Antes de recibir su sentencia, Perez, quien se encontraba sentada en una silla de ruedas y con grilletes en las manos y los pies, ofreció una declaración ante el tribunal.

“Antes que nada, quiero expresar mis más sinceras condolencias y disculpas a la familia de Ezequiel. Esto fue un accidente por completo, su señoría. No soy una persona que haga este tipo de cosas a propósito. Desde que ocurrió ese accidente y le quitó la vida a ese joven, lo único en lo que puedo pensar es en cómo debe sentirse su madre”, dijo Perez antes de romper en llanto.

“Le pido a Dios que, por favor, me perdone porque me cuesta perdonarme a mí misma, ya que no puedo imaginar cómo se siente su madre”, agregó Perez mientras intentaba recomponerse.

Algunos familiares de Ezequiel Urrutia lloraron en la sala mientras Perez ofrecía su declaración.

Perez, de 46 años, se declaró culpable en marzo de homicidio por conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol y homicidio vehicular.

“Ella estuvo en el tribunal declarándose culpable de todos los cargos y, al hacerlo, pude ver que estaba bastante afectada y es comprensible”, dijo entonces a Local 10 News Frank Urrutia, padre de la víctima. “Seguimos devastados por la pérdida de nuestro hijo. Es algo que hemos tenido que soportar y encontrar la manera de seguir con nuestras vidas”.

Según las autoridades, Perez conducía bajo los efectos del alcohol y en sentido contrario por la autopista Turnpike de Florida, cerca de Red Road, en el condado Broward, el 9 de enero de 2025, antes de chocar contra el vehículo de Ezequiel Urrutia, lo que provocó la muerte del joven, conocido por sus amigos y seres queridos como Zeke.

Durante su declaración este viernes, Perez reconoció que había tomado medicamentos antes del choque.

Sus seres queridos dijeron que Ezequiel soñaba con convertirse en bombero y estaba a punto de terminar sus clases.

Después de que Perez hablara ante el tribunal este viernes, amigos y familiares de Ezequiel subieron al estrado para presentar sus declaraciones sobre el impacto que tuvo el crimen en las víctimas, incluida su novia, quien ofreció un emotivo testimonio sobre cómo su pérdida cambió su vida para siempre.

“No existe una sentencia que pueda devolvernos a Zeke o disminuir el dolor que llevaremos por el resto de nuestras vidas”, dijo Christina Diaz. “Pero sí existe una sentencia que puede hacer responsable a Sunshine Perez por las decisiones que tomó y ayudar a evitar que otra familia viva la misma pesadilla. Zeke merecía mucho más de lo que recibió. Merecía vivir la vida que le fue arrebatada. Siempre será recordado, profundamente amado y extrañado. Elijo creer que una parte de él sigue conmigo. Lo veo en los momentos hermosos de la vida cotidiana y eso es algo que Sunshine Perez nunca podrá quitarme”.

La familia de Ezequiel ha transformado su dolor en un propósito al crear un fondo de becas con el nombre de su hijo. Aseguran que están enfocados en ayudar a otras personas a seguir el sueño de su hijo de servir a los demás y marcar una diferencia.

Perez enfrenta una pena de hasta 34 años de prisión.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres quietly nominated the Austrian lawyer for a second term. After private consultations but no public discussion, the 193-member General Assembly scheduled a vote on his reappointment for Friday afternoon.

Former head of Human Rights Watch Ken Roth called it “a stealth procedure” to avoid scrutiny by civil society and the public.

The job of the U.N. rights chief, by its nature, is tricky: It requires speaking out against rights violations by the governments of the countries that make up the membership of the world body. For instance, Türk has sharply criticized Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Some suggest an extension for Türk until the end of the year

Türk's term expires on Oct. 11, and Russia’s U.N. Mission said it has proposed extending his term just until Dec. 31 — the day Guterres’ second five-year term as secretary-general ends.

Russia called Guterres’ effort to give Türk four more years as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights “unprecedented.” None of his predecessors have served two full terms since the job was created in 1993.

An extension just until the end of the year would leave the choice of a new human rights chief to the next secretary-general. Six candidates are vying to be the new U.N. chief.

Guterres sent letters to regional groups at the United Nations earlier this month informing them of his intention to reappoint Türk. The African group had no objection, but the Latin American countries had several, including Nicaragua, Argentina and Paraguay.

Israel's Foreign Ministry called Guterres' action to get a second term for Türk the U.N. secretary-general's “latest moral failure,” saying on social media that the choice should be left to his successor.

“After years of bias against Israel, the answer is accountability — not rewriting the rules,” the ministry said.

Guterres is ‘following the rules’ on the reappointment, UN says

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric, says Guterres is following the 1993 resolution that established a U.N. high commissioner for human rights and allows for a second term.

“The secretary-general is doing things in a very transparent manner, following the rules and his authority,” Dujarric told reporters Friday. “Consultations were had with member states prior to this and with regional groups.”

Türk “is ready to serve” a new term, rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said. She noted the job calls for the “promotion and protection of human rights everywhere, and as a part of this, he sees it as his role to engage with all states.”

As human rights chief, the longtime U.N. functionary who worked for Guterres at United Nations headquarters in New York, Türk has expressed concerns on issues in China as diverse as the fate of detained individuals — like artist Gao Zhen, lawyer Yu Wensheng and media mogul Jimmy Lai — and counterterrorism and assimilation practices that affect ethnic minorities including the Uyghurs in the regions of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Tibet.

Critics insist he could have done more to publicly follow up on a report issued by his predecessor, former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, that said China’s discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in Xinjiang may amount to crimes against humanity.

Türk also has stopped short of joining independent U.N. rights experts who have accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians during its war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel vehemently denies those claims.

Critic focuses on approach to China's treatment of Uyghurs

Roth called Türk “a disaster” and said “the biggest stain on Turk’s reputation is his utter abandonment of the Uyghurs.” He called them victims of the most severe state persecution that Türk has ignored.

The Chinese government denies the Uyghurs have been or are being persecuted. It maintains its policies in Xinjiang rooted out terrorism and religious extremism after sporadic bouts of violence rocked the region in previous decades.

Türk has used both private engagement with Beijing and public advocacy to support human rights in China, his office said. Roth called that “an admission that he is doing nothing, that he’s putting the plight of the Uyghurs on the deep back burner, and is just pretending to care.”

Roth said Türk has a major problem because the job of U.N. human rights commissioner “should be about stirring up public pressure, and you do that by being tough, provocative, timely.”

He “has succeeded in making a powerful position largely innocuous,” talking about issues in a way “that makes people’s eyes glaze over,” Roth said.

___

Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed to this report.

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Prior to her sentencing, Perez, who was sitting in a wheelchair while shackled on her hands and feet, delivered a statement in court.

“First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere condolences and apologies to Ezequiel’s family. This was a complete accident, your honor. I am not a person who does things like this on purpose. Ever since that accident happened and it took that young man’s life, all I can think about is how his mother must feel,” Perez said before breaking down in tears.

“I ask God to please forgive me because I have trouble forgiving myself because I cannot imagine how his mother feels,” Perez added as she tried to compose herself.

Some relatives of Ezequiel Urrutia cried in court as Perez delivered her statement.

Perez, 46, pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges in March.

“She was at the courthouse pleading guilty to every charge, and in doing so I did see she was pretty shaken and understandably so,” the victim’s father, Frank Urrutia, told Local 10 News at the time. “We’re still devastated by the loss of our son. It’s something we’ve had to endure and figure out how to live our lives.”

According to authorities, Perez was driving drunk and going the wrong way on the Turnpike near Red Road in Broward County on Jan. 9, 2025, before crashing into Ezequiel Urrutia’s vehicle, killing the young man known to his friends and loved ones as Zeke.

During her statement Friday, Perez acknowledged that she took medication prior to the crash.

Loved ones said Ezequiel had dreams of becoming a firefighter and was close to finishing his classes.

After Perez spoke in court Friday, friends and family of Ezequiel’s took to the stand to deliver their victim impact statements, including his girlfriend, who gave emotional testimony about how the loss of him changed her life forever.

“There is no sentence that will bring Zeke back or reduce the pain that we will carry for the rest of our lives,” Christina Diaz said. “But there is a sentence that can hold Sunshine Perez accountable for the choices she made and help prevent another family from living the same nightmare. Zeke deserves so much more than any he was given. He deserves to live a life that was stolen from him. He will always be remembered, deeply loved and missed. I choose to believe that a part of him is still with me. I see him in beautiful moments of everyday life and that is one thing that Sunshine Perez can never take away from me.”

Ezequiel’s family has turned their pain into purpose, creating a scholarship fund in their son’s name. They say they’re focused on helping others follow their son’s dream of serving others and making a difference.

Perez faces up to 34 years in prison.

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Surveillance videos show Raymond Delgado, who lives in Hialeah and is unemployed, tracking a UPS delivery truck with his phone on June 18, according to a police officer’s arrest report.

Delgado walked into an apartment building’s lobby and told an employee that “he was authorized to retrieve packages,” according to the police report.

Police officers arrested Delgado at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday at the Florida Department of Corrections Probation & Parole Services facility, at 3601 NW 167 St., in Miami Gardens, according to the police report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Delgado shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.

Court records showed Delgado faced three new charges: Burglary of an occupied dwelling, third-degree grand theft, and unlawful use of a communication device. His bond was $15,000.

According to Delgado’s Florida Department of Corrections’ profile, his probation was from March 9 to March 8, 2028, for a third-degree grand theft on Jan. 6 in Miami-Dade County.

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

Según el informe de arresto, videos de vigilancia muestran a Raymond Delgado, residente de Hialeah y desempleado, siguiendo con su teléfono un camión de entregas de UPS el 18 de junio.

De acuerdo con el informe policial, Delgado entró al vestíbulo de un edificio de apartamentos y le dijo a un empleado que “estaba autorizado para recoger paquetes”.

Según el informe policial, agentes arrestaron a Delgado a las 12:15 p.m. del jueves en las instalaciones de Servicios de Libertad Condicional y Libertad Supervisada del Departamento de Correcciones de Florida, ubicadas en el 3601 de Northwest 167 Street, en Miami Gardens.

De acuerdo con los registros de reclusos, el Departamento Correccional de Miami-Dade ingresó a Delgado poco antes de la 1:30 p.m. del jueves en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Los registros judiciales muestran que Delgado enfrenta tres nuevos cargos: robo a una vivienda ocupada, robo mayor en tercer grado y uso ilegal de un dispositivo de comunicación. Su fianza fue fijada en $15,000 USD.

Según el perfil de Delgado en el Departamento de Correcciones de Florida, se encontraba en libertad condicional desde el 9 de marzo y hasta el 8 de marzo de 2028 por un caso de robo mayor en tercer grado ocurrido el 6 de enero en el condado Miami-Dade.

La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Mercedes Cevallos, colaboró con este informe.

The Republican president made the announcement a day after the EU hit Google with a fine of 890 million euros, or $1 billion, after it said the technology behemoth broke digital antitrust regulations by setting up Google Play and its ubiquitous search engine to corral consumers toward its own services and apps to the detriment of competitors.

In a lengthy post on social media, Trump said he has warned the EU about its practice of fining U.S. tech companies. He named Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon and others.

“The United States of America is not a ‘PIGGYBANK’ for Europe, nor will we allow it to be!” Trump said, adding that his post should serve as notice of an immediate trade investigation “into the practice of ‘ROBBING’ American Companies and, in turn, the American Taxpayer.”

“The European Union will pay a very big price for this illegal and highly unethical conduct, which I have consistently warned them about,” he said.

In the post, Trump asserted that the penalties against the companies “will be entirely reversed” and predicted “a substantial TARIFF” would be placed on the EU “at the earliest possible moment.”

“Stay tuned!” he said.

Trump's move comes a day after the White House announced double-digit tariffs on imports from more than 60 countries, accusing them of inadequately enforcing bans on goods produced by forced labor. The new tariffs replace temporary 10% worldwide import taxes that Trump imposed after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest tariffs.

The new tariffs are being implemented using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices.

The EU's billion-dollar fine against Google was the latest major crackdown on Big Tech by Brussels, which has led the world in reining in some of the world’s largest companies from Silicon Valley to Beijing.

It has done so despite the risk of incurring the wrath of Trump, who has lashed out at the 27-nation bloc’s digital regulations amid a broader campaign against Europe: imposing high tariffs, making threats to seize Greenland from Denmark by force, and rattling trust within the NATO military alliance.

Trump had threatened retaliation if American tech companies are penalized.

Google had recently lost its appeal of a $4.5 billion antitrust fine imposed by the EU for throttling competition and reducing consumer choice through the dominance of its mobile Android operating system.

The European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch and highest antitrust enforcer, said it was acting in the interest of consumers after an investigation of Google.

“The best products should succeed because they’re better, not because they’re owned by the company running the search engine. And European consumers have a right to be told by app developers where to sign up to the best offers, even when the app store owner does not get a cut,” said Teresa Ribera, the commission’s executive vice president for clean, just and competitive transition.

Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, blasted the fine as “product degradation driven by a small group of self-serving complainants” that will have a negative impact on European businesses and consumers.

He said the EU’s Digital Markets Act forces Google “to strip away real-time search features Europeans love — like instant pricing and direct availability for hotels, flights, and restaurants — and dismantle safety protections on Google Play.”

The EU describes some of the world’s leading tech giants — Amazon, Apple, Google parent Alphabet, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok owner ByteDance — as “gatekeepers” that control access for consumers.

“In the EU, businesses have the right to compete fairly. Gatekeepers have the obligation to ensure a level playing field and consumers the right to choose for cheaper alternative offers,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said. Alphabet reported $403 billion in revenue last year.

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Rafael Andres, 61, was convicted in 2014 of the 2005 murder of Yvette Farinas, 31.

Detectives said Andres beat, stabbed and strangled Farinas with an electrical cord before setting her home on fire.

According to The Miami Herald, Andres had been hired to do renovations at the efficiency Farinas lived in with her boyfriend.

In 2015, Andres was sentenced to death, but a Florida Supreme Court ruling overturned his sentence.

Within the last year, a jury heard sentencing phase arguments and once again recommended the death penalty.

Miami-Dade County Judge Zachary James on Friday had the final say and could have chosen to override the jury’s recommendation. But the judge followed the jury’s recommendation and sent Andres back to death row.

Según MDSO, el tiroteo ocurrió en el 785 de 81st Street.

La sheriff confirmó a los periodistas que los agentes ejecutaban una orden de registro en la residencia en relación con violaciones a las leyes de armas de fuego por parte de un joven de 17 años y otro de 18.

Cordero Stutz dijo que el joven de 17 años salió de una habitación cuando llegaron los agentes, blandiendo un arma, momento en el que un agente le disparó y lo mató.

“Estos dos sujetos tienen amplios antecedentes penales por violaciones a las leyes de armas de fuego. Actualmente están en libertad condicional, son pandilleros registrados y llevan grilletes electrónicos en el tobillo”, dijo Cordero Stutz. “Las órdenes de registro son siempre una de las acciones más peligrosas que enfrentamos nosotros y todas las fuerzas del orden”.

Los agentes no identificaron de inmediato a los dos sospechosos ni al agente involucrado en el tiroteo.

“El joven negro de 17 años que falleció fue procesado como adulto y tiene múltiples delitos graves en su historial criminal”, afirmó la sheriff.

Se espera que el Departamento de Policía de Florida (FDLE) investigue el tiroteo.

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The arrest of “Yunglazz Drakula” ― whose real name is Lazaro Lesteiro-Diaz ― came as the result of a joint investigation between Miami police, Miami-Dade deputies and the FBI.

And it’s not the 26-year-old’s first time in the news.

Fraud investigation

An arrest report ― which lists Lesteiro-Diaz‘s occupation as “rap-fraudster” ― first describes a June 17 video in which he‘s ”seen holding a laptop with money on it and a headset/mic on his head commonly used by fraudsters/scammers as he raps a song in Spanish."

Investigators said Lesteiro-Diaz rapped, “I called you from a Bank of America number. Ima boof a plot.”

“That means ‘I’m going to take your money...I’m going to access your bank account and (you’re) giving me your code, everything over the phone and I won’t even touch you,’” a detective with the Miami Police Department explained in the arrest report.

Then, police said on July 6, Lesteiro-Diaz livestreamed himself rapping again, displaying a gun, large amounts of cash, and a laptop.

Authorities said he then flipped the camera to show personal information belonging to “multiple victims” and described “how he commits organized fraud and spoofing schemes.”

Then came the “purple drank.”

Police said Lesteiro-Diaz flashed a bottle of the promethazine codeine cough syrup, used as an illegal drug, as he walked around his kitchen.

On Tuesday, police said he posted a video “in a bathroom and flashing multiple debit/credit/gift cards while concealing a suspected firearm that has an extended magazine.” The sink had a “wad” of cash on it.

Police raid

On Thursday, one day after a judge signed a search warrant, police, deputies and the FBI raided his home in the 11200 block of Southwest 43rd Lane in the county’s unincorporated Westwood Lakes area.

There, they said they found a gun, magazines, a “Drakula” diamond chain, a diamond watch, baby bottles with suspected “purple drank,” cash and a call center headset. But that’s not all.

In the rear of the home were “(two) dead chickens with their heads cut off,” police said.

Next to the chickens, they said, was a room “full of Cuban Santería” and “voodoo (witchcraft).”

“Law enforcement then discovered a live baby goat inside a box near the Santería (witchcraft) material,“ the arrest report states. ”The baby goat’s neck was painted in orange, which is a sign marking where the animal would get cut/slaughtered.”

Police said they were able to find a rescue organization for the goat.

“Subsequently, FBI agents discovered a video of (Lesteiro-Diaz) holding two dead chickens dangling by their feet in his hand, which are consistent with the dead chickens located in the rear of the premises,” the report states.

Police said during an interview, he admitted the items were his and said he bought the promethazine cough syrup to “cure his sickness,” also stating that “he previously attempted to commit fraud.”

They said he then invoked his right to remain silent. Police arrested him on charges of armed drug possession, organized fraud, money laundering, identity theft and animal cruelty with intent to injure or kill.

Past felony case

Back in 2020, Local 10 News reported on the arrest of Lesteiro-Diaz, then 19 and living in Hialeah, after police said he wrote threatening messages about wanting to kill random people, including gay, Black, Nicaraguan and Colombian people.

On what was then known as Twitter, authorities said he wrote, “My brain looks like the brain of a serial killer psychopath. I feel no type of pity or emotion towards hurting someone ... humans are mosquitoes in my eyes.”

After being charged with written threats to kill, court records show that he received withheld adjudication later that year. They additionally show that his probation in that case was terminated in 2022.

Rapper gets $30K bond

Meanwhile, in his latest case, records show he’s being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $30,000 bond.

Before he posts bond, however, he’ll have to prove any funds came from a legitimate source.

Rafael Andres, de 61 años, fue declarado culpable en 2014 por el asesinato de Yvette Farinas, de 31 años, ocurrido en 2005.

Los detectives dijeron que Andres golpeó, apuñaló y estranguló a Farinas con un cable eléctrico antes de incendiar su vivienda.

Según The Miami Herald, Andres había sido contratado para realizar trabajos de remodelación en el efficiency donde Farinas vivía con su novio.

En 2015, Andres fue condenado a pena de muerte, pero un fallo de la Corte Suprema de Florida anuló esa sentencia.

Durante el último año, un jurado escuchó los argumentos de la fase de sentencia y nuevamente recomendó la pena de muerte.

El juez del condado Miami-Dade Zachary James tuvo la decisión final este viernes y podía optar por no seguir la recomendación del jurado. Sin embargo, el juez respaldó la recomendación y condenó nuevamente a Andres a la pena de muerte.

El arresto de “Yunglazz Drakula”, cuyo nombre real es Lazaro Lesteiro-Diaz, fue el resultado de una investigación conjunta entre la Policía de Miami, agentes de Miami-Dade y el FBI.

Y no es la primera vez que el joven de 26 años aparece en las noticias.

Investigación por fraude

Un informe de arresto, que identifica la ocupación de Lesteiro-Diaz como “rapero-estafador”, comienza describiendo un video del 17 de junio en el que se le “ve sosteniendo una computadora portátil con dinero sobre ella y usando unos audífonos con micrófono, comúnmente utilizados por estafadores, mientras rapea una canción en español”.

Los investigadores indicaron que Lesteiro-Diaz rapeó: “Te llamé desde un número de Bank of America. Ima boof a plot”.

“Eso significa: ‘Voy a quitarte el dinero… voy a acceder a tu cuenta bancaria y tú me vas a dar tu código, todo por teléfono, y ni siquiera voy a tocarte’”, explicó un detective del Departamento de Policía de Miami en el informe de arresto.

Luego, la Policía indicó que el 6 de julio Lesteiro-Diaz volvió a transmitir en vivo mientras rapeaba, mostrando un arma, grandes cantidades de dinero en efectivo y una computadora portátil.

Las autoridades señalaron que después giró la cámara para mostrar información personal perteneciente a “múltiples víctimas” y explicó “cómo comete fraudes organizados y esquemas de suplantación de identidad”.

Después apareció el “purple drank”.

La Policía dijo que Lesteiro-Diaz mostró una botella de jarabe para la tos con prometazina y codeína, utilizado ilegalmente como droga, mientras caminaba por su cocina.

El martes, la Policía informó que publicó un video “en un baño mostrando múltiples tarjetas de débito, crédito y de regalo mientras ocultaba un arma de fuego que presuntamente tenía un cargador extendido”. En el lavamanos había un fajo de dinero en efectivo.

Allanamiento policial

El jueves, un día después de que un juez firmara una orden de allanamiento, policías, agentes de Miami-Dade y el FBI allanaron su vivienda en la cuadra 11200 de Southwest 43rd Lane, en el área no incorporada de Westwood Lakes, en el condado Miami-Dade.

Allí, aseguraron haber encontrado un arma, cargadores, una cadena de diamantes con la palabra “Drakula”, un reloj de diamantes, biberones con presunto “purple drank”, dinero en efectivo y unos audífonos con micrófono para centro de llamadas. Pero eso no fue todo.

En la parte trasera de la vivienda encontraron “dos gallinas muertas con las cabezas cortadas”, informó la Policía.

Junto a las gallinas, encontraron una habitación “llena de objetos relacionados con la santería cubana” y “vudú (brujería)”.

“Las autoridades descubrieron además un cabrito vivo dentro de una caja cerca del material de santería (brujería)”, señala el informe de arresto. “El cuello del cabrito estaba pintado de color naranja, una señal que marca el lugar donde el animal sería cortado o sacrificado”.

La Policía indicó que logró contactar a una organización de rescate para hacerse cargo del cabrito.

“Posteriormente, agentes del FBI descubrieron un video de Lesteiro-Diaz sosteniendo dos gallinas muertas colgando por las patas, lo que coincide con las gallinas muertas encontradas en la parte trasera de la propiedad”, señala el informe.

La Policía indicó que durante un interrogatorio Lesteiro-Diaz admitió que los objetos le pertenecían y dijo que había comprado el jarabe con prometazina para “curar su enfermedad”, además de reconocer que “anteriormente intentó cometer fraude”.

Las autoridades señalaron que posteriormente invocó su derecho a guardar silencio. Fue arrestado por cargos de posesión de drogas estando armado, fraude organizado, lavado de dinero, robo de identidad y crueldad animal con intención de herir o matar.

Caso previo por delito grave

En 2020, Local 10 News informó sobre el arresto de Lesteiro-Diaz, quien entonces tenía 19 años y vivía en Hialeah, luego de que la Policía asegurara que escribió mensajes amenazando con matar a personas al azar, incluidos homosexuales, personas negras, nicaragüenses y colombianos.

En la entonces conocida red social Twitter, las autoridades dijeron que escribió: “Mi cerebro parece el de un asesino en serie psicópata. No siento ningún tipo de lástima ni emoción al lastimar a alguien… los seres humanos son como mosquitos para mí”.

Tras ser acusado de emitir amenazas de muerte por escrito, los registros judiciales muestran que ese mismo año recibió una suspensión de la adjudicación de culpabilidad. También indican que su libertad condicional en ese caso terminó en 2022.

Rapero recibe fianza de $30,000 USD

Mientras tanto, los registros muestran que en este nuevo caso permanece detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $30,000 USD.

Sin embargo, antes de poder pagar la fianza deberá demostrar que cualquier dinero utilizado proviene de una fuente legítima.

El choque ocurrió cerca de Northeast 34th Avenue.

Según Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, tres de las víctimas fueron trasladadas al centro de trauma del Hospital HCA Florida Aventura, mientras que otras dos con lesiones menores fueron llevadas a un hospital local cuyo nombre no fue revelado.

Otras dos personas fueron evaluadas en el lugar y no presentaban lesiones, informó un portavoz de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Una de las víctimas quedó atrapada dentro de uno de los vehículos, según Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Video de Sky 10 mostró dos vehículos involucrados, con personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue y agentes de la Policía de North Miami Beach en el lugar.

Las imágenes también mostraron el cierre de los carriles en dirección oeste de la vía.

Durante los últimos tres meses, voluntarios, contratistas, empresas y televidentes de Local 10 se han unido para reconstruir la vivienda de Edward y Clara Knox en Richmond Heights, ayudando a transformar lo que alguna vez fue una estructura insegura en una casa que poco a poco vuelve a tomar forma.

Cuando Local 10 presentó por primera vez a los televidentes a Edward Knox, de 75 años, en abril, la vivienda en la que él y su esposa habían vivido durante más de cuatro décadas estaba en un grave estado de deterioro. El techo se estaba derrumbando, varias habitaciones eran inhabitables y la propiedad estaba cubierta por abundante vegetación.

Después de que se transmitió la historia, voluntarios dieron un paso al frente para ayudar a hacer realidad el sueño de la familia Knox de regresar a su hogar.

“Ángeles aparecieron de la nada para ayudarme”, dijo Edward Knox. “Es imposible no sentirse bien después de eso”.

Desde entonces, el proyecto se ha convertido en un esfuerzo conjunto que involucra a empresas locales, organizaciones sin fines de lucro, contratistas y generosos miembros de la comunidad.

El primer gran logro fue sacar la vivienda de la lista de estructuras inseguras del condado y obtener los permisos de construcción necesarios. Luego, los equipos demolieron el techo dañado y retiraron varios contenedores de basura llenos de escombros.

La fase más reciente de la construcción incluyó la entrega e instalación de nuevas cerchas para el techo, un paso importante para proteger la vivienda de las condiciones del tiempo.

Las cerchas fueron compradas con donaciones realizadas por televidentes de Local 10.

“Cada día esta familia, como yo la llamo, se une para ayudar a la familia Knox a regresar a su casa”, dijo Joe Puentes, cofundador de Wikivoice.

Los equipos de techado comenzaron rápidamente a instalar las cerchas antes de pasar a las siguientes etapas de la construcción.

“La siguiente parte será colocar la madera y la fascia, que forma parte de la estructura”, dijo Héctor Rodríguez, de Level Up Roofing.

Otra donación permitió seguir avanzando en el proyecto cuando Skyline Roofing Solutions donó la mayor parte de la madera contrachapada necesaria para el techo.

“La madera contrachapada que donamos hoy tiene un valor aproximado de $2,300 USD”, dijo Jorge Gutiérrez, gerente de Skyline Roofing Solutions.

La madera contrachapada restante fue suministrada por The Home Depot de Deerwood, en el suroeste de Miami-Dade.

Una vez que el techo quede completamente protegido, los contratistas indicaron que podrán comenzar los trabajos en las ventanas, la estructura interior, la plomería y el sistema eléctrico de la vivienda.

“Cuando el techo esté completamente protegido, podremos comenzar con las estructuras de las ventanas que vamos a instalar”, dijo el contratista general Jaime Naranjo. “Después podremos empezar con la estructura interior y prepararnos para realizar toda la plomería y el cableado eléctrico”.

Las imágenes captadas por un dron muestran ahora una transformación notable, con el techo que antes estaba lleno de agujeros reemplazado por nuevas láminas de madera contrachapada.

Naranjo afirmó que el proyecto demuestra cómo incluso unas pocas horas de trabajo voluntario pueden marcar una diferencia duradera.

“Unas pocas horas de nuestro día no van a cambiar nuestras vidas, pero esas pocas horas pueden cambiar muchas vidas de ahora en adelante”, dijo.

Para Edward Knox, ver cómo avanza cada etapa de la construcción ha sido un proceso muy emotivo.

“Es maravilloso ver a estos muchachos levantando estas cerchas y colocándolas”, dijo. “Es como otra etapa de aleluya”.

Aunque se ha logrado un progreso importante, los organizadores estiman que el proyecto todavía necesita alrededor de $20,000 USD en materiales, mano de obra y servicios para completarse.

Entre las necesidades restantes se encuentran:

• Aislamiento para el ático y las paredes.
• Materiales eléctricos.
• Luminarias interiores y exteriores.
• Trabajos restantes de la estructura y refuerzo.
• Bomba de concreto y un camión de concreto.
• Pintura para interiores y exteriores, y materiales de pintura.
• Cerchas para el techo del garaje.
• Sistema de aire acondicionado (HVAC).
• Materiales e instalación de jardinería.
• Materiales diversos, trabajos en la entrada para vehículos, retiro de basura y otras necesidades finales del proyecto.

Para donar: Si desea hacer una donación económica para una historia o proyecto de Good News South Florida, haga clic aquí. Local 10 creó el Fondo Local 10 junto con The Miami Foundation y el 100% de su donación será destinado a la causa que usted indique en el apartado de “información adicional”.

Para ser voluntario o enviar una idea para una historia: Si desea participar como voluntario en un proyecto de Good News South Florida o proponer una historia, envíe un correo electrónico a goodnews@local10.com.

Good News South Florida se transmite los viernes durante el noticiero matutino de Local 10 a las 10 a.m. También se retransmite los viernes a las 3:30 p.m. y los domingos por la mañana a partir de las 6 a.m.

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Over the past three months, volunteers, contractors, businesses and Local 10 viewers have come together to rebuild the Richmond Heights home of Edward and Clara Knox, helping turn what was once an unsafe structure into a home that’s steadily taking shape.

When Local 10 first introduced viewers to 75-year-old Edward Knox in April, the home he and his wife had lived in for more than four decades had fallen into severe disrepair. The roof was collapsing, rooms had become uninhabitable and the property had been overtaken by overgrown vegetation.

After the story aired, volunteers stepped forward to help make the Knox family’s dream of returning home a reality.

“Angels out of nowhere coming to me,” Edward Knox said. “Can’t help but feel good after that.”

The project has since expanded into a collaborative effort involving local businesses, nonprofit organizations, contractors and generous community members.

The first major milestone was removing the home from the county’s unsafe structures list and securing the necessary building permits. Crews then demolished the damaged roof and hauled away several dumpsters filled with debris.

The latest phase of construction included the delivery and installation of new roof trusses — a significant step toward making the home weather-tight.

The trusses were purchased using donations from Local 10 viewers.

“Every day this family, I call it, is coming together and helping the Knox family get back in their home,” said Joe Puentes, co-founder of Wikivoice.

Roofing crews quickly began installing the trusses before moving on to the next stages of construction.

“The next part will be putting the wood and the fascia board, which is part of the structure,” said Hector Rodriguez, of Level Up Roofing.

Another donation helped move the project forward when Skyline Roofing Solutions donated most of the plywood needed for the roof.

“The plywood that we donated today was about $2,300,” said Jorge Gutierrez, manager of Skyline Roofing Solutions.

The remaining plywood was supplied by The Home Depot of Deerwood in southwest Miami-Dade.

Once the roof is dried in, contractors say work can begin on the home’s windows, interior framing, plumbing and electrical systems.

“When it’s dried-in, we can start the window structures that we are going to do,” said general contractor Jaime Naranjo. “After that, we can start doing the framing inside and get ready to do all the rough plumbing and rough electrical.”

Drone footage now shows a dramatic transformation, with the roof that was once riddled with holes replaced by newly installed plywood decking.

Naranjo said the project demonstrates how even a few hours of volunteer work can make a lasting difference.

“A few hours out of our day is not going to change our lives, but these few hours can change a lot of lives moving forward,” he said.

For Edward Knox, watching each phase of construction unfold has been emotional.

“It’s wonderful seeing these guys pulling these trusses and taking them in,” he said. “It’s like another phase of hallelujah.”

While significant progress has been made, organizers estimate the project still needs about $20,000 in materials, labor and services to reach completion.

Remaining needs include:

• Attic and wall insulation
• Electrical materials
• Interior and exterior lighting fixtures
• Remaining structural shell work and reinforcement
• Concrete pump and one concrete truck
• Interior and exterior paint and painting supplies
• Carport roof trusses
• HVAC system
• Landscaping materials and installation
• Miscellaneous materials, driveway work, trash hauling, and final project needs

To donate: If you’d like to make a monetary donation toward a Good News South Florida story or project, click here. Local 10 has established the Local 10 Fund with The Miami Foundation and 100% of your donation will go toward the cause you designate in the “additional information” box.

To volunteer or submit a story idea: If you’d like to volunteer for a Good News South Florida project or would like to submit a story for consideration, email goodnews@local10.com.

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

A new campaign launched Friday will promote programs that let veterans who recently drove large military vehicles skip the required skills test for a commercial driver’s license. Other soldiers can attend a commercial driving school during their last six months of active duty. The GI Bill will also pay for 100% of commercial driver's license training and for some people even pay a housing allowance while they are in school.

The campaign will be part of a broader interagency effort to help veterans find good civilian jobs that the White House plans to announce on Monday.

The Transportation Department began enforcing existing English language requirements for truckers last summer. Concerns about truck driver qualifications then took on more urgency after an August crash in Florida, when a truck driver performed an illegal U-turn that killed three people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that driver, who is from India, should never have been licensed in the first place.

Audits conducted in every state uncovered numerous non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses that remained valid long after an immigrant's work permits had expired or were issued without properly verifying their citizenship status.

Since then, about 26,000 drivers have been pulled off the road for failing to demonstrate English proficiency, and the Transportation Department said 30,000 commercial licenses were canceled because they were issued illegally. The federal government has tried to withhold millions of dollars of highway funds from California and New York for failing to comply and revoke thousands more licenses, but that has wound up in court. Several other states — including Pennsylvania, Minnesota and North Carolina — have been warned they are at risk of losing funding.

“We are removing more and more dangerous foreign drivers off our roads every day and restoring the integrity of America’s trucking industry,” Duffy said. “Our new Freedom Haulers campaign will help build on these successes and get the word out that there’s never been a better time for America’s former service members to get behind the wheel of a big rig.”

The federal government has been actively enforcing CDL rules

The trucking industry has applauded the administration's effort to get unqualified drivers off the road and close down sham CDL schools, and companies praised this new effort to get more veterans behind the wheel.

“Veterans make up 15% of our workforce and bring the highest levels of leadership, discipline and technical skills that are essential to our success. We are dedicated to providing them with meaningful careers and a supportive environment where they can thrive," said Derek Leathers, who is chairman and CEO of Werner Enterprises.

Cole Stevens, who is chief strategy officer at the trucking company that bears his last name, said veterans' backgrounds make them great drivers.

“Some of the best drivers and industry leaders I’ve had the privilege of working with are military veterans," Stevens said. “Their integrity, accountability, and mission-first mindset make them an incredible asset.”

In addition to enforcing existing restrictions, the government announced plans to restrict which immigrants can qualify for a non-domiciled commercial driver's license and require them to take the test in English, but those rules are being challenged in court.

The only immigrant drivers who can get a license under the new rules are holders of an H-2A, H-2A or E-2 visa. H-2A is for temporary agricultural workers while H-2B is for temporary nonagricultural workers, and E-2 is for people who make substantial investments in a U.S. business.

Immigrants account for about 20% of all truck drivers, but all of these non-domiciled licenses for immigrants represent only about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses, or about 200,000 drivers.

Some immigrant groups have said they believe that many drivers are being unfairly targeted. The spotlight has been on Sikh truckers because the driver in the Florida crash and the driver in another fatal crash in California in October are both Sikh.

Truck driving may appeal to veterans

The Transportation Department plans to work with the Pentagon and Departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor to promote the career field as a good job that offers independence to veterans who don't want a desk job in civilian life.

Veterans still have to study the rules and pass the written test for a commercial driver's license, but soldiers who recently drove big military vehicles over 2.5 tons (2.25 metric tons) can skip the skills test. The government said more than 40,000 veterans have already used that program, which can enable them to get on the road within a few weeks.

The Transportation Department said that truck drivers currently make an average of $70,000 a year, as the truck market has tightened up and rates have increased.

Veterans who served for at least three years can also use the money from the GI Bill program to pay for CDL training, and they might even qualify for a housing stipend.

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The crash happened near Northeast 34th Avenue.

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, three of the victims were taken to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital’s trauma center, while two victims with minor injuries were taken to an unnamed local hospital.

North Miami Beach police said just before noon that one of the hospitalized victims, a woman described as a senior, later died.

Two others were “were assessed on scene and had no complaints,” an MDFR spokesperson said.

One of the victims had been trapped in one of the vehicles, according to MDFR.

Video from Sky 10 showed two vehicles involved, with MDFR and North Miami Beach police at the scene.

Police shut down traffic on the westbound lanes of the road coming out of Sunny Isles Beach.

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According to MDSO, the shooting happened at 785 81^st St.

The sheriff confirmed to reporters that deputies were serving a search warrant at the residence in connection with possession of firearms violations by a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old.

Cordero Stutz said the 17-year-old came out of a bedroom when deputies arrived, waving a gun, at which time a deputy fired at the teen, killing him.

“These two subjects have extensive criminal pasts for firearms violations. They are currently on probation, they are registered gang members and are wearing ankle monitors,” Cordero Stutz said. “Search warrants are always one of our most dangerous actions that we and all law enforcement face.”

Deputies did not immediately identify the two suspects or the deputy involved in the shooting.

“The 17-year-old Black male who is deceased is an adjudicated adult with multiple felonious histories on his criminal record,” the sheriff said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is expected to investigate the shooting.

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Relativity Space will be eligible for an investment of up to $134 million from the Florida Department of Transportation’s Spaceport Improvement Program, according to Space Florida.

“Expanding our capacity in Florida enables our ability to scale the Terran R program to support commercial, scientific, and national security missions,” Eric Schmidt, Relativity Space’s executive chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement,

The Terran R, a 284-feet-tall lift rocket, is set to launch later this year at Launch Complex 16 in Cape Canaveral.

The plan for the Terran R production facility includes an expansion of the test and launch support infrastructure across from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Related stories

• China takes a page from SpaceX and recaptures the first stage of a rocket to reuse it
• SpaceX Starship launch aborted on the pad at the last moment

Según Space Florida, Relativity Space podrá optar a una inversión de hasta 134 millones de dólares del Programa de Mejora de Puertos Espaciales del Departamento de Transporte de Florida.

“Ampliar nuestra capacidad en Florida nos permite escalar el programa Terran R para apoyar misiones comerciales, científicas y de seguridad nacional”, dijo Eric Schmidt, presidente ejecutivo y director general de Relativity Space, en un comunicado .

El Terran R , un cohete de lanzamiento de 87 metros de altura, tiene previsto su lanzamiento a finales de este año desde el Complejo de Lanzamiento 16 en Cabo Cañaveral.

El plan para la planta de producción del Terran R incluye una ampliación de la infraestructura de apoyo para pruebas y lanzamientos, ubicada frente al Centro Espacial Kennedy de la NASA y la Estación de la Fuerza Espacial de Cabo Cañaveral.

Historias relacionadas

• China sigue el ejemplo de SpaceX y recupera la primera etapa de un cohete para reutilizarla.
• El lanzamiento de la nave espacial Starship de SpaceX fue abortado en la plataforma en el último momento.

Las excavaciones a las que se suman voluntarios tienen lugar en edificaciones derrumbadas de forma parcial o total, donde aún los escombros no han sido removidos con maquinaria pesada. La posibilidad de localizar a alguien con vida parece ya casi imposible y la mayoría de los rescatistas internacionales se fueron del país.

Muchos aseguran que, tal como no recibieron ayuda del gobierno para rescatar a sobrevivientes justo después de los sismos, ahora tampoco cuentan con el apoyo necesario para desenterrar a sus muertos. El gobierno niega esos señalamientos.

Por otro lado, la reconstrucción es un reto financiero para la mayoría de las familias afectadas, cuyos ingresos ya eran deficitarios antes de los dos sismos sucesivos de magnitud 7,2 y 7,5 ocurridos a lo largo de la cordillera de la costa norte de Venezuela.

“Estamos agradecidos de estar vivos, de tener todavía dónde vivir”, dijo a The Associated Press Rafael Quintero. Pero la falta de certeza sobre “lo que ocurrirá en el futuro” profundiza las dudas de este administrador de 36 años.

Las dificultades obedecen a la falta de recursos y a las demoras en conseguir el permiso para realizar las reparaciones debido a sucesivas inspecciones que se solapan unas con otras y en ocasiones son contradictorias, sostienen los damnificados.

La cifra de fallecidos asciende a por lo menos 5.398 y el número de heridos se mantiene en 16.740 desde hace dos semanas, según el último reporte difundido el miércoles por el gobierno de la presidenta encargada, Delcy Rodríguez.

La mayoría de los decesos se produjeron en el estado costanero de La Guaira, que fue la región más afectada por los sismos y se ubica en el lado norte de la cordillera que separa la capital venezolana, Caracas, del mar Caribe.

Un total de 856 edificios sufrieron daños y de ellos 190 colapsaron totalmente, mientras que más de 1.600 estructuras de otra índole, como puentes y carreteras, también fueron afectadas.

El gobierno estima que los terremotos dejaron 17.907 personas sin hogar y que más de 21.000 que sufrieron daños de distinto tipo reciben refugio en 107 campamentos instalados en La Guaira, Caracas y el vecino estado Miranda.

Promesas del gobierno

El gobierno sostiene que está acelerando el proceso de reconstrucción y alquiler de viviendas.

La presidenta prometió entregar 4.000 viviendas que ya estaban en construcción antes de diciembre para los afectados y construir otras más para superar las 10.000 el año próximo.

Las alcaldías y gobernaciones, entre otros organismos, han empezado a brindar ayuda para remover escombros y donar materiales para la reparación de las viviendas dañadas que no han sido declaradas inhabitables.

Rodríguez también ha dicho que el gobierno “está en la revisión de los suelos”. Su administración rechaza las denuncias que señalan que muchos de los edificios colapsados fueron construidos por el sector público en terrenos inestables. Los críticos dicen que se habrían saltado regulaciones por la prisa de entregar viviendas luego de pasadas tragedias naturales que dejaron a miles sin hogar.

La gente, sin recursos financieros

“Los daños en mi casa tienen arreglo, pero no hay dinero, eso me quita el sueño”, resaltó Quintero. Solicitar un crédito para Quintero y muchos otros no es una opción.

Los créditos en la banca pública y privada son casi inexistentes para la mayoría de los venezolanos.

El porcentaje de los depósitos totales que un banco debe mantener como reserva obligatoria en el Banco Central se ubica en alrededor del 73%, lo que limita severamente el crédito. La medida busca controlar la liquidez para frenar la presión sobre el tipo de cambio y la inflación, y se mantiene pese a los sostenidos pedidos para que sea reducido de expertos y gremios financieros.

“Ahora más que nunca toca tener varios trabajos, y bueno, no perder la fe”, dijo Genesis Ramírez, que renunció a su trabajo como empleada pública para mejorar sus ingresos realizando servicios de entrega de paquetes y vendiendo postres y almuerzos.

Los venezolanos están agobiados por los bajos salarios fijados en bolívares y los elevados precios de los bienes que en los últimos años se fijan en dólares.

La mayoría de los 3,5 millones de trabajadores del sector público subsisten con aproximadamente 190 dólares al mes, casi en su totalidad bonos. De acuerdo con el Observatorio Venezolano de Finanzas, un organismo independiente, un empleado promedio del sector privado ganaba el año pasado alrededor de 237 dólares mensuales.

Numerosos venezolanos tienen dos o más empleos para mejorar sus ingresos. El precio de una canasta básica de alimentos ha superado los 500 dólares, según el Observatorio.

La crisis social y económica en la última década empujó a más de 7,7 millones de personas a emigrar en busca de mejores condiciones.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the outbreak first tied to Taco Bell restaurants now includes Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. Previously the agency's investigation included five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and state health officials have been tracing the supply of the lettuce and interviewing people across the nation about the foods they ate two weeks before getting sick.

The number of cases linked to lettuce served at Taco Bell is now 1,947, including at least 98 people who had to be hospitalized. There have been no deaths, the agency reported on its website.

The total number of people sickened by the outbreak is likely higher than the official tally, given that not all cases are reported, the agency noted.

FDA officials earlier this week said they remain focused on lettuce from Taylor Farms as the source of the multistate outbreak. The company last week announced it was recalling iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.

On Thursday, the FDA announced it was investigating a separate outbreak of cyclospora reported in 72 people. Regulators had not yet identified the products linked to the illnesses.

Overall, cyclospora cases have set a U.S. record. Since May 1, CDC has received reports of more than 4,100 laboratory-confirmed cases and is investigating more than 7,400 other likely cases across 41 states. Federal health officials have said that other “brands, restaurants, retailers, or distribution channels” could be tied to the outbreak as the investigation continues.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.

On Thursday, Mexico health officials announced that the parasite was not detected in the lettuce or water at the Taylor Farms plant in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

The results were announced following a visit by Mexican health authorities to the Taylor Farms plant between July 18 and 20, during which 10 samples of iceberg lettuce were collected. Four water samples also were collected for analysis, authorities stated.

___

Fabiola Sanchez contributed to this story from Mexico City

___

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

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Florida’s vote by mail rules changed a few years back, and all previous vote by mail requests expired.

In order to continue to vote by mail, you need to take action now.

You must submit your vote by mail request to get ballots for elections that will occur this year and you’ll need to do it again before the next election cycle in 2028.

Go to the election website in your county to make the request or you can always vote early or on Election Day.

CLICK HERE to view Local 10’s 2026 Voter Guide for more information ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election.

Las reglas para votar por correo en Florida cambiaron hace algunos años y todas las solicitudes anteriores para votar por correo vencieron.

Para seguir votando por correo, debe tomar medidas ahora.

Debe presentar una nueva solicitud para votar por correo si desea recibir las boletas de las elecciones que se celebrarán este año, y tendrá que volver a hacerlo antes del próximo ciclo electoral en 2028.

Ingrese al sitio web de elecciones de su condado para presentar la solicitud, o siempre puede votar de manera anticipada o el Día de las Elecciones.

HAGA CLIC AQUÍ para consultar la Guía del Votante 2026 de Local 10 y obtener más información antes de la elección primaria del 18 de agosto.

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Francois Levi approached the children, who were walking eastbound on Lucy Street near Northwest Sixth Avenue, according to a police officer’s arrest report.

The children ran to school and reported the incident to a school security employee, who called 911, according to the police report.

Police officers arrested Levi at 8:45 a.m. on Thursday at the Laura C. Saunders Elementary School, at 505 SW 8th St., according to the police report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Levi shortly after 11:50 p.m. on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.

Levi faced four charges: Two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition on a child younger than 16, and two counts of indecent exposure.

Según el informe policial de la detención, Francois Levi se acercó a los niños, que caminaban hacia el este por la calle Lucy, cerca de la Sexta Avenida Noroeste.

Según el informe policial, los niños corrieron a la escuela e informaron del incidente a un empleado de seguridad escolar, quien llamó al 911.

Según el informe policial, los agentes de policía arrestaron a Levi a las 8:45 de la mañana del jueves en la escuela primaria Laura C. Saunders, ubicada en 505 SW 8th St.

Según los registros de reclusos, el departamento penitenciario del condado de Miami-Dade ingresó en prisión a Levi poco después de las 23:50 del jueves en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Levi se enfrentó a cuatro cargos: dos cargos de exhibicionismo lascivo o indecente ante un menor de 16 años y dos cargos de exposición indecente.

La noticia surge después de que las redes sociales estallaran a principios de esta semana cuando la cuenta oficial del Miami Heat publicó brevemente un enlace a una transmisión en vivo en YouTube titulada “Conferencia de presentación de LeBron James”, programada para el 27 de julio.

La publicación fue eliminada rápidamente, pero no antes de que los aficionados capturaran imágenes de pantalla y comenzaran a compartirlas en redes sociales, alimentando las especulaciones de que James podría regresar a South Beach.

El Heat se refirió a la situación y dijo a ESPN que el departamento de redes sociales del equipo se estaba preparando para la posibilidad de que James firmara con Miami y publicó el enlace por error.

James, de 41 años, se unió por primera vez al Heat en 2010, formando un equipo aspirante al campeonato junto a Dwyane Wade y Chris Bosh.

Durante sus cuatro temporadas en Miami, el equipo llegó a las Finales de la NBA todos los años entre 2011 y 2014, conquistando campeonatos consecutivos en 2012 y 2013. El Heat se convirtió en apenas el tercer equipo en la historia de la NBA en disputar cuatro Finales consecutivas.

El título de 2012 marcó el primer campeonato en la carrera de James, y el Heat de 2013 se convirtió en uno de los equipos más dominantes de la liga, al ganar 27 partidos consecutivos durante la temporada regular antes de derrotar a los San Antonio Spurs en una dramática serie de siete juegos en las Finales.

James dejó Miami en 2014 y regresó a Cleveland, donde posteriormente le dio a los Cavaliers su primer campeonato de la NBA en 2016.

Pero aunque James no regresará a Miami, los aficionados del Heat siguen celebrando la llegada de Giannis Antetokounmpo al equipo.

Y no lo olvide, podrá ver los partidos del Miami Heat la próxima temporada por Local 10, ya que WPLG Local 10 y el Heat anunciaron un nuevo acuerdo ampliado de derechos de transmisión, que convierte a Local 10 en la casa del baloncesto del Heat en todo el sur de Florida. HAGA CLIC AQUÍ para obtener más información sobre cómo ver los partidos.

Los aficionados del Heat también pueden llamar al 786-777-4375 para obtener más información sobre cómo comprar boletos para la temporada 2026-2027.

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James made the announcement on social media Friday, saying it will be his “last decision” and that it comes after he strongly considered retirement.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said.

The news comes after social media erupted earlier this week after the Miami Heat’s social media account briefly posted a link to a YouTube livestream titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference,” scheduled for July 27.

The post was quickly deleted, but not before fans captured screenshots and began sharing them across social media, fueling speculation that James could be headed back to South Beach.

The Heat addressed the situation, telling ESPN that the team’s social media department was preparing for the possibility of James signing with Miami and accidentally published the link.

James, 41, first joined the Heat in 2010, creating a championship contender alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

During his four seasons in Miami, the team reached the NBA Finals every year from 2011 through 2014, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. The Heat became only the third team in NBA history to make four-consecutive Finals appearances.

The 2012 title marked the first championship of James’ career, and the 2013 Heat became one of the league’s most dominant teams, winning 27 consecutive games during the regular season before defeating the San Antonio Spurs in a dramatic seven-game Finals series.

James left Miami in 2014 and returned to Cleveland, where he later delivered the Cavaliers their first NBA championship in 2016.

But even though James will not be heading to Miami, Heat fans are still rejoicing over Giannis Antetokounmpo signing with the team.

And don’t forget, you can watch Miami Heat games on Local 10 next season as WPLG Local 10 and the Heat announced a newly expanded media rights agreement, making Local 10 the home of HEAT basketball across South Florida! CLICK HERE for more information on how to watch!

Heat fans can also call 786-777-4375 for more information on how to purchase tickets for the 2026-2027 season.

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer made the announcement on social media Friday, saying it will be his “last decision” and that it comes after he strongly considered retirement.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said.

A four-time NBA champion, James wrote he was “done” when his 23rd NBA season ended and that it was his last with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game," James wrote. “I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”

The 41-year-old James is set to sign a modest $8-million, two-year contract with the Sixers, according to ESPN. He made nearly $53 million last season.

“I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family,” James wrote. “What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning.”

Much as James did for Cleveland when he ended a 56-year championship drought for the city by leading the Cavaliers to the title in 2016, he can snap a lengthy title drought for the Sixers.

The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round by the NBA champion New York Knicks.

James joins a 76ers team that has not won an NBA championship since 1983 and has not advanced out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001. The 76ers should boast one of the top starting fives in the NBA with fellow All-Stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and the league’s fourth-leading scorer this past season acquired in a stunning offseason deal with the Celtics.

Turned out, new 76ers team president Mike Gansey was just getting started with his summer of surprises.

No move, of course, hits like James' arrival.

He won his four NBA championships in stops with Cleveland, Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers. James left the Lakers after an eight-season run highlighted by the 2020 NBA title.

James is the NBA’s oldest active player at 41 and the only player in league history to have a career spanning 23 seasons; this coming season will be his 24th. Speculation has been rampant for more than two months about his future, officially starting in May when the Lakers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs.

James’ resume is beyond compare in NBA history. He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He’s also coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons — where he won his first two NBA titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, including that title run in 2016, and left in 2018 for the Lakers.

Cleveland and Miami were believed to be on James’ radar again as he weighed this decision.

“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!” James wrote.

For the next two seasons, James' professional home is in Philadelphia.

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

That much, the correspondents’ association can control.

What remains out of its control — and perhaps the biggest question — is what the dinner’s most prominent guest, President Donald Trump, will bring to the table.

Call it White House Dinner 2.0, or Take Two, or, in Trump’s own words, a “HOT ticket.”

The big unknown is whether Trump will bring the fighting words (“rather nasty,” he said) against the press he’d planned to deliver in April — before the event descended into chaos when a gunman stormed a security checkpoint, forcing an evacuation of the room.

“The president looks forward to finishing what he started,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday, confirming Trump's attendance. “I encourage everyone watching tomorrow night to tune in for what promises to be a very entertaining and memorable evening."

Trump has been coy about what he might say

As for Trump himself, he indicated last month he wasn’t sure. “I don’t know whether or not I will give the same rather nasty statements, at least as it concerns certain people, but we will soon find out," the Republican president wrote on his Truth Social platform. “In any event, it will be a ‘HOT’ ticket!”

Besides the pared-down approach, there is another change at Friday’s dinner: two additional awards. One will be presented to Victor Gonzales, the Secret Service agent who was staffing a security checkpoint in April and was struck in his protective vest.

“Officer Gonzales … ran toward danger so that thousands of others could make it home safely," Weijia Jiang, WHCA president, said in a statement. “His courage stemmed from a dedication to service, which we are looking forward to honoring this week.”

A second award will be presented to the staff of the Washington Hilton hotel, site of the first dinner.

Jiang and her fellow board members worked hard to bring about a WHCA dinner 2.0, not wanting to let a violent act remain the final image. Announcing the rescheduling, she emphasized the dinner’s stated purpose: “a celebration of a free press and the vital role of journalism in our democracy for over a century.”

“We will not allow an act of violence to have the last word, especially during a year when we are reflecting on the 250th anniversary of America and everything we stand for,” Jiang said.

There's still lots of criticism of the event

But it’s also clear that some people feel the dinner should not be rescheduled at all.

Many never felt the dinner was a good look in the first place, with the sight of journalists in formal wear cozying up to their sources, or the objects of their reporting.

“It undermines the public faith in how the press does its work, and it makes it look like we are pals with the people we cover,” Kelly McBride, an ethics expert at the Poynter Institute, a journalism think tank, said when the deliberations were taking place.

The new dinner comes during a time of fast-increasing tension between the media and a president who, in his second term, has tried to exert pressure on media outlets he is unhappy with in a variety of ways. That pressure has ranged from sanctions against members of the White House press corps to regulatory actions through the Federal Communications Commission to outright lawsuits.

Those tensions have only escalated since April, with the latest example reaching a New York courtroom on Thursday. There, criticized by a federal judge for sloppy legal work, the government withdrew subpoenas that would have compelled three New York Times reporters to testify about their sources for articles about Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.

That escalation was the impetus behind a letter from a coalition of press freedom groups and hundreds of former journalists, urging the WHCA to stand up to Trump forcefully at the dinner.

“We believe it is hypocritical to celebrate the First Amendment in front of the man who relentlessly attacks it,” the letter says. “We urge the WHCA to condemn the administration’s actions from the podium and pledge to fight all attempts by his administration to undermine this core pillar of a functioning democracy.”

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

“Debe ser una decisión impostergable proteger la vida de quienes defienden los derechos humanos y construyen paz en los territorios”, afirmó la Defensoría en un comunicado.

El reporte indica que fueron asesinados 61 hombres y 17 mujeres entre enero y junio de este año, una disminución del número de víctimas fatales respecto al mismo periodo del año anterior, en el que se registraron 89 asesinatos.

Colombia no ha logrado revertir la violencia contra líderes sociales y defensores de derechos humanos, pese a que consecutivos gobiernos han avanzado en políticas a su favor. La Defensoría del Pueblo calcula que en la última década han sido asesinados en el país 1.741 activistas.

El seguimiento a este tipo de crímenes se intensificó a partir del 2016, cuando el Estado firmó un histórico acuerdo de paz con las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), la que fuera la guerrilla más antigua de Latinoamérica.

Aunque después de la firma del acuerdo la violencia disminuyó, se elevó paulatinamente a medida que otros grupos armados ilegales —incluidas las disidencias de las FARC— cooptaron los territorios estratégicos para desarrollar economías ilícitas como el narcotráfico y la minería ilegal.

La fiscalía ha señalado a los grupos armados ilegales de ser los mayores perpetradores de los homicidios contra líderes sociales, especialmente las disidencias de las FARC, el cártel de la droga Clan del Golfo y la guerrilla Ejército de Liberación Nacional.

El saliente gobierno del progresista Gustavo Petro emprendió negociaciones de paz paralelas con los grupos armados ilegales sin lograr desarmarlos. De la Espriella, quien asumirá el poder el 7 de agosto, ha prometido acabar con los diálogos, dando a los ilegales la posibilidad de someterse a la justicia o ser objetivo militar.

De la Espriella aún no ha trazado un plan detallado para proteger a los líderes sociales; sin embargo, en campaña dijo que la protección de las comunidades en los territorios en conflicto armado pasará por combatir a los ilegales.

La violencia ha obligado a desplazarse a 15.960 personas en Colombia y a que 64.787 estén confinadas, con restricción de movimientos por las amenazas de armados, entre enero y junio, según advirtió la víspera la Defensoría del Pueblo.

Además, en ese mismo periodo han muerto 272 personas en 68 masacres, según el Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz, un observatorio sobre el conflicto interno.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention logged 2,318 cases of measles as of Thursday, according to an agency update on Friday.

The nation had 2,289 cases in 2025, the worst year for measles in more than three decades. Now, 2026 has easily become the U.S.’s worst year for measles since 1991, as major outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah and Arizona have sickened hundreds and smaller clusters of cases sparked in other states.

In November, international health officials will meet to determine if the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status. The U.S. eliminated local measles spread in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, which have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.

Measles cases are undercounted

While measles cases in the U.S. are climbing, it may be impossible to say exactly how far-reaching the spread is. Public health departments and disease researchers have long acknowledged that official counts are incomplete, because some people get sick and don’t seek out treatment — something not unique to measles.

Furthermore, experts say the spread might be greater than what’s known because the virus is one of the most contagious known to medicine and vaccination rates nationwide have declined. National vaccination rates for measles, mumps and rubella — which dropped to 92.5% among kindergartners in the 2024-25 school year, from 95.2% in 2019-20 — obscure even lower rates in certain communities.

In Utah, where public health officials have fought measles for more than a year, the virus has sickened more than 700 people during that time, according to the state health department. Experts relying on mathematical modeling and genetic analyses indicate that a large outbreak on the Utah-Arizona border could be around three to four times bigger than what’s currently known, state epidemiologist Dr. Leisha Nolen said.

The picture is muddier in South Carolina, which had the nation’s largest outbreak in 35 years. There, the 997 total is likely an undercount, the state health department has said, but it doesn’t know by how much.

Dr. Brannon Traxler, acting director of the state department of health, said the undercount is “impossible to know and may vary during the course of an outbreak.”

Data gaps can make it hard to reliably estimate an outbreak’s true scope. Experts say hospitalization rates can be a good barometer, but measles hospitalizations are not required to be reported in every state.

“If we really had some kind of solid gold standard for the percentage of all cases that have hospitalization or some measure of severity, then that would be another way of estimating the outbreak size that we could see if it’s consistent with these other methods,” said Damon Toth, an applied mathematician at the University of Utah’s medical school who is working on one of the Utah outbreak analyses.

Researchers are still analyzing the 2025 Texas outbreak

In Texas, researchers are still working to estimate the size of the state’s 2025 outbreak and early findings show it might have been nearly twice the size of the 762 known cases.

Rémy Pasco, a mathematical epidemiologist at the University of Colorado Boulder who is working on the analysis, said the undercounts were unsurprising. In the absence of an adequate community vaccination rate — 95% according to health experts — “there’s just not much you can do about measles once you have it,” he said.

The CDC defines an outbreak as three or more linked cases. But by the time three such cases are identified in communities with low vaccination rates and less disease surveillance, “either you missed the previous ones or you’re going to have a lot more,” he added.

Dr. Varun Shetty, Texas’ chief state epidemiologist, said there were instances where people tested positive for measles but health officials couldn’t confirm who else was in the person’s household or if they were sick.

“What we’re able to count and report is almost always an underestimate of what actually occurred, because it relies on people being willing to be able to get tested, to share information with healthcare providers and with public health,” Shetty said. “Sometimes that just doesn’t happen.”

The state health department previously reported that 182 probable measles cases went unconfirmed in March 2025 among minors in Gaines County — the epicenter of the outbreak — due to a lack of information. The confirmed case count for the western Texas county for the whole outbreak is 414.

Shetty expects to keep seeing measles cases and even outbreaks because so many people are unprotected.

“It’s really critical, not only for individual people, but for communities, to have high vaccination coverage,” he said.

Vaccination is about protecting others, physician says

Dr. Mark Roberts, retired director of the Public Health Dynamics Lab at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, worries most for the people he calls “innocent bystanders.”

Research and measles modeling by his team shows those who cannot get vaccinated — young babies, people with weak immune systems and those who rarely don’t get robust immunity from the vaccine — bear the brunt of outbreaks early on.

Some people see skipping vaccination as like deciding not to wear a seat belt in a car, Roberts said.

“Not vaccinating your kid is like saying, ‘I don’t want my car to have brakes,’” he said. “Because it’s other people that you can hit. It’s not just you in your car. It’s other people.”

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

Obama walked in from a side door much to the surprise of the 22 All-Stars.

This was the first professional sport to use the basketball court at the center which opened in June. Obama went to the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles in February.

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

El trabajo se realiza en el Instituto Nacional de Criminalística en Brasilia, la capital brasileña, donde la policía federal ha instalado un “laboratorio del oro” que recopila y analiza muestras de todo el país.

El objetivo es determinar si una muestra adquirida recientemente —por ejemplo, oro incautado en una redada policial— proviene de un área protegida, lo que significa que fue extraído ilegalmente. Se conoce como “huella dactilar del oro” y consiste en rastrear el origen de muestras del metal con alta precisión.

Rastrear el oro es como mirar el ADN de una persona, dicen los expertos

En el laboratorio, brillantes escamas de oro se guardan en diminutos recipientes con forma de moneda, pero lo más valioso de ellas son los datos que contienen. Cada partícula es única porque, mientras se forma en la naturaleza, dentro de una roca o en el lecho de un río, los depósitos de oro absorben partículas del área, como rastros de plata y cobre.

Y esa es la huella. Permite que los investigadores determinen si el oro incautado durante una redada policial fue realmente extraído en el área de la que su supuesto propietario afirma que provino, o si se obtuvo ilegalmente de un bosque nacional o de tierras indígenas, en cuyo caso, su análisis coincidiría con los datos almacenados del área protegida.

Gustavo Geiser, perito forense de la policía federal, señala que el método se ha desarrollado desde 2019 en colaboración con universidades brasileñas. Los investigadores utilizan herramientas como espectrometría de fluorescencia de rayos X, microscopía electrónica de barrido y espectrometría de masas con ablación láser.

“A medida que avanzábamos, los exámenes forenses se volvían cada vez más complejos”, afirmó, pero la pregunta ante ellos siempre era la misma: “¿De dónde vino este oro?”.

Si los análisis forenses demuestran que una muestra de oro fue extraída ilegalmente, la información ayuda a la policía a armar un caso y avanzar con investigaciones adicionales y, posiblemente, con cargos.

Los delincuentes introducen oro extraído ilegalmente en mercados legales

Quienes participan en delitos ambientales en Amazonía recurren con frecuencia al fraude para introducir sus productos en mercados legales, no solo en el caso del oro, sino también del ganado y la madera. Últimamente, el aumento de los precios del oro en todo el mundo no ha hecho más que impulsar la fiebre minera en la selva amazónica.

Amazon Mining Watch, una plataforma que utiliza imágenes satelitales para rastrear la minería, estima que, desde 2023, se han talado alrededor de 496.000 hectáreas (1,2 millones de acres) de selva tropical para la minería, incluidas unas 223.000 hectáreas (551.000 acres) en la Amazonía brasileña.

El Tribunal de Cuentas de la Unión, la principal institución de auditoría de Brasil, indicó el año pasado que había pruebas que sugerían que diversos permisos mineros otorgados por la Agencia Nacional de Minería a pequeños mineros estaban siendo utilizados para hacer pasar como legal oro extraído de áreas protegidas en Amazonía.

Greenpeace, en su propio informe independiente publicado en mayo, basado en registros de acceso público, imágenes satelitales y vigilancia aérea, detalló cómo funciona el esquema.

En el papel, el propietario de una mina legalmente autorizada en la Amazonía declara que, en esa mina, se extrajeron toneladas de oro.

Sin embargo, las imágenes satelitales y aéreas muestran que no ha habido actividad en el sitio de la mina legal. Mientras tanto, imágenes de tierras indígenas colindantes, donde la minería está prohibida, revelarían operaciones mineras a gran escala: una estafa de “mina fantasma”, como la llama Greenpeace.

Un tribunal federal de Pará, un estado del norte gravemente afectado por la minería ilegal, emitió una orden este mes para que instituciones como el Banco Central y la Agencia Nacional de Minería implementen un control efectivo y la trazabilidad de todo el oro, desde las minas hasta los mercados. Los fiscales federales de Brasil también presentaron una demanda contra la Agencia Nacional de Minería, en busca de una mejor supervisión de los permisos mineros.

El fiscal André Porreca, quien encabeza el caso, manifestó que los permisos se han convertido en una fachada utilizada “para lavar oro extraído por organizaciones criminales de territorios indígenas y áreas protegidas”.

Geiser, el perito forense, afirma que el laboratorio de oro de Brasilia es una pieza importante del rompecabezas que ayuda a combatir el delito y a fortalecer las cadenas globales de suministro de oro.

“Creo que poder afirmar que (el oro) tiene un origen legítimo y, por lo tanto, es válido para su inclusión en las reservas financieras de un país o de un banco, aporta solidez no solo al mercado, sino también a los vínculos financieros de los países”, señaló el experto.

No existen datos sobre cuántos delincuentes ha ayudado a encarcelar el laboratorio, pero Geiser dice que las redes criminales han comenzado recientemente a explotar países vecinos como Venezuela, Guayana Francesa y Surinam para lavar oro extraído ilegalmente. Han llegado a su laboratorio muestras del extranjero y se han sumado a la creciente base de datos, indicó.

El aumento del delito también ha obligado a los países de la región a reforzar la colaboración a través del Centro Internacional de Cooperación Policial Amazónica, con sede en la ciudad brasileña de Manaus.

La minería ilegal de oro provoca una devastadora contaminación por mercurio

Amazonía es la selva tropical más grande del mundo y un regulador clave del clima global, por lo que cualquier cosa que la degrade podría acelerar el calentamiento global, señalan los investigadores.

En un análisis realizado en 2023 por MapBiomas, una organización sin fines de lucro que monitorea el uso del suelo, se indica que más del 90% de la minería de Brasil se realiza en la región amazónica, y que casi el 40% es ilegal, ya que se realiza en áreas protegidas.

Aunque la minería ilegal de oro es un factor relativamente pequeño de la deforestación en comparación con la agricultura, el daño que inflige al medio ambiente es casi imposible de revertir, especialmente por el uso de mercurio para extraer el oro. Una vez separado el oro, el mercurio se deposita en los ríos, contaminando las fuentes de agua y los peces esenciales para la vida indígena.

En un estudio realizado en 2023 por Fiocruz, un instituto científico brasileño, se indica que el 21,3% de los peces en mercados amazónicos superó los límites de seguridad establecidos por la Organización Mundial de la Salud para niveles de mercurio, y que niños de entre 2 y 4 años consumían mercurio en niveles de hasta 31 veces el máximo recomendado.

Brasil firmó el acuerdo de la ONU conocido como el Convenio de Minamata sobre el Mercurio, que lo compromete a eliminar el uso de ese metal en la minería de oro.

El Ministerio de Minas y Energía de Brasil publicó este mes un borrador para eliminar gradualmente el mercurio; se prevé que dicho documento sea debatido hasta el 7 de agosto. Los fiscales federales han instado a que se consulte a los grupos indígenas —los más afectados por la contaminación—, pero eso aún no ha ocurrido.

Una prohibición total del mercurio reduciría la contaminación ambiental y reforzaría las investigaciones forenses, según Geiser, de la policía federal, cuyo laboratorio puede detectar cualquier rastro de mercurio en sus muestras.

“Hará aún más evidente que cualquier minería que use mercurio... es ilegal”, añadió.

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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.

El republicano de Texas, que presentó un proyecto de ley para restringir la ciudadanía por derecho de nacimiento, forma parte de los comités de la Cámara de Representantes de Asuntos Judiciales, Supervisión y Reforma Gubernamental, y Presupuesto.

“El objetivo es remitir el caso al Departamento de Justicia como denuncia penal”, dijo Gill en referencia a la investigación en curso de un comité de la Cámara de Representantes.

El canal Local 10 News informó por primera vez en octubre sobre un servicio de conserjería ofrecido por el Dr. Wladimir Lorentz, el pediatra detrás de Have My Baby en Miami .

“No se puede entrar en Estados Unidos y obtener un visado de inmigración con el único propósito de dar a luz”, dijo Gill.

La publicidad de la empresa, con sede en North Miami Beach, promete “estar encantada de ayudarte a ser madre en los Estados Unidos”.

Según la Decimocuarta Enmienda de la Constitución de los Estados Unidos, los bebés nacidos en EE. UU. obtienen automáticamente la ciudadanía por derecho de nacimiento, independientemente del estatus migratorio de sus padres.

Investigadores del Congreso enviaron recientemente una carta a Lorentz advirtiéndole que “falsear deliberadamente las intenciones de ingresar al país con una visa de visitante temporal constituye una violación de la ley vigente y se considera fraude de visa”. Gill está familiarizado con las pruebas.

“Creo que las pruebas, al menos para mí, son bastante claras: si anuncias servicios de parto en el extranjero, intentando obligar o animar a la gente a venir a Estados Unidos para dar a luz”, dijo Lorentz, “estás haciendo algo que no deberías hacer”.

El Departamento de Estado de EE. UU. ha advertido que viajar a EE. UU. con el propósito principal de dar a luz para obtener la ciudadanía es un uso inadmisible de una visa de turista B-2 .

“Diría que entre 20.000 y 26.000 nacimientos al año en Estados Unidos no es una cifra insignificante… Entre 20.000 y 26.000 personas recibirán la ciudadanía estadounidense, podrán votar e influir en las elecciones de Estados Unidos y disfrutarán de todos los privilegios que conlleva la ciudadanía estadounidense”, dijo Gill.

No existen regulaciones específicas que prohíban la entrada a Estados Unidos a mujeres extranjeras embarazadas, pero los agentes del Servicio de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EE. UU. pueden denegar la entrada a mujeres embarazadas.

Los agentes de la CBP pueden preguntar sobre si se cuenta con un “seguro médico suficiente para cubrir cualquier necesidad médica durante la estancia” en los EE. UU., y sobre pruebas de la intención de regresar a casa, que pueden incluir “un billete de vuelta, una carta de trabajo o escrituras de propiedad”.

Los agentes de la CBP también pueden solicitar “pruebas médicas”, como un certificado médico con la fecha prevista de parto, un certificado de aptitud para viajar en avión y pruebas de que “la atención médica no es el objetivo principal del viaje”.

El Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos ha procesado a redes comerciales de “turismo de maternidad”.

Documento relacionado : Informe del personal perteneciente a minorías sobre el turismo de maternidad.

Algunas aerolíneas estadounidenses exigen a las mujeres embarazadas un certificado médico. American Airlines y JetBlue lo exigen para las mujeres embarazadas que viajen dentro de las cuatro semanas previas a la fecha prevista de parto.

Delta Air Lines no lo exige, pero recomienda consultar con un médico si se viaja después de las 32 semanas de embarazo. United Airlines exige un certificado médico después de las 36 semanas y sugiere una nota del médico con fecha de no más de 72 horas antes de la salida.

No fue posible contactar con Lorentz para obtener comentarios.

Historias relacionadas

• Ava DuVernay anuncia su decimocuarto documental sobre la enmienda del derecho de nacimiento impugnada por Trump.
• El bisnieto de Wong Kim Ark elogia el fallo de la Corte Suprema que reafirma la ciudadanía por derecho de nacimiento.
• La Corte Suprema ratifica la ciudadanía por derecho de nacimiento, rechazando las restricciones de Trump.
• Un comité de la Cámara de Representantes investiga a una empresa del sur de Florida acusada de promover el “turismo de maternidad”.
• Una empresa del sur de Florida ofrece servicios de conserjería para extranjeros que desean tener un bebé en territorio estadounidense.

Leer en español

The Republican from Texas, who introduced legislation to restrict birthright citizenship, serves on the House committees on the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget.

“The goal is to make a criminal referral to the Department of Justice,” Gill said about a House committee’s ongoing investigation.

Local 10 News first reported on a concierge service by Dr. Wladimir Lorentz, the pediatrician behind Have My Baby in Miami, in October.

“You cannot come into the United States and get an immigration Visa for the sole purpose of giving birth,” Gill said.

The North Miami Beach-based company’s advertising promises to “love helping you be a mom in the United States.”

Under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, babies born in the U.S. are automatically granted birthright citizenship, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.

Congressional investigators recently sent a letter to Lorentz warning that “willfully misrepresenting one’s intentions to enter the country on a temporary visitor visa is a violation of current law and considered visa fraud.” Gill is familiar with the evidence.

“I think the evidence, at least to me, seems quite clear that if you’re advertising birth services in foreign countries, trying to compel people or trying to encourage people to come into the United States in order to give birth,” Lorentz said. “You’re doing something that you shouldn’t be doing.”

The U.S. State Department has warned that traveling to the U.S. with the primary purpose of giving birth to obtain citizenship is an impermissible use of a B-2 tourist visa.

“I would say 20,000 to 26,000 births every year in the United States is not an insignificant number … 20,000 to 26,000 are going to be given American citizenship and be able to vote and influence elections in the United States and have all of the privileges that come with American citizenship,” Gill said.

There aren’t specific regulations prohibiting pregnant foreign nationals from entering the U.S., but U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers can deny pregnant women entry.

CBP officers may inquire about “sufficient medical insurance to cover any medical necessities while” in the U.S., and evidence of intent to return home, which may include “a return ticket, job letter, or property deeds.”

CBP officers may also ask for “medical evidence” such as a doctor’s note with the due date, fitness for air travel, and evidence that “care is not the primary trip goal.”

The U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted commercial “birth tourism networks.”

Related document: Minority staff report on birth tourism

Some U.S. airlines require pregnant women to provide a doctor’s medical clearance note. American Airlines and JetBlue require it for pregnant women traveling within four weeks of their due date.

Delta Air Lines doesn’t require it, but recommends checking with a doctor if traveling past 32 weeks. United Airlines requires a medical certificate past 36 weeks and suggests a doctor’s note dated within 72 hours of departure.

Lorentz couldn’t be reached for comment.

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The lawsuit comes amid growing concerns about how quickly the United States Postal Service will be able to deliver ballots ahead of the November midterms. Control of Congress is at stake, and Wisconsin voters will be electing a new governor as well as determining control of the Legislature.

The bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission warned the U.S. postmaster general in May that any delay could deprive citizens of their fundamental right to vote. In January, a group of mostly Democratic U.S. senators also wrote the postal service, raising concerns that a change in how it postmarks mail could invalidate many mail-in ballots.

The lawsuit comes after the mail-in ballots of nearly 150,000 California voters were rejected, the vast majority of them because of late postmarks, despite the state's efforts to count every valid vote in the June primary.

In Wisconsin, at least hundreds of ballots were not counted in the April election because they arrived late, based on an elections commission survey of election clerks. More than 300 ballots in Milwaukee and more than 100 in Fond du Lac were rejected for arriving too late.

The lawsuit was filed in Dane County circuit court by the liberal Madison-based Law Forward firm and Washington, D.C.-based Fair Elections Center on behalf of a voter and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.

A spokesperson for the elections commission had no immediate comment.

“Every voter in Wisconsin that puts an accurately requested absentee ballot in the mail on time expects their vote will be counted,” said Debra Cronmiller, executive director of League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, in a statement. “Delays in mail delivery prevent that. It is time to have a remedy for these eligible voters.”

Currently in Wisconsin, voters are prohibited from casting a provisional ballot in person on Election Day. The lawsuit is asking a judge to rule that if a voter's absentee ballot has not arrived, they can then cast a provisional ballot. Absentee voters in the state can track the status of their ballots, so they would know on Election Day whether it has been received.

Provisional ballots are set aside by election officials and only counted if a voter's absentee ballot is not delivered on time. If the absentee ballot does arrive on time, the provisional ballot would not be counted.

In Wisconsin, ballots must arrive at the clerk's office by the end of voting on Election Day in order to be counted.

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Miami-Dade County has the most in the state at 33. Broward has 13 confirmed cases and Monroe County has one.

Florida health officials say 98 of these infections were acquired in state while the rest were either acquired out-of-state, but in the U.S., or outside of the country.

The update comes a week after Taylor Farms expanded a voluntary recall of its iceberg lettuce products sourced from central Mexico because of a potential link to the multistate cyclospora outbreak that has sickened people across the country.

Products with the potential to be contaminated with the diarrhea-causing parasite were shipped to 27 states including Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey, the California-based company said in a statement last week.

The Taylor Farms recall announcement listed 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. Taylor Farms did not respond to an emailed request from the Associated Press for the full names of those brands or retailers. The recalled products were shipped as recently as July 16 and have “best by” dates as late as Aug. 3.

Remember, to prevent contamination, wash your hands and fresh produce thoroughly before eating.

El condado Miami-Dade registra la mayor cantidad en el estado, con 33 casos. Broward tiene 13 casos confirmados y el condado Monroe tiene uno.

Funcionarios de salud de Florida informaron que 98 de estas infecciones fueron adquiridas dentro del estado, mientras que el resto se contrajeron en otros estados de Estados Unidos o fuera del país.

La actualización se produce una semana después de que Taylor Farms ampliara el retiro voluntario de sus productos de lechuga iceberg provenientes del centro de México debido a un posible vínculo con el brote multiestatal de Cyclospora que ha enfermado a personas en todo el país.

La empresa con sede en California informó la semana pasada que los productos potencialmente contaminados con el parásito que provoca diarrea fueron distribuidos a 27 estados, incluidos Texas, Florida, Pensilvania, Illinois y Nueva Jersey.

El anuncio del retiro de Taylor Farms incluye 25 productos de lechuga rallada y mezclas para ensalada vendidos bajo ocho marcas diferentes. Taylor Farms no respondió a una solicitud enviada por correo electrónico por The Associated Press para conocer los nombres completos de esas marcas o de los comercios que los vendían. Los productos retirados fueron distribuidos hasta el 16 de julio y tienen fechas de consumo preferente de hasta el 3 de agosto.

Recuerde que, para prevenir la contaminación, debe lavarse bien las manos y lavar cuidadosamente los productos frescos antes de consumirlos.

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The disaster has also mobilized South Florida’s large Venezuelan community, with volunteers and humanitarian groups working around the clock to send aid overseas.

At the Global Empowerment Mission warehouse in Doral, the pace has not slowed since the earthquakes struck.

“What started as a large-scale relief effort, one month later is still exactly that,” said Billy Richardson, the organization’s director of logistics.

According to Richardson, GEM has shipped 2,433 pallets of humanitarian aid to Venezuela, totaling more than 3 million pounds of emergency supplies and more than $12 million in humanitarian assistance.

“We’ve sent over 2,400 pallets so far,” Richardson said. “It’s about 1,440 metric tons of aid — over $12 million worth of aid.”

The organization also has teams on the ground in Venezuela working to distribute supplies directly to survivors.

“Over in Venezuela, we have a team with two warehouses, and we’re doing distributions almost on a daily basis,” Richardson said.

Volunteers have played a critical role in sustaining the relief operation, with many making significant personal sacrifices to help.

“It’s been amazing,” Richardson said. “There’s been people that have taken their entire PTO to come volunteer. I’ve heard people have quit their jobs to volunteer.”

Despite the massive response, Richardson said the humanitarian crisis is far from over.

“It’s still the beginning,” he said. “We still have a really high need for basic needs — canned goods, canned protein, canned vegetables, canned fruits.”

GEM is continuing to accept donations and recruit volunteers as recovery efforts in Venezuela move into their second month, with organizers saying the need for food, supplies and financial support remains urgent.

Click here for more information on how to volunteer or donate.

El desastre también ha movilizado a la numerosa comunidad venezolana del sur de Florida, con voluntarios y grupos humanitarios trabajando sin descanso para enviar ayuda al extranjero.

En el almacén de Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) en Doral, el ritmo no ha disminuido desde que ocurrieron los terremotos.

“Lo que comenzó como una operación de ayuda a gran escala, un mes después sigue siendo exactamente eso”, dijo Billy Richardson, director de logística de la organización.

Según Richardson, GEM ha enviado 2,433 palés de ayuda humanitaria a Venezuela, con un total de más de 3 millones de libras de suministros de emergencia y más de $12 millones USD en asistencia humanitaria.

“Hemos enviado más de 2,400 palés hasta ahora”, dijo Richardson. “Se trata de unas 1,440 toneladas métricas de ayuda, con un valor superior a los $12 millones USD”.

La organización también cuenta con equipos sobre el terreno en Venezuela que trabajan para distribuir los suministros directamente a los sobrevivientes.

“En Venezuela tenemos un equipo con dos almacenes y realizamos distribuciones casi todos los días”, dijo Richardson.

Los voluntarios han desempeñado un papel fundamental para mantener la operación de ayuda, y muchos han hecho importantes sacrificios personales para colaborar.

“Ha sido increíble”, dijo Richardson. “Hay personas que han utilizado todas sus vacaciones pagadas para venir como voluntarios. He escuchado de personas que incluso renunciaron a sus trabajos para ayudar como voluntarios”.

A pesar de la enorme respuesta, Richardson afirmó que la crisis humanitaria está lejos de terminar.

“Esto apenas comienza”, dijo. “Seguimos teniendo una necesidad muy alta de artículos básicos: alimentos enlatados, proteínas enlatadas, vegetales enlatados y frutas enlatadas”.

GEM continúa aceptando donaciones y reclutando voluntarios mientras las labores de recuperación en Venezuela entran en su segundo mes. Los organizadores aseguran que la necesidad de alimentos, suministros y apoyo económico sigue siendo urgente.

Haga clic aquí para obtener más información sobre cómo ser voluntario o hacer una donación.

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While the storm came inland along the Texas/Louisiana border Thursday afternoon – much farther north than initially expected and outside of the NHC forecast cone issued early Thursday morning – after riding the coastline of southern Louisiana all morning, it left little mark on eastern Texas besides elevated tides at the coast and isolated pockets of heavy rainfall, mainly in a few residential suburbs southwest of Houston.

The highest wind reports across the upper Texas coast stayed under the 39 mph tropical storm threshold on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service in Houston. Rainfall totals did top 5.7 inches in parts of Fort Bend County, which did require a flash flood warning at around 9 PM local time Thursday.

The Flash Flood Warning in southwest Houston, however, was the only such flood watch or warning issued yesterday for Bertha. The rest of eastern Texas outside of the Houston metro largely saw light rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches or less.

Some lingering rainfall associated with Bertha’s remnants continues through South Texas, west of San Antonio, this morning, but the storm’s remnants will quickly push into northern Mexico today, where it’ll continue to fizzle out, with no major impacts expected.

Atlantic basin closed for business until further notice

Overall conditions across the Atlantic basin look unsupportive for tropical development over the next few weeks, especially in the main development belt stretching from Africa through the Caribbean.

If we see any candidates for development into the first week of August, they will likely come out of the subtropics, either in the eastern Gulf like Bertha or east of Florida. For now though, our models are showing a whole lotta nothing on the Atlantic side to round out July and into the first week of August, so enjoy the 7^th inning stretch before the peak of the season ramps up later in August.

On Thursday, the Trump Administration announced a series of new sanctions against Cuba targeting the government’s military conglomerate Gaesa. However, this time it includes companies like Coral S. A. that took over operations from some sectors of GAESA to avoid U.S. sanctions and keep import operations in Cuba functioning.

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The question many academics that follow Cuba like me are asking is whether the U.S. strategy moving forward is to force Cuba to eventually sell some of GAESA’s assets to the U.S.

July 23 update: US continues to send mixed signals as to what will be done with Cuba

This past Monday, the U.S. Department of State issued a 100-page report entitled “Cuba: The Capital of 21^st Century Communism” that outlined why Cuba is a national security threat not only to the U.S., but to the entire world. The Cuban government reacted at once and not only criticized the report but blamed Secretary of State Marco Rubio with threatening the island nation.

On Wednesday at a press conference in the Philippines, Rubio, when asked by a reporter what the U.S. plan was for Cuba, used a much more diplomatic tone and said the U.S. is still willing to negotiate with Cuba.

Washington continues to send mixed signals as to what will be done with Cuba. What we do know is that the strategy used in Venezuela did not bring about regime change.

July 21 update: First humanitarian aid from US will arrive in Cuba

Today, the first humanitarian aid will arrive in Cuba as part of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s offer to help the Cuban people as they experience the worst economic situation since the early 1990’s. Today’s cargo includes 700 hygiene kits and 700 food items to be distributed directly to the Cuban people by Catholic Relief Services Caritas Cuba and other faith-based organizations.

Secretary Rubio wants to let the Cuban people clearly know that the U.S. stands behind them and is willing to continue to help them as part of the U.S. commitment of $100 million in humanitarian aid.

July 20 update: Cuba releases artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara

This past Saturday, Cuba released artist and opposition leader Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara after serving five years in jail. Otero Alcantara was one of the leaders of the San Isidro movement that led to large protests across the island nation five years ago.

Upon arriving in Miami, Otero Alcantara thanked the Cuban American community for its support and asked Cuba to release all political prisoners in jail.

July 16 update: US Department of Defense pays $3 million to US personnel affected by Havana Syndrome

The U.S. Department of Defense has paid $3 million in compensation to U.S. personnel affected by the mysterious condition known as Havana Syndrome, making the first payment under the 2021 Havana Act.

Havana Syndrome first appeared in 2016 when U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers in Havana, Cuba reported unusual symptoms, including intense head pressure, dizziness, nausea, hearing disturbances and memory problems.

July 14 update: New U.S. sanctions increase pressure on Cuba’s military-run economy

The United States on Monday introduced new sanctions targeting companies controlled by GAESA, Cuba’s military economic conglomerate, as well as some of the military brigades responsible for suppressing protests like the ones we saw the other day.

How much longer can the Cuban government hold on? Information continues to reach U.S. officials indicating that there are sectors within the Cuban government that are increasingly concerned about how much longer they can survive without negotiating with the U.S. government before facing a complete collapse of their system.

July 10 update: Does Raul Castro’s grandson have the full authority to negotiate for the Cuban government?

As I expected, there seems to be a small crack within the inner circle of the Cuban government. Some have criticized Raulito (Raul Castro’s grandson) for offering to negotiate directly with President Trump. The criticism comes as to whether he has the full authority to negotiate for the Cuban government or is he just negotiating for the Castro family?

Yesterday, the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) backed Raulito’s efforts, but the military leadership has remained quiet.

July 8 update: United Nations has no legal right to lift U.S. embargo on Cuba

Every year, Cuba argues in front of the United Nations that the U.S. economic embargo is the cause for their economic problems. Each year, Cuba loses more support for their argument. The United Nations has no legitimate or legal right to lift the embargo. The U.S. Congress can only lift the embargo.

The Cuban government propaganda machine has failed. Most Cubans on the island, including economists on the island, blame the Cuban government for their current poor economic conditions.

July 6 update: Raul Castro’s grandson says Cuba is willing to negotiate with US

Reuters reported earlier this morning that Raul Castro’s grandson Raulito, known as “El Cangrejo,” announced that Cuba is willing to negotiate with the U.S. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether Raulito is negotiating on behalf of the Castro family or the Cuban government?

We know that Cuba has been selling some of their assets, including some belonging to the military economic conglomerate GAESA in the last couple of weeks. Cuba’s attempt to invite foreign investment has not attracted many takers for the fear of losing their money.

July 2 update: Cuba’s culture of fear complicates a Democratic transition

When we talk about Cuba, we usually concentrate on their centralized political and economic system. However, we fail to recognize that individuals that have lived under totalitarian regimes have had to survive under a culture of fear. Such system of government creates a psychological set of attitudes and values that help define the daily behavior in order to align the people’s wants and needs to the restrictions imposed by the government.

To break such behaviors could take years of psychological training and change. Therefore, transitioning a totalitarian state to support a transition to some form of a Democratic government could take time.

Dr. Andy S. Gomez’s June updates can be viewed by clicking here.

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.

El jueves, la Administración Trump anunció una nueva serie de sanciones contra Cuba dirigidas al conglomerado militar del gobierno, GAESA. Sin embargo, esta vez también incluye a empresas como Coral S. A., que asumieron operaciones de algunos sectores de GAESA para evitar las sanciones de Estados Unidos y mantener en funcionamiento las operaciones de importación en Cuba.

La pregunta que muchos académicos que siguen de cerca a Cuba, como yo, se están haciendo es si la estrategia de Estados Unidos de ahora en adelante es obligar a Cuba a vender eventualmente algunos de los activos de GAESA a Estados Unidos.

Actualización del 23 de julio: Estados Unidos sigue enviando señales contradictorias sobre lo que hará con Cuba

El pasado lunes, el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos publicó un informe de 100 páginas titulado “Cuba: La capital del comunismo del siglo XXI”, en el que expone por qué Cuba representa una amenaza para la seguridad nacional no solo de Estados Unidos, sino de todo el mundo. El gobierno cubano reaccionó de inmediato y no solo criticó el informe, sino que acusó al secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, de amenazar a la isla.

El miércoles, durante una conferencia de prensa en Filipinas, Rubio, al ser preguntado por un periodista sobre cuál era el plan de Estados Unidos para Cuba, utilizó un tono mucho más diplomático y dijo que Estados Unidos sigue dispuesto a negociar con Cuba.

Washington continúa enviando señales contradictorias sobre lo que hará con Cuba. Lo que sí sabemos es que la estrategia utilizada en Venezuela no logró un cambio de régimen.

Actualización del 21 de julio: Primera ayuda humanitaria de EE. UU. llegará a Cuba

Hoy, la primera ayuda humanitaria llegará a Cuba como parte de la oferta del secretario de Estado Marco Rubio de ayudar al pueblo cubano mientras atraviesa la peor situación económica desde principios de la década de 1990. La carga de hoy incluye 700 kits de higiene y 700 artículos de alimentos que serán distribuidos directamente al pueblo cubano por Catholic Relief Services Caritas Cuba y otras organizaciones religiosas.

El secretario Rubio quiere que el pueblo cubano sepa claramente que Estados Unidos está de su lado y está dispuesto a seguir ayudándolos como parte del compromiso de Estados Unidos de brindar $100,000,000 USD en ayuda humanitaria.

Actualización del 20 de julio: Cuba libera al artista Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara

El pasado sábado, Cuba liberó al artista y líder opositor Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara después de cumplir cinco años en prisión. Otero Alcántara fue uno de los líderes del movimiento San Isidro que encabezó grandes protestas en toda la isla hace cinco años.

Al llegar a Miami, Otero Alcántara agradeció a la comunidad cubanoestadounidense por su apoyo y pidió a Cuba liberar a todos los presos políticos en prisión.

Actualización del 16 de julio: Departamento de Defensa de EE.UU. paga $3 millones USD a personal estadounidense afectado por el Síndrome de La Habana

El Departamento de Defensa de Estados Unidos ha pagado $3 millones USD en compensación al personal estadounidense afectado por la misteriosa condición conocida como Síndrome de La Habana, realizando el primer pago bajo la Ley de La Habana de 2021.

El Síndrome de La Habana apareció por primera vez en 2016, cuando diplomáticos y oficiales de inteligencia estadounidenses en La Habana, Cuba, reportaron síntomas inusuales, incluidos intensa presión en la cabeza, mareos, náuseas, alteraciones auditivas y problemas de memoria.

Actualización del 14 de julio: Nuevas sanciones de EE.UU. aumentan la presión sobre la economía controlada por los militares en Cuba

Estados Unidos impuso el lunes nuevas sanciones dirigidas a empresas controladas por GAESA, el conglomerado económico militar de Cuba, así como a algunas de las brigadas militares responsables de reprimir protestas como las que vimos el otro día.

¿Cuánto tiempo más podrá resistir el gobierno cubano? Continúa llegando información a funcionarios estadounidenses que indica que hay sectores dentro del gobierno cubano cada vez más preocupados por cuánto tiempo podrán sobrevivir sin negociar con el gobierno de Estados Unidos antes de enfrentar un colapso total de su sistema.

Actualización del 10 de julio: ¿Tiene el nieto de Raúl Castro plena autoridad para negociar por el gobierno cubano?

Como esperaba, parece haber una pequeña fisura dentro del círculo interno del gobierno cubano. Algunos han criticado a Raulito (nieto de Raúl Castro) por ofrecer negociar directamente con el presidente Trump. La crítica se centra en si tiene plena autoridad para negociar en nombre del gobierno cubano o si solo está negociando en nombre de la familia Castro.

Ayer, el Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC) respaldó los esfuerzos de Raulito, pero el liderazgo militar ha permanecido en silencio.

Actualización del 8 de julio: Las Naciones Unidas no tienen derecho legal para levantar el embargo de EE.UU. a Cuba

Cada año, Cuba argumenta ante las Naciones Unidas que el embargo económico de Estados Unidos es la causa de sus problemas económicos. Cada año, Cuba pierde más apoyo para ese argumento. Las Naciones Unidas no tienen un derecho legítimo ni legal para levantar el embargo. Solo el Congreso de Estados Unidos puede levantar el embargo.

La maquinaria de propaganda del gobierno cubano ha fracasado. La mayoría de los cubanos en la isla, incluidos economistas residentes en Cuba, responsabilizan al gobierno cubano por las actuales malas condiciones económicas.

Actualización del 6 de julio: Nieto de Raúl Castro dice que Cuba está dispuesta a negociar con EE.UU.

Reuters informó temprano esta mañana que Raulito, nieto de Raúl Castro, conocido como “El Cangrejo”, anunció que Cuba está dispuesta a negociar con Estados Unidos. La pregunta que debemos hacernos es si Raulito está negociando en nombre de la familia Castro o del gobierno cubano.

Sabemos que Cuba ha estado vendiendo algunos de sus activos, incluidos algunos pertenecientes al conglomerado económico militar GAESA, durante las últimas semanas. El intento de Cuba por atraer inversión extranjera no ha despertado mucho interés debido al temor de perder el dinero invertido.

Actualización del 2 de julio: La cultura del miedo en Cuba complica una transición democrática

Cuando hablamos de Cuba, normalmente nos concentramos en su sistema político y económico centralizado. Sin embargo, no reconocemos que las personas que han vivido bajo regímenes totalitarios han tenido que sobrevivir bajo una cultura del miedo. Ese sistema de gobierno crea un conjunto psicológico de actitudes y valores que ayuda a definir el comportamiento diario para alinear los deseos y necesidades de la población con las restricciones impuestas por el gobierno.

Romper con esos comportamientos podría tomar años de entrenamiento psicológico y de cambios. Por lo tanto, la transición de un Estado totalitario hacia alguna forma de gobierno democrático podría tomar tiempo.

Las actualizaciones de junio del Dr. Andy S. Gómez pueden consultarse haciendo clic aquí.

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

Si bien la tormenta se adentró en tierra firme a lo largo de la frontera entre Texas y Luisiana el jueves por la tarde, mucho más al norte de lo previsto inicialmente y fuera del cono de pronóstico del NHC emitido a primera hora del jueves, después de recorrer la costa del sur de Luisiana durante toda la mañana, dejó poca huella en el este de Texas, aparte de mareas elevadas en la costa y zonas aisladas de fuertes lluvias, principalmente en algunos suburbios residenciales al suroeste de Houston.

Según el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional de Houston, los vientos más fuertes registrados en la costa norte de Texas se mantuvieron por debajo del umbral de tormenta tropical de 63 km/h el jueves. Las precipitaciones superaron los 14,5 cm en algunas zonas del condado de Fort Bend, lo que provocó una alerta de inundación repentina alrededor de las 21:00 hora local del jueves.

Sin embargo, la alerta de inundación repentina en el suroeste de Houston fue la única advertencia o aviso de inundación emitido ayer por Bertha. En el resto del este de Texas, fuera del área metropolitana de Houston, se registraron precipitaciones ligeras de entre 2,5 y 7,5 centímetros o menos.

Esta mañana continúan algunas lluvias residuales asociadas a los restos de Bertha en el sur de Texas, al oeste de San Antonio, pero los restos de la tormenta se desplazarán rápidamente hacia el norte de México hoy, donde se disiparán gradualmente y no se esperan impactos importantes.

Atlantic Basin permanecerá cerrado hasta nuevo aviso.

En general, las condiciones en toda la cuenca del Atlántico no parecen propicias para el desarrollo de ciclones tropicales en las próximas semanas, especialmente en el principal cinturón de desarrollo que se extiende desde África hasta el Caribe.

Si vemos algún candidato a desarrollarse durante la primera semana de agosto, probablemente provendrá de las zonas subtropicales, ya sea en el este del Golfo, como Bertha, o al este de Florida. Por ahora, nuestros modelos no muestran prácticamente nada en la costa atlántica para lo que resta de julio y la primera semana de agosto, así que disfruten de este tramo ^final antes de que comience la temporada de máxima actividad a finales de agosto.

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According to police, the incident was reported at 7:27 a.m. in the area of Northeast Miami Avenue and 80^th Terrace.

Police said the victim was stabbed during an armed robbery in which his wallet was stolen.

The victim was transported by Miami Fire Rescue medics to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. His condition has not yet been released.

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

Según la Policía, el incidente fue reportado a las 7:27 a.m. en el área de Northeast Miami Avenue y la calle 80 Terrace.

La Policía informó que la víctima fue apuñalada durante un robo a mano armada en el que le robaron la cartera.

La víctima fue trasladada por paramédicos de Miami Fire Rescue al Centro de Trauma Ryder del Hospital Jackson Memorial. Su condición aún no ha sido divulgada.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el robo y el apuñalamiento debe llamar al Departamento de Policía de Miami o a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

We’re not expecting a washout this weekend, but a shift in our winds from the Everglades (southwest) will shift the thunderstorm zone over the metro area of Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Numerous daily showers and thunderstorms are expected to bring drought relief, especially in the afternoons. This pattern will last well into next week.

The New York-based company said Friday it earned $3.11 billion, or $4.53 a share, compared to $2.89 billion, or $4.08 a share, in the same period a year earlier. The results beat analysts' forecasts, who were looking for AmEx to earn a profit of $4.40 a share, according to FactSet.

AmEx continues to benefit from global economic growth that has disproportionately benefited the wealthy and high net worth individuals, as its customer bases skews heavily toward those demographics with the Platinum Card, Gold Card and other high-end credit cards. Its customers often put almost all of their spending on credit cards, and pay those cards off at the end of each month. The average AmEx customers spent $6,759 on their cards in the quarter, up from $6,393 in the same period a year earlier.

But at the same time, the company is spending heavily to keep those customers as it faces increased competition from other high-end credit card products like JPMorgan Chase's Sapphire Reserve Card, Citigroup's Strata card and Capital One's Venture X brand. The company's quarterly expenses rose 12% from a year ago, costs that went into increased marketing as well as refreshes of its credit card products.

While the company upped its guidance on how much revenue it expects to bring in this year, the company did not change its profit outlook for the year, as the company plans to put more resources into marketing and bringing in new customers. The company also expects to put additional investments into technology like artificial intelligence, like many other Fortune 500 companies.

Those efforts seem to be paying off. The company signed up another 3 million customers in the second quarter, of which three-quarters of those new customers signed up for an AmEx card with an annual fee.

The work takes place at the National Institute of Criminalistics in Brasilia, the country's capital, where federal police have set up a “gold lab” that collects and analyses samples from across the country.

The objective is to determine if a newly acquired sample — gold seized in a police raid, for example — comes from a protected area, meaning it has been illegally mined. It's called “gold fingerprinting” — tracing the origin of gold samples with high precision.

Tracing gold is like looking at a person's DNA, experts say

At the lab, sparkling gold flakes are kept in tiny, coin-shaped vessels, but the most valuable thing about them is the data they hold. Each speck is unique because while it forms in nature, inside a rock or a riverbed, the gold deposits absorb particles from the area, such as traces of silver and copper.

And that's the fingerprint. It allows the investigators to determine if gold seized during a police raid was actually mined in the area its purported owner claims it came from, or if it was illegally sourced from a national forest or Indigenous land — in which case its analysis would match stored data from the protected area.

Gustavo Geiser, a federal police forensics expert, says the method has been developed since 2019 in collaboration with Brazilian universities. The investigators use tools such as X‑ray fluorescence spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and laser ablation mass spectrometry.

“As we advanced, the forensic examinations became increasingly complex,” Geiser said, but the question before them was always the same: “Where did this gold come from?”

If the forensics prove a gold sample was illegally mined, the information then helps police build a case and move forward with further investigations and possibly charges.

Criminals insert illegally mined gold into legal markets

Those involved in environmental crimes in the Amazon frequently resort to fraud to introduce their goods into legal markets, not just when it comes to gold but also for cattle and timber. Lately, a worldwide surge in gold prices has only spurred on the mining rush in the Amazon rainforest.

Amazon Mining Watch, a platform that uses satellite imagery to track mining, estimates that about 496,000 hectares (1.2 million acres) of rainforest have been cut down for mining since 2023, including some 223,000 hectares (551,000 acres) in the Brazilian Amazon.

Brazil's Federal Court of Accounts, its top audit institution, said last year there was evidence indicating that mining permits granted by the National Mining Agency to small-scale miners were being used to pawn off gold extracted from protected areas in the Amazon.

Greenpeace, in its own independent report in May, based on publicly available records, satellite imagery and aerial surveillance, detailed how the scheme works.

On paper, an owner of a legally authorized mine in the Amazon would declare that tons of gold had been extracted at that mine.

However, satellite and aerial imagery would show that there had not been any activity at the site of the legal mine. Meanwhile, images of bordering Indigenous lands, where mining is banned, would reveal large-scale mining operations — a “ghost mine” scam as Greenpeace calls it.

A federal court in Para, a northern state severely impacted by illegal mining, issued an order this month for institutions like the Central Bank and the National Mining Agency to enact effective control and traceability of all gold, from the mines to the markets. Brazil’s federal prosecutors also filed a lawsuit against the National Mining Agency, seeking better oversight of mining permits.

Prosecutor André Porreca, who is leading the case, said the permits have become a front used "to launder gold extracted by criminal organizations from Indigenous territories and protected areas.”

Geiser, the forensic expert, says the Brasilia gold lab is an important piece of the puzzle that helps battle crime and strengthen global gold supply chains.

“Being able to state that it (gold) has a legitimate origin and therefore is valid for inclusion in a country’s or a bank’s financial reserves, I believe provides solidity not only to the market but also to the countries’ financial bonds,” he said.

There is no data on how many criminals the lab has helped put behind bars, but Geiser says crime networks have recently begun exploiting neighboring countries such as Venezuela, French Guiana and Suriname, to launder illegally mined gold. Samples from abroad have made it to his lab, where they have joined the constantly growing database, he said.

The growing crime has also forced regional countries to strengthen collaboration through the Amazon International Police Cooperation Center, headquartered in the Brazilian city of Manaus.

Illegal gold mining leads to devastating mercury contamination

The Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest and a key regulator of global climate, so anything that degrades it could accelerate global warming, researchers say.

A 2023 analysis by MapBiomas, a nonprofit that monitors land-use, said that over 90% of Brazil’s mining is taking place in the Amazon region, with nearly 40% of it illegal, in protected areas.

Though illegal gold mining is a relatively small driver of deforestation, compared to agriculture, the harm it inflicts on the environment is nearly impossible to reverse — especially because of the use of mercury to extract gold. Once the gold is separated, the mercury is released into the rivers, contaminating water sources and fish essential to Indigenous life.

A 2023 study by Fiocruz, a Brazilian science institute, said 21.3% of fish in Amazonian markets exceeded the World Health Organization's safety limits for mercury levels — with children between 2 and 4 years old consuming mercury at levels up to 31 times the recommended maximum.

Brazil signed the U.N. agreement known as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, which commits it to eliminate mercury use in gold mining.

The Ministry of Mines and Energy published a draft this month on easing out mercury that's up for debate, meant to take place until Aug. 7. Federal prosecutors have urged that Indigenous groups — the ones most affected by the contamination — be consulted, but that has not yet happened.

A total ban on mercury would both curb environmental contamination and also bolster forensics investigations, according to Geiser of the federal police, whose lab can detect any traces of mercury in its samples.

“It will make it even clearer that any mining using mercury ... is illegal,” he added.

___

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

Also, a series of explosions sounded near a military base hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran. The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region.

Here's the latest:

US embassies across the Mideast begin sending country-specific travel warnings for Americans

The travel alerts advise that already limited options to leave the region may become more limited due to escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.

At least 11 embassies and consulates are expected to release advisories that echo broader “worldwide caution” warnings that the State Department has put out since last weekend. The department was criticized for its messaging to Americans in the Middle East before and during the war that began in late February.

Neither the worldwide alerts nor the country-specific ones being released Friday say intensified hostilities are imminent but they note that some airlines have already canceled flights into the region and others may follow suit.

The first two country-specific alerts were issued by the embassies in Jordan and Israel.

Netanyahu to visit Washington next week for meeting with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to travel to the United States for an official visit next week, his office said in a statement Friday. He’ll meet with President Trump in Washington on Tuesday, according to the statement, and also attend the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The last time the two leaders met in Washington was in February, just weeks before they launched a joint war against Iran. Since then, tensions have grown between the longtime allies, including over how to prosecute the war.

Israel had opposed Trump’s recent negotiations with Iran, while Trump was upset over Israeli military action in Lebanon, which he saw as a threat to his diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

But with Iran and the United State fighting once again, Israel has also signaled its willingness to rejoin the conflict. In recent days, Israeli officials have said they’re preparing to respond if Iran launches an attack on Israeli soil.

Second lady Usha Vance shares family photo after son’s birth

Vance added a message with her social media post thanking the public “for all the good wishes as we settle into life as a family of six.”

She included photos of her larger family seated on a couch, as well as a close-up of the baby.

Vance gave birth Sunday to Alec Neel Vance, her fourth child with Vice President JD Vance. Alec is also the first child born to a sitting vice president in more than 150 years.

He joins older siblings Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel.

White House correspondents’ dinner, redux: What will Trump have to say?

When guests arrive for the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner Friday at Washington’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, security will be much tighter, the guest list smaller, the partying pared down.

That much, the correspondents’ association can control.

What remains out of its control — and perhaps the biggest question — is what the dinner’s most prominent guest, President Donald Trump, will bring to the table.

Call it White House Dinner 2.0, or Take Two, or, in Trump’s own words, a “HOT ticket.”

The big unknown is whether Trump will bring the fighting words (“rather nasty,” he said) against the press he’d planned to deliver in April — before the event descended into chaos when a gunman stormed a security checkpoint, forcing an evacuation of the room.

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The latest import duties might stick

Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official, said the latest round of tariffs involved “few surprises” since they range just between 10% and 12.5%.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office spent four months investigating the basis for those tariffs to meet legal requirements under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974.

“Time will tell whether the third attempt to impose tariffs is the charm and this action stands up to legal challenges,” said Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

These duties are less likely than earlier ones to be overruled by U.S. courts, she said.

Further tariffs may be coming in the fall related to alleged structural excess capacity of trading partners, she noted.

China opposes unilateral tariffs in ‘all forms’

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “opposes all forms of unilateral tariffs” in response to the new 12.5% tariffs, reiterating a longstanding statement by Beijing.

“Tariff wars and trade wars do not serve any parties’ interests,” ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference.

Trade tensions have clouded relations between China and the U.S., two of the world’s biggest economies, as Trump’s hefty “Liberation Day” tariffs resulted in a sharp drop in Chinese exports to the U.S.

Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who agreed to set up new boards of trade and investment at their mid-May meeting in Beijing, are expected to meet again in September.

US tariff hikes linked to claims of foreign forced labor dismay and anger trading partners

Trump’s latest set of tariff hikes drew objections Friday from America’s trading partners including China and Japan, with Australia’s trade minister slamming them as “completely unjustified.”

The administration announced extra tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 economies late Thursday, saying the countries had failed to adequately enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor.

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected claims linking Australia, a major exporter of beef, gold and copper, to modern slavery.

“We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously, and will continue to do that,” Farrell told reporters in Adelaide.

Japan also protested the 12.5% tariff imposed on its exports, noting Tokyo had been reassured by the Trump administration that there would be no more tariffs on top of an earlier agreement on a 10% U.S. import duty.

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Journalists urge correspondents’ association to stand up to Trump at rescheduled press dinner

Hundreds of former or retired journalists and eight press freedom groups are asking the White House Correspondents’ Association to stand up to the Trump administration’s recent attacks on the media at its rescheduled dinner this week — a dinner President Donald Trump says he’ll attend.

The first dinner was cut short in April when a gunman, who prosecutors say was trying to assassinate Trump, opened fire at the Washington Hilton. The much smaller rescheduled dinner will take place Friday, with enhanced security precautions, at the capital’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel, formerly the Trump International Hotel.

The letter expands on a similar one issued in April, before the first dinner. It notes that since then, “the administration’s attacks on journalists and press freedom have become even more egregious.”

The letter, organized by former ABC News correspondent Lisa Stark and producer Ian Cameron, cites in particular the recent subpoenas by the Justice Department to New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns over the president’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet. Additional subpoenas of the journalists’ phone records have included even the mother of one reporter and two spouses.

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Explosions are heard near a US base in northern Iraq as US-Iran fighting escalates

A series of explosions sounded near a military base hosting U.S. forces in northern Iraq and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran.

The conflict has flared again over the past week, as the U.S. has pounded Iran while Tehran has attacked ships in the Strait of Hormuz and targeted U.S. assets and allies in the region.

The strait, which is a crucial passage for the world’s energy supplies, is at the center of the latest fighting since Iranian attacks can effectively shut the waterway, sending fuel prices soaring worldwide and causing widespread economic turmoil. The Iranian-allied Houthi rebels added further pressure this week by targeting two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, making good on a threat to cut off an alternative route for the region’s oil.

Despite the unpopularity of the war in the U.S. and the widespread damage it has caused in Iran and to the global economy, the latest round of fighting has no clear off-ramp.

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Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries as his 10% levies are set to expire Friday

President Donald Trump is going ahead with new double-digit tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners just as the clock runs out Friday on stopgap levies he imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court.

The United States will slap taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners accounting for 99% of U.S. imports, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor.

“The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

The new tariffs will take effect just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expire at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Trump had turned to those temporary levies after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs in February.

▶ Read more

The International Medieval Combat Federation's annual world championship roared into gear in northern Denmark this week. First staged in Spain in 2014, it features armor-clad competitors fighting with 14th-century medieval weapons. But it’s also a modern combat sport with safety rules and sporting conventions.

A mixture of historical and modern techniques

“It’s historically inspired,” combat federation spokesperson Kamila Studencka said. “It’s a mix of modern techniques with historical ones. We have something between full combat sports and fencing.”

And while the swords and axes are blunted, the battles are anything but harmless reenactments. Studencka said some competitors are attracted by “the violence,” while others prefer the technical aspects of face-to-face duels.

“Some people like the friendship and being a team member … to be a part of something bigger,” she added.

This year’s championship is being held in the shadow of Spøttrup Castle, a formidable Danish fortress that was completed around 1520.

The event has drawn fighters from 30 countries, including the United States, Canada, China, and Brazil.

Brazilian competitor Rodrigo Sinckevicius, who traveled with a team of eight from São Paulo, said he previously competed in jiu-jitsu and other mixed martial arts, but when he first saw this kind of medieval combat, he “couldn’t believe it.”

“People falling and grabbing and the sound of the steel cracking, it’s like something that you cannot fake,” added the 33-year-old, who works in sales back home.

Duels and team events

The four-day championships, which opened Thursday, see competitors battle in one-on-one “duels” made up of two one-minute rounds each. Opponents are eliminated after hitting the ground three times or when they submit. If neither happens, marshals declare a winner based on points scored.

There are also chaotic mass-team events, known as “Buhurt,” in which up to 10 competitors on either side participate.

Martin Gill, from Milton Keynes, England, said he first got involved “to hit someone in the face with an ax.”

“This had that kind of niche appeal to it, that people were willing to consensually come up and say, ‘You can hit me in the face with the ax, as hard as you can,’” the 37-year-old geotechnical engineer said.

The IMCF says fighters wear thick, shock-absorbing padded garments beneath the armor to distribute the force of impact, and that fights are strictly controlled by trained marshals who enforce the rules of engagement. It says that overall injury rates are comparable to those in mainstream full-contact martial arts.

Gill said almost everything the competitors wear, including his 30-kilogram (66-pound) suit of armor, is historically accurate. Some outfits and fighting techniques are informed by the writings of 14th-century Italian knight Fiore Dei Liberi and German fencing master Johannes Liechtenauer.

“We follow manuscripts as best we can,” said Gill. “Everything is legitimate techniques from all of their writings throughout the 14th century.”

A growing sport

Nearly 600 fighters are taking part in this week's championship. The sport, an unflinching blend of mixed martial arts, fencing, and historical reenactment, has been growing in popularity.

Competitor Alex King, a 37-year-old financial crime specialist from Shoreview, Minnesota, said that when he first started three years ago, there were just 10 or so members in his local team. Now there are over 50.

“In America, it’s definitely growing, with the short videos you see now highlighting the sport,” King said. “A lot of people have become interested.”

The last big event in the U.S. featured over 40 teams, he added.

Men and women compete in separate events. Miisa Kaivos, a 27-year-old bartender from Helsinki, Finland, said the women’s side of the sport is also “drastically growing all around the world.”

“It’s amazing to see,” said Kaivos. “It’s always nice to come to these events and fight each other, and have that awesome girl power.”

Now those scattered acts of giving have a name and a public face: the Brighter Days Ahead Foundation. Launched in May, it will focus on causes Grande has advocated for in the past, including LGBTQ+ rights, reproductive health, immigrant rights, and mental health. Grande is doing this at a moment when philanthropic support for these causes is eroding, said Shauna Nep, Grande’s philanthropic adviser.

“We’re seeing the support for the kinds of issues she cares about going down drastically and the attacks going up aggressively,” Nep said.

This summer, Grande is using her Eternal Sunshine Tour to fund and promote the foundation, highlighting national and local nonprofits at each tour stop. Names of her grantee organizations are shown on screens in the center of the arena during the pre-show countdown. And fans who donate to the nonprofit can enter a sweepstake for a chance to win a trip to see her final tour date in London.

“The fan experience is still completely intact,” Nep said. “We’re meeting them where they are instead of taking them away from anything.”

Tour funds will be split among the featured local organizations, though none have been distributed yet. The grants announced so far have come entirely from Grande’s personal giving, a foundation spokesperson said.

In many ways, Grande, who also starred in the “Wicked” movies, is following in the footsteps of earlier generations of entertainers who lent their names to once controversial causes like HIV/AIDS and created their own foundations to help move large sums of money.

But today, celebrities’ platforms are larger than ever, giving them even more sway, noted Genevieve Shaker, who teaches courses on celebrity philanthropy and fundraising leadership at Indiana University’s Lilly School of Philanthropy.

“In the past, prior to social media, celebrities might be more dependent on traditional media to share stories about what they’re doing,” she said. “Now they have their own kind of media empire where they can leverage lots of channels to communicate, including about philanthropy and causes and nonprofits.”

Nonprofit Trans Lifeline is grateful for celebrity support

Trans Lifeline, which runs a crisis hotline for transgender people, is one of the nonprofits Grande has supported. The group has received $125,000 total — $75,000 in emergency funding last June and $50,000 when the foundation formally launched in May.

The money helped Trans Lifeline relaunch a microgrants program that distributed $100,000 directly to trans people across the country in partnership with five grassroots organizations, said Dante Alviar Horton, its executive director. Some of the funding also went toward improving benefits for the organization’s direct service crisis workers.

Trans Lifeline relies almost entirely on individual donors. Visibility gained from celebrity supporters has helped sustain the group, Alviar Horton said. He pointed to Trans Lifeline’s recent collaboration with designer Conner Ives on the “Protect the Dolls” T-shirt campaign, which raised more than $500,000 after celebrities like Pedro Pascal began wearing the shirts publicly.

“I was grateful that there were people in the celebrity sphere that cared enough to be like, ‘This matters,’” Alviar Horton said.

Celebrity philanthropy has often been dismissed as image management, allowing entertainers to have red carpet moments without putting much money or thought behind their advocacy efforts. Grande resisted creating a formal foundation for years for exactly that reason, Nep said.

“She does not want anyone to think that she thinks of herself as a philanthropist,” Nep said. “She knows she’s an artist.”

However, Nep, who has worked with the singer since 2018, encouraged Grande to formalize her giving so she could strategically move money to nonprofit groups and more easily collaborate with funding partners.

Grande's Brighter Days Ahead Foundation is a fiscally sponsored project of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a public charity established in 1942 to support Hollywood’s philanthropic efforts. It allows celebrities, including Charlize Theron and Olivia Rodrigo, to easily create nonprofits to raise and distribute funds.

The largest of her foundation’s four funds is “Protect and Defend,” which supports organizations doing legal and legislative work for transgender youths, immigrants, and reproductive rights. The foundation is the largest funder for several of the grassroots organizations it supports and typically provides unrestricted grants. These groups typically get little support from institutional and government funders. Transgender-focused organizations, specifically, have seen funding dwindle as needs increase, Nep noted.

Grande's advocacy looks to meet the moment

Grande has been a longtime advocate for causes at the center of her philanthropy. In 2019, she donated roughly $250,000 in concert proceeds to Planned Parenthood after several states passed abortion restrictions. She has publicly discussed her struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, expressed appreciation for her gay and transgender fans, and has spoken out against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

Grande’s activism and personal connection to these issues echo an earlier era when celebrities led the charge on funding for AIDS and HIV, Shaker said. Elizabeth Taylor co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research, or amfAR, in 1985 after watching friends suffer from HIV/AIDS and its stigma. For similar reasons, singer Elton John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992, the same year he first publicly identified himself as gay.

The political climate facing transgender people today rivals what HIV/AIDS advocates confronted decades ago, said Anne Aslett, CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Back in the 1980s and ’90s, John was watching close friends like singer Freddie Mercury succumb to AIDS-related illnesses, she said.

It was “really, really tough” to raise money for HIV/AIDS work among the broader public, including within the entertainment industry, she said. Because of his global stardom, John was able to humanize the cause for people, even those who didn’t share his views on politics or sexuality, Aslett said.

From the outset, the foundation was shaped by his authentic interest in supporting AIDS research and his insistence on listening to people with lived experience of the epidemic, Aslett said. That is what has helped sustain the organization for more than three decades, she said. But that personal interest and connection aren’t enough to really drive philanthropic success.

“Artists are hard-wired to pay attention to human emotion,” Aslett said. “They’re very empathetic. But that alone isn’t enough. They have to have a good structure underneath to make it work.”

_____

Stephanie Beasley is fellowship director and a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

El Centro Nacional de Huracanes (NHC, por sus siglas en inglés) en Miami indicó el viernes que el riesgo de que se produzcan algunos efectos debido al viento y las lluvias en la zona ha aumentado, pero aún es demasiado pronto para determinar la ubicación exacta o su posible magnitud.

Fausto se encontraba lejos de tierra firme, a unos 2.090 kilómetros (1.300 millas) al oeste del extremo sur de la península de Baja California, en México, y a unos 2.575 kms (1.600 millas) al este de Hilo, Hawái. El meteoro tenía vientos máximos sostenidos que rondaban los 161 kilómetros/hora (100 mph).

El NHC señaló que el oleaje generado por Fausto podría provocar marejadas y corrientes de resaca potencialmente letales en partes del sur de California.

Fausto se ha estado formando en el Pacífico mientras la tormenta tropical Bertha avanzaba por la costa del golfo de México. El meteoro causó un fuerte oleaje y algunas inundaciones al sur de Luisiana y Texas al tocar tierra por segunda vez el jueves. Hacia el final de la noche, el NHC declaró que Bertha se había disipado.

___

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

Studio 10 caught up with Kevin and the cast from LIV Night Club in South Beach ahead of the movie’s premiere.

Watch the interview above.

Newly released bodycam footage shows what happened in the moments before the takedown, and officers say it changes the picture entirely.

The bodycam video shows an officer punching and taking down 42-year-old Justin Ikeler before putting him in handcuffs.

It was a different video — showing another angle of the encounter, which happened Tuesday just before noon — that originally spread online and stirred controversy, with some arguing the officer used excessive force.

But police say the bodycam video shows Ikeler physically assaulting a woman just before the takedown. When officers tried to take him into custody, he refused and “assumed a fighting stance with his fist,” according to police. He was then taken down and handcuffed.

The incident happened under the South Bridge in Fort Pierce. Multiple people said they witnessed the fight but didn’t want to appear on camera.

Witnesses said they heard a lot of shouting before seeing the officer take Ikeler to the ground, and said that both Ikeler and the woman had been under the bridge since before the incident started.

The Fort Pierce Police Department said Ikeler was taken to the St. Lucie County Jail.

According to county records, Ikeler remains in custody at the St. Lucie County Jail, facing one charge of resisting an officer without violence.

Police said the woman involved declined to press charges and told officers the dispute began after Ikeler falsely accused her of stealing his wallet.

The case remains under investigation.

Video taken from Sky 10 captured an intense scene in Fort Lauderdale, with police guns drawn as a group of people moved slowly, hands raised.

On the ground, officers zeroed in on a black BMW with front side-panel damage as a tow truck moved in to haul it away.

The scene unfolded in a neighborhood just south of Sunrise Boulevard and east of I-95, where detectives had tracked a stolen vehicle and a possible getaway driver, authorities said. A K-9 unit worked the trail, searching for a suspect still on the loose.

According to police, the chase began south in Hallandale Beach, where a vehicle was stolen and the driver refused to stop. It carried into Hollywood, where officers from two different jurisdictions ended up colliding with each other, authorities said.

Video showed a badly damaged Hollywood police cruiser, with a battered Hallandale Beach cruiser parked nearby at South Federal Highway and Van Buren Street.

Police set up perimeters close by, in the 3000 block of Hayes Street and the 3000 block of Johnson Street near the Tri-Rail tracks, apparently searching for someone — or several people — connected to the stolen car investigation.

A Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopter was spotted in the air Thursday night, signaling that a suspect or suspects tied to the investigation remain on the run, believed to have bailed out at some point during the pursuit.

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The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said they took Gary Jackson into custody on Wednesday.

According to deputies, they were alerted to a Miami-Dade County Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources case regarding a victim stating that Jackson, who was doing business as Metal Roof Masters LLC, “presented her with a written contract totaling $14,000.00 to repair the entire roofing system” on Feb. 9.

Deputies said the victim made a payment of $7,800 to Jackson five days later, and a subpoena served to JP Morgan Chase Bank showed the check was deposited into Jackson’s account. Authorities said he was the sole person authorized to access the funds.

Over the course of several months, multiple attempts to contact Jackson were allegedly made via mail and phone, but deputies said he “has not made any attempt to reach a resolution or provide full restitution.”

Additionally, investigators said they searched the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board and the Miami-Dade County Construction Trades Qualifying Board and found that Jackson is not a licensed contractor under any state or county statutes or ordinances.

They did, however, determine through a search of the Florida Division of Corporation that Jackson was the owner of Metal Roof Masters LLC.

Deputies said the MDSO Special Predator Enforcement Team detained Jackson, and he was later booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on charges of third-degree grand theft and engaging in contracting without a license.

As of Thursday afternoon, Jackson remained behind bars, with documents indicating that he was already out on felony bond at the time of his arrest.

That bond was for a sex offender registry case in which documents show Jackson was accused of failing to report to authorities as a transient sexual offender, which was statutorily required following a conviction.

An arrest form from that case states he was convicted of performing a lewd or lascivious act on a child under 16, which requires him to report with the state of Florida every 30 days.

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The incident happened outside the Mobil at 16861 Miramar Parkway in Miramar.

According to police, first responders arrived to find a man who had suffered serious injuries and rushed him by helicopter to a nearby hospital.

That man was later pronounced dead, authorities said.

Workers at the gas station told Local 10 News the victim worked at their car wash and was likely closing at the time of the incident.

He was later identified as Teofilo Vargas, 51, by his son Alan, who spoke to Local 10 News’ Roy Ramos.

“He was a good person,” said Vargas, who was asked why he thinks someone would have done this to his father.

“I have no idea,” he said.

Vargas described his father as a calm, hard worker who didn’t have any problems with anyone.

“He was working here washing cars,” he said. “I don’t know what could’ve led up to this.”

Officers said the suspect fled after the stabbing, which led authorities to set up a perimeter in the area. Miramar Parkway was closed for a period of time between Southwest 164th Avenue and 172nd Avenue.

“So what we do know is that there was an altercation with two men, and one was stabbed,” Miramar police spokeswoman Janice McIntosh said.

Officers indicated they knew the identity of the suspect, but have yet to release it to the public.

“The police know who they are looking for, but they are still asking the public, if they see or hear anything suspicious to report it immediately, because he is still at large,“ McIntosh said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Miramar Police Department or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

• Woman dies after jumping on hood of man’s SUV, falling off in Fort Lauderdale, police say
• TPS extended for Haitians until Monday, court rules
• Pharmacist convicted of ‘massive Oxycodone distribution conspiracy’ from 2 Broward storefronts
• Miami-Dade teacher accused of attacking boyfriend with knife, snatching his cellphone
• Tugboat captain pleads guilty over Biscayne Bay crash that killed 3 girls in sailboat
• Video shows Sarasota superyacht crashing into dock along New River in Fort Lauderdale
• Drunken driver crashes into vehicle stopped at red light in Coral Springs, killing occupant, police say
• Home healthcare aide accused of stealing jewelry from elderly Broward woman who has since died
• Child therapist accused of abusing boy, 5, at southwest Miami-Dade clinic
• Victim in Miramar stabbing dies, police continue search for suspect

The district announced the change after its four-year participation in the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) came to an end. According to Miami-Dade County Public Schools, updated federal eligibility data determined the district no longer qualifies to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student districtwide.

“Our goal is to protect families from any hardship while keeping free breakfast and lunch available to as many students as possible,” Chief Operations Officer Luis E. Diaz said in a statement. “We’re launching a comprehensive outreach campaign to ensure families have clear, step-by-step guidance.”

Under the new meal program, all students attending the district’s 121 CEP schools will continue receiving free breakfast and lunch.

At schools that do not qualify under CEP, meal prices will be:

Elementary and K-8 schools:

• Free breakfast
• Lunch: $4.20 full price or 40 cents for students who qualify for reduced-price meals

Middle and high schools:

• Breakfast: $2.50 full price or 30 cents reduced price
• Lunch: $4.20 full price or 40 cents reduced price

Families with students attending non-CEP schools can begin applying for free or reduced-price meals on Aug. 10 through mdcpsnutrition.net.

Students who are directly certified through programs such as SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, foster care, Head Start, migrant services or homeless assistance will continue receiving free meals automatically without submitting an application.

The district said all students will receive free meals during the first 30 days of the school year, or until their eligibility status has been determined.

School officials are encouraging families to complete applications as early as possible to avoid any interruption in meal benefits.

M-DCPS said it will work directly with families to explain eligibility requirements, assist with the application process and ensure students continue to have access to nutritious meals that support their health and academic success.

CEP and Non-CEP Schools List:

Emiliano Grillo, Jackson Koivun and Gary Woodland opened with 64s, and Scheffler topped the group at 65 in his first appearance in the event.

Coming off a fourth-place finish Sunday in the British Open, Scheffler was 1 under through eight holes, then birdied five of the next eight.

“I didn’t hit a bunch of fairways early, but I was able to kind of manage my way around and get out of some trouble areas without making any bogeys. That was important keeping my momentum going,” he said. “Once I started to hit fairways and gave myself some looks, was able to start making some birdies.”

Kohles’ second shot from 241 yards out on the par-5 finishing hole settled 4 feet from the cup. The short putt capped a career-best round for the 36-year-old who has split the season between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours.

In a nine-hole stretch beginning on No. 6, he birdied every other hole and added another birdie at No. 15 to tie for the lead at 7 under.

“I was just in control all day,” he said.

Three weeks ago, Kohles nearly got his first career win, but a double bogey on the final hole resulted in a third-place finish at the John Deere Classic.

“Of course you would like the outcome to be different, but you’ve just got to keep putting the pedal down and see where you go,” he said.

Koivun birdied four holes on the front nine and three on the back during a bogey-free round at the TPC Twin Cities where scores are traditionally low. In the tournament’s seven previous years, the average winning score was 19 under.

“Playing smart, playing for a score. Just executing when the time is right and getting aggressive when you can,” he said. “Just felt like I did a good job of taking advantage of that today.”

In his 13th tour start, but just third as a professional, 64 is the lowest score in Koivun’s 43 career rounds. The 21-year-old turned professional in June after dominating at Auburn, including a school-record 11 wins.

Grillo made birdie on five of his first seven holes and added three straight birdies starting at No. 12. However, he played the final three holes in 1-over.

“Any day beating Scottie Scheffler is a good day, so I’ll take that,” he said.

Defending champion Kurt Kitayama shot 68.

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

A three-judge panel on Thursday declined to issue a preliminary injunction against the new districts, paving the way for them to be used in the Aug. 6 primary elections. Tennessee had revised its congressional districts in May, shortly after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minorities.

President Donald Trump has urged Republican-led states to redraw districts to their advantage to try to hold on to a slim U.S. House majority in the November elections. Tennessee is among eight GOP states to do so since last year. Trump is hoping the mid-decade redistricting can help Republicans buck a historical pattern in which the president’s party typically loses seats in midterms.

Opponents of Tennessee’s new congressional districts had argued in court that Republican lawmakers who passed the plan were motivated at least partly by racial discrimination, in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

Republicans have insisted they were motivated only by partisan politics, seeking to win the lone Democratic-held seat among the state’s nine districts. Legislatures are free to draw partisan districts under a 2019 Supreme Court ruling.

The federal judges — two Trump appointees and one appointee of former President Barack Obama — wrote in their opinion that the lawsuit is unlikely to succeed because the plaintiffs “lack any direct evidence of racial motivation."

“The road to a reliably 9-0 map runs through Memphis,” the ruling states. “Thus, political motivations readily explain the map’s dilutive effects.”

The Supreme Court in late April struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana as an illegal racial gerrymander. That decision weakened protections in the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 that allowed minorities an opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice. It also opened a pathway for Republicans in several Southern states to cite political intentions while redrawing voting districts with large minority populations that have elected Democrats.

In Tennessee, Republicans carved up a Memphis-based district with a majority-Black population that has been represented for about two decades by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, who is white. The metropolitan area was instead placed in parts of three districts, with Cohen’s reshaped district stretching a couple hundred miles eastward before reaching north toward the Nashville suburbs.

Cohen announced soon after the redraw that he was ending his bid for reelection.

Amber Sherman, a Memphis voter and plaintiff in the lawsuit, criticized the ruling, saying it’s “painful” to head into an election under a map that weakens the voices of Black voters.

“We deserve the same opportunity to shape our future as anyone else,” Sherman said. “When our voting power is diluted, our neighborhoods have a harder time making their voices heard on the issues that shape our daily lives.”

Ari Savitzky, an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union Voting Rights Project, told the judges in mid-June that Republicans who are “essentially an all-white-controlled legislative body" chose to destroy the state’s lone pocket of Black political power in federal elections.

Attorney Taylor Meehan, representing Tennessee election officials, rejected the assertion of racially discriminatory motivations. She also argued it was too late to revert to Tennessee’s previous congressional districts, noting that primary election ballots already had been finalized using the new boundaries. Early voting began July 17.

“Racial data was turned off” when crafting the new districts, Meehan said. “The map was drafted for politics.”

The 214-208 vote requiring congressional approval for the war came just before the Senate narrowly rejected a similar resolution, 47-49. Though the votes forced by Democrats are largely symbolic, they are meant as a signal to the Republican president that his support on Capitol Hill is chipping away as the war drags on and lawmakers in both parties have questioned his administration’s endgame.

The war has had “no clear mission, no strategy, no end goal,” said Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat who led the resolution on the House floor.

The House resolution passed after a handful of Republicans voted with Democrats to end the war. But the vast majority of Republicans in both chambers voted to back the war and cede congressional war powers to Trump.

Joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes launched the war in late February. A tenuous ceasefire deal was reached in April, but Trump declared the ceasefire was “over” earlier this month.

Trump has insisted that continued U.S. attacks against Iran do not mean a return to war or long-term action. After the first House vote to halt the war in early June, he posted on social media that it was “unpatriotic” and “meaningless.”

A statement of administration policy issued by the White House on Thursday noted that the resolutions don’t have the force of law and encouraged lawmakers to vote against them.

“The President has the Constitutional authority to defend the United States and our citizens from the danger posed by the Iranian regime,” the policy statement said. “This requires the ability to act decisively to ensure it never obtains a nuclear weapon.”

Continued American airstrikes are occurring even as diplomatic efforts show little public sign of progress and officials on both sides have dug in on the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed. The unpopular war threatens further worldwide economic disruption and is sending fuel prices up ahead of midterm U.S. elections this fall.

“We are in this new escalatory phase where Americans have been killed, and Americans are experiencing the rising costs — I think it’s important that people be held accountable,” said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who led the Senate effort on Thursday. “And this is a very unpopular war.”

Most Republicans vote to cede congressional powers

As the House debated the resolution Wednesday evening, Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., read out names of 18 service members killed since the war began.

“To belittle this mission is to belittle and demean the very service these members gave their life for,” Mast said. “Their sacrifice was not meaningless. This operation is bringing reckoning for the hundreds of times Iran has attacked and killed people of the United States of America.”

The top Democrat on the panel, New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, said that presidents are supposed to make the case to Congress.

The service members who died made the ultimate sacrifice for “an illegal unauthorized war that the American people don’t want,” Meeks said.

Democrats said they would continue to force Republicans to vote on the issue.

“If Donald Trump won’t listen to the people and end this war then Congress must,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

Trump is watching Iran votes closely

Republicans on both sides of the Capitol know that voting against the war can have a political cost, even as many of them have privately questioned the Trump administration’s handling of the conflict.

In his post after the June House vote, Trump called the four Republicans who voted with Democrats “GRANDSTANDERS!” and said they should be “ashamed of themselves.”

“They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories,” he said.

When the Senate passed a war powers resolution on Iran for the first time in June, Trump called the four Republicans who voted for it “losers” and then reprimanded them at a Senate GOP luncheon that he attended the next day.

Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of the Republicans who had voted with Democrats, said afterward that he had clashed with Trump over the issue. He said he told Trump directly that he needed to give more details to the public about the conflict.

“This was supposed to last four weeks. It’s lasted four months,” said Cassidy, who had just lost reelection in a primary after Trump endorsed one of his opponents. “Our original objectives have not been achieved.”

Trump argued back, Cassidy later told reporters, and he told the president that he wouldn’t change his vote until he got a briefing. The White House later relented, giving Cassidy a one-on-one meeting, and the Louisiana Republican changed his vote in a late-night do-over vote before the Senate left for a two-week recess.

Cassidy voted against the resolution again on Thursday.

Polling finds Americans disapprove of the war

Most Americans disapprove of the way Trump is handling the situation with Iran, according to recent polling. A Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted in July found that few Americans think the war in Iran has been worth fighting, and most aren’t confident that the U.S. military action in Iran and negotiations to end the war will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Only about two-thirds of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the situation in Iran, according to the poll. Most Republicans, about 6 in 10, think the war has been worth fighting and are confident that the military action and ensuing negotiations will prevent Iran from development nuclear weapons, but a sizable share — about one-third — are unconvinced.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said that if Congress can’t force Trump to seek congressional authorization then lawmakers should block war funding. The House on Wednesday adopted a Republican-only $95 billion budget proposal, including money for the Iran war, but its future is uncertain in the Senate.

“He wants to break the law, fine, let him break the law, but we control the appropriations process, and that’s what we need to use,” Kaine said.

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Associated Press writers Steven Sloan and Amelia Thomson DeVeaux contributed to this report.

En medio de un escenario cargado de incertidumbre, los equipos negociadores de ambos países se reunieron entre el martes y jueves en la capital mexicana para avanzar en los diálogos que mantienen desde mayo sobre las reglas de origen, la seguridad económica, la agricultura y la industria automotriz, uno de los sectores que se ha visto más golpeado por los aranceles estadounidenses.

Mientras Estados Unidos apuesta a proteger a su industria pese a los costos en inflación que la política ha implicado para los estadounidenses, el gobierno de Claudia Sheinbaum ha centrado sus esfuerzos en lograr una disminución importante de los gravámenes de 10% que desde el año pasado Washington impuso a los productos mexicanos que no están cubiertos por el T-MEC, así como a los camiones medianos y pesados que tienen un impuesto de 25%. También está vigente un gravamen de 50% al acero y el aluminio y una cuota compensatoria del 17% al tomate mexicano.

Ante la nueva ronda de aranceles que anunció el jueves la administración de Donald Trump, el secretario mexicano de Economía, Marcelo Ebrard, informó que la decisión no representa un cambio para México debido a que se mantiene el gravamen de 10% que se aplicaba desde el año pasado a los productos mexicanos no cubiertos por el T-MEC, y señaló en un vídeo, que se difundió en las redes sociales, que el anuncio “no afecta o cambia la posición que teníamos hasta ahora”.

Resultados de la tercera ronda

Durante la tercera fase, los negociadores continuaron avanzando en temas como el acero, el aluminio, los sectores estratégicos, el fortalecimiento de las cadenas de valor y la sustitución de importaciones de Asia, informó el jueves en un comunicado la Secretaría de Economía de México.

La próxima ronda de negociaciones bilaterales se realizará en la primera quincena de septiembre.

Pese a que no se llegaron a acuerdos concretos en esta fase, Ebrard se mostró optimista y dijo que “seguimos avanzando en nuestras conversaciones” y tratando de “aproximar las posiciones de lo que Estados Unidos está buscando con lo que México está buscando a partir de lo que nos es común que es la integración económica”.

En la sesión del jueves estuvo presente el principal negociador comercial estadounidense, Jamieson Greer, quien se reunió más temprano con Sheinbaum en el palacio de gobierno para discutir sobre los acuerdos bilaterales y los avances en la revisión del T-MEC que se inició el primero de julio, y que se vio perturbada por la decisión de Washington de no extender automáticamente la vigencia del tratado por 16 años, como quieren México y Canadá, con lo que se activó el mecanismo de revisiones anuales hasta 2036.

Al referirse al encuentro con la presidenta mexicana, la oficina de Geer dijo en su cuenta de X que en la reunión se discutió sobre el progreso en las negociaciones, y añadió que la administración de Trump espera con interés la colaboración continua con México para lograr un “comercio equilibrado" y "resolver los desafíos económicos transfronterizos”.

En su habitual conferencia matutina, Sheinbaum descartó que dentro de la revisión del T-MEC se vayan a incluir temas de seguridad y otros asuntos bilaterales, e indicó que las negociaciones se centrarán en asuntos comerciales.

Pero Greer dijo la víspera durante una comparecencia en el Senado estadounidense que a Trump le resultaría difícil aceptar una renovación o la revisión del T-MEC si México no coopera en temas claves como el tratado bilateral de aguas de 1944 y la seguridad.

El representante comercial estadounidenses indicó que durante los próximos cinco meses se espera lograr avances en las reglas de origen del tratado, que es una de las principales preocupaciones de Washington, y las normas laborales y ambientales.

Las presiones alternas a las negociaciones

En medio de las tensiones generadas por las políticas comerciales, México también ha enfrentado en los últimos meses fuertes presiones y reclamos de parte de Estados Unidos en asuntos de seguridad y migración que también han perturbado los diálogos bilaterales.

México escaló este mes los reclamos por la muerte de 17 de sus connacionales y solicitó a las fiscalías estatales de Estados Unidos que investiguen penalmente los casos de migrantes fallecidos mientras estaban bajo custodia del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE) o durante redadas de esa agencia.

The letters have raised concerns among some state lawmakers, including one who said some constituents who received them are U.S. citizens.

Alaska Division of Elections Director Carol Beecher told state lawmakers during a hearing this week that it appears “a lot of old data was picked up somehow" when the division conducted voter roll maintenance that compares its list with information held by the Division of Motor Vehicles. The process usually yields about 200 names for further review, she said.

Beecher estimated during Wednesday's hearing that the number of letters sent was around 3,500, but a Division of Elections spokesperson, Steve Kirch, on Thursday said the total was 3,048.

The revelation comes at a time of heightened sensitivity surrounding claims of noncitizen voting. Research and prosecutions have shown it to be extremely rare, but President Donald Trump and his allies have raised alarms since the presidential election cycle two years ago that noncitizen voting is widespread.

The president also has been trying to push voting changes through Congress that would require people to provide documents proving their citizenship to register to vote and a now-halted executive order that sought to create a federal list of verified voters, even though voter rolls are maintained by the states.

Citizenship verification 'is not disenfranchising' voters

The Alaska letter asks recipients to affirm their citizenship status via letter, phone or email, and Beecher said the division is not requiring paperwork or documentation. Those who receive the letter are moved to a list of “inactive” voters. If the division doesn't hear back from the recipient, they still would be able to cast a special kind of ballot that also requires voters to attest to their qualifications to vote, she said.

“It is not disenfranchising the individual from being able to vote, but it’s a measure the division has to take to make sure that we only have citizens voting,” she said.

People who respond to the letter to say they are citizens will be moved back to the active list, Kirch said.

State Rep. Andrew Gray, a Democrat, said the only people who had contacted his office about the letters were people who are citizens. Another Democrat, state Rep. Ashley Carrick, asked if the letters were related to Alaska's decision late last year to share detailed data about the state's voters with the U.S. Department of Justice.

Beecher said it was not: “It has nothing to do with that,” she said, adding: “The information that we have received is specifically from DMV.”

She said the Division of Elections has not heard from the Department of Justice “regarding any list or the list that we provided that they identified noncitizens on that.”

DMV says request it received was ‘nonroutine’

Alaska was one of at least 16 states that have provided or said it would provide to the Trump administration detailed information about its voters — including dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and partial Social Security numbers, according to the Brennan Center. Alaska and Texas also signed agreements. The information is being run through a Department of Homeland Security program that checks for citizenship but has been criticized for its potential to flag eligible voters.

Voting and civil rights groups in Alaska earlier this year sued over the state's sharing of the information. That case is still pending.

In response to questions, the Division of Motor Vehicles released a memo Thursday saying the Division of Elections in March provided the agency “with a list of approximately 15,200 DMV license and identification applicants and requested that DMV provide citizenship information for these records.” The memo described it as a “nonroutine request.”

The memo said the Division of Elections followed up in June, seeking clarification. The DMV said it responded to say that data it provided “included only those records where DMV’s latest confirmed status for an individual was other than ‘Citizen.’”

Kirch said his agency had sent the DMV its “entire voter list and they ran ours against theirs.”

Officials unsure why so many voters had their status questioned

Beecher, during the legislative hearing, said it remained unclear why the list of voters identified as potential noncitizens was so large this time. It is possible people applied to get a driver's license before they were citizens and since then became citizens but that didn't show up in DMV records, she said.

“I believe that people probably don’t realize that all of these governmental entities don’t necessarily talk to each other,” she said.

Kirch gave an example on Thursday. He said if a person was not a citizen some years ago when they received their driver's license but since became a citizen and registered to vote when they applied for the annual dividend the state pays to residents from its oil-wealth fund, data from the DMV would still show them as not being a citizen.

He said people should update their information with the DMV to ensure they are not flagged in future citizenship checks.

The Fever put out a statement Thursday that didn't directly address Turner's comments.

“Protecting our players and employees and maintaining a respectful, professional workplace is our top priority,” the Fever said. “Our policy is to take concerns seriously, investigate thoroughly, and act promptly when appropriate to protect the people in our organization and ensure everyone is treated with professionalism and respect. Fostering trust and safety in that process means we do not comment on personnel matters involving former employees.”

Turner’s comments were part of a series of posts she made in defense of transgender athletes.

"To date there’s been one out trans player in the league. They caused zero problems,” Turner wrote in the posts on X on Wednesday. “An issue that has caused problems though? Last year on my WNBA team a male staff member was fired for sexual harassment, but we were encouraged to keep quiet about it. That is an issue."

She didn't provide details of the firing.

Turner’s comments came after a former teammate, Fever guard Sophia Cunningham, had also weighed in on the issue of transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.

"I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” Cunningham was quoted as saying in a story published this week by ESPN. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men."

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