Nintendo, a globalization defines Illumination — fitting given the international word salad gibberish of the Minions.

“An objective from day one, when I started the company, was to have the complexion of creative leadership reflect our desire to make films for the entire world, as opposed to being so American-centric,” says Meledandri.

But Meledandri never set out to rival Disney or Pixar. “Those goals just felt unrealistically ambitious,” he says. Instead, Meledandri freed filmmakers and animators to make movies about antic antiheroes. He targeted subversive comedy, not poignancy. You’re likely to laugh at an Illumination movie. Crying? Not so much.

That approach has made Illumination a box-office behemoth. (Universal’s output deal with Netflix, after the movies first stream on Peacock, also boosts its films' audience.) But awards love has eluded the company. Illumination has never won an Oscar, a historical fact jokingly nodded to in “Minions & Monsters.” Only one release ("Despicable Me 2") has been nominated for best animated feature.

But with its abiding affection for moviemaking, “Minions & Monsters” could find wider industry support. Even George Lucas lends his voice to the film.

Making blockbusters on a budget

Regardless, “Minions & Monsters” is something rare in today’s movie world: It's almost certain to be profitable. Since producing the 2000 box-office bomb “Titan A.E.” at Fox, Meledandri has made fiscal discipline a religion. “Everyone’s expectation was that I would be fired,” he says. “I probably should have been fired.”

While $200 million-plus budgets still drive many blockbusters, even big-budget filmmakers like James Cameron have warned that production costs need to be scaled down for leaner times. “Minions & Monsters” cost a relatively modest $85 million to make. Illumination’s most expensive movie, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,” cost a not-extreme $110 million. “Toy Story 5,” on the other hand, carries a $250 million budget.

“In 19 years, I cannot remember a single conversation where a director came back and said: We need more money. It’s just not part of our ethos,” Meledandri says. “It may be: How are we going to solve this problem? Or: We can’t get this done by this date. But it’s never: We need more money.”

Some in Hollywood see generative AI as a promising new way to keep expenses down, but Meledandri isn’t sold yet.

“My main focus right now is the preservation of jobs and at the expense of being the most technologically advanced,” he says. “It always feels better to be part of a front of a wave as opposed to a Luddite. But in this case, we’re not pushing AI into our pipeline.”

“I do not believe that a sufficient answer is, ‘Well, we’ve had technological advances before and people were worried yet it all was fine and things kept surging forward,’” Meledandri continues. “None of those other technologies had agency.”

Animation big wigs have often been ubiquitous presences. But neither Jeffrey Katzenberg, of DreamWorks, nor John Lasseter, of Pixar, remain at the animation studios they once defined. The 67-year-old Meledandri, who grew up on Manhattan's Upper East Side, is the unlikely heavyweight — the “big boss” of the Minion empire.

His entry to the movie business first began when a customer of his father's men's clothing store hired him as an assistant on “Footloose.” His second big break came producing the 1993 Disney hit “Cool Runnings.” Now he finds himself running a once-underdog animation studio with an almost unblemished track record.

The competition that worries him isn't Disney or Pixar, though, but short-form content.

“It’s got to force us to be more imaginative and more surprising and to reach further than storytelling that could feel safe because it’s worked before,” says Meledandri. “In ‘Minions & Monsters,’ what Pierre Coffin has done is made a movie that is so wildly imaginative and unexpected that it’s exactly where I would wish Illumination to be in this moment in time.”

Dressed in military-style camouflage, the members of the National Coordinating Committee of the Bolivarian Army placed their weapons on a table during a formal ceremony in the department of Putumayo, which borders Ecuador. The group is a dissident faction of the defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

Now disarmed, the dissidents will enter a temporary resettlement zone where the government intends to facilitate their gradual reintegration into civilian life. The government in a statement explained that they “will have their freedom restricted and will be under the control and supervision” of authorities.

“We laid down the iron rifle because we understand that words are a more powerful weapon,” dissident leader Geovany Andrés Rojas said as part of the ceremony. He made the remarks remotely from jail, where he is being held after being captured last year when the group was engaged in peace talks with the government.

His arrest took place in connection with an Interpol Red Notice for drug trafficking charges in the United States. Rojas on Thursday said his capture undermined the confidence of the rank and file but did not derail the dialogue process.

Petro, a former rebel leader and Colombia’s first progressive president, is negotiating with the dissident faction as part of his signature “total peace” policy, which has opened parallel peace negotiations with multiple armed groups. The effort has largely failed.

The dissident groups emerged from factions that did not accept the historic peace agreement signed a decade ago by the state and FARC, formerly Latin America’s oldest guerrilla group. The country is estimated to have 27,000 illegally armed group members, according to a 2025 report by the Ideas for Peace Foundation, a think tank focused on the internal conflict.

Last week, Petro established a monitoring mechanism for the temporary relocation zone and ordered the suspension of offensive military and special police operations to allow the dissidents to enter the designated area.

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Records show Belle Cuisine Caribbean Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale has been inspected 14 times since December 2023, with seven of those inspections resulting in follow-up visits.

Inspection reports also show a recurring pattern of violations involving employee food-safety training and food manager certification dating back to 2023.

The restaurant was ordered closed June 8 after inspectors reported evidence of rodent activity along with multiple other violations.

Records show La Parrilla Liberty in Miami Beach has been inspected 12 times since October 2023, with four inspections resulting in follow-up visits. The restaurant was ordered closed June 12 after inspectors reported live roach activity and several other violations.

No kitchens in the Florida Keys were ordered shut last week.

**BELLE CUISINE CARIBBEAN RESTAURANT

1952 NW 9TH AVE.

FORT LAUDERDALE

ORDERED SHUT 6/8

16 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. -Observed approximately 30 rodent droppings on top of reach in cooler. -Observed 12 rodent droppings inside reach in cooler next to steam table.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed accumulation of old food residues buildup on walls throughout kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

“Food stored on floor. -Observed various food items stored on kitchen floor. Operator removed and stored on shelf.”

“Stored food not covered. -Observed containers with cooked chicken, pork and turkey stored in reach in cooler. Note: Unit used for long term storage.”

“Manager or person in charge lacking proof of food manager certification. Observed no proof of certified food manager certification available. Repeat Violation.”

“No proof of required state approved employee training provided for any employees.”

“No soap provided at handwash sink in kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

**LA PARRILLA LIBERTY ARGENTINIAN GRILL

1255 WASHINGTON ST.

MIAMI BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 6/12

9 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed seven live roaches crawling on the wall by three compartment sink behind an exit sign in kitchen area.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed at prep area can opener blade soiled with food debris.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed fan cover at walk in cooler soiled with dust and mold like substance.”

“Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed at walk in cooler salmon thawed in its original ROP package.”

Farrell dives deep into the human experience through the title character, anchoring a role built around a unique, out-of-this-world twist that keeps viewers guessing.

El encuentro, impulsado por Washington, busca abordar “una agenda que servirá de hoja de ruta para un diálogo político orientado a una transición democrática”, indicó en un comunicado el vocero del Departamento de Estado, Tommy Pigott.

“Estados Unidos entiende que dicha agenda contempla prioridades clave, tales como la reconstrucción de las instituciones democráticas de Venezuela, el fortalecimiento del Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE), el restablecimiento de garantías duraderas para la participación política y la salvaguardia de las libertades cívicas esenciales para un debate político abierto”, destacó el escrito publicado en la página web del Departamento de Estado.

“Se trata del primer paso de lo que será un proceso reflexivo y deliberado para lograr una sociedad venezolana libre y abierta”, añadió.

Después de que fuerzas estadounidenses capturaron a Maduro y a su esposa en una operación militar la madrugada del 3 de enero, el gobierno del presidente Donald Trump se ha propuesto un plan de “tres fases”, que incluye la estabilización, recuperación y transición democrática del país.

Tras el encuentro del jueves, que se realizó en la sede de la Asamblea Nacional en Caracas, no hubo declaraciones de Rodríguez, hermano de la presidenta encargada Delcy Rodríguez, ni de Figuera, que regresó ese día al país luego de casi ocho años en el exilio.

En un breve comunicado emitido horas después, la Asamblea Nacional señaló que durante el encuentro se designó una mesa técnica y política paritaria, con miras a que contribuya al “fortalecimiento de la democracia” y “la consolidación de la paz”, sin dar otros detalles.

En una reunión virtual en 2023, Figuera fue escogida para ser representante de los exlegisladores opositores de la Asamblea Nacional de 2015, cuyo mandato de cinco años concluyó a finales de 2020. Ese poder legislativo de 2015, de mayoría opositora, fue considerado ampliamente en su momento la última institución de Venezuela elegida democráticamente.

Burnham decisively won the seat of Makerfield in northwestern England over Rob Kenyon of the anti-immigration party Reform UK. He called his victory a chance for Britain “to turn the tide.”

The result cements the status of Burnham, a 56-year-old politician nicknamed the King of the North, as the top contender to replace Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and the country. Burnham won almost 55% of the 45,510 votes cast for a field of more than a dozen candidates, over 9,000 more than runner-up Kenyon.

Burnham’s acceptance speech left no doubt that he wants to lead the country, and not just be one of the more than 400 Labour lawmakers in the 650-seat House of Commons.

“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working," he said. "Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.”

Starmer congratulated Burnham, writing on X that voters “chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.”

But the prime minister insisted he would fight any attempt to oust him.

“Yes, I will run, I will stand,” if there is a Labour leadership contest, Starmer said. "I’ve said repeatedly I’m not going to walk away from that.”

Burnham says he's the candidate of change

Burnham has led Manchester since 2017, overseeing rapid regeneration for the city where the Industrial Revolution was forged. He is pledging to repeat his signature brand of “Manchesterism” on a national scale.

Burnham said he would work to ensure that “the name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs.”

He told supporters and campaign workers on Friday that "we are going to lay out a new path for Britain.”

“We need an economy that works for everybody, not a few in far-off places from here,” he said. “We have an opportunity to turn the tide, to make the country feel like it’s working again, to make people see that politics can make a positive difference, to make people feel hope again.”

Earlier, in his victory speech, he said Labour had “a final chance to change" and win back voters' trust.

“But it is a chance now, from this result tonight, to build a new politics based on unity and hope, turning away from the path that takes us to a divided, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States,” he said.

Voters in Makerfield, who have been the focus of international media attention during the five-week campaign, were aware their votes carried unusual weight.

“I voted Andy Burnham because I don’t believe Keir Starmer has done a good job," said Ernest Sherman, 70. "So I voted tactically knowing that Andy Burnham has a chance to replace Starmer. So it will still be Labour, but he will have different views.”

Labour is in power but unpopular

Starmer’s popularity has cratered since he led the center-left Labour Party to a landslide election victory in July 2024.

He has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living, and been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as the U.K. ambassador to the United States.

Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party, and facing a rising Reform UK, which consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls. The Nigel Farage -led party has rapidly gained ground in post-industrial northern England areas like Makerfield, some 200 miles (320 kilometers) northwest of London.

Burnham’s resounding victory gives Labour new hope of stopping the Reform tide. Farage acknowledged he was “disappointed, no question about it,” with the result.

A dismal performance by Labour in May’s local elections spurred scores of lawmakers to demand Starmer’s resignation. Wes Streeting resigned as health secretary in May, saying that “where we need vision, we have a vacuum.” Streeting has said he will run in a leadership contest if there is one.

Then Josh Simons, the Labour lawmaker for Makerfield, stepped down to trigger a special election and give Burnham the chance to return to Parliament.

Britain’s parliamentary system allows governing parties to change leaders midterm, with the winner becoming prime minister without the need for a national election. Under Labour rules, a lawmaker can challenge the leader if they have backing from a fifth of the party’s House of Commons lawmakers — a number that stands at 81.

Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said defeating Reform UK strengthens Burnham’s claim to be Labour’s biggest asset.

“The narrative he can bring is, ‘No one else could have won that seat. I won that. I bring something unique. I bring an ability to renew our appeal,’” Ford said.

Burnham’s victory piles pressure on Starmer to quit

Burnham will head to London to be sworn in as a lawmaker as soon as Monday. He’s likely to seek a meeting with Starmer to argue that the prime minister should exit gracefully and set a timetable for his departure.

Labour lawmaker Louise Haigh, a Burnham ally, said Starmer should “do what’s best for both the country and the Labour Party” and “consider an orderly and managed transition.”

“Andy won’t be doing anything rash or hasty,” she told Sky News. “I’m really hopeful the prime minister and Andy can come to an agreement.”

Starmer insisted on Friday that he was elected on a “mandate for change” and would carry on with it.

Earlier this week he suggested that he could offer Burnham a Cabinet post, an idea rebuffed by Burnham's allies.

Despite his stubborn determination, Starmer could be forced out if several members of the Cabinet tell him the game is up and quit, or threaten to quit, in protest.

There could then be a leadership contest, or a coronation, depending on whether other potential candidates think Burnham has an unassailable lead.

“When things begin to slide away from a prime minister, they begin to slide away very, very quickly," said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London.

“Over the weekend there will be all sorts of talks behind closed doors, mainly I suspect people trying to persuade Keir Starmer ... that the game is up."

___

Lawless reported from London. Associated Press writer Danica Kirka contributed to this story.

Koné injured his left leg when Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo tackled him from behind in the second half, sending the 24-year-old to the ground. Koné grimaced and players rushed to his aid, calling for help from the sidelines.

Madibo was sent off for the tackle on Koné, who was protectively surrounded by his teammates while he was treated on the field before he was stretchered off.

“I saw his leg. I saw that something wasn’t right,” Canada captain Stephen Eustáquio said. He was among one of the first players to reach Koné.

Koné was whisked to a local hospital were he was preparing for surgery while surrounded by family, Canada coach Jesse Marsch said. He said the injury happened right in front of the bench, and you could hear the “bones snap."

“Everybody was crushed when it happened, but we had to find a way to stay focused, we knew that Ismaël wanted us to finish the job," Marsch said. "There’s a lot of thoughts that go through our heads right now, we’re all thinking about him, but we’re all very proud of what we are.”

Marsch added that Madibo personally apologized to Koné.

Madibo's red card left Qatar to play with nine men, after teammate Homam Ahmed was sent off in the first half.

Fewer than 10 minutes later, Koné’s replacement, Nathan Saliba, scored Canada’s fourth goal in the 6-0 win and held up Koné’s jersey in an emotional tribute.

Canada striker Jonathan David, who scored a hat trick, questioned the need for the tackle on Koné.

“If there’s a play where you cannot win the ball, there’s no point,” he said. “It’s just to hurt people.”

The details of Koné’s injury have not yet been disclosed. His lower left leg looked visibly broken in photos after the incident.

“We’re going to miss (Koné),” Eustáquio said. “He has that X factor that our team really needs.”

__

Connor Joyce and Drew Renner are students in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

Midway through his round Thursday, the leaderboard showed that the amateur was playing the best golf of anyone at Shinnecock Hills.

Cowan, a 21-year-old who will be a senior at Oklahoma, briefly held the lead in his first major championship before finishing with a 2-under 68, matching the lowest round by an amateur at Shinnecock. He was tied for second when the first round was suspended because of darkness.

“Through nine, I looked up and I was 3-under par,” Cowan said. “I definitely looked at that leaderboard, and I saw it up there.”

A couple bogeys on his second nine knocked him back, but with the sun setting, Cowan finished strong shortly before play was stopped for the day. Playing the ninth hole, he hit his approach to 5 feet and knocked in the putt for his fourth birdie of the round.

Starting on the back, he had three of them in his first eight holes, moving to 3-under and into the lead after his birdie at the par-3 17th.

“I feel like I started well. I got some momentum from that,” Cowan said. "I knew, if I could get through those holes, I had a couple easy holes coming in.

"I hit it good all day, put myself in good positions throughout the day.

Cowan was four shots behind Wyndham Clark, in position to be the first amateur to finish a U.S. Open round in the top five since Brian Campbell was tied for fourth after the first round in 2015. The group he is tied with includes past U.S. champions Dustin Johnson, Matt Fitzpatrick, Gary Woodland and Jon Rahm.

Cowan earned his trip to Shinnecock through a qualifier at BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, shooting 6-under 138 and then surviving a three-man playoff for two spots. The other was earned by 17-year-old Miles Russell, who also played well Thursday and finished at 2 over while playing in a group with three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, 54.

Cowan said the practice he did to prepare had him believing he would play well. But playing on his home course looks and sounds much different than what he faced at Shinnecock.

“I think that I’ve really just been trying this week to focus on each shot, especially today. One at a time, not worry about what’s going on in the crowds or everything,” Cowan said. “I’m not used to all these crowds. We don’t ever really play with a lot of crowds.”

If he can keep up his strong play, he might have a big one following him around on the weekend.

“I feel like all the work I put in every single day gives me that belief that I can come out here and play with anyone and the guys that I surround myself with,” Cowan said.

___

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

El jefe de despacho de González, Francisco Domenech, es el más reciente funcionario en quedar atrapado en una investigación de alto nivel tras la renuncia el mes pasado del jefe de desarrollo económico de Puerto Rico, Sebastián Negrón, quien acusó al gobierno de interferir con el trabajo de la agencia. Otros funcionarios también renunciaron a la agencia mientras intenta atraer nuevos inversionistas a una isla que experimenta apagones crónicos y otros problemas.

Domenech también se desempeña como director ejecutivo de la Autoridad de Asesoría Financiera y Agencia Fiscal de Puerto Rico.

Domenech presentó declaraciones juradas contra Negrón ante el Departamento de Justicia de Puerto Rico y su Oficina de Ética Gubernamental el miércoles, en las que hizo señalamientos de corrupción y conflictos de interés. Domenech justificó sus acciones en una entrevista con WIPR, una estación de televisión gubernamental, el jueves.

Domenech manifestó que no actuó sino hasta esta semana porque tomó tiempo recopilar lo que, según él, es evidencia contra Negrón, a quien la gobernadora ha descrito como “una estrella” mientras lamentaba su renuncia a finales de mayo.

Las acusaciones contra Domenech, que son investigadas por una agencia estatal independiente, han llamado la atención del Congreso de Estados Unidos, y legisladores federales interrogaron a la gobernadora sobre el tema el miércoles.

“¿Cómo puede el Congreso tener la certeza de que los fondos federales enviados a Puerto Rico no se están utilizando indebidamente o malversando?”, preguntó el senador republicano Mike Lee, de Utah, durante una audiencia de comisiones.

González afirmó que existe una supervisión estricta sobre los fondos federales y añadió que las acusaciones contra Domenech son falsas. Cuando Lee le preguntó por qué Negrón acusaría a Domenech, ella respondió: “No sé qué motivaciones políticas pueda tener”.

Mientras tanto, el presidente del Senado de Puerto Rico, Thomas Rivera Schatz, integrante del partido de la gobernadora, pidió el miércoles la renuncia de Domenech. Rivera Schatz ofreció inmunidad legislativa a Domenech y a cualquier otra persona el jueves “si confiesan sus delitos y producen resultados que erradiquen la corrupción”.

La entrevista de Domenech marcó sus primeros comentarios públicos desde que Negrón lo acusó de irregularidades relacionadas con el trámite de contratos y de una injerencia gubernamental indebida. Negrón también remitió al Departamento de Justicia y a su Oficina de Ética Gubernamental los hallazgos de una investigación interna encabezada por la agencia de desarrollo económico contra dos funcionarios del gobierno acusados de interferir en el proceso de una licitación que involucra fondos federales.

Domenech presentó sus declaraciones juradas después de que supuestos mensajes de texto privados entre él y Negrón se hicieran públicos a principios de esta semana. Algunos de los supuestos mensajes reflejan presión para encontrar puestos dentro de la agencia de desarrollo económico para leales acérrimos de González que trabajaron en su campaña. Domenech también alegó que Negrón sabía que estaba siendo investigado.

En un comunicado emitido el jueves, Negrón calificó de falsas las acusaciones de Domenech en su contra.

“Lo más preocupante de lo ocurrido hoy no es el ataque contra mi persona, sino el mensaje que se envía a todo servidor público que presencia irregularidades y decide denunciarlas”, expresó Negrón.

También sostuvo que empresas que han invertido en Puerto Rico han sido arrastradas al escándalo.

“Puerto Rico necesita fortalecer la confianza de quienes invierten, producen y generan oportunidades, no convertirlos en daños colaterales de disputas o vendettas personales o políticas”, afirmó Negrón.

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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 team announced before Thursday night's game against the Athletics that the 11-time All-Star was placed on the 10-day IL due to a right hamstring strain. The Angels recalled infielder Christian Moore from Triple-A Salt Lake among a flurry of moves.

Trout told MLB.com that the injury occurred when he was running to first base Wednesday in the Angels' 8-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“From last night to today, it’s a night-and-day difference, so that’s positive for me,” Trout told MLB.com. “I was a little worried last night, but had a plane ride and just sitting down after playing, so that kind of came into effect. But feels way better today, so I’m not overly concerned about it. But I’m going to do everything I can in that training room and the weight room to get back.”

Injuries have hindered Trout for much of this decade. Since winning his third AL MVP award in 2019, Trout has played more than 82 games in a season just twice – 119 in 2022 and 130 in 2025.

The 34-year-old Trout had played in 74 of 75 games this year in a resurgent season. He's batting .234 with an .866 OPS, 17 homers, 36 RBIs and seven steals.

He entered Thursday with an AL-leading 54 runs, a total that was tied for second in the majors behind Washington’s James Wood. Trout's 66 walks also ranked second in the big leagues, behind the Athletics’ Nick Kurtz.

Trout had the second-highest vote count of any AL outfielder in the All-Star Game balloting totals that were released this week. He grew up near Philadelphia, where this year’s All-Star Game will take place next month.

The injury to Trout created an opportunity for Moore, who was hitting .333 with a .468 on-base percentage, nine homers, 45 RBIs and 10 steals in 51 games at Salt Lake while playing second base, third base and the outfield.

Moore hit .198 with a .284 on-base percentage, seven homers, 16 RBIs and three steals in 53 games with the Angels last season.

In other moves, the Angels recalled right-hander Ryan Johnson from Double-A Rocket City, released left-hander Drew Pomeranz and optioned right-hander Brett Kerry and catcher Logan Porter to Salt Lake.

___

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

Mitchell set a U.S. Open record Thursday at Shinnecock Hills when he became the only player to post a score in the 40s on nine holes, and follow that with a score in the 20s on the next nine.

He went 41-29. It added to an even-par 70, and Mitchell still isn't sure what happened. He was coming off a bogey on the par-5 16th, and his first thought was whether he would finish.

“I was thinking about trying to break 80,” he said. “I was just trying to keep in it in the fairway, on the green and maybe have a chance to make the cut. And then it all flipped.”

His 29 tied the Shinnecock Hills record for nine holes set by Neal Lancaster in 1995 (Lancaster is the only player to twice shoot 29 on nine holes in the U.S. Open).

How it started is something Mitchell would like to forget. He went over the par-4 10th green to start his round, took two chips and two putts and had a double bogey. He went over the green on the par-3 11th and made bogey. Going long is to be avoided on those holes.

“All week I've been told not to do that,” Mitchell said. “It's the sum of all fears.”

After a string of bogeys, he hit a good tee shot into the par-3 17th and two-putted for par. He hit another good iron on the 18th and two-putted for par, both of them in the 20-foot range.

Those pars sparked the turnaround.

“There's a lot less pressure when you're 6 over and you're just rocking and rolling,” he said.

He was rolling, all right. The wind switched and was at his back on the first hole, so his caddie suggested he hit driver.

“Best swing of the day,” Mitchell said. It led to birdie, and he was on his way.

He hit wedge to 3 feet on the third, holed a 10-footer for birdie on the fourth, and then hit his second shot to 12 feet on the par-5 fifth and made eagle. He closed out his remarkable round with an approach to 8 feet on the rough nine for his 29.

He might have taken a 70 at the start of the day. He certainly would have taken it after his opening seven holes.

“If you hit the fairway, you have a chance — I didn't do that very often on the back nine — and then you have a chance to get on the green,” Mitchell said.

He did that on the front nine, not missing a fairway and only missing the green on one of the long holes. And suddenly, the game felt easy.

“Fortunately, I hit it really, really well,” he said.

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

The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 211 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

As with most of the military’s statements on strikes in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed a boat speeding through the water before being struck and bursting into flames.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

Senators on Thursday demanded that the Pentagon release “unedited video” of the strikes. They have drawn intense scrutiny from some Democratic lawmakers and military legal scholars. The U.S. military’s first strike in early September drew particular concern from some lawmakers and those who study military law.

Two men on the boat initially survived the attack that killed nine others, and they were clinging to the wreckage when the vessel was struck again, killing them. The White House confirmed the follow-up strike, insisting it was done “in self-defense” to ensure the boat was destroyed and in accordance with the laws of armed conflict.

But some legal scholars said a second strike killing survivors would have been illegal under any circumstance, armed conflict or not.

The Pentagon’s watchdog said in May that it plans to look into whether the U.S. military followed an established targeting framework when carrying out the strikes. However, the evaluation is focused specifically on what’s known as the six-phase Joint Targeting Cycle and not on the legality of the strikes, the inspector general’s office said.

The Republican Senator was awarded for best constituent service by the bipartisan Congressional Management Foundation. The title is part of the group’s annual Democracy Awards, which recognizes the work of lawmakers and their offices to serve communities around the country.

The constituent service award is given to a member of each party to spotlight their high levels of assistance helping people in their home states access government resources and benefits. According to Moody, her office assisted nearly 9,000 Floridians in the last year, including more than 1,000 veterans and active-duty service members.

In an interview with Local 10 in Washington, Moody credited the persistent work of her staff and their commitment to serving the state.

“When I met with my staff, I personally said ‘I want you to treat every problem that comes in as if it a problem of yours,” Moody said. “many of them feel this as a calling, what they do on behalf of Floridians.”

Moody was appointed to her seat in the Senate last year by Gov. Ron Desantis, replacing Marco Rubio, who was tapped to serve as President Donald Trump’s Secretary of State.

The Constituent Service Award was also given to California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff. Democratic Rep. Sarah McBride of Delaware and Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California were given the award in the House.

State Sen. Aisha Wahab and Melissa Hernandez, a Bay Area Rapid Transit director who advanced Thursday, received the most votes in a crowded field of both Democrats and Republicans to move on to the Aug. 18 special general election.

Wahab had a lead in votes, but Hernandez said her path forward to August is “digging into the numbers, and going out to those areas where we know that we can secure votes."

“I connect to voters, and that’s one thing that is definitely different than my opponent," she said, reiterating her focus on bringing down costs for lower and middle class families. “We’re going to fight the good fight.”

Whoever wins the special election in August will fill Swalwell’s seat through January. At that time, the winner of the regular general election in November will take over for a full, two-year term. In this case, that will also be Wahab or Hernandez, who snagged the top two spots in the regular primary that was held on June 2, similarly locking out Republican challengers.

That means both candidates are running in two separate elections for California’s 14th Congressional District, which includes East Bay cities such as Fremont, Hayward and Livermore. It would’ve been an uphill fight for a Republican to win in the heavily Democratic district. The three top vote-getters in the special election were Democrats, with businesswoman and attorney Rakhi Israni Singh finishing behind Hernandez.

Whoever wins the special election in August will likely get a boost of visibility and a few months of experience in Congress that they can tout during the November general election campaign.

Wahab, who didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday, is an established presence in California politics as the Senate’s assistant majority leader. She has campaigned on a more progressive platform and has detailed her track record in public office.

That includes expanding social safety net programs and renter protections, promoting social justice issues and pledging to support small businesses by cutting bureaucratic hurdles.

Hernandez, who was the former mayor of the East Bay city of Dublin, has highlighted similar goals while emphasizing a business-friendly approach. For lowering costs, Hernandez said she would “prioritize growing small businesses” and promote incentives to build housing. She also would push to lower health insurance premiums by restoring insurance subsidies.

One of them will replace Swalwell after he served for seven terms before resigning in April and dropping his bid for California governor. That was prompted by a San Francisco Chronicle report of allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him.

CNN later reported that other women accused him of sending inappropriate messages and nude photos.

Swalwell, a Democrat, has repeatedly denied the accusations but said it would be unfair to his constituents to remain in Congress.

Preston Tolth pleaded guilty to robbing Begay and was sentenced on May 8 to five years in prison with credit for three years already served. He was released Monday, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Begay’s relatives, who expected Tolth to remain in custody until at least 2028, said they were shocked when they heard Monday. The eldest of her three children, Gerald Begay, learned of Tolth’s release while wrapping up his workday on a construction site and reflecting on the somber anniversary of his mother’s still-unsolved disappearance.

“This is just another slap in the face," Begay said.

Begay, a prolific weaver of Navajo-style rugs and a grandmother of nine, was 62 when she disappeared from Sweetwater on the Navajo Nation. Family and community members searched for her, pressured law enforcement for action and drew national media attention to the case that’s been symbolic of the crisis of violence against Indigenous people.

Shortened sentence

Scott Taylor, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said Tolth received credit for good conduct while incarcerated and under a statute that counts time served after the commission of a crime but before sentencing, including on unrelated charges.

“The release was calculated in full accordance with federal sentencing law and Bureau of Prisons policy,” Taylor said Thursday.

According to New Mexico court records, Tolth was incarcerated while facing multiple state charges between the time he robbed Begay on June 15, 2021, and his April 2023 arrest. Those separate charges ultimately were dismissed.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona and a public defender who represented Tolth confirmed the conditions of release but otherwise declined comment.

Mark Osler, an expert on sentencing at the University of St. Thomas, said the Federal Bureau of Prisons routinely shortens sentences to reduce overcrowding and recidivism. The bureau has no obligation to notify victims and their families of releases.

“What’s unfortunate here is the lack of communication,” Osler said. “These are people that have been hurt and society owes more to them.”

An elder vanished

On the morning of June 15, 2021, Begay's daughter, who lived next door to her, called 911 to report a break-in at her own home, according to the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. By the time officers arrived 90 minutes later, Begay told them the intruder had left and something else that struck her as odd: She had just seen her mother’s truck leave the driveway, even though it was well before sunrise.

According to the department, officers “checked on” Begay's house and noted that the doors were locked but did not confirm if Begay was home. Nine hours later, she was declared missing and tribal police began investigating.

Begay's family pointed law enforcement to Tolth, whose father was dating Begay's sister. Investigators twice interrogated him, and Tolth admitted stealing Begay's truck with her in it, repeatedly punching her in the face and leaving her on the road. He acknowledged he may have hit her hard enough to kill her.

But a federal judge later ruled that confession inadmissible, saying the FBI failed to honor Tolth's right to refuse questioning. Federal prosecutors then opted to negotiate an agreement rather than go to trial.

“A miscarriage of justice”

Court documents outlined an unstable childhood for Tolth, marked by homelessness, early substance abuse and parental neglect. A sentencing memo noted he planned to seek mental health treatment once out of prison. He is required to spend six months in a residential reentry center, better known as a halfway house, and will be supervised for three years, under his conditions of release.

The Associated Press left messages for several of Tolth's relatives on social media platforms this week seeking comment.

Begay's case received more resources and attention than most involving Indigenous people who are missing or have been killed, said Mary Kathryn Nagle, a Cherokee Nation citizen and attorney who has advocated for Begay's family. The timeline, however, is emblematic of widespread failures, she said.

“Most never have their case investigated at all,” Nagle said. “It’s troubling to see (Begay’s) case, even after making it this far, end in a miscarriage of justice.”

Begay has never been found. At the May sentencing hearing, Tolth's attorney said he made a good faith effort to lead investigators to where he left Begay when he fled in her truck.

On Monday, Begay's niece, Seraphine Warren, walked over 100 miles (161 kilometers) from Sweetwater to the Navajo Nation capital of Window Rock, Arizona, carrying one of her aunt's weavings to mark the anniversary of her disappearance. The news of Tolth's release “gutted” her after an emotional day, she said.

“That date will haunt us forever,” Warren said through tears. “Now it’s not just the day my auntie went missing, it’s the day we were told, ‘You aren’t worth anything.’”

——

This story is published through the Global Indigenous Reporting Network at The Associated Press.

Liu closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th at Blythefield Country Club. The 28-year-old player is winless on the LPGA Tour.

“Very happy I put myself on this position,” Liu said. “I think nothing to lose so I just do my best.”

American Jessica Porvasnik and Cassie Porter of Australia were a stroke back.

“Was definitely pretty windy, but kind of the wind direction I really liked out there,” Porvasnik said. “West-northwest kind of suited my game well.”

Jennifer Kupcho was at 68 with Youmin Hwang, Minji Kang, Nastasia Nadaud, Benedetta Moresco and Daniela Darquea.

“To start it was really windy," Kupcho said. “Had kind of bit of a stomach ache, so a little bit rough start to the beginning of the round.”

Amateur star Kiara Romero shot a 72 playing on a sponsor exemption. She's the No. 1 amateur in the world and was the low amateur at the U.S. Women’s Open, where she tied for sixth.

Defending champion Carlota Ciganda also opened with a 72.

Two-time winner Brooke Henderson had a 73. Second-ranked Jeeno Thitikul shot 74.

___

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

According to an annual defense authorization bill, filed this week, much of the travel funds for the defense secretary’s office may not be spent until Hegseth submits "unredacted civilian harm investigations," including for the Feb. 28, 2026, strike on the Minab school. Officials have preliminarily said the U.S. was responsible for the strike, which was blamed on outdated intelligence.

Congress, which conducts oversight of the Pentagon, has not yet received the Defense Department's report on the investigation. It is believed to have been completed last month.

Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that this year's annual defense package “forces the Secretary to be more accountable to Congress and will prevent many errors of the past from being repeated in the future.”

Strike on elementary school became a flashpoint

The bombing of the elementary school on the first day of the U.S. war against Iran killed more than 165 people, many of them children, at the campus adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base. It quickly became a focal point of the conflict.

Outdated intelligence likely led to the United States carrying out the missile strike, according to those familiar with the preliminary findings in March. If so, it would stand among the highest civilian casualty events caused by American military operations in the last two decades.

Senators from both parties tucked the new provisions blocking Hegseth's travel funds into the National Defense Authorization Act to force release of the investigation.

The Senate bill text said not more than 25% of the defense secretary’s travel funds may be spent until he submits the investigations, "including all relevant supporting documents,” for several incidents of civilian harm.

The Pentagon didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Senators also demand video of the boat strikes near Venezuela

Senators also are seeking to withhold Hegseth's travel funds until the Pentagon releases “unedited video” of the U.S. strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats near Venezuela.

The Pentagon has conducted a monthslong campaign of strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing at least 211 people so far. Many of the attacks have been captured on videos that the department announces by posting select footage on social media.

In at least one instance, survivors have been killed in follow-on strikes, which experts have said is at odds with military law and rules of engagement. Lawmakers also pressed for such video in last year's defense package.

Additionally, lawmakers are seeking three other investigations into a series of strikes in Yemen in April 2025. They were conducted during the U.S. military's campaign against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who were attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea.

The list of requested investigations includes a strike on a port that left at least 70 dead and more than 170 wounded and a strike on neighborhood in Sanaa, the rebel-held capital of Yemen, that hit a house, killing at least four people and wounding 16 others.

The casualty figures for both were provided by the Houthis.

At the time, U.S. Central Command didn’t answer questions relating to the strikes in Yemen. Following the port strike, it said it “was not intended to harm the people of Yemen.” Central Command argued it was intended to “eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years.”

Senators conduct oversight as part of sweeping defense bill

The reports being requested from the Pentagon are to be submitted to the Armed Services committees in the House and Senate.

The directive comes as part of the annual defense bill, a sprawling 1,500-page document that sets policy for the coming year. The package is compiled by both parties — Republicans, who hold the majority in the Senate, and Democrats in the minority.

It’s one of the rare bipartisan measures that is almost always approved by Congress.

The Senate Armed Services Committee advanced the measure last week, and it is now headed to the full Senate for a vote.

Trump bestowed the military's highest honor on Marine Corps Maj. James Capers Jr. and Army Maj. Nicholas Dockery. He also awarded it posthumously to Marine Corps Col. John W. Ripley, who died in 2008.

“These are great men, great people,” Trump said at the ceremony. “We thank you and we will never, ever forget you.”

Capers led a selfless rescue after a deadly ambush

Capers, 88, was honored for risking his life to ensure the safety of his fellow Marines after they were ambushed in Vietnam in 1967. What was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission to find a suspected North Vietnamese base camp turned into days of bloody fighting in dense jungle, according to his citation.

On the fourth day, his team was ambushed and outnumbered by Vietnamese fighters. A mine explosion left Capers with a broken leg and serious wounds to his abdomen.

“After a shot of morphine, Jim asserted command of the firefight,” Trump said, drawing on accounts of the mission. “He took over like nobody’s ever seen before.”

Capers called in air support to repel the ambush. When a rescue helicopter arrived, Capers loaded all the wounded men before climbing aboard.

Trump shared a moving moment with Capers as the president pinned the Medal of Honor around his neck, clasping Capers by the shoulders and pulling him forward to make sure the medal was straight and level against his chest. Capers had been keeping a straight face but broke into a smile when Trump grinned.

Ripley single-handedly laid explosives to destroy key bridge

Ripley was honored for a heroic effort to halt the advance of North Vietnamese forces by blowing up a crucial bridge in 1972.

A force of more than 30,000 North Vietnamese soldiers and 200 tanks was approaching the bridge in the village of Dong Ha when Ripley single-handedly placed 500 pounds of explosives to bring it down, according to his citation.

Over the course of five hours, Ripley climbed back and forth along the bridge's steel beams, exposing himself to enemy fire as he placed the charges.

“John completed not one, not two, but five such trips,” Trump said, calling him a “very strong guy.”

Ripley said a prayer, then detonated the bridge, sending it into the water below and halting the North Vietnamese advance, Trump said.

Ripley died in 2008. His three sons and other family members attended the ceremony.

Dockery rescued wounded soldiers before coordinating rescue

Dockery's platoon members were guarding a compound in Afghanistan's Kapisa Province in 2012 when they were ambushed by an estimated 150 Taliban fighters. He raced across open ground to rally his scattered team then set out to find missing soldiers, according to his citation.

After carrying a wounded soldier away from gunfire, he spotted two enemy fighters heading toward another wounded soldier in an alley. Dockery killed the two fighters before performing CPR on the American soldier to get him breathing again, his citation said. Dockery called in mortar support, then shielded the wounded soldier from the blasts with his own body.

After hours of fighting in the close urban setting, Dockery used smoke grenades to signal enemy positions for American gunships. He refused to leave the village until all the wounded soldiers were taken to safety.

“You were the last man to depart the battlefield that day," Trump told him, “and you left it a legend and a hero."

Friday will feature a sun/cloud mix, plus haze in some areas. Temperatures will make a run for the low 90s as southeast winds stir. Heat indices are likely to peak around 105 degrees. A few afternoon inland thunderstorms could develop.

The decision comes as a blow to NetChoice, which has won court victories against identical digital identification laws in other states, including Arkansas, Louisiana and Georgia. The trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other major tech companies said the Ohio decision went against “clear national consensus” and that it intended to keep fighting.

“An unconstitutional law protects no one, and we remain focused on ensuring the First Amendment rights of Ohioans are protected,” said Paul Taske, director of the NetChoice Litigation Center.

Netchoice brought suit against Ohio's law in 2024, arguing that it was overly broad, vague and represented an unconstitutional impediment to free speech.

The Cincinnati-based Sixth Circuit's panel disagreed. In a 2-1 decision, it found that the law was not unconstitutional and sent it back to a lower court to have a block on the law's enforcement vacated.

“At bottom, the Act imposes a parental consent requirement,” Judge Eric Clay wrote in the lead opinion. “That requirement constitutes a marginal burden that precisely targets the multi-faceted problem that Ohio has identified: Children’s unsupervised assent to terms and conditions for use of platforms that take advantage of and harm them.”

Judge Alice Batchelder concurred, writing that “a statute is not vague just because it has a wide berth.”

Known as the Social Media Parental Notification Act, the Ohio law was part of an $86.1 billion state budget bill that Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law in July 2023.

The administration pushed the measure as a way to protect children’s mental health, with then-Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, now a U.S. senator, saying at the time that social media was “intentionally addictive” and harmful to kids.

The law requires companies to get parental permission for social media and gaming apps and to provide their privacy guidelines so families know what content would be censored or moderated on their child’s profile.

Republican Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson called Thursday's ruling “a win for Ohio families.”

“The court agreed that parents –- not social media companies –- should get a say in what kids see online,” he said in a statement. “We have an obligation to keep our children safe, and today, the most dangerous place for our kids is the internet. This decision gives parents the tools to be involved and provide oversight.”

The death of Kohen Wiley is the latest in a series of troubling encounters with police that have outraged community members in recent years. It has led to protests and calls for greater police accountability in the town of 8,000, with some civil rights activists pointing to Kohen's death as another example of a Black life lost over something of nominal value — in this case, allegedly stolen diapers.

“We are treating items on a shelf as more valuable than a child,” Bernice King, the daughter of civil right icon Martin Luther King, Jr., said in a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday. “That is not just bad policing; it is a moral collapse.”

Differing accounts of what happened

There are still many unanswered questions about the shooting and what led up to it.

Senatobia police responded to the shoplifting call at a local Walmart on Sunday, where they found two women and a child leaving the store, getting into a car and driving away. According to a statement released by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation: “Officers attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver drove in the direction of the officers, almost striking one. An officer then discharged their weapon and the vehicle fled the scene.”

Kohen’s mother, Vellesiya Wiley, said her son and her friend, who was driving, were hit by gunfire. In a video posted on social media Wednesday by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Wiley said her friend was not driving toward the officers because they were “all on the right side and she was driving towards the left.”

She also disputes the shoplifting claim, saying in the video that she believes her friend paid for the diapers she was carrying.

Policing expert Ian Adams, who teaches criminal justice at the University of South Carolina, said regardless of the circumstances, the officer should not have fired at the car.

“Modern policing knows that shooting into a moving vehicle is a very bad idea and one to be avoided at almost all costs,′ Adams said. For one thing, ”vehicles have other occupants, which is obviously a concern here in the current case.”

Shooting revives racial justice concerns

Kohen was Black, as are his mother and her friend, and the circumstances leading to Kohen's death quickly drew comparisons to another Black mother shot during a response to a shoplifting accusation.

In 2023, Ta’Kiya Young, who was pregnant, was shot by police in a Columbus, Ohio, suburb, after they attempted to apprehend her. Police said Young, who was also the mother of two young sons, got into her car and accelerated in the direction of the officer who fired at her through the windshield. Both Young and her unborn daughter were killed.

The officer in that case was acquitted of criminal charges and found justified in his use of force by a review board.

The two deaths join a long list of other instances of Black Americans dying in interactions with police after accusations of petty criminal offenses. That list includes the murder of George Floyd in 2020, who was killed after police responded to a call that he used a fake $20 bill at a Minneapolis grocery store.

For some racial justice advocates, such cases serve as a constant reminder of the consequences of systemic racism in law enforcement.

“In the name of ‘law and order,’ a child was killed and family was shattered over items that could be restocked, written off, and replaced,” King wrote on Instagram. “Our charge is clear: until the sacredness of human life is the starting point of every police encounter, we must demand changes in training and work unrelentingly to reform policies around police accountability."

Tensions in Senatobia

Marquell Bridges, the president and founder of an advocacy group called the Building Bridges Coalition and who has been helping the Wiley family, said Kohen's death was “just the breaking point” after years of problematic interactions between Black residents and police.

Bridges pointed to an encounter last year in which an officer threatened Breshari Faulkner with a Taser, pulled her from her car onto the ground and arrested her during a confrontation over a handicapped parking space in the same Walmart lot where Kohen was shot.

Two years earlier, in 2023, a Senatobia officer was fired for his role in arresting a 10-year-old Black boy who had urinated in a different parking lot. The boy’s family settled a federal lawsuit with the city earlier this year.

“There is a culture there that they are above the law – just because they wear a uniform,” said civil rights attorney Carlos Moore, who has represented the 10-year-old boy and others accusing the department of misconduct.

Police did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. The mayor and city aldermen also did not respond to messages.

About 40% of the city’s population of approximately 8,300 is Black, according to 2020 Census data. Police did not respond to questions about the racial makeup of the department, but the mayor and a majority of the Board of Alderman members are white. The city has elected only three Black aldermen since it became a municipality in 1860, according to the Tate Record, a local newspaper.

A toy lawnmower that blows bubbles

The officer who shot Kohen and the woman driving the car he was in has been placed on administrative leave, a standard practice, while the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation looks into what happened. They have promised to release video of the shooting once the investigation is complete.

Kohen's grandmother, Veronica Roberson, was there when Kohen was born and babysat him often. She described him as a happy little baby with “the prettiest smile you could ever imagine.”

She said he was a sweet child and: “He just loved on me, and I loved on him. We loved each other.”

One of his favorite toys was a little lawnmower that would blow bubbles when pushed. Roberson would sit outside with him while he played with it. “He really thought he was mowing my yard,” she said, laughing a little at the memory. “That baby was my world."

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Loller reported from Nashville, Tennessee. Jack Brook contributed from New Orleans. Aaron Morrison contributed from New York City.

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Police said the incident happened on May 4, 2025 in the 6800 block of Royal Palm Boulevard. Now, more than a year later, authorities took suspect Lois Helen Roeckelein into custody.

Residents in the 55-plus community describe Roeckelein, who turns 92 in July, as sharp as a tack and said that she was only trying to protect her property. But authorities said what she did was criminal.

Local 10 News spoke with the alleged victim, Marilyn Lopez, who said Roeckelein, then 90, fired at her while she was walking her dog, Cash, along a canal right behind Roeckelein’s home.

She said Roeckelein told her, “If you don’t get out of my property, I’m going to shoot you right now.”

Then, she said, “that lady started shooting.”

Lopez claims it wasn’t the first confrontation.

“That lady, two times before that, she said, ‘I will not rest until I see all of you immigrants go back where you belong,’” Lopez said.

Margate police responded to the incident last year and residents watched shocked to see their elderly neighbor taken into custody under the Baker Act. She was never officially arrested.

Another neighbor said, “So I said to Lois, ‘What happened?’ She said, ‘Well, that lady with the little dog keeps walking behind my property and the dog keeps messing and she doesn’t pick up the stuff.’”

Roeckelein was issued a notice to appear in court, but after more than a year, never showed.

Margate police only realized the senior had a warrant for her arrest after they began investigating a traffic crash she was in on Wednesday.

Lopez said she was concerned about Roeckelein’s mental state; she’s known to be caring for her 101-year-old husband.

“And I said, ‘You have to figure it out, what type of help they need, because they are seniors,’” Lopez said. “If she’s not well mentally, she’s not in the capacity to help (her) husband.”

Roeckelein would later be released from jail. She has reportedly moved to Port St. Lucie, where she’s receiving assistance from friends.

La policía informó que el incidente ocurrió el 4 de mayo de 2025 en la cuadra 6800 de Royal Palm Boulevard. Ahora, más de un año después, las autoridades detuvieron a la sospechosa, Lois Helen Roeckelein.

Residentes de la comunidad para mayores de 55 años describen a Roeckelein, quien cumplirá 92 años en julio, como una persona muy lúcida y dijeron que solo intentaba proteger su propiedad. Sin embargo, las autoridades afirmaron que sus acciones fueron delictivas.

Local 10 News habló con la presunta víctima, Marilyn López, quien dijo que Roeckelein, entonces de 90 años, le disparó mientras paseaba a su perro, Cash, a lo largo de un canal justo detrás de la vivienda de Roeckelein.

Según López, Roeckelein le dijo: “Si no sales de mi propiedad, te voy a disparar ahora mismo”.

Luego, dijo, “esa señora empezó a disparar”.

López asegura que no fue el primer enfrentamiento.

“Esa señora, en dos ocasiones anteriores, dijo: ‘No descansaré hasta ver que todos ustedes los inmigrantes regresen a donde pertenecen’”, relató López.

La policía de Margate respondió al incidente el año pasado y los residentes observaron sorprendidos cómo su vecina de edad avanzada era puesta bajo custodia bajo la Ley Baker. Nunca fue arrestada formalmente.

Otro vecino dijo: “Entonces le pregunté a Lois: ‘¿Qué pasó?’ Ella respondió: ‘Bueno, esa señora con el perrito sigue caminando detrás de mi propiedad y el perro sigue haciendo sus necesidades y ella no recoge nada’”.

A Roeckelein se le emitió una citación para comparecer ante el tribunal, pero después de más de un año nunca se presentó.

La policía de Margate solo se dio cuenta de que la adulta mayor tenía una orden de arresto pendiente cuando comenzó a investigar un accidente de tránsito en el que estuvo involucrada el miércoles.

López dijo que estaba preocupada por el estado mental de Roeckelein, quien es conocida por cuidar a su esposo de 101 años.

“Y yo dije: ‘Tienen que averiguar qué tipo de ayuda necesitan, porque son personas mayores’”, dijo López. “Si ella no está bien mentalmente, no tiene la capacidad para ayudar a su esposo”.

Posteriormente, Roeckelein fue liberada de la cárcel. Según informes, se mudó a Port St. Lucie, donde está recibiendo ayuda de amigos.

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According to a spokesperson for the Florida Forest Service, the man appeared to have suffered an allergic reaction while working as a firefighter near Krome Avenue’s Mile Marker 33.

The FFS firefighter was alert, and his vital signs were stable before Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel flew him to the HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, according to the FFS.

Patrick Mahoney, a wildfire mitigation specialist and spokesman for FFS, said the drought is mostly to blame for the triple trouble that firefighters faced.

TRIPLE TROUBLE

The wildfire, known as “Quarry 2,” east of Krome Avenue, has been the most damaging.

MDFR personnel reported it started with lightning on Sunday near the Metrowest Detention Center, west of Doral. As of Thursday afternoon, it had burned 15,900 acres and was 70% contained, according to FFS.

A wildfire, known as “Well,” also east of Krome Avenue, near the Florida Turnpike, had burned 500 acres and was 25% contained, according to FFS.

A wildfire, known as “Coptic,” was west of Krome Avenue and south of the Tamiami Trail, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. It had burned about 340 acres, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which monitors air quality.

HEALTH RISKS

Aside from the flames’ heat, firefighters were also dealing with a heat index of over 100 degrees and a heat advisory that increased the risks of outdoor activity on Thursday in South Florida.

While southeastern winds may have kept smoke away from the metro area, winds could veer more southernly from Thursday night to Friday morning — and push smoke pollution closer to the metro area, according to the National Weather Service.

MDFR personnel also warned that shifting wind conditions could cause smoke from the wildfires to drift into nearby communities and pollute air quality, so residents should “limit time outdoors, keep windows and doors closed,” and set air-conditioners to recirculate.

“It’s going to be a while before the smoke is gone because you need a ton of rain to come in,” Mahoney said.

The Local 10 News Weather Authority team forecasts a 40% chance of rain on Friday in South Florida.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

Related reports

• Florida’s new weapon against blazing brush fire season: Pellet-dropping drones
• Wildfires prompt evacuations and road closures in South Florida
• Fire chief warns Miami-Dade smoke pollution keeps moving to Broward
• 2 wildfires burn 16,400 acres in western Miami-Dade

Related social media posts

3 Wildfires are continuing to burn this afternoon across western Miami-Dade County with smoke visible on traffic cameras & radar.

SE winds have kept the smoke away from the metro today, however winds may veer more southerly overnight bringing smoke back closer to the metro. pic.twitter.com/rWG4Yo3jro

— NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) June 18, 2026

As MDFR and @FlForestService continue battling the grass fires in West Miami-Dade, those in surrounding areas may see a large column of smoke. Stay updated on air conditions by monitoring air quality reports. If wind direction changes and smoky conditions affect your area, stay… pic.twitter.com/t7GW5HSC0f

— Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (@MiamiDadeFire) June 18, 2026

Un portavoz del Servicio Forestal de Florida informó que el bombero es un hombre que aparentemente sufrió una reacción alérgica cerca del marcador de milla 33 de Krome Avenue.

El bombero estaba alerta, hablando y sus signos vitales eran estables antes de que MDFR lo trasladara por aire al HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, según el Servicio Forestal de Florida.

Esta es una noticia en desarrollo. El editor de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Carson Merlo, contribuyó a este informe.

Una estudiante y una instructora despegaron del Aeropuerto North Perry y se estrellaron alrededor de las 11:30 a.m. del 29 de mayo, en las afueras del South Florida State Hospital, ubicado en el 800 de East Cypress Drive, según muestran los registros.

“Estaba en estado de shock, pero corrí hacia la avioneta y saqué a dos chicas”, le dijo Nathan Gansert a un socorrista, según el video.

Vanessa Ledo, la instructora, y Earlene E. Clarke Thomas, la estudiante, sobrevivieron con lesiones en la espalda, según la policía.

Tras el accidente, el alcalde de Pembroke Pines, Angelo Castillo, dijo que una falla del motor probablemente fue la causa del accidente. La Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA) aún no había anunciado los hallazgos de la investigación.

Historia relacionada: Avioneta se estrella en campus de hospital psiquiátrico cerca del Aeropuerto North Perry; dos personas hospitalizadas.

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Sunny Isles Beach police said they began investigating Lukas Nicolas Varela Torres, 23, of Miami Beach, on June 10 after “hotel management reported irregularities involving guest payment transactions” at the property, located at 18001 Collins Ave.

“A review of hotel records, transaction histories and audit reports revealed a recurring pattern in which guests initially paid for lodging and related services in cash,” detectives wrote in an arrest report. “(A) subsequent review determined that (Varela) later voided, reversed, canceled, or otherwise modified those cash transactions within the hotel’s property management system and replaced them with card-based payments associated with (himself).”

According to police, “the hotel incurred credit card processing fees that would not have been charged had the original cash transactions remained unchanged,” costing the Trump resort more than $3,100.

Police are asking anyone approached by Varela about paying cash for services to contact him. In addition, they said they are looking into the credit card that was being used for these transactions.

Varela, arrested on Wednesday, now faces charges of grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, offenses against computer users and unlawful use of a communications device.

According to jail records, the Chilean national also has an immigration hold and remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Thursday morning.

La policía de Sunny Isles Beach informó que comenzó a investigar a Lukas Nicolas Varela Torres, de 23 años y residente de Miami Beach, el 10 de junio después de que “la administración del hotel reportó irregularidades relacionadas con transacciones de pago de huéspedes” en la propiedad ubicada en el 18001 de Collins Ave.

“Una revisión de los registros del hotel, historiales de transacciones e informes de auditoría reveló un patrón recurrente en el que los huéspedes inicialmente pagaban en efectivo por hospedaje y servicios relacionados”, escribieron los detectives en un informe de arresto. “Una revisión posterior determinó que Varela posteriormente anulaba, revertía, cancelaba o modificaba de otra manera esas transacciones en efectivo dentro del sistema de administración de la propiedad del hotel y las reemplazaba con pagos con tarjeta asociados a él mismo”.

Según la policía, “el hotel incurrió en cargos por procesamiento de tarjetas de crédito que no se habrían generado si las transacciones originales en efectivo hubieran permanecido sin cambios”, lo que le costó al resort de Trump más de $3,100 USD.

La policía solicita que cualquier persona a la que Varela haya contactado para pagar servicios en efectivo se comunique con los investigadores. Además, informaron que están investigando la tarjeta de crédito utilizada para estas transacciones.

Varela, arrestado el miércoles, ahora enfrenta cargos de robo mayor, esquema organizado para defraudar, delitos contra usuarios de computadoras y uso ilegal de un dispositivo de comunicación.

Según los registros carcelarios, el ciudadano chileno también tiene una retención migratoria y permanecía en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight hasta la mañana del jueves.

Una estudiante y una instructora despegaron del Aeropuerto North Perry y se estrellaron alrededor de las 11:30 a.m. del 29 de mayo, en las afueras del South Florida State Hospital, ubicado en el 800 de East Cypress Drive, según muestran los registros.

“Estaba en estado de shock, pero corrí hacia la avioneta y saqué a dos chicas”, le dijo Nathan Gansert a un socorrista, según el video.

Vanessa Ledo, la instructora, y Earlene E. Clarke Thomas, la estudiante, sobrevivieron con lesiones en la espalda, según la policía.

Tras el accidente, el alcalde de Pembroke Pines, Angelo Castillo, dijo que una falla del motor probablemente fue la causa del accidente. La Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA) aún no había anunciado los hallazgos de la investigación.

Historia relacionada: Avioneta se estrella en campus de hospital psiquiátrico cerca del Aeropuerto North Perry; dos personas hospitalizadas.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced the charges at a news conference where he called Mencia “one of California’s biggest tax scofflaws.”

The 58-year-old stand-up comic was charged with six felony counts of failure to file personal income tax with the intent to evade taxes — one each for the years 2019 to 2024 — and six similar counts for corporate taxes.

Mencia owes more than $300,000 in state taxes on income totaling $8.7 million, Hochman said.

He has not entered a plea, and emails sent to his attorney seeking comment was not immediately answered.

Mencia was arrested at his Los Angeles home at about 7 a.m., authorities said. He remained in custody Thursday afternoon and was being held on $250,000 bail. He is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday. If he’s convicted of all counts he could get more than 11 years in prison, along with paying the tax bills and interest that will almost double the total.

The charges are the first filed under the new district attorney's new Business Tax Fraud Unit that was established in May by Hochman, a former longtime prosecutor of tax cases.

Mencia regularly paid taxes before 2019, Hochman said. He was sent 78 notices from the state about his delinquent bills, with no response. The charges deal only with state taxes. Hochman said the IRS has not informed his office of Mencia's federal tax status.

Born Ned Arnel Holness in Honduras and raised in East Los Angeles, Mencia began doing stand-up in LA clubs in the late 1980s. By the early 2000s, he became one of the most popular comics in the U.S. and also did some acting in film and television. He had his own TV series, “Mind of Mencia,” combining stand-up with sketches on Comedy Central from 2005 to 2008.

Hochman pointed out at the news conference that on the show in 2007, Mencia said, “Maybe I'm different, but I think taxes are a good thing.”

His comedy most often dealt with race, class and Latino culture. His career took a downward turn as he was hit with accusations from many fellow comedians of joke theft, which he always denied, from other comics. Joe Rogan, then best known as a stand-up comic, confronted him on a club stage on the issue in a video that went viral in 2007. Mencia had long discussions on Marc Maron's podcast on the alleged plagiarism, acknowledging that he may have absorbed others' material but denying outright theft.

He still does regular stand-up shows, touring clubs and small theaters. He's scheduled to do a series of dates in Southern California this week and Las Vegas next week.

The retraction came just a day after Mangione’s lawyers told Judge Gregory Carro that they planned to pursue a defense involving claims that the 28-year-old Ivy League graduate was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the Dec. 4, 2024, killing.

A message seeking comment was left with a spokesperson for Mangione’s lawyers. The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which is prosecuting the state case, declined to comment.

Mangione's lawyers had faced a deadline Thursday to provide prosecutors with information to support the emotional disturbance claim.

In another turn, Carro rescinded his order to unseal a transcript and other material from a secret hearing on the matter on June 3, citing the defense’s decision, but by the time he ruled copies of the transcript had already been provided to at least some members of the news media.

It contained no additional details about the emotional disturbance claim.

If Mangione were to have gone through with the extreme emotional disturbance defense, he would have effectively been admitting that he killed Thompson but did so because of mitigating circumstances. It wouldn’t have absolved him of responsibility, but could have led to less time in prison.

If a jury accepts the defense, it is obligated to convict a defendant of manslaughter, which is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, instead of murder, which carries a potential life sentence.

In a letter to Carro on Thursday, Mangione lawyer Karen Friedman Agnifilo said the defense “respectfully withdraws” its notice under New York's psychiatric defense statute “at this time.”

Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges. His state trial is scheduled to start Sept. 8. His federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is set to begin on Oct. 13.

At Wednesday's hearing, Friedman Agnifilo protested Carro’s decision to unseal materials related to his psychiatric defense, saying it will be “prejudicial to his defense to the exact same facts” in his federal case, where an extreme emotional disturbance defense isn’t allowed.

An emotional disturbance defense is not the same as a not guilty by reason of insanity defense, which would allow a defendant to go to a psychiatric facility instead of prison.

Thompson, 50, was killed as he walked to a Manhattan hotel for UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference. Surveillance video showed a masked gunman shooting him from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione, an Ivy League graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (about 370 kilometers) west of Manhattan.

At a hearing last month, Carro ruled that a gun and notebook that prosecutors say link Mangione to the killing can be used as evidence against him.

The gun, a 3D-printed pistol, matches the one used to kill Thompson, prosecutors said. The notebook describes wanting to “wack” a health insurance executive and rebelling against “the deadly, greed fueled health insurance cartel.”

A few minutes later, everyone knew the answer. There was Scheffler jumping up and down in a bunker situated 150 yards shy of the green — and 10 feet lower than the fairway — to catch a glimpse of the flag on the putting surface ahead.

What resulted was a rare bogey 6 for the world's No. 1 player on one of those rare par 5s in pro golf that wasn't remotely reachable in two — thanks to it being uphill and dead into a 25 mph wind. Even after the wind died down in the afternoon, the 16th played at 0.372 strokes over par with most of the first round over, making it the fourth-hardest hole on the course.

Welcome to Shinnecock.

“You had to be hitting a great shot if you wanted to avoid a punishment,” Scheffler said after walking off the windswept golf course at 2-over par, which was eight shots behind leader Wyndham Clark, who played in much tamer conditions in the afternoon. “I think ‘good’ would put you in some tough spots.”

Scheffler, who needs this tournament to complete the career Grand Slam, found plenty of those tough spots in his 10th straight round at the U.S. Open in which he has failed to break par. It began in the morning but bled well into the afternoon — a 5 1/2-hour grind through the wind that started late because of a two-hour fog delay. One of his playing partners, defending champion J.J. Spaun, fared even worse. Spaun shot 77.

Scheffler made double bogey on No. 8 after teeing off into the rough, hitting his second into a bunker some 40 yards from the hole, then three-putting.

He hit a wedge from 110 yards to the middle of the 13th green, but the ball spun and rolled off the front. That led to a bogey; blame it on the soft conditions the USGA has been trying to hang on to in wake of the wind forecast.

“Overall, yeah, it was a really challenging day,” Scheffler said. “If you told me when I was staring at my par putt on 9 that I would post 2-over today, I would definitely have taken it at the time.”

He made that putt, a 6-footer, to make the turn at 3 over. He sank a 9-footer for a sand save on No. 18 to walk away with his 72. Three of his four birdies came on the back nine.

“I feel like this course can change pretty rapidly from day to day,” he said. “I think that’s also part of the challenge of the tournament is adjusting to those conditions.”

Some 90 minutes after the round, Scheffler was still on the driving range, having an animated conversation with his coach, Randy Smith, while the wind picked up for the second wave of players, many of whom would be on the course at twilight.

As much as his swing, Scheffler knows this tournament will come down to who can untangle the conditions, then deal with them the best. He walked off the course in a tie for 75th place — not out of it, but still looking for answers.

“I think it’s a little easier sometimes in a U.S. Open,” Scheffler said, “because it’s happening to everybody.”

___

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

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That’s despite several prominent South Florida figures, including current and former elected officials, willing to put their money and even homes on the line to help cover a proposed $7 million bond.

U.S. District Judge Melissa Damian wrote in her ruling that the 60-year-old “has not met his burden by clear and convincing evidence that he is not a flight risk if released pending sentencing.”

Damian wrote in the order that “all the letters submitted by reputable members of the South Florida community” were not enough to satisfy “his burden of showing by clear and convincing evidence that he does not pose a serious risk of non-appearance if released pending his sentencing.”

Prosecutors had argued that Rivera has significant foreign ties and assets, making him a threat to flee before his sentencing on July 20.

He’s now set to remain locked up, facing the possibility of a decade in federal prison.

Rivera was convicted alongside political consultant Esther Nuhfer of illegally lobbying for the Venezuelan government.

The two were also convicted of failing to register as foreign agents and conspiring to commit money laundering involving a consulting contract with $50 million.

Read the ruling:

David Rivera Document by Chris Gothner

Esto ocurre a pesar de que varias figuras prominentes del sur de Florida, incluidos funcionarios electos actuales y anteriores, estaban dispuestas a comprometer su dinero e incluso sus viviendas para respaldar una fianza propuesta de $7 millones USD.

La jueza federal Melissa Damian escribió en su fallo que Rivera, de 60 años, “no ha cumplido con su carga de demostrar mediante pruebas claras y convincentes que no representa un riesgo de fuga si es liberado mientras espera la sentencia”.

Damian escribió en la orden que “todas las cartas presentadas por miembros respetados de la comunidad del sur de Florida” no fueron suficientes para satisfacer “su carga de demostrar mediante pruebas claras y convincentes que no representa un riesgo serio de no comparecer si es liberado antes de su sentencia”.

Los fiscales habían argumentado que Rivera tiene importantes vínculos y activos en el extranjero, lo que lo convierte en un riesgo de fuga antes de su sentencia programada para el 20 de julio.

Ahora permanecerá detenido, enfrentando la posibilidad de hasta una década en una prisión federal.

Rivera fue condenado junto con la consultora política Esther Nuhfer por realizar actividades de cabildeo ilegalmente para el gobierno de Venezuela.

Ambos también fueron condenados por no registrarse como agentes extranjeros y por conspirar para cometer lavado de dinero relacionado con un contrato de consultoría de $50 millones USD.

Lea el fallo:

David Rivera Document by Chris Gothner

The letter from the Illinois senator, the top Democrat on the Senate's aviation subcommittee, adds to questions and concerns over Trump's proposed 250-foot (76-meter) arch for the nation's capital. Pushed by Trump to commemorate the country's 250th anniversary, it would be more than twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial.

Duckworth wrote that the FAA’s initial review of the arch appears to have been expedited and raised questions about whether the president or his White House aides are “already improperly pressuring FAA to prioritize rubberstamping Trump’s vanity arch over public safety.”

Officials are looking to complete the towering edifice within three years, possibly requiring 20 hours of work per day and cranes up to 320 feet (106 meters) tall, according to a National Park Service preliminary report, which Duckworth cited in her letter to FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.

The agency said it would respond directly to Duckworth.

The arch's close proximity to the complex airspace of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, where a U.S. Army helicopter collided with a commercial jet last year, killing 67 people, was a key concern for Duckworth.

The crash “underscores the consequences of inadequate coordination and the need for extreme caution when evaluating any new obstruction in this environment,” she wrote. The FAA must be “firm in rejecting any improper or irresponsible pressure" from Trump on the matter.

In a previous statement, the FAA said that a preliminary feasibility study found “no adverse impacts to operations” at the nearby airport. The top of the structure, however, would need to be lit with red obstruction lights, which it called “a common safety tool.”

The agency said a full study in coordination with the park service would come next.

Duckworth added another concern in her letter, that the arch would interrupt the historic sightline between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery, and thereby “offensively desecrate the hallowed symbolism.”

Según el informe de detención, los agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Miami-Dade arrestaron a Abdoul Haseeb el miércoles por la noche después de que respondiera a un anuncio.

Según el informe, una agente que se hizo pasar por madre le dijo a Haseeb que sus hijas “estaban disponibles para servicios sexuales a cambio de dinero”, y él llegó a una reunión en un Honda Accord gris.

“El agente encubierto, haciéndose pasar por la madre de los menores, se reunió con el acusado en el vestíbulo del lugar no revelado y cerró el trato”, escribió un agente, según el informe de detención.

Según el informe, Haseeb entregó entonces 200 dólares en efectivo al agente encubierto, quien a su vez le dio la llave de una habitación donde esperaban otros agentes.

Según los registros penitenciarios, el sistema penitenciario de Miami-Dade detuvo a Haseeb poco después de las 22:45 del miércoles en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde permaneció el jueves sin derecho a fianza.

Haseeb se enfrentó a tres cargos: trata de personas de una víctima menor de 18 años; uso de un ordenador o dispositivo electrónico para seducir, solicitar o atraer a un menor; y uso de un ordenador o servicio de internet para atraer, seducir o solicitar a un niño.

Poco antes, el gobierno emitió un decreto para renovar la declaración de que el país padece un conflicto armado interno, ello con el fin de combatir la ola de violencia generada por el crimen organizado.

Darío Peñafiel Nieto, alias “Topo”, y Celso Moreira Heredia, alias “Patucho”, fueron entregados a las autoridades estadounidenses y trasladados a Nueva York “para pagar por el daño que han hecho”, anunció a la prensa el ministro del Interior, John Reimberg. Sin dar más detalles, aseguró que se cumplieron los requisitos exigidos por la ley.

“Patucho” y “Topo” se suman al otrora líder máximo de “Los Choneros”, Adolfo Macías Villamar, alias “Fito”, extraditado el año pasado a ese mismo país.

Peñafiel Nieto era lugarteniente de Macías Villamar y es señalado por presunto tráfico ilícito de armas de fuego, asesinato y asociación ilícita, entre otros cargos. Moreira Heredia “controlaba operaciones y alianzas”, y su expediente judicial incluye delincuencia organizada, tráfico de drogas y asociación ilícita, según las autoridades.

“Los Choneros” surgieron en 1990. De acuerdo con la policía ecuatoriana, controlaban el paso de drogas por las costas del Pacífico en coordinación con el cártel mexicano de Sinaloa. Estados Unidos los designó organización terrorista extranjera.

Colombia expulsa a alias “Javi”, cabecilla y heredero de alias “Fito”

En otro hecho relacionado, Migración de Colombia anunció en la red social X la expulsión en la noche del ecuatoriano Javier Macías Villamar, alias “Javi”, hermano de alias “Fito” y heredero de la estructura criminal, quien fue capturado la víspera en un operativo.

Luego de la extradición de su hermano, “Javi” se convirtió en el máximo cabecilla de “Los Choneros” y en el delincuente más buscado de Ecuador. Está acusado de homicidio, lavado de activos, enriquecimiento ilícito y concierto para delinquir, y también de dirigir acciones para expandir operaciones internacionales de narcotráfico en América Latina.

Luego de que el cabecilla arribó a Ecuador, Reimberg informó que se iniciará el trámite legal para su extradición a Estados Unidos bajo cargos de narcotráfico.

El gobierno renueva la declaración de conflicto armado interno

En enero de 2024, el presidente Daniel Noboa —quien había asumido el poder dos meses antes— declaró por primera vez que el país padecía un conflicto armado interno, y planteó que las fuerzas armadas tenían el objetivo de acabar con 22 organizaciones criminales, a las cuales denominó “terroristas”.

La medida fue consecuencia de un alza de la violencia sin precedentes tras la huida de alias “Fito” y la toma violenta de un canal de televisión mientras transmitía en directo.

Noboa renovó el jueves la declaración de que Ecuador padece un conflicto armado interno. En esta ocasión, la medida incluye el apoyo internacional y abre las puertas para la eventual concesión de indultos a personal de fuerzas de seguridad nacionales y del extranjero.

“A partir de esta decisión, militares de países aliados podrán desplegarse en las provincias más golpeadas por la violencia” junto a las fuerzas de seguridad ecuatorianas, declaró el mandatario en un video difundido en redes sociales, y enfatizó que Ecuador "ya no pelea solo”.

Según el decreto, el presidente “concederá indultos, rebajará o conmutará penas” en favor de personal militar, policial y civil que participe en tales acciones.

“Vamos a iniciar una etapa de guerra total” que requiere que las fuerzas armadas estén bien equipadas, y trabajar en coordinación “con sistemas de inteligencia, con grupos de inteligencia internacionales”, en cooperación con varias naciones para “acabar con una amenaza que no es sólo al Ecuador, sino a la región”, declaró el mandatario en un evento público.

Ni el decreto ni Noboa identificaron a los países de los que se espera colaboración, pero desde que él asumió el poder, Washington se ha convertido en un aliado cercano, al igual que Italia e Israel.

Desde que inició su gestión, el presidente —quien cumple su segundo mandato— ha proyectado una política de “mano dura” para contrarrestar a organizaciones criminales, dictando sucesivos estados de excepción para la acción conjunta de fuerzas militares y policiales, tanto en las cárceles como en el resto del territorio nacional.

Esas medidas han sido cuestionadas por organizaciones de defensa de derechos humanos y por sectores de la oposición, ya que dudan de su eficacia y consideran que favorecen un uso desmedido del poder por parte del Estado. El 2025 ha sido el año más violento en la historia de Ecuador, con 9.216 homicidios.

La Corte Constitucional cuestionó y echó abajo algunos de los estados de excepción dictados por el gobierno, bajo el argumento de que no ha justificado debidamente la existencia de un conflicto armado interno.

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Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Abdoul Haseeb on Wednesday evening after he responded to an advertisement, according to the arrest report.

A deputy posing as a mother told Haseeb that her daughters “were available for sexual services, in exchange for money,” and he arrived at a meeting in a gray Honda Accord, according to the report.

“The undercover deputy posing as the juveniles’ mother met the defendant at the lobby of the undisclosed location, and finalized the deal,” a deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.

Haseeb then handed $200 in cash to the undercover deputy, who then handed him a key to a room, where deputies were waiting, according to the report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Haseeb shortly after 10:45 p.m. on Wednesday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remained on Thursday without bond, according to inmate records.

Haseeb faced three charges: Human trafficking of a victim who is younger than 18; using a computer or electronic device to seduce, solicit, or lure a minor; and using a computer or internet service to lure, seduce, or solicit a child.

The iconic former headquarters of the gone-but-not-forgotten Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am, has been reimagined for a new generation of travelers.

The headquarters, dubbed the “Taj Mahal” after being built in 1963, has now been restored and transformed into a private terminal for luxury flyers. Pan Am went out of business in 1991.

Former Pan Am employees joined an opening ceremony for the swanky digs on Wednesday.

“I went through training here in the Taj Mahal, as we called it,” former flight attendant Renate Van Kempena said.

There’s a spa, nine private suites and a private Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. It definitely beats waiting in the terminal with everybody else.

When travelers are ready to go they put them on a BMW limousine and get driven straight to their plane.

Miami joins the ranks of Atlanta, Los Angeles and others to have these swank spaces for the rich and famous.

The developer P/S has a lease on this historic building.

“We definitely stayed true to the architecture that existed,” Amina Porter, P/S’s chief operating officer, said. “A lot of the historic elements were really architectural and on the outside, so the Brisolei, the terracotta tiles and there’s a few of them throughout the inside the courtyard and in the hallway.”

It costs $4,800 to be a member per year.

La policía investiga pagos sospechosos al senador Jaques Wagner, líder del Partido de los Trabajadores de Lula en el Senado, como parte de las pesquisas sobre el clausurado Banco Master y su desacreditado exdirector ejecutivo, Daniel Vorcaro.

Wagner es el primer aliado importante de Lula que resulta afectado por el amplio escándalo que ya ha tocado, entre otros, al senador Flávio Bolsonaro, aspirante a la presidencia. Se espera que el escándalo pese mucho en las próximas elecciones.

En un comunicado en el que no se mencionó a sospechosos, la policía informó la ejecución de 18 órdenes de registro e incautación en los estados de Bahía y Sao Paulo y en el Distrito Federal por hechos que podrían constituir los delitos de corrupción pasiva, corrupción activa y lavado de dinero.

En documentos judiciales firmados el miércoles por el juez del Supremo Tribunal Federal André Mendonça y obtenidos el jueves por The Associated Press —en los que se menciona a los sospechosos— se autorizaron los registros.

Los investigadores hallaron indicios de que el senador pudo haber recibido beneficios económicos indebidos, incluida la compra de un apartamento de lujo en Salvador, valorado en alrededor de 2,45 millones de reales (aproximadamente 470.000 dólares), según los documentos judiciales.

Los investigadores también examinan si Wagner utilizó su cargo en el Congreso para impulsar asuntos de interés para Banco Master, incluidos los préstamos con descuento por nómina y las normas de seguro de depósitos, de acuerdo con los documentos judiciales.

La policía incautó aproximadamente 50.000 dólares en Brasilia como parte del operativo del jueves. Medios locales informaron que esos fondos fueron hallados en una o varias direcciones vinculadas a Wagner.

El jueves, cuando se le preguntó sobre los fondos en una entrevista con Band, la principal cadena brasileña, el senador afirmó que no tenía nada que ocultar y que nunca había recibido dinero de nadie con vínculos con Banco Master.

Wagner también negó haber tenido tratos importantes con Vorcaro, el exjefe de Banco Master que actualmente está en prisión. “Mi relación con Daniel Vorcaro es prácticamente inexistente... Solo me reuní con Daniel dos veces”, afirmó.

En un comunicado emitido a última hora del jueves, el equipo de prensa de Wagner negó haber actuado en nombre de Banco Master, señaló que el dinero incautado se obtuvo legalmente y que el apartamento nunca formó parte del patrimonio del senador.

El Banco Central de Brasil clausuró en noviembre Banco Master, cuyos activos superaban los 16.000 millones de dólares.

Vorcaro, quien está en el centro de las investigaciones, fue detenido en marzo y desde entonces ha intentado alcanzar un acuerdo de colaboración con las autoridades.

La policía federal de Brasil estima el fraude total del banco en aproximadamente 12.000 millones de reales (2.300 millones de dólares). El caso sigue bajo investigación por parte de la policía federal del país y del Supremo Tribunal Federal.

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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.

Churchill Downs Inc., which runs the Kentucky Derby to open the Triple Crown, announced in April it was buying the branding rights to the second leg, as well as the race for fillies the precedes it by a day, from 1/ST Racing with the intent of licensing it back to Maryland annually to stage the races.

"The Preakness Stakes is more than just a race: It is a cornerstone of Maryland’s history, culture, and economy," Moore said in a statement. "This decision secures a vital asset for our state, allows Maryland to shape its horse racing destiny, and by leveraging the Preakness’s iconic status and partnering with industry experts to enhance the fan experience, preserve Maryland’s position as a key power player in the Triple Crown for generations to come.”

Moore said no general fund tax dollars would be used, with the $85 million cost instead being funded by a tax-exempt revenue bond issuance, which would be paid back by money generated by the race through ticketing, wagering and sponsorships. The state expected the fee paid to Churchill Downs Inc. would escalate over time.

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association President Katharine M. Voss called the decision a defining moment for Maryland racing.

"Ownership ensures that the decisions shaping the future of the Preakness are made in the interest of Maryland," Greater Baltimore Committee President and CEO Mark Anthony Thomas said.

It is Maryland's latest investment in the industry, in the middle of a massive reconstruction project at Pimlico Race Course, the traditional home of the Preakness and the Black-Eyed Susan in Baltimore. The races moved down the road to Laurel Park this year on a one-time-only basis while Pimlico work is being done.

“We plan to be back there next year,” Maryland Jockey Club president and general manager Bill Knauf told The Associated Press in an interview last month. The expectation is for the full grandstand to be ready by May 2028.

The Maryland Jockey Club is the nonprofit organization set to take over for 1/ST Racing, which is transferring control to the state. The plan is for year-round racing to take place at Pimlico.

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Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Jeremiah Armsey, of Mount Dora, on Wednesday morning at Mile Marker 106, records show.

Armsey faced two misdemeanor charges: Giving a false name or identification to a law enforcement officer and disturbing the peace.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Monroe arrestaron a Jeremiah Armsey, de Mount Dora, la mañana del miércoles en el marcador de milla 106, según muestran los registros.

Armsey enfrentaba dos cargos menores: proporcionar un nombre o identificación falsa a un agente del orden público y alterar el orden público.

McKenna Wendel was reported missing March 13 and last seen alive in her hometown of Sioux Falls early on March 14. Her body was found outside Brookings, an hour's drive north of Sioux Falls, on March 19.

Wendel's uncle, Mark Milk, 51, also of Sioux Falls, now faces five counts related to her death. Milk was almost three decades into a life term on a manslaughter conviction when Noem commuted his sentence in 2023.

Wendel was raised by her grandparents, loved animals and had a “vibrant personality and a zest for life,” according to her obituary. She and her grandparents were Rosebud Sioux Tribe members and attended powwows often.

“She loved the singing and the beautiful sounds of the drums,” her obituary read.

Details about Wendel's death remained thin as authorities who announced the charges in a Sioux City, Iowa, news conference Thursday kept close what they knew to protect their investigation.

Authorities have said an autopsy was done, but the findings have not been released. The cause and manner of Wendel's death would not be released yet per Justice Department policy, said Leif Olson, U.S. attorney for northern Iowa.

Milk faces five counts including possession with intent to deliver cocaine that caused Wendel's death. He is also charged with transportation of a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, according to court documents.

Jon Rogness, 38, of Brookings faces conspiracy and accessory charges in an alleged attempt to cover up the crimes. The counts against the men were the “most serious, readily provable” charges and all originated in Iowa, Olson said.

“This is a horrific case,” FBI special agent Gene Kowel said. “There are no cases that we investigate that are more heart-wrenching and more tragic than the ones that involve children or the death of a child.”

Court records showed no lawyers listed for Milk and Rogness, and no relatives could immediately be located through phone records and social media to speak on their behalf.

In February 2023, Noem commuted Milk’s life sentence for a manslaughter conviction in an October 1993 stabbing death. Milk, then 19, had been involved in several altercations in the city of Winner that ended with the death of Shawn Peneaux, according to records.

Milk was in jail on unrelated allegations of driving under the influence and eluding police when Wendel's body was found. His name came up in public discussion about the case from the start. But prosecutors, who finished their investigation in late May, did not formally link him to Wendel's death until filing charges Wednesday.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a late March news conference the decision to commute Milk's life sentence was strictly Noem's.

“It is fairly often that you see law enforcement oppose commutations," Jackley remarked without commenting further on Noem's decision.

The commutation documents were sealed and even he had not seen them, he noted.

The Associated Press left a message Thursday for Noem on seeking comment through NovaRed Mining, a Canadian firm she recently joined in a “strategic advisory role."

A Republican, Noem, 54, was South Dakota's lone congressperson from 2011 to 2019 and governor from 2019 to 2025. She was Homeland Security secretary before being fired in March by President Donald Trump amid criticism of her handling of the administration’s immigration crackdown and disaster response.

Trump praised Noem's leadership and said he was making her special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas." The new organization of Western Hemisphere nations is focused on supporting democracy and security in the region.

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Gruver reported from Fort Collins, Colorado, and Billeaud from Phoenix, Arizona.