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Phil Ehr, a retired U.S. Navy commander who is running for congressional district 28, partnered with the local nonprofit Global Empowerment Mission to collect aid.

Ehr and his campaign team were welcoming donations at their office at 143 North Flagler Ave., near the Homestead City Hall.

The list of items needed included first aid kits; emergency gear such as flashlights, heavy-duty batteries, solar phone chargers, and work gloves; and baby care, such as diapers.

Ehr was also welcoming nonperishable foods, new sleeping bags, new inflatable mattresses, new backpacks, and new pillows.

Volunteers at the GEM warehouse were packing boxes of donations on Thursday afternoon to prepare deliveries.

For more information about how to make a financial donation to GEM, visit this page.

More ways to help

• Here are 4 drop-off Doral locations for donations to help Venezuelans after fatal earthquakes
• UN asks for donations for ‘underfunded’ program for kids

Related coverage

• The 2 earthquakes that struck Venezuela are known as a ‘doublet.’ Here’s how they happen
• Venezuelans search rubble for survivors after 2 strong quakes kill at least 188
• After Venezuela earthquakes, here are some of the deadliest in Latin America in the last century
• World leaders react with offers and solidarity after powerful quakes hit Venezuela
• Back-to-back powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, causing widespread damage

This is a developing story.

La alcaldesa de Doral, Christi Fraga, anunció que la ciudad se ha asociado con la organización sin fines de lucro Global Empowerment Mission, con sede en Doral .

La lista de artículos necesarios incluía botiquines de primeros auxilios; equipo de emergencia como linternas, baterías de alta capacidad, cargadores solares para teléfonos y guantes de trabajo; y artículos para el cuidado del bebé, como pañales.

Aquí está la lista de puntos de entrega en Doral:

• La sede de GEM estaba abierta de 9:00 a 16:00, de lunes a viernes, en 1850 NW 84th Ave.
• El vestíbulo de la Oficina del Supervisor de Elecciones del Condado de Miami-Dade estuvo abierto de 8 a. m. a 5 p. m., de lunes a viernes, en 2700 NW 87th Ave.
• El centro comunitario Doral Legacy Park estuvo abierto de 17:00 a 21:00 horas, de lunes a viernes, y de 8:00 a 17:00 horas los sábados y domingos en 11400 NW 82 St.
• El Arepazo está abierto las 24 horas de lunes a domingo en 10191 NW 58th St.

El jueves, voluntarios del almacén de GEM empaquetaban cajas de donaciones para preparar los envíos a Venezuela.

Para obtener más información sobre cómo hacer una donación económica a GEM, visite esta página.

Más formas de ayudar

• ONU pide donaciones para programa “con fondos insuficientes” para niños

Cobertura relacionada

• Dos potentes terremotos sacudieron Venezuela, dejando al menos 164 muertos y cerca de 1.000 heridos.
• Los líderes mundiales reaccionan con ofertas y solidaridad tras los potentes terremotos que azotaron Venezuela.
• Dos fuertes terremotos consecutivos sacudieron Venezuela, causando daños generalizados.

Esta noticia está en desarrollo.

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Aransevia, 24, faced charges on Thursday in a case that involved Miramar, Miami Gardens, and Miami Lakes police officers; deputies; and Florida Highway Patrol troopers, records show.

A police officer in Miramar reported Aransevia, whose driver’s license was suspended, was driving a stolen Toyota Tacoma at 6:20 p.m. on Tuesday at Northwest 33 Avenue and 207 Street.

While he was speeding, Aransevia jumped a median, drove the wrong way, got on the Palmetto Expressway, and exited at Miami Lakes Drive “after driving over the embankment,” according to the police officer’s report.

Aransevia “reversed into” a Miami Gardens police officer’s patrol car and fled again until a Florida Highway Patrol trooper forced him to stop with a Precision Immobilization Technique, or PIT maneuver, according to the police report.

Aransevia, who was wearing a red shirt, “jumped out” of the Toyota, “jumped the wall,” ran, “jumped into a lake behind 6926 Holly Road,” and “got out of the water and ran eastbound,” according to the police report.

Aransevia ran toward a Miami Lakes police officer at 6930 Holly Road, who deployed a Taser, shooting Aransevia, who then “fell into the water” before he was detained, according to the report.

Fire rescue personnel took Aransevia to the Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah. Police officers took him to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he was booked shortly before 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

Aransevia, who remained behind bars on Thursday afternoon, faced five charges: Grand theft auto, fleeing and eluding police, two counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon on a law enforcement officer or firefighter, and resisting an officer without violence.

Aransevia also had warrant cases for knowingly driving with a suspended license, reckless driving, and a hold for another law enforcement agency, according to inmate and court records.

Aransevia, de 24 años, enfrentaba cargos el jueves en un caso que involucró a policías de Miramar, Miami Gardens y Miami Lakes, así como a agentes y patrulleros de la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida, según registros.

Un oficial de policía en Miramar informó que Aransevia, cuya licencia de conducir estaba suspendida, conducía una Toyota Tacoma robada a las 6:20 p.m. del martes en Northwest 33 Avenue y 207 Street.

Mientras iba a exceso de velocidad, Aransevia cruzó un separador, condujo en sentido contrario, entró a la autopista Palmetto Expressway y salió en Miami Lakes Drive “después de conducir sobre el terraplén”, según el informe policial.

Aransevia “retrocedió contra” la patrulla de un oficial de policía de Miami Gardens y huyó nuevamente hasta que un patrullero de la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida lo obligó a detenerse con una maniobra de inmovilización de precisión, o maniobra PIT, según el informe.

Aransevia, quien vestía una camisa roja, “saltó” de la Toyota, “saltó el muro”, corrió, “saltó a un lago detrás de 6926 Holly Road” y “salió del agua y corrió hacia el este”, según el informe policial.

Aransevia corrió hacia un oficial de policía de Miami Lakes en 6930 Holly Road, quien utilizó un Taser, impactándolo, tras lo cual “cayó al agua” antes de ser detenido, según el informe.

Personal de rescate de bomberos trasladó a Aransevia al Palmetto General Hospital en Hialeah. Luego, los oficiales lo llevaron al Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde fue ingresado poco antes de las 2 a.m. del miércoles.

Aransevia, quien permanecía detenido la tarde del jueves, enfrentaba cinco cargos: hurto mayor de auto, huir y evadir a la policía, dos cargos de agresión agravada con arma mortal contra un oficial de la ley o bombero, y resistirse a un oficial sin violencia.

Aransevia también tenía órdenes judiciales por conducir a sabiendas con licencia suspendida, conducción temeraria y una retención por otra agencia de ley, según registros de reclusos y del tribunal.

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Mayor Christi Fraga announced the city, often referred to as Doralzuela, had partnered with the local nonprofit Global Empowerment Mission to gather aid.

The list of items needed included first aid kits; emergency gear such as flashlights, heavy-duty batteries, solar phone chargers, and work gloves; and baby care, such as diapers.

Here is the list of drop-off locations in Doral:

• GEM headquarters was open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, at 1850 NW 84th Ave.
• Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office Lobby was open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., from Monday to Friday, at 2700 NW 87th Ave.
• Doral Legacy Park Community Center was open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., from Monday to Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at 11400 NW 82 St.
• El Arepazo is open 24 hours from Monday to Sunday at 10191 NW 58th St.

Volunteers at the GEM warehouse were packing boxes of donations on Thursday afternoon to prepare deliveries.

For more information about how to make a financial donation to GEM, visit this page.

More ways to help

• UN asks for donations for ‘underfunded’ program for kids

Related coverage

• The 2 earthquakes that struck Venezuela are known as a ‘doublet.’ Here’s how they happen
• Venezuelans search rubble for survivors after 2 strong quakes kill at least 188
• After Venezuela earthquakes, here are some of the deadliest in Latin America in the last century
• World leaders react with offers and solidarity after powerful quakes hit Venezuela
• Back-to-back powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, causing widespread damage

This is a developing story.

Oscar Torres and thousands of others spent the last 24 hours keeping up with a flurry of messages posted to a WhatsApp group that connects people in Venezuela with their families. He lives in Doral, Florida, a city outside Miami that's home to the largest Venezuelan population in the U.S.

“Already this morning, I was looking at the group in Doral and everybody’s pitching in — money, medicine, water. First, necessity items,” said Torres, a sales manager who moved to the U.S. from Venezuela in 1995. “They’re talking about making the first shipment ASAP.”

The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes Wednesday night caused severe damage to the country’s main airport in the capital of Caracas, which could hamper efforts to get aid into the country quickly. The quakes were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century.

In photos of the aftermath, injured children, animals and civilians covered in dust and blood were pulled out of concrete rubble.

In addition to those killed and injured, thousands more were missing — leaving many families members in the U.S. scrambling for updates. More than 770,000 Venezuelans live in the U.S., with large communities settling in Texas and Utah, in addition to Florida.

In the Houston area, home to a large Venezuelan community, residents used community Facebook groups and other social media to spread the word about local donation sites. First aid and medical supplies such as gauze, bandages, antiseptics, disposable gloves, face masks, syringes, thermometers and blood pressure monitors all were in demand.

Many of the sites are in Katy, a suburb about 30 miles (48 km) west of downtown Houston that’s earned the nickname “Katyzuela" because of the high concentration of Venezuelans. Local resident Daniel Arenas translated a Spanish-language post into English and shared it Thursday on his LinkedIn page hoping people across Houston would step up and donate.

“I came to this country ten years ago, built a life here, but my heart is still in Venezuela,” Arenas said. “It’s devastating what’s happening over there. They don’t have the resources to handle this.”

Arenas, a maritime industry consultant, said that his wife is concerned about her aunt, who lives in a high-rise apartment in Caracas and sent a distraught message on WhatApp after the quakes hit.

“She was crying and screaming and saying she was in pain but not sure from where,” Arenas said. “She said she lost everything. She was desperate.”

Arenas said his wife was later able to reach her aunt.

In Florida, local officials in Doral and advocacy groups spread the word online and during news conferences about the need for aid donations.

Torres planned to contribute money for those efforts. He still has uncles and cousins who live in Caracas and Valencia, another hard-hit Venezuelan city. He said some of them were injured as they fled buildings during the quakes.

“Their homes are destroyed and a few buildings have collapsed," Torres said. "Thankfully, I don’t know anyone who passed away.”

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Marcelo reported from New York.

Wednesday marked the midpoint of the 104-match tournament — technically, just past the midpoint, with 54 matches now in the books and 50 remaining before a World Cup champion is crowned in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.

The U.S. has reached the Round of 32, which shouldn’t be surprising. Mexico and Canada, the other host nations for this biggest World Cup in history, are also through to the knockout stage. And the stars are positively shining: Argentina’s Lionel Messi has five goals to kick-start what he hopes is a run toward a second consecutive World Cup title. France’s Kylian Mbappé has four, as do Norway’s Erling Haaland and Brazil’s Vinicius Júnior.

Stadiums are mostly filled; FIFA is touting record attendance. And there have been some feel-good stories, most notably the tale of Cape Verde goalie Vozinha and how his mother was able to come to this World Cup.

“The best is yet to come,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino told SNTV earlier this week.

In other words, the second half of this tournament — just like the second half of matches — is when things might get really good.

Who’s in

Through Wednesday’s games, 13 teams have clinched spots in the Round of 32.

Mexico won Group A, Switzerland won Group B, Brazil won Group C, the U.S. won Group D, Germany won Group E and Argentina won Group J.

France, Norway, Canada, Morocco, Colombia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and South Africa also are assured of moving into the knockout stage.

“I know how it feels, but it’s very difficult to explain how it feels,” South Africa coach Hugo Broos said after his team clinched its first-ever appearance in the knockout stage. “I’m very happy for the guys.”

Who’s out

A handful of teams already know they’ll be among the 16 that don’t survive the group stage and reach the Round of 32.

The Czech Republic, Haiti, Turkey, Tunisia, Jordan, Qatar and Panama are certain to not advance.

Still hoping

With 13 teams into the knockout round and seven eliminated, that leaves 28 teams for 19 remaining spots in the Round of 32.

Some key matches left:

— Australia-Paraguay is a win-and-you’re-in game.

— A winner of Japan-Sweden would be assured a Round of 32 spot, as would a winner of Austria-Algeria.

— Tiny Cape Verde would be into the knockout round with a win over Saudi Arabia.

— Colombia-Portugal will decide the winner of Group K.

The U.S. path

This much is clear: The only match the U.S. might play in the Eastern time zone will be the World Cup final.

The Americans will begin the Round of 32 in Santa Clara, California, on July 1. If they win, they’ll go to Seattle for the Round of 16. Win that, and it’ll be off to Inglewood, California, for the quarterfinals. Win that, and Arlington, Texas, will be calling for the semifinals.

The most likely opponent for the U.S. in the Round of 32 is Bosnia and Herzegovina. After that, it would seem likely that Egypt could be waiting.

What happens now (or starting Sunday)

Once group play ends, the drama really begins.

It’s called the knockout stage for a reason — if you don’t win in this round, you’re knocked out of the tournament. (The only time that won’t apply is the semifinals, since the losers of those games will get sent to Miami Gardens, Florida, to decide third place.)

A team will have to win five elimination games to win the World Cup title.

Scoring is up

Everybody should have predicted that the record for total goals in a World Cup would get smashed in this tournament. After all, there are 104 matches in this event, compared with just 64 matches in the format that was used over the previous seven World Cups.

And the record for most goals will fall, almost certainly on Thursday or Friday. There were 172 scored at Qatar four years ago; there have been 161 goals through 54 matches so far this year.

But what is noteworthy in this tournament is that scoring per game is at its highest level in more than 50 years — 2.98 goals per match.

An average of 2.81 goals per match were scored at Spain in 1982, 2.97 goals per match at Mexico in 1970, and 3.60 goals per match at Sweden in 1958.

That said, this year’s games have been defensive battles compared to what happened in 1954 in Switzerland, when games featured a staggering 5.38 goals on average. That tournament included a game with a 7-5 final score, still the highest-scoring game in men’s World Cup history.

The pace

By the end of Day 17 of the World Cup on Saturday, 72 matches will be done, 32 will remain. That’s the day the group stage ends and the knockout stage — where every match until the semifinals is of the win-or-go-home variety — begins.

And then things slow down. A bit, anyway.

There is only one Round of 32 game on the schedule for Sunday — South Africa vs. Canada at Los Angeles. Things pick up again after that and matches are planned every day until July 8. That means the tournament will have 27 consecutive days of play before everyone gets a day off.

A rematch?

Argentina and France gave us an epic World Cup final in 2022. It’s not outside of the realm that we get a rematch this year; the way the bracket is looking at this point (and this could easily change), they should be on opposite sides, making a collision in the final possible.

Argentina has five goals through its first two matches, and Messi — who turned 39 on Wednesday — has all five of them. Messi now has 18 goals in World Cup play, an all-time record.

When Argentina plays in the Round of 32, Messi will basically get a home game in Miami. It won’t be at the stadium that he and Inter Miami call home, but it will be in Miami Gardens and in what has been his home market for the last three years since he came to MLS.

Mbappe has four goals for France so far in this tournament, giving him 16 in World Cups, tying for second-most all-time with Miroslav Klose of Germany — who held the record before this year’s tournament started.

___

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

Even before the two earthquakes hit Venezuela on Wednesday, nearly 8 million people were already in need of aid, according to Tom Fletcher, the UN aid chief.

The earthquakes caused most of the destruction in Caracas, and in the states of La Guaira, Miranda, Aragua, Carabobo, and Falcón, according to the UN, which is working with the U.S. State Department and U.S. Southern Command.

For more information and to donate, visit this UN page.

Related coverage

• Here are 4 drop-off Doral locations for donations to help Venezuelans after fatal earthquakes
• 2 powerful quakes hit Venezuela, killing at least 164 and injuring nearly 1,000
• World leaders react with offers and solidarity after powerful quakes hit Venezuela
• Back-to-back powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, causing widespread damage

This is a developing story.

U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to join other leaders from the 32-member alliance for the July 7-8 summit in the Turkish capital, during which allies will, among other issues, debate defense spending and attempt to project unity.

Turkish journalists from news organizations viewed as opposition‑leaning or independent — including Halk TV, Sozcu TV, Cumhuriyet newspaper, T24 news website and ANKA news agency — have been excluded from covering the summit, the Turkish Journalists' Association and other media solidarity groups said.

The journalists were neither given a reason for the rejection nor offered the opportunity to appeal the decision, the association said.

“Preventing certain media outlets from covering events of public importance undermines freedom of information and reporting,” the association said. “International organizations must act in line with the democratic values they claim to uphold.”

NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart said in a statement posted on X that for summits held outside of its Brussels headquarters, the trans-Atlantic alliance relies on the host country to assess and approve journalists from that country.

“We are in contact with Turkish authorities on accreditation for the NATO Summit in Ankara. It is very important for NATO that media can attend major events in person,” she said.

Turkish officials haven't commented on the accreditation issue.

Turkey is implementing wide‑ranging precautions in the lead‑up to the summit. Earlier this week, security forces detained more than 200 people suspected of links to extremist groups, the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office said.

But opposition parties and media reports said that a politician, an academic, a journalist and prominent LGBTQ activist, and lawyers were among those detained, calling for their release.

In a statement on Thursday, Human Rights Watch also criticized the detentions and urged NATO to ensure that basic democratic rights are respected during the summit.

“The misuse of terrorism laws to conduct mass arrests and silence people in the run-up to a NATO summit flies in the face of the founding values of the alliance,” said Benjamin Ward, the group’s deputy director for Europe and Central Asia. “The authorities should immediately release those detained, and NATO should insist that peaceful expression and assembly must be permitted around the summit.”

The Turkish government's Communications Directorate insisted on Thursday that those who were detained “were assessed to have been involved in activities connected to various terrorist organizations.”

September 2017 — Mexico: An 8.1 earthquake and a 7.1 earthquake hit Mexico within about a week, devastating southern and central Mexico, including Mexico City, and killing nearly 500 people.

April 16, 2016 — Ecuador: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck coastal provinces, flattening towns and killing more than 650 people.

Feb. 27, 2010 — Chile: A magnitude 8.8 earthquake shook central Chile, rattling the capital for about a minute and a half and triggering a tsunami. 523 people were killed.

Aug. 15, 2007 — Peru: A magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck near the central coast, killing more than 500 people.

January and February 2001 — El Salvador: A 7.7 earthquake off El Salvador's coast on Jan. 13, 2001, and a 6.6 earthquake a month later — and the ensuing landslides — killed 1,200 people or more.

Jan. 25, 1999 — Western Colombia: A magnitude 6.0 earthquake devastated the city of Armenia, killing about 1,170 people.

April 22, 1991 — Costa Rica: A magnitude 7.4 earthquake killed more than 80 people in Costa Rica and Panama. About 30,000 people were cut off from food, water and medical supplies for days.

Sept. 19, 1985 — Central Mexico: A magnitude 8.1 earthquake killed about 12,000 people, though the true toll remains unknown.

Feb. 4, 1976 — Western Guatemala: A magnitude 7.5 earthquake killed more than 22,700 people.

Dec. 23, 1972 — Nicaragua: A magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed more than 6,000 people, with some estimates as high as 9,000.

May 31, 1970 — Northern Peru: A magnitude 7.9 earthquake killed more than 66,000 people.

May 22, 1960 — Chile: A magnitude 9.5 earthquake, known as the Valdivia or Great Chilean earthquake, was the largest earthquake ever recorded. It killed more than 1,655 people, many in a tsunami, and left 2 million homeless.

Aug. 5, 1949 — Ecuador: A magnitude 6.8 earthquake killed about 5,050 people.

Jan. 24, 1939 — Chile: A magnitude 8.3 earthquake killed about 28,000 people in Chillan, with some estimates closer to 30,000.

Jan. 31, 1906 — Ecuador: A magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck near Esmeraldas in 1906. Known as the Ecuador-Colombia earthquake, it generated a powerful tsunami that killed about 1,500 people and reached as far north as San Francisco.

Doublet earthquakes happen when a pair of similar-sized quakes hit close in location and time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. On Wednesday evening, a 7.2 magnitude quake hit first, followed by a magnitude 7.5 just 39 seconds later.

The deadly one-two punch toppled buildings in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas and beyond. Some 1,500 people were injured and thousands were reported missing. The coastal region of La Guaira, which is north of Caracas, experienced some of the heaviest damage and casualties, officials said.

How rare are doublets?

While not as common as a typical earthquake where a main shock is followed by much smaller aftershocks, doublets can happen anywhere in the world, Christine Goulet, director of the USGS earthquake science center in California, told The Associated Press.

Doublets indicate a complex fault structure, like the one in Venezuela. Known as the Bocono fault, it runs along the backbone of the Venezuelan Andes for about 300 miles (500 kilometers). A previous doublet — of magnitudes 6.2 and 6.3 — struck an area west of Caracas in September 2025, killing at least one person and injuring more than 100 others. Most of the damage was reported in the towns of Zulia and Lara.

What caused Wednesday's double earthquake?

Most earthquakes occur along plate boundaries, which is where tectonic plates meet.

A rupture where the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates meet unleashed the two quakes this week.

The doublet occurred where the Caribbean plate, located north of Venezuela, moves eastward relative to the South American plate at an average rate of 0.79 inches (2 centimeters) a year.

“It’s a large displacement,” Goulet noted. “It’s on the order of the San Andreas fault.”

The movement was a shallow strike-slip faulting, which occurs when two blocks of rock slide past one another horizontally.

That kind of movement is not more dangerous by default, Goulet said.

“A more vertical motion can be more damaging,” she said, adding that other factors, including the length of the rupture, determine the amount of damage.

The boundary between the Caribbean and South American plates is less active than others, said David Naar, associate dean at the University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science.

How common are earthquakes in Venezuela?

In the past century, only seven earthquakes of magnitude 6 and higher have hit in the immediate vicinity of the most recent ones, according to USGS.

These include the 2025 doublet that struck west-northwest of the latest quakes.

Individual earthquakes of magnitude 6 or higher struck in 2009, 1989 and 1975. The most devastating one hit in July 1967. It was a 6.6 magnitude quake that killed hundreds of people.

José Vitriago, who lives in Caracas, remembers that one. He was 2 years old.

“Our house broke,” he recalled in an interview with state-owned TV station Venezolana de Televisión.

Vitriago said the doublet that hit Wednesday “was horrible, horrible.”

Overall, five earthquakes of magnitude 7 and higher have occurred in northern Venezuela or near the coast since 1900, according to USGS.

The most catastrophic earthquake occurred in March 1812 along the Bocono fault system, killing an estimated 30,000 people.

Will more earthquakes hit Venezuela?

Scientists cannot predict earthquakes, but aftershocks are common after big ones. The USGS said there’s a 99% chance of at least one magnitude 4 aftershock hitting Venezuela within the next week, and a 24% chance of a magnitude 6 one occurring.

Unlike other countries, Venezuela does not have an early earthquake warning system, which relies on sensors to detect the first waves of an earthquake.

“It’s very distressing that there was basically no time to evacuate,” she said. “That’s extremely unfortunate.”

The Cupertino, California-based company called the demand spike an “unprecedented challenge” for the consumer electronics industry.

“The rapid expansion of AI data centers has created an extraordinary surge in demand for memory and storage. We have never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly,” the company said in a written statement.

The new, entry-level MacBook Neo will now cost $699, up from $599. The 512 gigabyte MacBook Air now costs $1,299, up from $1,099. The one terabyte MacBook Pro is $1,999, up from $1,699.

The 128 gigabyte iPad Air is now $749, up from $599, while the 256 gigabyte iPad Pro Wifi is now $1,199, up from $999.

Analysts expect iPhone prices to rise later this year.

IDC analyst Nabila Popal said the latest price hikes were higher than she had expected, which suggests the iPhone price hikes may also be higher than expected, perhaps as much as $200 for the iPhone Pro and Pro Max models.

“I think the days of $50 price increases are over," she said.

Apple said that while it has shielded customers from the component price surges so far, "we have now reached a point where we need to begin raising prices on a number of products, including today’s increases for iPad and Mac. We know this is not welcome news, and we are working tirelessly to find solutions.”

Shares of Apple fell $13.29, or 4.5%, to $279.88 on Thursday afternoon.

“Who do you think you are trying this after 17 years?" Di Liberto recalled asking herself. "You have no business doing this.”

The fear and uncertainty she felt is familiar to many people seeking work after an absence from the job market. Whether they lost a position during mass layoffs or needed to leave one to care for an ill loved one, job applicants can expect questions about employment history lapses to surface during screenings and interviews.

“You have to address it honestly and directly,” said Andy Decker, CEO of Goodwin Recruiting, a candidate recruitment and placement firm. “Make sure that you’ve included anything you did during that time. Did you get certifications? Did you volunteer?”

Extended periods between jobs have become far more common and are less stigmatized than they were before many people worked from home or took time off during the COVID-19 pandemic to take care of children or relatives, Decker said. Some people note these periods on their resumes as a “career break” or “family responsibility,” he said.

Here are strategies suggested by a recruiter and workers who have been there for addressing a career gap.

Highlight transferable life skills

Employers are more focused on skills or results than a perfect career path, and volunteering your services at a nonprofit organization is a good way to keep those skills fresh, Decker said.

De Liberto, 57, was a classically trained opera singer before she got married and became a mother. While her husband built a chiropractic practice, she set aside her music career ambitions to raise their children.

Once she decided to reenter the workforce, De Liberto didn’t have 9-to-5 job experience to feature on her resume. Instead, she reviewed activities beyond family life for skills that would translate into a work environment.

Serving as PTA president at her children’s school, for example, required managing budgets and presenting project plans to the school board. She also helped with budgeting, software rollouts and hiring for her husband's business.

Even so, she kept hearing as she applied for administrative support roles that she wasn't qualified. However, one person who interviewed De Liberto was intrigued, saying, “This resume was so different than anything I had ever seen. I needed to see the person who created this."

Determined not to walk away empty-handed, De Liberto proposed a monthlong trial run as an administrative assistant. Her pitch was: “I recognize that you probably are getting resumes of people who are far more qualified than me, but I would challenge that they are not as tenacious and driven as me. If you give me 30 days, I’ll prove to you that I can learn this job and I can do this job.”

The company hired her. Over the next decade, she was promoted and recruited away by other employers and worked her way up to head of client services at an artificial intelligence company. De Liberto said she was asked about her employment lull each time she interviewed for a new position.

“I was fortunate enough to stay home for 17 years and raise amazing humans,” she tells potential employers. "And I worked from the ground up to be where I am today."

Laura Sandvik, who left a marketing job to care for her mother and later her children, highlighted in her LinkedIn profile the soft skills she gained from her experiences.

“I have no regrets about those choices. They strengthened my patience, perspective, and sense of responsibility. In returning to formal roles, I have done so intentionally,” she wrote.

Practice telling a layoff story

If you lost a job due to restructuring or layoffs, you don't need to volunteer that information on a resume but be honest if an interviewer asks why you left, Decker said.

“I would simply say, ‘I was one of 270 people caught up in this reduction of force,’ or if you made it through a few rounds of layoffs, say, ‘Over two years we had five rounds of reductions in force, I made it through four, I was caught up in the fifth,’" Decker suggested.

Practice your response before the interview, and avoid negativity such as blaming the employer. “Own it, acknowledge it and move on,” Decker said.

Baura Zia, 35, was laid off in 2022 shortly after returning from maternity leave. She was upset initially but says losing her job “was honestly a blessing in disguise" because she spent the next three years raising her two children full-time.

On her resume, Zia describes those years as a “parenting gap,” and states that she also moved across the country in that time. When she decided to find a part-time job after her son's first birthday, she explained during interviews that the organization she previously worked for didn't let her go over performance issues but because it lost the contract she was working on.

“Having grace with yourself is really important," Zia said. "It’s not a flaw to have a career gap. If anything, you’ve grown so much from that.”

During her job hunt, Zia sometimes sent messages to people she found online to ask about their experience working at the company where she'd applied. Many didn’t reply, but some did. She also reached out to contacts from a networking group for women in public relations she she joined years ago.

“When I was ready to go back to the workplace, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, only because I had my network to tap into,” Zia said.

Own your accomplishments

Addressing resume gaps due to major employment barriers such as incarceration can be especially difficult.

Ryan Cuellar, 29, who was charged with felony possession of stolen property at age 18 and sent to jail a month before he expected to graduate high school, is proud of his perseverance and record of overcoming hurdles.

“Don’t reflect on your mistake but take pride in what you learn from it and what you are doing about it," Cuellar advised.

After being incarcerated for a few months, Cuellar returned to high school to repeat his senior year. Then he took a string of odd jobs that didn't require background checks, including acting gigs and working as a machine operator, while also taking college classes.

After receiving certification as a paralegal, Cuellar said he used the training to petition to have his criminal record sealed. That meant he did not have to disclose his legal history on job applications or worry about getting asked about it following background checks.

Cuellar chose to tell potential employers about it anyway, even though doing so often hurt his chances of getting hired. He also volunteered at the jail, helping people held there acquire skills to help them succeed after their release. He recently landed his first full-time job, working as a salesperson for a company that provides online tutoring services.

“It’s part of my story,” Cuellar said of his incarceration. “At the end of the day, I think that you need to know that about me as a person to understand my side and where I come from and my perspective.”

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Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

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Shelter officials say the sweet, energetic pup has been waiting months for a new family after arriving at the shelter as a stray.

They say April loves swimming, playing with other dogs and meeting new people. Staff say she can get stressed in her kennel, but outside the shelter she shows off her loving, playful personality.

Officials say April is between 2 to 3 years old and is ready to find a forever home.

Click here if you would like to adopt April or see the other pets who are available for adoption.

Funcionarios del refugio dicen que la dulce y enérgica perrita ha estado esperando durante meses por una nueva familia tras llegar al refugio como callejera.

Dicen que a April le encanta nadar, jugar con otros perros y conocer gente nueva. El personal dice que puede estresarse en su jaula, pero fuera del refugio muestra su personalidad cariñosa y juguetona.

Los funcionarios dicen que April tiene entre 2 y 3 años y está lista para encontrar un hogar permanente.

Haga clic aquí si desea adoptar a April o ver otras mascotas disponibles para adopción.

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Giorgi Kimeridze, 43, of Staten Island, New York, is one of several people with South Florida ties accused in the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.

Local 10 News first reported on Kimeridze in April, when he was arrested by BSO under the name “Kimeridze Giorgi” on a state grand theft charge.

He was accused of participating in “a rash of schemes” by thieves who “utilize a fraudulent transportation company to acquire luxury vehicle transportation ‘jobs’ by legitimate auto dealerships” ― in that case, a fraud scheme involving a 2024 Ferrari Purosangue that was supposed to go from a dealership in Pompano Beach to a Maserati dealer in Monmouth, New Jersey.

Now, Kimeridze is accused of “facilitating the operation” of two durable medical equipment companies that fraudulently billed Medicare and other federal health care programs “more than $1 billion for urinary catheters, orthotic braces and wound dressings that beneficiaries did not need and did not receive,” of which, “approximately $4.9 million was paid,” according to a federal criminal complaint and a DOJ news release.

One of those companies was ABRH Care, authorities said. Another man, Ibrahim Hilmi, 58, of Miami, is also charged in connection with the operation of ABRH Care, authorities said.

Kimeridze, a native of the former Soviet country of Georgia, was taken into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security after bonding out of jail in April, the complaint states. He’s facing a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Ferrari case remained open in Broward court as of Thursday afternoon.

The DOJ also announced charges for several other South Florida residents accused of additional fraud schemes:

Casilda Muniz Rodriguez, 57, of Hialeah, is accused of “fraudulently bill(ing) Medicare for over $117 million for skin substitutes and wound care products that were never provided.”

Investigators said Eduardo Javier Ibarra Arrowsmith, 61, of Miami, “impersonated a deceased Miami-Dade neurologist and used that doctor’s credentials — including his name, National Provider Identifier number, and Florida medical license number" as part of “a scheme to fraudulently certify naturalization applicants as disabled in order to exempt them from the English language and civics requirements of the U.S. citizenship naturalization test.”

Laura Seiler-Anstett, 55, of Coral Springs, is accused of a $58.3 million scheme involving durable medical equipment. Prosecutors said the “fraudulent claims were for orthotic braces that were medically unnecessary, ineligible for reimbursement, and procured through the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes.”

Prosecutors said Yilian Cruz, 36, and Inti Cruz, 55, both of Miami Lakes; and Adaimis Perez Arencibia, 39, of Miami, are facing charges related to a mental health care fraud scheme. They said the Cruzes, married co-owners of the Miami clinic De La Cruz Mental Health LLC, conspired with others, including Perez Arencibia, a therapist to pay illegal kickbacks to recruit elderly Medicaid beneficiaries as patients.

Rene Yartu Couceiro, 57, of Miami, is accused in connection “with a Medicaid and Medicare fraud scheme involving a Miami mental health clinic’s payment of “donations” in the form of cash payments to Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries for agreeing to receive psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) therapy that was not all provided as represented," according to the DOJ release.

Rajiv Shah, 65, of Palm Beach Gardens, and Anthony Tursi, 39, of Boynton Beach, are accused of multi-million-dollar schemes involving fraudulent Medicare billing for durable medical equipment and “medically unnecessary genetic testing,” respectively.

The DOJ has summaries of these and other cases on its website.

Giorgi Kimeridze, de 43 años, de Staten Island, Nueva York, es una de varias personas con vínculos con el sur de Florida acusadas en la operación nacional contra fraude de atención médica de 2026 del Departamento de Justicia de EE.UU.

Local 10 News informó por primera vez sobre Kimeridze en abril, cuando fue arrestado por BSO bajo el nombre “Kimeridze Giorgi” por un cargo estatal de hurto mayor.

Fue acusado de participar en “una serie de esquemas” por ladrones que “utilizan una compañía de transporte fraudulenta para obtener ‘trabajos’ de transporte de vehículos de lujo de concesionarios de autos legítimos”, en ese caso, un esquema de fraude que involucraba un Ferrari Purosangue 2024 que debía ir de un concesionario en Pompano Beach a un concesionario Maserati en Monmouth, Nueva Jersey.

Ahora, Kimeridze está acusado de “facilitar la operación” de dos compañías de equipos médicos duraderos que facturaron fraudulentamente a Medicare y a otros programas federales de atención médica “más de $1B USD por catéteres urinarios, aparatos ortopédicos y vendajes para heridas que los beneficiarios no necesitaban ni recibieron”, de los cuales “aproximadamente $4.9 millones USD fueron pagados”, según una denuncia penal federal y un comunicado del Departamento de Justicia.

Una de esas compañías era ABRH Care, dijeron las autoridades. Otro hombre, Ibrahim Hilmi, de 58 años, de Miami, también enfrenta cargos en relación con la operación de ABRH Care, dijeron las autoridades.

Kimeridze, originario del antiguo país soviético de Georgia, fue puesto bajo custodia del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional después de salir bajo fianza de la cárcel en abril, indica la denuncia. Enfrenta un cargo de conspiración para cometer lavado de dinero. El caso del Ferrari permanecía abierto en el tribunal de Broward hasta la tarde del jueves.

El Departamento de Justicia también anunció cargos contra varios otros residentes del sur de Florida acusados de esquemas adicionales de fraude:

Casilda Muniz Rodriguez, de 57 años, de Hialeah, es acusada de “facturar fraudulentamente a Medicare más de $117 millones USD por sustitutos de piel y productos para el cuidado de heridas que nunca fueron proporcionados”.

Los investigadores dijeron que Eduardo Javier Ibarra Arrowsmith, de 61 años, de Miami, “suplantó a un neurólogo fallecido de Miami-Dade y utilizó las credenciales de ese médico — incluyendo su nombre, número de Identificador Nacional de Proveedor y número de licencia médica de Florida” como parte de “un esquema para certificar fraudulentamente a solicitantes de naturalización como discapacitados con el fin de eximirlos de los requisitos de idioma inglés y educación cívica del examen de ciudadanía de EE.UU.”.

Laura Seiler-Anstett, de 55 años, de Coral Springs, es acusada de un esquema de $58.3 millones USD relacionado con equipos médicos duraderos. Los fiscales dijeron que las “reclamaciones fraudulentas eran por aparatos ortopédicos médicamente innecesarios, no elegibles para reembolso y obtenidos mediante el pago de sobornos y comisiones ilegales”.

Los fiscales dijeron que Yilian Cruz, de 36 años, e Inti Cruz, de 55, ambos de Miami Lakes, y Adaimis Perez Arencibia, de 39, de Miami, enfrentan cargos relacionados con un esquema de fraude en atención de salud mental. Indicaron que los Cruz, copropietarios de la clínica De La Cruz Mental Health LLC, conspiraron con otros, incluyendo a Perez Arencibia, terapeuta, para pagar sobornos ilegales con el fin de reclutar a beneficiarios ancianos de Medicaid como pacientes.

Rene Yartu Couceiro, de 57 años, de Miami, es acusado en relación con “un esquema de fraude a Medicaid y Medicare que involucraba el pago de ‘donaciones’ en forma de efectivo a beneficiarios para que aceptaran recibir rehabilitación psicosocial (PSR) y terapia de estimulación magnética transcraneal (TMS) que no fue completamente proporcionada como se representó”, según el comunicado del Departamento de Justicia.

Rajiv Shah, de 65 años, de Palm Beach Gardens, y Anthony Tursi, de 39, de Boynton Beach, son acusados de esquemas multimillonarios que involucraban facturación fraudulenta a Medicare por equipos médicos duraderos y “pruebas genéticas médicamente innecesarias”, respectivamente.

El Departamento de Justicia tiene resúmenes de estos y otros casos en su sitio web.

Rubio used a three-day, three-nation trip to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain this week to try to convince all the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council that the Trump administration does indeed have their backs in negotiations to end the war President Donald Trump and Israel launched on Feb. 28.

That conflict sharply curtailed the region's oil exports and saw several Gulf countries take direct retaliatory Iranian missile and drone hits.

“They’ve shared with us some very concrete concerns, ideas,” Rubio said in Bahrain, the last stop on the trip. “And when I say concern, the biggest concern is that they really just want to be informed every step along the way as we enter these negotiations at both the technical and political levels.”

“We want them to be involved and we want the views of all these countries to be reflected,” he said. “We don’t want to and will not be making any decisions or commitments that in any way undermines the prosperity, stability or security of our Gulf partners.”

While the U.S. and the Gulf council members — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — eventually released a joint statement after the meeting that extolled areas of agreement about the end goals of the Iran agreement, there were small signs of potential discontent.

The joint statement said the two sides “stressed the need to maintain momentum and unity as negotiations proceed toward a more permanent end to hostilities and the shared objective of preventing Iran from ever developing or otherwise acquiring a nuclear weapon."

They also expressed opposition to any attempt by Iran to impose tolls, fees, or assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. They welcomed an Omani initiative to create a safe lane to evacuate stranded sailors from the waterway and stressed that any economic benefit Iran might realize “is conditional and reversible, contingent on Iran’s compliance” with the temporary agreement and a final deal.

The joint statement painted a rosy picture, yet the council secretary, General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, suggested in a statement that doubts remain.

He said it was emphasized during the meeting that any future understandings or arrangements must incorporate the requirements of the Gulf council countries to safeguard their interests and ensure “their security and stability.” His statement, released by the group, hinted that the Guld council members felt snubbed in the earlier talks.

“Such arrangements must be based on the principles of international law, respect for state sovereignty, good neighborliness, and non-interference in internal affairs, thereby contributing to the consolidation of regional security and stability,” he said.

Before Rubio spoke to the group, the meeting host, Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, said that while the memorandum of understanding is welcome, many questions remain outstanding.

“While this progress is encouraging, it is critically important that Iran fully adheres to its obligations," including under the memorandum, he said.

He said that means preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, preserving freedom of navigation, ending all missile and drone attacks, halting support for proxy groups and abandoning attempts to interfere with Iran's neighbors.

“It’s ridiculous that it’s come to this point. I am happy to be here and stand on what I believe in,” said Kaitlyn Daily of Young Democratic Socialists of America at FIU.

“We know that they turn any interaction with law enforcement into a potential immigration interaction and it’s a stifling fear,” said a man named William with the American Friends Service Committee.

The group then waited for their turn to take their message inside during public comment.

The city’s partnership with ICE has been in place since the Miami City Commission approved the 287(g) agreement in June 2025.

“I’m an immigrant and I’m here to say no more ICE,” Angela Winter said.

The agreement allows select Miami police officers, after receiving federal training, to carry out certain immigration enforcement duties in coordination with ICE, including questioning, detaining and, in some cases, arresting people suspected of immigration violations.

Supporters of ending the agreement say it has created fear in immigrant communities, making some people less likely to report crimes or cooperate with police.

“If the police act as deportation agents it will minimize the trust that the community has in the police,” one man said.

The issue returned to Miami City Hall after Commissioner Christine King placed it on Thursday’s agenda for discussion.

For more than an hour, advocates urged city leaders to reconsider the agreement, saying ending it would help restore trust between police and the community.

“Asumiré el gobierno de un país profundamente quebrantado. La persona a la que he de suceder se encargó de degradar la majestad de la presidencia de la República, debilitar las instituciones y dividir a los colombianos sembrando en el alma de muchos el odio de clases”, dijo De la Espriella al recibir las credenciales por parte del Consejo Nacional Electoral en un centro de eventos en Bogotá.

De la Espriella, un abogado y empresario sin experiencia en cargos públicos, tomará posesión el 7 de agosto con su vicepresidente electo, José Manuel Restrepo, economista y exministro de Hacienda.

El CNE declaró el miércoles la elección luego de la finalización del escrutinio en el que De la Espriella ganó con 12.960.166 votos. Mientras que su contendor Iván Cepeda, aliado del presidente Gustavo Petro, obtuvo 12.708.312 votos, en la segunda votación con la diferencia más estrecha en un balotaje de las últimas tres décadas en Colombia.

De la Espriella sucederá a Petro, el primer presidente de tendencia izquierdista en Colombia, prometiendo dar un giro contundente con una agenda centrada en la mano dura contra los grupos armados ilegales, con quienes no continuará los diálogos de paz adelantados por Petro, mientras que promete construir megacárceles al estilo de las de El Salvador.

“Los colombianos han votado por un nuevo estilo... y una nueva forma de hacer política y ejercer el gobierno. No los defraudaré”, declaró De la Espriella. “Se trata de un triunfo épico porque fue del pueblo en contra de los partidos, en contra de la politiquería y en contra del establecimiento”, agregó en referencia a que en campaña rechazó el apoyo explícito que le dieron los partidos políticos.

De la Espriella, apodado “El Tigre”, advirtió a “todos los ilegales” que disponen de un mes para “organizar su sometimiento al Estado de derecho”, sin anunciar beneficios jurídicos por hacerlo, asegurando que en su gobierno “no habrá ofertas generosas ni concesiones inaceptables como las que recibieron del régimen que está llegando a su fin”.

Colombia lidia con múltiples grupos ilegales que se disputan el narcotráfico y otras rentas como la minería ilegal, pese a que hace una década firmó un acuerdo de paz con la extinta guerrilla Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).

Apoyado desde la campaña por el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump, De la Espriella ha dicho que revitalizará las relaciones bilaterales con Estados Unidos —principal socio comercial de Colombia—, maltrechas por las tensiones entre Petro y Trump por desacuerdos en la política migratoria, la lucha antinarcóticos y las acciones bélicas de Israel en la Franja de Gaza.

Petro ha señalado a Trump de ejercer una “intervención directa” e indebida en las elecciones colombianas en favor de De la Espriella, colombo-estadounidense, cuestionando la legitimidad del resultado del balotaje.

Cepeda hizo reclamaciones en decenas de miles de mesas de votación por presuntas irregularidades en el conteo preliminar y solo reconoció su derrota la víspera cuando estaba por acabar el escrutinio, realizado por jueces y certificado por el CNE.

“Se verificó con el máximo rigor cada acta, reclamación por reclamación, y todos podemos afirmar con plena tranquilidad que la decisión que hoy se formaliza es la que los colombianos tomaron en libertad”, dijo en el acto protocolar Cristian Quiroz, presidente del CNE.

El progresista aseguró que harán una oposición “democrática, vigilante y constructiva” con la que defenderán lo construido en el gobierno de Petro en favor del “pueblo”, especialmente el salario mínimo que tuvo el ajuste más alto de los últimos años, así como la reforma al sistema laboral y de pensiones.

Cepeda ocupará una curul de la oposición en el Senado, mientras que su fórmula vicepresidencial Aida Quilcué lo hará en la Cámara de Representantes.

De la Espriella anunció el jueves que trabaja una agenda con el canciller de Israel sobre cooperación en la lucha contra armados ilegales, intercambio de capacidades en seguridad y oportunidades comerciales, buscando retomar la relación luego de que Petro rompiera vínculos diplomáticos en el 2024 como protesta por el “genocidio” en la Franja de Gaza.

Petro rechazó la víspera la eventual reanudación de relaciones: “abrir relaciones con Israel y olvidar el genocidio palestino como se olvida el genocidio colombiano es una invitación a repetirlo”, dijo en X.

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Esta es una galería de fotos seleccionada por editores de fotografía de AP.

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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.

Los sismos de magnitud 7,2 y 7,5 del miércoles por la noche se encuentran entre los más fuertes que han azotado Venezuela en más de un siglo y pudieron sentirse en toda la región.

Las autoridades venezolanas intentaban aprovechar al máximo las horas de luz para acelerar los esfuerzos de rescate de personas que se cree que permanecen atrapadas bajo los escombros.

Estas son algunas de las reacciones de mandatarios de distintas partes del mundo a los sismos en Venezuela.

Secretario de Estado estadounidense Marco Rubio

“El gobierno de Estados Unidos expresa sus más profundas condolencias al pueblo de Venezuela tras los devastadores sismo”, escribió el secretario de Estado Marco Rubio en la plataforma social X.

“Estados Unidos acompaña al pueblo venezolano en este momento difícil y, por instrucción del presidente Trump, el Departamento de Estado está desplegando de inmediato equipos de búsqueda y rescate, recursos médicos y ayuda humanitaria a Venezuela”, añadió.

Presidente de Francia, Emmanuel Macron

El presidente francés Emmanuel Macron recurrió a la plataforma social X para expresar la solidaridad de Francia con el pueblo venezolano y señaló que un equipo de 85 rescatistas franceses especializados en operaciones de búsqueda y despeje “se despliega de inmediato” hacia Venezuela.

“Francia está lista, junto con sus socios europeos, para brindar asistencia a las poblaciones afectadas en respuesta a las necesidades identificadas por las autoridades venezolanas”, escribió.

Presidenta de México, Claudia Sheinbaum

La presidenta de México, Claudia Sheinbaum, informó que un equipo de rescatistas militares, junto con personal médico, partirá hacia Venezuela el jueves. No precisó cuántas personas viajarían.

“Determinaremos mañana mismo personal adicional que se requiera para poder ayudar siempre a los pueblos que lo necesiten”, indicó la mandataria mexicana.

Presidente de Brasil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

El presidente brasileño Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, expresó la “determinación” de su país de apoyar al gobierno de Venezuela en sus esfuerzos de recuperación.

Lula señaló en X que había instruido al Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Brasil a evaluar la situación en Venezuela “y a valorar qué medidas de asistencia podría adoptar Brasil”.

“Reafirmo nuestra determinación de apoyar al gobierno de la presidenta interina Delcy Rodríguez en la recuperación de las zonas afectadas en esta nación hermana, cuyo pueblo ha demostrado una gran resiliencia frente a la adversidad”, escribió.

Portavoz del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de China, Guo Jiakun

“China ha tomado nota de los informes relativos a Venezuela. Expresamos nuestras sinceras condolencias al gobierno venezolano y a las personas afectadas”, declaró el jueves el portavoz del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de China, Guo Jiakun, en una conferencia de prensa.

Añadió que “China está dispuesta a brindar asistencia a Venezuela en la medida de sus posibilidades, de acuerdo con las necesidades de Venezuela”.

Presidente del Gobierno de España, Pedro Sánchez

“Todo mi apoyo y el de España al pueblo venezolano tras los devastadores terremotos de esta noche”, escribió en Instagram el presidente del Gobierno de España, Pedro Sánchez. “Nuestros pensamientos están con las víctimas y sus familias”.

Presidente electo de Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella

“Toda mi solidaridad con el hermano pueblo venezolano tras el devastador terremoto”, escribió en X el presidente electo de Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella. “Colombia los acompaña en esta hora difícil con afecto, respeto y esperanza. Mis oraciones están con las víctimas y sus familias. Dios proveerá”.

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

La audiencia emocional incluyó testimonios entre lágrimas de familiares de las víctimas, algunos de los cuales se dirigieron directamente a Greer mientras describían el dolor que han soportado desde el choque del 27 de diciembre de 2021.

“A nadie le importa tu crianza”, dijo Devera Stukes, madre de Laziyah “Minnie” Stukes, de 9 años, a Greer durante su declaración de impacto de víctima. “Nuestros hijos no estaban en Powerline Road, sino en la acera”.

En un momento, el padre de uno de los niños sobrevivientes salió de la sala del tribunal mientras hablaba sobre el choque.

“Casi mata a mi hijo”, dijo el hombre antes de salir.

Los familiares vestían camisetas a juego y sostenían carteles en honor a los niños que murieron: Andrea Fleming, de 6 años, Paris Kyli-Ann Jones, de 5, y Laziyah Stukes, de 9.

Según los investigadores, Greer, entonces de 27 años, conducía un Honda Accord 2009 cuando atropelló a seis niños que caminaban por Northwest Ninth Avenue entre Northwest 24th y 26th streets en Wilton Manors. Las autoridades dijeron que huyó de la escena después del choque.

Andrea y Paris murieron poco después de la colisión. Laziyah sobrevivió inicialmente, pero murió a causa de sus heridas en julio de 2022, más de seis meses después del choque, según los investigadores.

Las autoridades dijeron que otros tres niños — Audre Fleming, Draya Fleming y Johnathan Carter — sobrevivieron.

Durante la audiencia del jueves, Greer, ahora de 32 años, se mostró emocional mientras los familiares de las víctimas y sus propios familiares se dirigían al tribunal. En un momento, un alguacil le entregó un pañuelo mientras lloraba al escuchar a su hermana hablar.

Su hermana dijo al tribunal que Greer quedó devastado cuando se enteró de que niños habían muerto y afirmó que había contemplado quitarse la vida. También habló sobre el impacto que el caso ha tenido en su familia.

La defensa pidió al juez Andrew Siegel que condene a Greer a 35 años de prisión.

Los familiares de las víctimas instaron al tribunal a imponer una sentencia más larga, argumentando que Greer mostró poca preocupación después del choque y huyó sin ayudar a los niños heridos.

Los fiscales han argumentado que Greer debe recibir una sentencia de al menos 48 años.

Al concluir los testimonios, los familiares dijeron que buscan justicia para los tres niños cuyas vidas fueron truncadas y para los sobrevivientes que continúan viviendo con las consecuencias del choque.

Se esperaba que Siegel anunciara la sentencia de Greer más tarde el jueves.

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The emotional hearing featured tearful testimony from relatives of the victims, some of whom directly addressed Greer as they described the pain they have endured since the Dec. 27, 2021 crash.

“No one cares about your upbringing,” Devera Stukes, the mother of 9-year-old Laziyah “Minnie” Stukes, told Greer during her victim impact statement. “Our children were not on Powerline Road but on the sidewalk.”

At one point, the father of one of the surviving children walked out of the courtroom while speaking about the crash.

“He almost killed my son,” the man said before leaving.

Family members wore matching T-shirts and held signs honoring the children who died: 6-year-old Andrea Fleming, 5-year-old Paris Kyli-Ann Jones and 9-year-old Laziyah Stukes.

According to investigators, Greer, then 27, was driving a 2009 Honda Accord when he struck six children who were walking along Northwest Ninth Avenue between Northwest 24th and 26th streets in Wilton Manors. Authorities said he fled the scene after the crash.

Andrea and Paris died shortly after the collision. Laziyah initially survived but died from her injuries in July 2022, more than six months after the crash, according to investigators.

Authorities say three other children — Audre Fleming, Draya Fleming and Johnathan Carter — survived.

During Thursday’s hearing, Greer, now 32, became emotional as family members and his relatives addressed the court. At one point, a bailiff handed him a tissue as he cried while listening to his sister speak.

His sister told the court Greer was devastated when he learned children had been killed and said he had contemplated taking his own life. She also spoke about the impact the case has had on his family.

The defense asked Judge Andrew Siegel to sentence Greer to 35 years in prison.

Relatives of the victims urged the court to impose a longer sentence, arguing that Greer showed little concern after the crash and fled without helping the injured children.

Prosecutors have argued Greer should receive a sentence of at least 48 years.

As testimony concluded, family members said they were seeking justice for the three children whose lives were cut short and for the survivors who continue to live with the consequences of the crash.

Siegel was expected to announce Greer’s sentence later Thursday.

Spokesperson Eric Alper said that Clayton-Thomas died “peacefully” Wednesday at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Alper did not cite a specific cause.

Clayton-Thomas was a onetime street fighter and petty thief from Canada who briefly became a rock superstar, the front man of a nine-member group that sold millions of records and won two Grammys for “Blood, Sweat & Tears,” which beat out the Beatles' “Abbey Road” for best album of 1969. Calling out amid a jazzy parade of horns, keyboards and percussion, Clayton-Thomas’ urgent shout was a signature voice of the era, preaching love on the Motown cover “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” a lasting legacy on Laura Nyro’s “And When I Die” and a cool head on his own “Spinning Wheel.” Meanwhile, Blood, Sweat & Tears helped inspire a wave of horn-led bands, among them Chicago, the Electric Flag and Ten Wheel Drive.

“A lot of the guys (in Blood, Sweat & Tears) would play a Broadway show matinee, then go up to Harlem and play Latin music or R&B and funk at night, or come down to the Village and play pure jazz the next night,” Clayton-Thomas told bestclassicbands.com in 2023. “I was just a blues player: give me three chords and I’ve got a song.”

At its peak, Blood, Sweat & Tears’ appeal was so broad it helped lead to the band’s downfall.

Hip enough to perform at the 1969 Woodstock festival, where they were among the highest paid acts, they also were known enough to the establishment to tour Eastern Europe the following year on behalf of the State Department. When Clayton-Thomas and other band members denounced the Communist regimes on the other side of the Cold War, Rolling Stone’s David Felton wrote that “the State Department got its money worth.” Yippies would turn up at a 1970 Blood, Sweat & Tears show at Madison Square Garden, carrying obscene banners outside and dumping manure by the front gate.

The band had practical reasons for going along with the government: Clayton-Thomas, who had allegedly wielded a gun at his girlfriend, had been denied a green card and faced deportation. But after topping the charts in 1970 with the album “Blood, Sweat & Tears 3,” their appeal soon faded. A burned out Clayton-Thomas left the group in 1972, and neither he nor the remaining musicians ever regained their old stature. Blood, Sweat & Tears would continue recording over the next few years, and even briefly reunited with Clayton-Thomas, who went on to release more than a dozen solo albums and tour on his own for decades.

Clayton-Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1996. “Spinning Wheel,” covered by everyone from James Brown to TV star Barbara Eden, was voted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame a decade later.

Clayton-Thomas is survived by his daughters, Ashleigh Clayton-Thomas and Christine Graham.

Up from the streets

Born David Henry Thomsett in Surrey, England, and raised near Toronto and Ottawa, he was the son of a Canadian World War II veteran and of a pianist-entertainer who helped inspire her son’s interest in music. Thomsett was lucky to have the chance. He fought violently with his father, was living in the streets by his mid-teens and by age 20 was serving time in a reformatory for vagrancy, assault and other crimes.

An old guitar, left behind by a fellow inmate, changed his life. He taught himself to play and began spending extensive time in the early 1960s around Toronto’s Yonge Street music “strip,” where peers included the American rockabilly star Ronnie Hawkins, a mentor to Robbie Robertson and other future members of the Band and a guide for Thomsett early in his career.

Anxious to reinvent himself, he changed his last name to Clayton-Thomas while leading his own groups. In the mid-60s, he released such albums as “Sings Like It Is” and had a hit single with the anti-war rocker “Brainwashed.” He would also befriend a rising star, Joni Mitchell, whose childlike “Circle Game” helped inspire “Spinning Wheel,” and the venerable John Lee Hooker, who would indirectly contribute to Clayton-Thomas’ breakthrough in the U.S.

America beckons

Hooker had encouraged Clayton-Thomas to move to New York, where the American bluesman had an engagement at the Cafe Au Go Go in Greenwich Village. When Hooker unexpectedly departed for a tour of Europe, club owner Howard Solomon needed a replacement and recruited Clayton-Thomas.

“So I played him a couple songs on the guitar,” Clayton-Thomas told bestclassicbands.com. “He said, ‘Do you have a band?’ I said, ‘Sure,’ and went out into Greenwich Village looking for anybody carrying a guitar case or even looking like a musician, and we put together a little band and we opened there that night. We ended up staying there for several months.”

Around the same time, session man-producer Al Kooper was looking to form a jazz-rock group and was joined by such musicians as guitarist Steve Katz, drummer Bobby Colomby and horn players Randy Brecker and Jerry Weiss. They called themselves Blood, Sweat & Tears, releasing the debut album “Child Is Father to the Man” early in 1968. Although praised by Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner as “a fine, exemplary group,” members were torn between those allied with Kooper and those who thought his vocals too weak to attract a substantial audience.

By the end of the year, Kooper and others had departed, and the band was seeking a new singer. After Judy Collins saw Clayton-Thomas perform, she recommended him to Colomby.

“I got home and just a couple of days later, Bobby Colomby called me up and said, ‘Hey, Kooper’s gone. We got four guys left out of the nine. And we still got a record contract with Columbia. Do you want to come down and try out for the band?”’ Clayton-Thomas told bestclassicbands.com. ”I said, ‘You’re damn right.’ I knew (bassist) Jim Fielder real well and I knew they were superb musicians. So I was on the next plane. We had a rehearsal that afternoon, an audition, and it was instant magic. We just knew right off the bat.”

It came a little more than a week after detainees were moved out of the Collier County facility, officially the home of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, citing hurricane concerns.

“There’s no question that its mission made the state of Florida safer,” DeSantis said during Thursday’s announcement, saying the facility was always designed to be temporary. He said it would take one to two weeks to fully decommission the facility.

The news conference featured White House Border Czar Tom Homan and Florida State Board of Immigration Enforcement Executive Director Anthony Coker.

“Today doesn’t end the cooperation” between the state and federal governments, Homan said.

Immigration advocates said the tents were never safe or humane to hold people. Detainees at the facility have talked about their difficulty accessing lawyers, and have described poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that don’t flush, flooding floors with fecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects everywhere.

The detention center was built by DeSantis’ administration in a matter of days in 2025 and President Trump came to visit site.

DeSantis and Trump said the detention center was critical to Republican efforts to return people in the country illegally back to their home countries. The Republican governor said 21,000 people were deported through the facility.

DeSantis and Homan repeatedly assured that the federal government would ultimately reimburse the state for the costs of running the facility, not specifying any amount that has yet been paid or that is left to be paid.

Miami-Dade mayor seeks sale

Meanwhile, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced on Thursday that her office intends to sell the county-owned airport “to the National Park Service and other authorized Everglades restoration partners for permanent conservation following the eventual decommissioning of the immigration detention facility currently operating at the site.”

A county news release states that Levine Cava’s office “will evaluate and identify the appropriate legal process for the sale and transfer of the property for incorporation into the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan.”

“From the very beginning, I have raised serious concerns about the ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detention facility because people have been held there in inhumane conditions without meaningful due process, while occupying land alongside one of the world’s most precious natural ecosystems,” Levine Cava said in the release. “Once this facility is decommissioned, we have an opportunity to permanently protect these lands for Everglades restoration and ensure they remain protected for generations to come. That is the legacy we should leave.”

The release states that the airport’s “remote location, limited aviation utility, significant maintenance obligations, and increasingly constrained compatibility with surrounding conservation lands have reduced its long-term strategic value as an aviation asset.”

The airport was built in the late 1960s as the Everglades Jetport, with plans to turn it into the world’s largest airport and a supersonic travel hub.

Under the grand plans, the airport would have been linked to Miami by monorail.

But the cancellation of the planned Boeing 2707 supersonic jet and environmental concerns surrounding the Everglades location meant that the project never materialized.

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Kareem Thomas and Stanthony Ballard used “fraudulent credentials” to sneak into the 6 p.m. event in Miami Gardens with more than 65,000 ticket holders on Wednesday, according to deputies.

Thomas, 38, and Ballard, 43, both from Georgia, also used the fake credentials to charge $1,000 per person for access to the Hardrock Stadium, according to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy’s report.

Four witnesses who were at the stadium’s Section 135 at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday told deputies that they had paid Thomas, of Macon, and Ballard, of Atlanta, who showed the fake credentials, according to the report.

Thomas and Ballard had “previously been ejected” from the stadium and “were also criminally trespassing” and ”interfering with the normal and safe operations of the event," a deputy wrote, according to the report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Thomas and Ballard on Wednesday night at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.

Thomas and Ballard each faced two felony charges: Uttering a forged instruments and interference with a sporting event. They also had a bench warrant for business conduct without a license. Their bond was $3,500 each.

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Kareem Thomas y Stanthony Ballard utilizaron “credenciales fraudulentas” para colarse en el evento de las 6 p.m. en Miami Gardens con más de 65,000 personas con boletos el miércoles, según agentes.

Thomas, de 38 años, y Ballard, de 43, ambos de Georgia, también usaron las credenciales falsas para cobrar $1,000 USD por persona por acceso al Hard Rock Stadium, según un informe de un agente de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade.

Cuatro testigos que estaban en la sección 135 del estadio a las 6:35 p.m. del miércoles dijeron a los agentes que habían pagado a Thomas, de Macon, y a Ballard, de Atlanta, quienes mostraron las credenciales falsas, según el informe.

Thomas y Ballard habían “sido previamente expulsados” del estadio y “también estaban entrando ilegalmente” y “interfiriendo con las operaciones normales y seguras del evento”, escribió un agente, según el informe.

Correcciones de Miami-Dade registró a Thomas y Ballard el miércoles por la noche en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, según registros de reclusos.

Thomas y Ballard enfrentan cada uno dos cargos graves: uso de documentos falsificados e interferencia con un evento deportivo. También tenían una orden judicial por ejercer actividad comercial sin licencia. Su fianza fue fijada en $3,500 USD cada uno.

Historias relacionadas

Según la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida, el choque ocurrió alrededor de las 2:30 a.m. en los carriles en dirección norte de South Dixie Highway cerca de Southwest 127th Avenue.

Los agentes dijeron que el conductor del Tesla gris chocó contra la parte trasera del camión, que formaba parte de una caravana de camiones que circulaban lentamente en el área, a aproximadamente 20 mph.

Los conductores de los camiones acababan de terminar de trabajar calle arriba antes de que ocurriera el choque, dijeron las autoridades.

Ambas mujeres, quienes según las autoridades tenían entre finales de los 20 y principios de los 30 años, fueron declaradas muertas en la escena.

“Esa es la esposa de mi hijo – una de esas muchachas”, dijo Constantine Allwood a Local 10 News. “Siento algo por ella porque es muy joven. Se supone que debía vivir su vida.”

Los cuerpos de las víctimas fueron retirados del Tesla poco después de las 7 a.m.

No está claro qué causó que el conductor chocara contra la parte trasera del camión.

La U.S. 1 fue cerrada entre Southwest 240th Street y 232nd Street después de la colisión.

La investigación sobre el choque continúa en curso.

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The ruling came as community members gathered outside Miami City Hall to protest the city’s agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). As news of the 6-3 decision spread through the crowd, protesters embraced and comforted one another.

“All of these battles are intertwined,” said Paul Christian Namphy, lead organizer and political director of the Family Action Network Movement.

TPS advocates argue that conditions in Haiti remain too dangerous for deportations. The U.S. State Department continues to maintain a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” advisory for the country because of widespread violence and instability.

“My people, they can’t go back. It is real. The reality in Haiti is real. Unsafe conditions in Haiti are real,” said Tessa Petit, executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. Petit pointed to ongoing humanitarian crises, including violence against children, a lack of functioning schools and limited access to health care.

“There are no grounds for terminating Haiti TPS based on the country conditions inside Haiti,” Namphy said. “This is absolutely absurd.”

Advocates described the prospect of deportations to Haiti as a death sentence, citing the country’s gang violence and deteriorating security situation.

Despite the court’s decision, organizers vowed to continue fighting to protect Haitian immigrants.

“I would say we are not likely going back. We are going to stick together. We are going to keep on fighting,” said Santcha Etienne, of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration.

Petit echoed that determination.

“The battle is not over,” she said.

James Percival, the Department of Homeland Security’s general counsel, told Local 10 News in a statement, “In our second Supreme Court win of the day, the Court vindicates DHS yet again. The T in TPS stands for TEMPORARY, yet many of these designations became de facto amnesty. This is a win for the rule of law and common sense.”

El fallo se produjo mientras miembros de la comunidad se reunían frente al Ayuntamiento de Miami para protestar el acuerdo de la ciudad con el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de EE.UU. (ICE). A medida que la noticia de la decisión 6-3 se difundía entre la multitud, los manifestantes se abrazaban y se consolaban entre sí.

“Todas estas batallas están entrelazadas”, dijo Paul Christian Namphy, organizador principal y director político del Family Action Network Movement.

Defensores del TPS argumentan que las condiciones en Haití siguen siendo demasiado peligrosas para deportaciones. El Departamento de Estado de EE.UU. mantiene una advertencia de Nivel 4 de “No viajar” para el país debido a la violencia generalizada y la inestabilidad.

“Mi gente no puede regresar. Es real. La realidad en Haití es real. Las condiciones inseguras en Haití son reales”, dijo Tessa Petit, directora ejecutiva de la Florida Immigrant Coalition. Petit señaló crisis humanitarias en curso, incluyendo violencia contra niños, falta de escuelas en funcionamiento y acceso limitado a atención médica.

“No hay bases para terminar el TPS de Haití basándose en las condiciones del país”, dijo Namphy. “Esto es absolutamente absurdo”.

Los defensores describieron la posibilidad de deportaciones a Haití como una sentencia de muerte, citando la violencia de pandillas y el deterioro de la situación de seguridad del país.

A pesar de la decisión del tribunal, los organizadores prometieron continuar luchando para proteger a los inmigrantes haitianos.

“Diría que no vamos a retroceder. Vamos a mantenernos unidos. Vamos a seguir luchando”, dijo Santcha Etienne, de Black Alliance for Just Immigration.

Petit reiteró esa determinación.

“La lucha no ha terminado”, dijo.

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According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at about 2:30 a.m. in the northbound lanes of South Dixie Highway near Southwest 127^th Avenue.

Troopers said the driver of the gray Tesla crashed into the back of the truck, which was part of a caravan of trucks driving slowly in the area, at about 20 mph.

The truck drivers had just finished working up the street before the crash occurred, authorities said.

Both women, who authorities said were in their late 20s or early 30s, were pronounced dead at the scene.

“That’s my son’s wife – one of those girls,” Constantine Allwood told Local 10 News. “I feel a way for her because she’s very young. She’s supposed to live out her life.”

The victims’ bodies were removed from the Tesla shortly after 7 a.m.

It’s unclear what caused the driver to crash into the back of the truck.

U.S. 1 was closed between Southwest 240th Street and 232nd Street after the collision.

The investigation into the crash remains ongoing.

The 32nd annual Mango Festival was held from June 13-June 14 at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, featuring more than 400 mango varieties, live chef demonstrations and tastings, and a marketplace of vendors offering a range of mango-inspired goods.

Organizers also set up a VIP lounge area, offering shade and relief from the weekend heat.

This is what these mango trees thrive in — the South Florida climate that helps make the region a hub for mango lovers and growers.

Organizers say a brunch prepared by James Beard Award-winning chefs and mango cocktails were a part of the lineup on the last day of the festival, rounding out what they called a “Sunday funday” celebration of the fruit.

Happy mango season!

The agency reported the June 9 incident to U.S. Park Police, said Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the park service. Lands made the statement in a court document filed late Wednesday as part of a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit organization to halt the Trump administration's work on the project.

His statement does not say whether the damage is a suspected case of vandalism or identify anyone who might have been involved.

The police report indicates damage to the pool, "including a caulk over the foam sealant that was cut with a sharp knife or razor and destruction of delaminating surface material,'' Lands said. About 70 fence post tops also were thrown into the pool, he said.

The statements were the first time the Republican administration has offered specifics for when and how the Reflecting Pool may have been damaged after work on the project was substantially completed.

President Donald Trump and other officials have repeatedly blamed, without evidence, unidentified vandals for peeling paint as well as a “350-foot gash” in the liner and other problems. Six people have been arrested, Trump said this week, without providing details.

Trump pledged to beautify the century-old Reflecting Pool before the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations, draining its water and directing the bottom to be painted a color he called “American flag blue.” But since the site was restored, its water has been plagued by an algae bloom and pieces of the new coating have appeared to be peeling off the bottom.

His administration faces a self-imposed deadline to complete the renovation before July Fourth. Trump also has said the federal government would release images to substantiate his claim.

Trump said Wednesday that “sick people” had used razors and box cutters to slice portions of the lining.

The U.S. Park Police posted surveillance footage Wednesday evening and asked for help “identifying the individual depicted here in connection with a Destruction of Government Property investigation.” The grainy, 30-second video appears to show a person kneeling down, reaching into the reflecting pool and removing something from the water. Police said it was taken Friday afternoon.

In his statement to the court, Lands said the parks agency plans to begin draining the Reflecting Pool following Independence Day celebrations to conduct repairs, including assessing and repairing any damage to the lining.

The park service completed more than two months of renovations at the Reflecting Pool in early June. The 2,000-foot-long basin was drained and a tinted. A plastic-like rubber lining was installed to waterproof and protect the concrete pool surface, and the pool was refilled with water, Lands said.

The Cultural Landscape Foundation, an education and advocacy group that sued in May to halt work on the project, asked a federal judge to block further renovations.

“It is also not too late to correct course,” the group wrote in a filing Monday. It urged the administration to “engage with experts and the public, and make an informed decision about what is best based on the consultations mandated by the law, instead of once again rushing ahead with half-baked ideas.”

Congressional Democrats have called for formal investigations into the pool renovations, saying no-bid contracts for work on the project were awarded to vendors with previous relationships to Trump.

Ohio-based Green Water Solutions was given a $1.7 million contract to install a water-purification system in the Reflecting Pool, while Virginia-based Atlantic Industrial Coatings was awarded $14.7 million to repaint and waterproof the pool’s concrete floor.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley, the top Democrat on the Senate appropriations panel overseeing the Interior Department's budget, said the pool renovation appears to be a waste of taxpayers’ dollars.

“After railing about waste, fraud and abuse, Donald Trump spent more than $16 million on a renovation of the Reflecting Pool that’s now peeling and chock full of algae,” Merkley said Thursday. He said this is a "massive waste" of tax dollars and the public deserves "swift answers — and a refund.”

Merkley is one of about 10 Democratic senators and House members investigating the pool project.

"Taxpayers deserve a full explanation of how these failures occurred and who will be held accountable for correcting them,'' said another letter, signed by New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich and five other senators.

Heinrich is the top Democrat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which oversees the Interior Department.

___

Associated Press writer Michael Kunzelman contributed to this report.

Esto ocurre poco más de una semana después de que los detenidos fueran trasladados fuera de la instalación del condado Collier, oficialmente el Aeropuerto de Entrenamiento y Transición Dade-Collier, citando preocupaciones por huracanes.

Un comunicado de la oficina del gobernador indica que la conferencia de prensa del jueves, programada para las 11:15 a.m., contará con la participación del zar de la frontera de la Casa Blanca, Tom Homan, y el director ejecutivo de la Junta Estatal de Control de Inmigración de Florida, Anthony Coker.

Local 10 News planea transmitir en vivo la conferencia de prensa del gobernador.

Mientras tanto, la alcaldesa de Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava, anunció que su oficina tiene la intención de vender el aeropuerto propiedad del condado “al Servicio de Parques Nacionales y a otros socios autorizados de restauración de los Everglades para conservación permanente tras la eventual desactivación del centro de detención de inmigrantes que actualmente opera en el sitio”.

Un comunicado del condado indica que la oficina de Levine Cava “evaluará e identificará el proceso legal apropiado para la venta y transferencia de la propiedad para su incorporación al Plan Integral de Restauración de los Everglades”.

“Desde el principio, he planteado serias preocupaciones sobre el centro de detención ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ porque las personas han sido retenidas allí en condiciones inhumanas sin un debido proceso significativo, mientras ocupa terrenos junto a uno de los ecosistemas naturales más valiosos del mundo”, dijo Levine Cava en el comunicado. “Una vez que esta instalación sea desactivada, tenemos la oportunidad de proteger permanentemente estas tierras para la restauración de los Everglades y garantizar que permanezcan protegidas para las generaciones futuras. Ese es el legado que debemos dejar”.

El comunicado señala que la “ubicación remota, la utilidad limitada para la aviación, las importantes obligaciones de mantenimiento y la compatibilidad cada vez más restringida con las tierras de conservación circundantes han reducido su valor estratégico a largo plazo como activo de aviación”.

El aeropuerto fue construido a finales de la década de 1960 como el Everglades Jetport, con planes de convertirlo en el aeropuerto más grande del mundo y un centro de viajes supersónicos.

Bajo esos ambiciosos planes, el aeropuerto habría estado conectado con Miami mediante un monorraíl.

Pero la cancelación del avión supersónico Boeing 2707 planeado y las preocupaciones ambientales relacionadas con la ubicación en los Everglades hicieron que el proyecto nunca se materializara.

DeSantis said the center was always meant to be only temporary until more permanent detention centers could be secured and federal officials now have that capacity.

“We stepped up because there was a gap, but my hope is that they’ll be able to handle that,” the Republican governor said at a news conference at the facility.

Officials announced a temporary closure of the facility earlier in June and sent all of the detainees to other facilities, saying hurricane season made it unsafe to keep them in the Everglades.

Immigration advocates said the tents were never safe or humane for holding people. Detainees at the facility have talked about their difficulty accessing lawyers and described poor physical conditions, including worms in the food, toilets that didn’t flush, floors flooded with fecal waste, and mosquitoes and other insects everywhere.

They described large white tents with rows of and rows of bunk beds surrounded by chain-link cages. The air conditioning could shut off abruptly in the sweltering Florida heat. Detainees could go days without showering or getting prescription medicine.

Advocates for immigrants said closure of “Alligator Alcatraz” does nothing to stop the harm to people who spend months in custody as their families suffer. The Florida Immigrant Coalition said the only winners were corporations and contractors who profited millions of dollars as Republicans pushed an immigration emergency that does not exist.

The detention center of tents and trailers was built by DeSantis’ administration in a matter of days opening during hurricane season in July 2025. DeSantis and President Donald Trump said the detention center was critical to Republican efforts to return people in the country illegally back to their home countries.

“There is no question this mission has made the state of Florida safer," said DeSantis, noting that 21,000 people were deported through the facility.

Even with the closure of the facility, Florida continues to play a key role with other detention centers and an increased role in helping with immigration enforcement, White House border czar Tom Homan said at Thursday’s news conference at the center.

“Gov. DeSantis did a good job and he’s going to continue doing what he’s doing to help us make this country safe again,” Homan said. “This isn’t the end of relationship. This is a continuation.”

Lawyers for the immigrants at the facility said their clients suddenly started leaving for other facilities in South Florida, California, Arizona, Louisiana and Texas earlier this month, disappearing for about a week before their attorneys and families were told where they were sent.

DeSantis said the Everglades airstrip the facility was built around will continue to be used.

Environmental groups sued over the detention center, saying Florida officials never got the proper permits or did required reviews on it impact.

The state and federal governments built the site with no oversight and closed it with no input. But they will still be held responsible even with the site is closed, said Paul J. Schwiep an attorney for Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity.

"The administration believes it can quietly walk away and leave its mess for others to clean up. The law will not allow them to escape accountability. We will ask the courts to ensure that the environmental damage is fully addressed," Schwiep said in a statement Thursday.

Over the 180-year history of The Associated Press, 38 journalists have fallen on the job while working for the independent not-for-profit news organization.

Thursday marks the 150th anniversary of the very first: Mark Kellogg, one of five civilians killed alongside Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and his men at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Kellogg, 43, was embedded with Custer's troops. He was reporting for The Bismarck Tribune and New York Herald — the AP circulated his reports across the country — when Custer underestimated the size of a Sioux village that he attacked.

Custer and his outnumbered men made a last stand on a hill. There, they were annihilated by Native American defenders. Kellogg's scalped body was found not far away.

His last published dispatch read in part: “I go with Custer and will be at the death.”

It was more of an attempt at poetry than prophecy. Still, Kellogg's final words and fate circulated far and wide through his employers and the AP. It gave the obscure, part-time journalist, a widower who worked a variety of jobs to support his two daughters, fame in death.

He had got to know Custer. He mingled with and interviewed the soldiers at their camps, noted historian Sandy Barnard.

“While his record as a journalist might be very small compared to modern reporters who go into combat, he certainly was doing exactly what they are doing,” Barnard said.

The State Historical Society of North Dakota preserves Kellogg’s diary and various belongings, including eyeglasses, tobacco, clothing and a mosquito head net. The fragile diary, now digitized online, documents weather, distances covered, who was riding in front and in back, how many antelope they saw and other day-to-day operations, Deputy State Archivist Lindsay Meidinger said. The diary ends before the battle.

“It’s a primary source of the historical event that not many other primary sources remain from that time period related to the Seventh Cavalry and Custer,” she said.

In other ways, Kellogg was much different from modern journalists. He carried a rifle into action, pointed out Barnard, author of a Kellogg biography and other books on the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

“During the last stages of the campaign, Kellogg was probably more of a soldier than he was a newspaper man,” said Barnard.

And Kellogg made no attempt to avoid not just bias but racism against Native Americans, whom he called “red devils.”

Others who have perished while reporting for AP in war zones include:

— Mariam Dagga, a freelance visual journalist who was killed in an Israeli strike on a hospital in the Gaza Strip last August;

— Anja Niedringhaus, a photographer shot by a police officer as she sat in her car in Afghanistan in 2014;

— Myles Tierney, a videojournalist killed while traveling in a convoy that came under fire in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in 1999;

— Joseph Morton, a war correspondent who was the only U.S. reporter known to have been executed by the Nazis following his capture alongside Slovakian partisans in 1944.

___

Associated Press corporate archivist Sarit Hand in New York and Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, contributed to this report.

Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon wrote in a letter Wednesday to U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that he had “credible information” that the Trump administration had a list of more than 500 migrant children it was targeting for a fast-track removal process and that the department was racing to act in days. He warned that the administration was abdicating “core humanitarian and child welfare mandates” and demanded an immediate halt to any plans to remove the children.

Wyden, who is the ranking member and senior Democrat of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Office of Refugee Resettlement, did not detail how he came by his information. His office declined to provide further details. The ORR, which oversees the care of unaccompanied migrant children, falls under the Department of Health and Human Services.

An HHS spokesperson denied any such plans.

“The new information I obtained leads me to believe that the Department is laying the groundwork for another lawless deportation effort, this time on a greater scale, across more countries of origin,” Wyden wrote.

“You have been entrusted with the care and safety of the children placed within the ORR network. Proceeding with this plan knowingly endangers their lives and violates your duty to these vulnerable children.”

Trump administration made a similar attempt in 2025

Wyden also issued an early warning last August ahead of what eventually became a chaotic weekend of efforts by the Trump administration to remove Guatemalan children in its care and send them home.

HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard said in “there are no plans to target these children,” calling Wyden's claims ”irresponsible fearmongering."

“The Trump Administration is working to identify the parents or legal guardians of unaccompanied alien children in our care because ensuring every child is placed with a properly vetted sponsor is our top priority,” she said.

Over the Labor Day weekend, dozens of migrant children either staying in government-supervised shelters or with foster families were taken from their homes and bused to airfields in Texas bound for Guatemala. A federal judge woken up in the middle of the night eventually stopped the planes. Lawyers for the children — many who had fled violence at home to come to the U.S. — later described how traumatic the middle-of-the-night removal effort was for them.

The administration insisted it was reuniting the Guatemalan children — at the Central American nation’s request — with parents or guardians who sought their return. Lawyers for at least some of the children said that wasn’t true and argued that in any event, authorities still would have to follow a legal process that they did not.

Some of the children in the plane last year were represented by the American Bar Association’s ProBar project. Lauren Fisher Flores, the legal director, said children that day were seen “crying, praying, vomiting” and some entered into a catatonic state. The effects were long-lasting.

“One child was hospitalized for several days due to nerves. For months, one young client refused to board buses for medical appointments or court hearings. All the rules and laws that exist to protect these children were unable to prevent them from experiencing something deeply traumatic," Fisher Flores added.

Congress established legal protections for migrant children

Migrant children traveling alone are usually entrusted to U.S. government care, and there are various legal protections designed to protect them once they’re in the U.S. and navigating the immigration system.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 is one of the key pieces of legislation designed to protect them. With some limited exceptions, it requires that children be placed in the “least restrictive setting possible,” which generally means that they can be released to a sponsor such as a relative in the U.S. while their immigration proceedings play out.

The children can apply for a specially protected status if they can’t return to their home country because of abuse or neglect and they can also apply for asylum.

The Trump administration has made it increasingly difficult for those children to be released to sponsors though. The administration says that they are doing due diligence to make sure that sponsors are thoroughly vetted and that in the past, children were released into dangerous situations.

But advocates say that the result has been children lingering for months in government shelters.

This time, Wyden said the children at risk of being removed come from various countries, potentially including Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Afghanistan, and have been in U.S. custody — mainly in foster care — for at least 180 days. He said they were described as not having any “viable sponsor" who could come forward and take care of them in the U.S.

Not having an identified sponsor could mean the child's parents are in their home countries, are deceased or are too afraid to claim their children after ICE started arresting some parents who are not in the country legally during their reunification efforts.

Allied tribes came together on that hot day in June 1876 near the banks of the Little Bighorn River in present-day Montana to hand the U.S. Army a rare defeat as they fought to preserve their way of life in the face of westward expansion. Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and more than 200 his troops were killed.

The quiet wind-swept prairie of rolling hills and grassy ridges is coming alive again this week as the battle will be reenacted. Horse riders from the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota and elsewhere are traveling hundreds of miles to the Crow Agency area in Montana to mark the occasion. A sunrise pipe ceremony was planned Thursday and families are being encouraged to share their oral histories. At the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in North Dakota, horse races and traditional songs and dances are planned.

Gathering at the battlefield area in Montana means “we’re still here,” said William Good Bird, a traditional singer from the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation in North Dakota who woke up the camp where hundreds of people were gathered from numerous tribes with a song and drumming.

“Today I am celebrating the victory of our people, celebrating my life as a human being and my spot on this earth,” he said.

Native warriors overpowered divided U.S. Army forces

The discovery of gold in the Black Hills in what is now South Dakota by a Custer expedition just years earlier spurred a military campaign against Great Plains tribes that aimed to push them onto reservations, or what were known then as agencies, said historian Dakota Goodhouse.

There were bigger, longer battles and other Native victories between March 1876 and June 1877, but Goodhouse said only the Battle of Greasy Grass — named by Native Americans for the slick grass along the river — gained national recognition because the commanding officer was killed.

At the time, the Lakota were one of the largest and most powerful tribal nations, with strong leaders in Sitting Bull and warriors like Crazy Horse. Native warriors quickly overwhelmed Custer's men as the U.S. forces were spread miles apart over the hilly area.

News of Custer's defeat stunned Americans, who were celebrating their country's centennial.

The federal government accelerated efforts to subdue resistance, bringing years of hardship and upheaval for Native Americans. Crazy Horse was killed in 1877, and starvation brought about the surrender of others in 1881.

Sitting Bull didn’t surrender as history books tell it, said Jon Eagle Sr., a former Standing Rock tribal historic preservation officer from the Hunkpapa band of the Oceti Sakowin.

“Our people say that he looked at his son Crow Foot and said, ‘My boy, if you live, you can never be a man in this world because you can never own a gun or a pony,’” Eagle said. “I think that he understood that things were going to change for his children, his grandchildren and those not yet born.”

Sitting Bull was killed with about a dozen other people when Indian agency police attempted to arrest him in 1890.

Custer is remembered as a polarizing figure

Biographer T.J. Stiles described Custer as one of the most distinguished combat officers in the Army at the end of the Civil War. But he said the “Boy General” with his long hair and flamboyant battlefield wardrobe often bristled at the chain of command and did not take to the management side of leadership.

“Custer was someone who whenever he got into the frying pan, he immediately started looking for the fire,” he said.

In 1873, Custer was assigned to lead the Seventh Cavalry at Fort Abraham Lincoln, near present-day Bismarck, North Dakota. From there, he led military expeditions, including one that confirmed the gold in the Black Hills, a sacred place to the Lakota.

Seen in the U.S. as a tragic hero and memorialized for his military feats, Custer could also be considered progressive even as the federal government sought to displace Native Americans and stamp out Native languages through boarding schools, Goodhouse said. He learned to speak Arikara and Lakota and became fluent in Plains Indian sign language.

Still, as many Americans are celebrating the 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, for many Native Americans it's not a reason to rejoice.

“It’s just a mark to me of 250 years of injustice to the Native people,” Crow tribal member and reenactment coordinator Jim Real Bird said.

Eagle agreed: “That’s one of the things that we always tell our people when we come together, is they failed at their attempts to rub us out. We’re still here as ancient people deeply connected to our environment.”

Commemoration keeps history alive for future generations

For more than 30 years, reenactments featuring hundreds of warriors have marked the anniversary near the battlefield. The choreography is based on Northern Cheyenne oral history and highlights horsemanship and language preservation.

“All the other things that are Native American don't mean nothing if you don't know your language,” said Real Bird.

Thousands of people are expected to camp out over the course of a few days. They will participate in prayer gatherings, relay races, horse rides and parades. The National Park Service also is holding anniversary events at the battlefield national monument.

At Standing Rock, Eagle said there are races to honor the horse nation that carried their ancestors to victory 150 years ago. The commemoration also includes oskáte, a traditional celebration of oral histories, victory songs and tribal dancing.

“It's just an opportunity for us to share with the generations coming behind us that they’re descendants of a very powerful nation and ancient people that are still here despite everything that was done to us,” said Eagle, whose great-great-grandfather, Sunka, fought that day. His father, Charging Thunder, also was there.

Goodhouse recalled stories his grandfather would tell him of their ancestors who were in the Hunkpapa camp when troops attacked. His grandfather’s great-grandfather, Striped Face, was shot but mounted his horse and joined the fight.

“There’s this kind of energy there that still lives on because we have this direct narrative that was handed down,” he said.

___

Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota.

The bank also announced Thursday that Marianne Lake, who had held several top positions in the company including chief financial officer and CEO of the consumer banking division, will retire at the end of the year. Lake was long thought to be a potential person to take over the company when Dimon retired.

The promotion of Petno and Rohrbaugh is a sign that JPMorgan’s board is also looking to its commercial and investment banking ranks as it develops the next generation of leadership, even as Rohrbaugh will now move over to run the bank’s giant consumer business. Petno and Rohrbaugh both ascended JPMorgan’s ranks through the company’s investment bank but worked on different sides of the house: much of Petno’s experience has been working with clients and doing advisory work, including natural resources investment banking, while Rohrbaugh came up through the bank’s trading desks, with a background in foreign-exchange derivatives and options trading.

“The changes announced today mark an important step in our Board’s thoughtful process around succession planning and development of our top leaders,” Dimon said in a statement.

There are two other potential successors, both women, who remain on JPMorgan’s operating committee, the group of top management at the bank who report to Dimon. Jennifer Piepszak, 55, is JPMorgan’s chief operating officer, while Mary Erdoes, 58, runs its asset and wealth management division. The bank disclosed Thursday that Piepszak and Erdoes each received $20 million equity-based retention awards, underscoring that the board is trying to preserve a broad bench of senior leaders as it plans for Dimon’s eventual succession.

But even with those retention bonuses for Piepszak and Erdoes, analysts noted that promotion of Petno and Rohrbaugh is a signal that the board is leaning toward them.

“Given that Lake has been viewed as a front-runner, her retirement reshapes the succession field for Jamie Dimon’s CEO role, while elevating Petno and Rohrbaugh into president-level roles that have historically served as the springboard for the CEO job,” said analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods in a note to investors after the announcement.

Further, the retention bonuses mean that the person who takes over for Dimon will have a full slate of senior executives to help them with the transition, analysts said.

Wall Street loves to speculate who will succeed Dimon, who is 70 years old and has been CEO since 2006. Dimon has had several health scares over his 20 years running the bank, including a throat cancer diagnosis in 2014 and emergency heart surgery in 2020. Still, Dimon has repeatedly said he enjoys being chairman and CEO, and has emphasized that JPMorgan’s board of directors will decide the timing of Dimon’s replacement.

Whoever replaces Dimon will inherit one of the most prominent roles on Wall Street and, more broadly, in Corporate America. Dimon is among the last of the generation of Wall Street CEOs who steered their firms through the 2008 financial crisis and is widely seen as the banking industry's elder statesman.

Before joining JPMorgan Chase in 2004, Dimon’s career was rooted more in consumer finance than trading and investment banking. He held leadership roles at American Express, Citigroup and Bank One. JPMorgan Chase acquired Bank One in 2004 in a deal to expand its consumer banking and credit card businesses. Bank One’s credit card division was considered a strategic asset in that deal.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the move hadn't been announced.

The Cubs placed Ben Brown and Edward Cabrera on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday, adding to their injury woes in their rotation. Brown has a neck strain, and Cabrera is sidelined with a left hamstring strain.

Jameson Taillon, Cade Horton and Justin Steele also are on the IL. Matthew Boyd is set to come off the injured list and start in Brown’s spot in Thursday's series finale against the Mets.

New York received minor league slugger infielder Cole Mathis in the trade. The 22-year-old Mathis, a second-round pick in the 2024 amateur draft, is batting .272 with 10 homers and 39 RBIs in 39 games over two stops this year.

The 30-year-old Peterson is 3-6 with a 6.09 ERA in eight starts and eight relief appearances this year. He is eligible for free agency after this season.

___

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

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Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, a Group E match, is at 4 p.m.

Ecuador vs. Germany, a Group E match, is at 4 p.m.

Tunisia vs. Netherlands, a Group F match, is at 7 p.m.

Japan vs. Sweden, a Group F match, is at 7 p.m.

Turkey vs. United States, a Group D match, is at 10 p.m.

Paraguay vs. Australia, a Group D match, is at 10 p.m.

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

Related list: Track teams advancing to Round of 32

TOURNAMENT’S SCHEDULE

Group stage continues

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

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

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

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

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

Round of 32 begins

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Round of 16 begins

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quarterfinals begin

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

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

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

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

Semifinals begin

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

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

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

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

Finals begin

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related stories

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

Track the groups

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

El partido entre Curazao y Costa de Marfil, correspondiente al Grupo E , se jugará a las 16:00.

Ecuador contra Alemania, partido del Grupo E , se juega a las 4 pm.

El partido Túnez contra Países Bajos, correspondiente al Grupo F , se jugará a las 19:00.

El partido entre Japón y Suecia, correspondiente al Grupo F , se jugará a las 19:00.

El partido entre Turquía y Estados Unidos, correspondiente al Grupo D , se jugará a las 22:00.

Paraguay contra Australia, partido del Grupo D , se juega a las 22:00.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre de 15:00 a 01:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Lista relacionada: Equipos de atletismo que avanzan a la ronda de 32

CALENDARIO DEL TORNEO

La fase de grupos continúa

26 de junio : Seis partidos: Grupo I , Noruega vs. Francia, partido a las 15:00 h. Grupo I , Senegal vs. Irak, partido a las 15:00 h. Grupo H , Cabo Verde vs. Arabia Saudita, partido a las 20:00 h. Grupo H , Uruguay vs. España, partido a las 20:00 h. Grupo G , Nueva Zelanda vs. Bélgica, partido a las 23:00 h. Grupo G , Egipto vs. Irán, partido a las 23:00 h.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 14:00 a 23:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

27 de junio : Seis partidos: Grupo L , Panamá vs. Inglaterra, partido a las 17:00 h. Grupo L , Croacia vs. Ghana, partido a las 17:00 h. Grupo K , Colombia vs. Portugal, partido a las 19:30 h. Grupo K , Congo vs. Uzbekistán, partido a las 19:30 h. Grupo J , Argelia vs. Austria, partido a las 22:00 h. Grupo J , Jordania vs. Argentina, partido a las 22:00 h.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 16:00 a 01:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Fiesta para ver el partido al amanecer : El Amerant Bank Arena, un recinto cubierto, organiza una fiesta gratuita para quienes tengan entrada a las 19:30 h del 27 de junio. El estacionamiento es gratuito. El condado de Broward ofrece transporte gratuito en autobús exprés desde el estadio hasta el Miami Stadium, también conocido como Hard Rock, en Miami Gardens, para los poseedores de entradas para la Copa Mundial de la FIFA.

Comienza la ronda de 32.

28 de junio : Hay un partido a las 15:00.

Fiesta para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 13:00 a 22:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

29 de junio : Hay tres partidos a la 1 pm, 4:30 pm y 9 pm.

Fiestas para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre sus puertas desde el mediodía hasta la medianoche en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

30 de junio : Hay tres partidos a la 1 pm, a las 5 pm y a las 9 pm.

Fiestas para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre sus puertas desde el mediodía hasta la medianoche en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

1 de julio : Hay tres partidos a las 12:00, a las 16:00 y a las 21:00.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre de 11:00 a 23:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

2 de julio : Hay tres partidos a las 15:00, 19:00 y 23:00.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 14:00 a 22:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

3 de julio : Hay tres partidos a las 14:00, 18:00 y 21:30.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 13:00 a 21:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Comienza la ronda de octavos de final.

4 de julio: Hay dos partidos a la 1 pm y a las 5 pm.

Fiestas para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre sus puertas desde el mediodía hasta la medianoche en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

5 de julio : Hay dos partidos a las 16:00 y a las 20:00.

Fiestas para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre sus puertas el último día de 15:00 a 23:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

6 de julio : Hay dos partidos a las 15:00 y a las 20:00.

7 de julio : Hay dos partidos a las 12:00 y a las 16:00.

Comienzan los cuartos de final

9 de julio : Hay un partido de cuartos de final a las 16:00.

10 de julio : Hay un partido de cuartos de final a las 15:00.

11 de julio : Hay dos partidos de cuartos de final a las 17:00 y a las 21:00.

Fiesta para ver el partido al amanecer : El Amerant Bank Arena, un recinto cubierto, organiza una fiesta gratuita para quienes tengan entrada a las 17:00 horas del 11 de julio. El aparcamiento es gratuito.

Comienzan las semifinales

14 de julio : El festival de aficionados ha finalizado. Hay un partido de semifinales a las 15:00.

Fiesta para ver el partido en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a las 3 pm el 14 de julio en The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para el partido de semifinales.

15 de julio : Hay un partido de semifinales a las 15:00.

Fiesta para ver el partido en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a las 3 pm del 15 de julio en The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para el partido de semifinales.

Comienzan las finales

18 de julio : El partido por el tercer puesto se jugará a las 17:00.

Fiesta para ver la final en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a las 3 pm del 18 de julio en The Sandbowl, detrás de The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para la final de bronce de las 5 pm.

Viaje al amanecer al estadio : El Amerant Bank Arena ofrece estacionamiento gratuito para los poseedores de entradas para la Copa Mundial de la FIFA que utilicen el servicio de autobús exprés gratuito del condado de Broward para llegar al Miami Stadium, también conocido como Hard Rock, en Miami Gardens.

19 de julio : El partido final es a las 15:00.

Fiesta para ver la final en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a la 1 pm del 19 de julio en The Sandbowl, detrás de The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para la final que comienza a las 3 pm.

Fiesta para ver el partido al amanecer : El Amerant Bank Arena, un recinto cubierto, organiza una fiesta gratuita para ver la final el 19 de julio para los poseedores de entradas . El estacionamiento es gratuito.

Historias relacionadas

• Información clave para los aficionados que asistan a los partidos en el Estadio de Miami.
• Un guardia de seguridad fue acusado de robar un uniforme de árbitro de la FIFA de un hotel en Miami Beach.

Rastrea los grupos

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

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An Avianca spokesperson said the move will provide the airline with additional space to accommodate increased flight activity at FLL and streamline operations for travelers flying between Fort Lauderdale and destinations across Latin America.

The airline confirmed in a news release that its first flight departing from Terminal 4 will be a service to Bogotá, Colombia, on Monday.

Airport officials said the terminal change is expected to improve passenger flow and efficiency, particularly for international travelers, while providing convenient access to U.S. Customs and Border Protection services.

“Moving to Terminal 4 gives us the space and operational flexibility needed to support our growth at FLL, improve passenger flows and better serve travelers connecting between South Florida, Latin America and the rest of our network,” the airline wrote in a statement.

The transition is being coordinated with Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the Broward County Aviation Department.

Avianca said it will also update signage, booking systems and passenger information platforms to reflect the terminal change.

Un portavoz de Avianca dijo que el cambio proporcionará a la aerolínea espacio adicional para acomodar el aumento de la actividad de vuelos en FLL y agilizar las operaciones para los viajeros que vuelan entre Fort Lauderdale y destinos en toda América Latina.

La aerolínea confirmó en un comunicado que su primer vuelo saliendo desde la Terminal 4 será un servicio a Bogotá, Colombia, el lunes.

Funcionarios del aeropuerto dijeron que se espera que el cambio de terminal mejore el flujo de pasajeros y la eficiencia, particularmente para los viajeros internacionales, al tiempo que proporciona acceso conveniente a los servicios de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EE.UU.

“Trasladarnos a la Terminal 4 nos da el espacio y la flexibilidad operativa necesarios para apoyar nuestro crecimiento en FLL, mejorar el flujo de pasajeros y servir mejor a los viajeros que conectan entre el sur de Florida, América Latina y el resto de nuestra red”, escribió la aerolínea en un comunicado.

La transición está siendo coordinada con el Aeropuerto Internacional Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood y el Departamento de Aviación del condado Broward.

Avianca dijo que también actualizará la señalización, los sistemas de reservas y las plataformas de información para pasajeros para reflejar el cambio de terminal.

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According to a complaint affidavit from the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Criminal Investigations Division obtained by Local 10 News on Thursday, the suspects were identified as 59-year-old Phillip Salvatore Nunzio Jr. and 56-year-old Christine Ann Nunzio, of Hollywood.

Jail records show both face more than 20 charges, including racketeering, money laundering, insurance fraud and criminal use of personal identification information.

According to the affidavit, investigators determined that from at least 2017 through 2023, the couple engaged in a “recurring scheme to fraudulently obtain life insurance proceeds by falsifying employment records, insurance enrollment documents, beneficiary designations, and claim forms.”

The affidavit states that the fraudulent submissions were made primarily through group life insurance policies issued by Mutual of Omaha and Lincoln Financial Group.

Investigators said Christine Nunzio used business entities under her control, including C&C Construction and Design Group Inc., to create the appearance of legitimate employment relationships in order to enroll non-consenting individuals in group life insurance plans.

Authorities said Christine Nunzio named either herself or her husband as the beneficiary of the policies and directed claim proceeds into accounts she controlled.

According to the affidavit, following the death of an individual whose name was redacted, a life insurance claim was submitted and paid in the amount of $100,284.93. Investigators said the funds were deposited into a joint account controlled by the Nunzios.

Authorities also identified additional life insurance claims totaling $110,000 and $63,700 that were deposited into accounts controlled by the couple and followed by what investigators described as “extensive rapid fund transfers.”

“A forensic examination of Christina Nunzio’s work laptop revealed life insurance claim forms, payroll spreadsheets, job descriptions, and correspondence directly related to the fraudulent claims,” the affidavit states.

The affidavit further states that deleted files and email attachments confirmed Christine Nunzio’s active role in preparing and submitting claim documentation.

Investigators said financial records also demonstrated prior knowledge of financial distress, including loan defaults exceeding $145,000.

As of Thursday, both Phillip and Christine Nunzio were being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail.

Según una declaración jurada de denuncia de la División de Investigaciones Criminales del Departamento de Servicios Financieros de Florida obtenida por Local 10 News el jueves, los sospechosos fueron identificados como Phillip Salvatore Nunzio Jr., de 59 años, y Christine Ann Nunzio, de 56, de Hollywood.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que ambos enfrentan más de 20 cargos, incluyendo crimen organizado, lavado de dinero, fraude de seguros y uso criminal de información de identificación personal.

Según la declaración jurada, los investigadores determinaron que desde al menos 2017 hasta 2023, la pareja participó en un “esquema recurrente para obtener de manera fraudulenta beneficios de seguros de vida mediante la falsificación de registros de empleo, documentos de inscripción de seguros, designaciones de beneficiarios y formularios de reclamación”.

La declaración jurada indica que las presentaciones fraudulentas se realizaron principalmente a través de pólizas de seguro de vida grupales emitidas por Mutual of Omaha y Lincoln Financial Group.

Los investigadores dijeron que Christine Nunzio utilizó entidades comerciales bajo su control, incluyendo C&C Construction and Design Group Inc., para crear la apariencia de relaciones laborales legítimas con el fin de inscribir a personas sin su consentimiento en planes de seguro de vida grupales.

Las autoridades dijeron que Christine Nunzio nombró como beneficiario ya sea a ella misma o a su esposo y dirigió los pagos de las reclamaciones a cuentas bajo su control.

Según la declaración jurada, tras la muerte de una persona cuyo nombre fue redactado, se presentó y pagó una reclamación de seguro de vida por $100,284.93 USD. Los investigadores dijeron que los fondos fueron depositados en una cuenta conjunta controlada por los Nunzio.

Las autoridades también identificaron reclamaciones adicionales de seguros de vida por un total de $110,000 USD y $63,700 USD que fueron depositadas en cuentas controladas por la pareja y seguidas de lo que los investigadores describieron como “transferencias rápidas extensas de fondos”.

“Un examen forense de la computadora portátil de trabajo de Christina Nunzio reveló formularios de reclamación de seguros de vida, hojas de cálculo de nómina, descripciones de trabajo y correspondencia directamente relacionada con las reclamaciones fraudulentas”, indica la declaración jurada.

La declaración jurada también señala que archivos eliminados y adjuntos de correo electrónico confirmaron el papel activo de Christine Nunzio en la preparación y presentación de la documentación de reclamaciones.

Los investigadores dijeron que los registros financieros también demostraron conocimiento previo de dificultades financieras, incluyendo incumplimientos de préstamos que superaban los $145,000 USD.

Hasta el jueves, tanto Phillip como Christine Nunzio permanecían detenidos sin derecho a fianza en la cárcel principal del condado Broward.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, sided with a coalition of nearly two dozen states that challenged the Republican president's order in granting a summary judgment. Her ruling applies to this year's midterm election cycle.

Plaintiffs argued in two lawsuits, both filed in federal court in Boston, that Trump’s order should be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. The judge agreed, saying in her ruling that the provisions of Trump's order seeking to create a federal list of eligible voters and using the U.S. Postal Service to determine who can receive a mail ballot are “legally void” because they "unconstitutionally violate the separation of powers.”

It was the second ruling in as many days against executive orders Trump has signed seeking oversight of the nation's elections. A separate ruling Wednesday prohibited an executive order he had signed last year that would have required people to show documents proving their citizenship when registering to vote.

Order targeted mail voting, administration likely to appeal

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, whose state was among the plaintiffs, celebrated the court’s decision.

“Millions of independents, Republicans and Democrats across Arizona have voted by mail for decades,” she said in a statement, noting that nearly 80% of ballots in the state are cast by that method.

Mayes, a Democrat, singled out military families, voters in the state’s rural expanses and Native Americans who cast ballots from tribal lands.

“Donald Trump’s executive order targeted all of these voters,” she said. “But today, the courts affirmed what the Constitution makes clear: States run their elections, not the President.”

The White House stood by Trump's executive order and indicated the administration would appeal the ruling. The order, said spokeswoman Abigail Jackson, “lawfully protects our elections, and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail in its implementation.”

The administration, in its motions to dismiss the lawsuits challenging the order, argued that the motions were premature and that plaintiffs lacked the legal basis to bring their claim based on the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations.

But in an interim order before Thursday's ruling, Talwani said the motions pertaining to this year’s election cycle were relevant: “In light of the EO’s specific deadlines over the next three months, and the reality that elections will be occurring throughout this period with the November 3, 2026 midterm occurring in just five months, postponing judicial review is impracticable and may inflict significant hardship on Plaintiffs,” she wrote. That order denied the Trump administration's motion to dismiss the challenges.

Executive order sought to give Postal Service a central role in elections

Trump’s executive order, the second one aimed at elections during his second term, comes as he continues to raise the specter of widespread voting by noncitizens as a reason to change election rules. But states already have detailed processes aimed at keeping their voter rolls accurate, and voting by noncitizens has been shown to be rare. It also is a felony that can be punishable by deportation.

Trump issued his second order in March after a bill he supported to overhaul voting stalled in Congress. The order would have had the federal government — through the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration — create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters. It then directed the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to those on the list.

Election officials argued that it was ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

The Postal Service has published a proposed rule required by Trump’s executive order in the Federal Register. Among other things, the rule would not apply to primary elections or overseas ballots.

Postal Service workers have pushed back against the order, saying they are not equipped to determine who is eligible to vote in each state. After Trump issued his order last spring, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association said forcing its members into such a role “risks politicizing one of the nation’s most trusted public institutions.”

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat whose state was among the plaintiffs, said the executive order illustrated how Trump was attempting to “abuse power in previously unthinkable ways” to interfere in elections.

She said it “strains credulity” to think the U.S. Postal Service could set up a workable system for pre-screening individual voters to determine whether they would be allowed to vote by mail, adding that it would be “a shocking violation of American constitutional rights.”

The Postal Service did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment.

Trump's second election executive order faces multiple legal challenges

The lawsuit seeking summary judgment was filed by Democratic attorneys general representing 22 states and the District of Columbia. Also signing on were attorneys representing Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, which has a Republican attorney general.

The states also told the court that the move imposes a costly burden on election officials to comply and would spread fear about the possibility of prosecution. Stephen Pezzi, a lawyer for the Trump administration, had argued that no one would be prosecuted for violating the order.

The other lawsuit filed in Talwani’s court was by the League of Women Voters and other voting rights groups, which have sought a preliminary injunction against the executive order.

In yet another lawsuit filed against the executive order, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., in May agreed with the Trump administration that it was too early to block the order because it had yet to be implemented. That lawsuit was brought by Democratic and civil rights groups, which have appealed.

Since his 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, Trump has groundlessly claimed mail voting is rife with fraud and has launched a federal investigation into that year’s vote, even though repeated audits and investigations, including ones run by Republicans, found it was free of widespread fraud. Trump also has said he wants to “take over” election administration in Democratic areas.

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Barrow reported from Atlanta and Hanna from Topeka, Kansas.

The name that put action sports on the map, then turned it into big business that eventually landed in the Olympics with its risk-taking, counterculture vibe, will debut its multimillion-dollar reboot with nothing less than the future of one of the sports industry's best-recognized brands at stake.

Sports like snowboarding, skateboarding and BMX biking that were founded on a spirit of devil-may-care individuality are becoming team enterprises.

Those same sports that were founded on the idea that it was more about hanging out and doing cool stuff than medals, money and winning are now building franchises that organizers say are selling as part of eight-figure transactions.

The debut of the new team concept, scheduled to cover both the upcoming summer and winter seasons, is set for Friday in Sacramento, California. Among the headliners are skateboarding's Nyjah Huston, Garrett Reynolds and Chloe Covell.

Eileen Gu, Chloe Kim, Mark McMorris and Scotty James are among those signed up for the winter portion.

“I love working on big ideas, and this is a big idea,” said Jeremy Bloom, the Olympic freestyle skier and former NFL receiver who was hired by MSP Sports Capital shortly after they bought a majority stake in the X Games from ESPN in 2022. “But ideas are only worth the word on the page. The execution of ideas is always the hardest part.”

Did the X Games really need a reboot?

What was wrong with the X Games? Nothing, really.

The winter version, traditionally held in Aspen, Colorado, drew 50,000 fans this year and ratings on ESPN and ABC rose 48%.

But when MSP — which has stakes in F1, and Premier League soccer teams among its investments — bought the property in 2022, it had a bigger vision.

It wanted to build a season-long race for a title. The way to do that was by creating summer and winter teams that hold drafts. Both seasons will run over three events — for instance, the summer league will go to Tokyo and New Orleans after the debut in Sacramento; the final event takes place late next month.

Earlier this year, the investment group UNA Sports Group bought the summer and winter teams based in New York for what the X Games said was an eight-figure transaction. Private equity investor Allen Thorpe bought the summer team in Los Angeles and the winter team based in Park City, Utah, the home of the 2034 Olympics. On Thursday, private equity group Summit Ventures and entrepreneur Ali El Ali bought the team based in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Thorpe called the new version of the X Games “an entirely new category of sports ownership.”

Bloom sees owning a franchise not as a revenue stream but rather, a growth opportunity.

“When you set aside the NFL, which is really the 2,000-pound gorilla, it's not really a world where you're looking for, like, (cash-flow) return or profit-sharing return,” Bloom said. “You're just looking at growth. Growth in a brand, growth in fans, growth of viewership.”

Sports leagues have potential for growth (WNBA) but also carry risk (LIV)

A best-case scenario for owners of these X Games teams might be to replicate what happened in the WNBA where, for instance, the Indiana Fever is worth an estimated five times its former value since the arrival of Caitlin Clark.

F1 teams, thanks to spending caps and a surge in popularity driven by the Netflix series “Drive to Survive,” have also enjoyed a surge in value.

There are also the lessons learned from LIV Golf.

The league always hoped its franchises would generate value and was trying to sell minority stakes in the teams, saying they were worth $300 million. The team concept hasn't caught on and the pullout of the Saudi investment fund backing the league is putting the worth of those teams at risk.

Will fans follow sports beyond X Games, Olympics?

While golf still resides in the category of a niche sport, its schedule has a familiar cadence and the tug between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf largely was a difference in vision among some players who were rich and others who were richer.

Action sports has less of that. For every athlete like Huston or Gu — whose sponsorship income dwarfs what they've collected in prize money over the years — there are dozens more who have to scratch out paychecks in sports that have struggled to generate big prize pools.

“Skateboarding, depending on what your deals are, you can make some money,” said Bob Burnquist, a 14-time X Games skateboard champ who is the general manager of the Sao Paulo team. “But there were several times throughout your career, where I was there for glory and I did it and I knew it. Because if you quantify the risk, it's not really on my side. If I won the event, I'd make ‘X,’ but if I got broken trying to win the event, I'd owe the hospital.”

One of the lures for the athletes was a guaranteed base salary, the likes of which is basically unheard of in actions sports. Also, travel expenses will be covered and they'll receive a health-care stipend, in addition to a prize-money pool. That's among the reasons some of the biggest names, including Kim, Gu, Huston, James and McMorris signed on.

Now, the question is whether enough people will buy into the team concept to the point where they're willing to watch an entire season of action sports unfold.

Bloom — a once-in-a-generation athlete and entrepreneur who made his mark both in individual and team sports — is staking his reputation and that of the X Games that the new idea will work.

“It's still special to win a world championship and World Cup overall titles and make it to the Olympics, there’s no doubt,” Bloom said. “But I was really drawn to this idea and notion that for the first time ever, action sports athletes could feel that camaraderie.”

___

AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Along with doubling the number of Community Center branches, the bank plans to hire an additional 150 employees, known as community managers, and provide additional programming at these locations.

The Community Center program focuses on Chase opening branches in low- and moderate-income communities, particularly in areas where residents may be underbanked or unbanked. Chase opened its first Community Center in Harlem in 2019 as an experiment and the program’s success led to 19 locations in operation across the country. Jamie Dimon, the bank’s CEO, has historically attended the grand opening of nearly all the Community Centers, and their openings are typically attended by local government officials and other dignitaries.

“We are doubling down on our efforts to expand access,” said Diedra Porché, head of Chase's community and business development division.

These Community Centers are still Chase branches, but they include open areas where financial educators, local nonprofit organizations and other groups can provide financial workshops to neighborhood residents. The programs and workshops are free to the public. The bank says the locally-hired community managers who run the centers are directed not to sell products, and attendees are not required to be Chase customers or interested in Chase products.

The centers are focused on financial education, ranging from teaching a person how to build a household budget to workshops for small business owners. The bank estimates it has hosted 14,000 of these workshops since the first community center opened, with more than 1 million attendees. Chase has set a goal of increasing the programming to reach 5 million attendees.

Banks by law are required to provide services to low-income communities under the Community Reinvestment Act. But how banks provide these services can be in several different forms. While Chase does charitable giving through the JPMorgan Chase Foundation, Dimon has said in the past that he believes the bank can have a greater impact in low-income communities by opening branches in those neighborhoods, creating jobs and providing financing in underserved areas.

“We try to meet people where they are, and then give them the tools and resources they might need to take their next step successfully,” Porché said.

The program is also generally good business for the bank. While there are no salespeople involved in the actual programming, the opening of a community center branch in an underserved neighborhood tends to result in new accounts being opened and new customers for the bank. Chase has issued reports in the past that show its community centers lead to higher account openings, often far more account openings than what other branches in the area provide.

How do we know this? Researchers tickled 13 captive apes — including gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos — and recorded the results. The new research reexamined those decades-old recordings and compared them with the newly captured giggles of four young children while they were being tickled and playing at home.

It turns out that the chuckles of humans and great apes follow similar rhythms, with regular timing between their laughs, a uniting thread that likely reflects their ties to a common ancestor, researchers said.

“In a way, we are very similar to other great apes because we’ve been laughing in a similar way for 15 million years,” said study author Chiara De Gregorio, a primatologist at the University of Warwick in England.

Laughter communicates a playful, happy feeling without using words. Many animals can laugh too, but the giggles don’t follow human patterns as closely. When researchers tickle rats, for example, they respond with ultrasonic squeaks.

Scientists trying to uncover how laughter evolved have picked apart animals’ facial expressions, but less work has been done on how laughs sound. And compared with apes, human laughter has become faster and more complex. For one, our laughs sound different based on context — from a polite chuckle among colleagues to a full-bodied guffaw with close friends.

“We are like the masters of laughter, I would say,” said De Gregorio, whose findings were published Thursday in the journal Communications Biology.

These giggles evolved to best suit animals’ different social lives, said Brittany Florkiewicz, who studies animal communication at Lyon College and had no role in the new research. She said the study’s findings make sense, and point to a need for more investigation.

Florkiewicz said she’d like to hear comparable recordings of other animals with playful facial expressions, like dogs, horses and cats. That could tell us more about how laughter evolved, so we can “understand what makes us uniquely human, but also what is similar between humans and other animals.”

Studying the origins of laughter may seem corny, but it's one aspect of human communication that can help us understand others — including how we learned to speak. Because sounds don't fossilize, scientists are using the evidence we do have to trace things back, one chuckle at a time.

___

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.

Bosnia and Herzegovina (64) advanced in third place, and Qatar (51) was eliminated from the tournament.

Related story: Track teams advancing to Round of 32

Coverage of group-stage matches

JUNE 24: DAY 4

• Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Qatar 3-1
• Switzerland beat Canada 2-1

JUNE 18: DAY 3

Canada gets 3 more points

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

Switzerland gets 3 more points

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

JUNE 13: DAY 2

Qatar and Switzerland each get 1 point

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

JUNE 12: DAY 1

Canada and Bosnia each get 1 point

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

Track the groups

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

South Korea (22) and the Czech Republic (41) were eliminated from the tournament.

Related story: Track teams advancing to Round of 32

Coverage of the group-stage matches

JUNE 24: DAY 3

• Mexico beats Czech Republic 3-0 to win all 3 World Cup group-stage matches for 1st time

• South Africa reaches World Cup knockout round for 1st time with 1-0 win over South Korea

JUNE 18: DAY 2

Mexico gets 3 more points

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

South Africa and Czech Republic each get 1 point

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

JUNE 11: DAY 1

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

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

South Korea wins 2-1 against Czech Republic

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

Track the groups

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

The single direct-knockout matches to advance into the World Cup’s Round of 16 are from June 28 to July 3. Here is the list of the qualifying teams:

The team’s without a status so far

• France (Group I)
• Norway (Group I)
• Colombia (Group K)

There will be 12 group winners. There are six so far.

• Mexico (Group A )
• Switzerland (Group B)
• Brazil (Group C)
• United States (Group D)
• Germany (Group E)
• Argentina (Group J)

There will be 12 group runner-up teams. There are three so far.

• South Africa (Group A )
• Canada (Group B)
• Morocco (Group C)

There will be eight third-place teams. There is one so far.

• Bosnia and Herzegovina (Group B)

Tournament’s schedule

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Round of 16 begins

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quarterfinals begin

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

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

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

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

Semifinals begin

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

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

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

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

Finals begin

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

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

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

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

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

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

Track group-stage

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

The movie mogul still stands convicted of another sexual felony in New York and others in California, and he remains behind bars. But the New York rape charge had remained unresolved after an overturned conviction followed by two hung juries.

Jessica Mann, a hairstylist and actor, spent days on the witness stand at all three trials, telling jurors that Weinstein raped her in a Manhattan hotel in 2013 and being questioned extensively about the complex relationship she had with him before and afterward. The Oscar-winning producer denied the charge and said everything that happened between him and Mann was consensual.

In a letter that prosecutor Nicole Blumberg quoted in court Thursday, Mann said she could “no longer endure going through this,” adding that the 8-year-old case has “put me through more harm than good.”

Blumberg told the court that prosecutors believe Mann and hail her “bravery, strength, courage and inspiration” to other survivors, but given her feelings about proceeding, “dismissal is appropriate.” With that, Judge Curtis Farber formally dismissed the case.

Weinstein left court with a neutral expression, returning to jail to await a September sentencing on a New York sexual assault conviction involving a different woman. Prosecutors are seeking a 20-year prison term.

Once Weinstein finishes whatever punishment he gets in New York, he's due to serve 16 years in California, where he was convicted of raping a third woman, who's an Italian actor. He is appealing both convictions.

Weinstein's lawyers said he was was relieved by the dismissal of the case surrounding Mann's allegation.

“These charges should never have been brought to begin with,” lawyer Jacob Kaplan said outside court. “He is innocent.”

Mann has testified that she had a consensual, on-and-off relationship with Weinstein, who was married at the time.

But she told jurors she repeatedly tried to leave and said no to any sexual activity as he cornered her in a hotel room on March 18, 2013. They had planned to meet in the lobby for breakfast, but he had spontaneously taken a room.

She said he persevered, demanding that she undress and grabbing her arms, until she was afraid to keep protesting.

The latest trial, this spring, took a visible toll on Mann, 40. During five days of testimony, she was questioned for the first time about a diarylike, soul-baring note she wrote two days after the alleged rape, which the note did not mention. At one point during her testimony, Mann said she was struggling to focus, prompting court to wrap up early for the day.

In her letter to the court Thursday, she said she had suffered a concussion shortly before her testimony, had headaches and other symptoms on the stand and ultimately “disassociated.” It was a humiliating addition to an already crushing experience, she wrote.

“I have been fragmented, silenced, defamed and traumatized. I’ve paid the price of my reputation,” Mann wrote. Slamming the court, the media and Weinstein, she said her experience showed that "pursuing justice is better left a pipe dream.”

Weinstein was one of the movie industry’s most powerful figures, a producer of such tastemakers and hits as “Shakespeare in Love,” “Pulp Fiction” and “Chocolat.”

Then a series of sexual misconduct allegations against him became public in 2017, fueling the #MeToo campaign for accountability and eventually leading to criminal charges in New York and Los Angeles.

He denied all of them and was acquitted of some, even as he was convicted of others.

During a series of trials, Weinstein was convicted in 2020 of raping Mann. Then an appeals court overturned that verdict for reasons unrelated to her testimony. Jury deliberations broke down at a 2025 retrial, and jurors deadlocked again at this year's retrial.

The rape charge in this case was a low-level felony punishable by up to four years in prison — less time than Weinstein, 74, already has served.

Weinstein didn’t testify at any of the trials, though he complained during and after the 2025 New York retrial that it was unfair; the judge disagreed.

His lawyers have maintained that all his accusers had completely consensual sexual liaisons with a movie studio boss who could help them go places in show business. Weinstein himself has said he “acted wrongly, but I never assaulted anyone.”

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, unless they choose to be named, as Mann has done.

La samba no ahogó las gaitas, ya que el Ejército Tartán y sus faldas escocesas de lana invadieron el Hard Rock Stadium en Miami Gardens.

Las puertas del estadio se abrieron a las 3 de la tarde. Los aficionados habían llegado temprano para pasar por un control de seguridad, varias colas, largas caminatas, un viaje en autobús y la revisión de las entradas.

La demanda de entradas fue alta. Los precios de reventa iniciales oscilaron entre 1600 y 1855 dólares. Posteriormente, el precio promedio de las entradas se situó entre 3500 y 5445 dólares. Los asientos premium alcanzaron los 25 800 dólares.

Noticia relacionada : Un oráculo jaguar negro en Río de Janeiro presiente que Brasil vencerá a Escocia en el desafío del Grupo C.

Tras los partidos del Grupo C que comenzarán a las 18:00, los dos equipos con más puntos avanzarán a la siguiente fase del torneo: los dieciseisavos de final .

Brasil llega con cuatro puntos y Escocia con tres. Independientemente del ganador del miércoles por la noche en Miami, ambos podrían clasificarse. Haití disputará su último partido del Mundial contra Marruecos en Atlanta, Georgia.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 14:00 a 21:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Fiesta para ver el partido en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a las 4 pm del 24 de junio en The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para el partido entre Escocia y Brasil que comienza a las 6 pm.

Noticia relacionada : Ronaldinho dice “que empiece la magia” tras fichar por el Ravenna, club italiano de la Serie C, a los 46 años.

Progreso del Grupo C

19 DE JUNIO: DÍA 2

Brasil consigue 3 puntos

• Análisis del partido : Matheus Cunha anota 2 goles y Brasil elimina a Haití del Mundial con una victoria por 3-0.

Marruecos consigue 3 puntos.

• Cobertura previa al partido : Los aficionados escoceses han llegado a Boston para la Copa del Mundo y los bares están teniendo dificultades para dar abasto.

13 DE JUNIO: DÍA 1

Brasil y Marruecos obtienen 1 punto cada uno.

• Análisis del partido: Brasil remonta para lograr un empate 1-1 contra Marruecos en su debut en el Mundial gracias al gol de Vinícius Júnior.
• Vídeo del partido de la FIFA : Ismael Saibari de Marruecos anota.
• Vídeo del juego FIFA : ¡Un especial de Vinicius Jr.!

Escocia consigue 3 puntos tras jugar contra Haití.

• Análisis del partido : Escocia celebra su 28.º aniversario de ausencia en la Copa del Mundo con una victoria por 1-0 sobre Haití en el Grupo C.
• Vídeo del partido de FIFA : John McGinn de Escocia anota.
• Historia previa al partido : El tan esperado regreso de Haití a la Copa del Mundo conlleva un desafío formidable.

Calendario del torneo

25 de junio : Seis partidos: Grupo E , Curazao vs. Costa de Marfil, partido a las 16:00 h. Grupo E , Ecuador vs. Alemania, partido a las 16:00 h. Grupo F , Túnez vs. Países Bajos, partido a las 19:00 h. Grupo F , Japón vs. Suecia, partido a las 19:00 h. Grupo D , Turquía vs. Estados Unidos, partido a las 22:00 h. Grupo D , Paraguay vs. Australia, partido a las 22:00 h.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre de 15:00 a 01:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

26 de junio : Hay seis partidos: Grupo I , Noruega vs. Francia, partido a las 15:00 h. Grupo I , Senegal vs. Irak, partido a las 15:00 h. Grupo H , Cabo Verde vs. Arabia Saudita, partido a las 20:00 h. Grupo H , Uruguay vs. España, partido a las 20:00 h. Grupo G , Nueva Zelanda vs. Bélgica, partido a las 23:00 h. Grupo G , Egipto vs. Irán, partido a las 23:00 h.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 14:00 a 23:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

27 de junio : Seis partidos: Grupo L , Panamá vs. Inglaterra, partido a las 17:00 h. Grupo L , Croacia vs. Ghana, partido a las 17:00 h. Grupo K , Colombia vs. Portugal, partido a las 19:30 h. Grupo K , Congo vs. Uzbekistán, partido a las 19:30 h. Grupo J , Argelia vs. Austria, partido a las 22:00 h. Grupo J , Jordania vs. Argentina, partido a las 22:00 h.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 16:00 a 01:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Fiesta para ver el partido al amanecer : El Amerant Bank Arena, un recinto cubierto, organiza una fiesta gratuita para quienes tengan entrada a las 19:30 h del 27 de junio. El estacionamiento es gratuito. El condado de Broward ofrece transporte gratuito en autobús exprés desde el estadio hasta el Miami Stadium, también conocido como Hard Rock, en Miami Gardens, para los poseedores de entradas para la Copa Mundial de la FIFA.

Comienza la ronda de 32.

28 de junio : Hay un partido a las 15:00.

Fiesta para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 13:00 a 22:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

29 de junio : Hay tres partidos a la 1 pm, 4:30 pm y 9 pm.

Fiestas para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre sus puertas desde el mediodía hasta la medianoche en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

30 de junio : Hay tres partidos a la 1 pm, a las 5 pm y a las 9 pm.

Fiestas para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre sus puertas desde el mediodía hasta la medianoche en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

1 de julio : Hay tres partidos a las 12:00, a las 16:00 y a las 21:00.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre de 11:00 a 23:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

2 de julio : Hay tres partidos a las 15:00, 19:00 y 23:00.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 14:00 a 22:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

3 de julio : Hay tres partidos a las 14:00, 18:00 y 21:30.

Eventos para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans se celebra de 13:00 a 21:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Comienza la ronda de octavos de final.

4 de julio: Hay dos partidos a la 1 pm y a las 5 pm.

Fiestas para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre sus puertas desde el mediodía hasta la medianoche en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

5 de julio : Hay dos partidos a las 16:00 y a las 20:00.

Fiestas para ver el partido en Miami : El festival para fans abre sus puertas el último día de 15:00 a 23:00 en Bayfront Park, en 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

6 de julio : Hay dos partidos a las 15:00 y a las 20:00.

7 de julio : Hay dos partidos a las 12:00 y a las 16:00.

Comienzan los cuartos de final

9 de julio : Hay un partido de cuartos de final a las 16:00.

10 de julio : Hay un partido de cuartos de final a las 15:00.

11 de julio : Hay dos partidos de cuartos de final a las 17:00 y a las 21:00.

Fiesta para ver el partido al amanecer : El Amerant Bank Arena, un recinto cubierto, organiza una fiesta gratuita para quienes tengan entrada a las 17:00 horas del 11 de julio. El aparcamiento es gratuito.

Comienzan las semifinales

14 de julio : El festival de aficionados ha finalizado. Hay un partido de semifinales a las 15:00.

Fiesta para ver el partido en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a las 3 pm el 14 de julio en The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para el partido de semifinales.

15 de julio : Hay un partido de semifinales a las 15:00.

Fiesta para ver el partido en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a las 3 pm del 15 de julio en The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para el partido de semifinales.

Comienzan las finales

18 de julio : El partido por el tercer puesto se jugará a las 17:00.

Fiesta para ver la final en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a las 3 pm del 18 de julio en The Sandbowl, detrás de The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para la final de bronce de las 5 pm.

Viaje al amanecer al estadio : El Amerant Bank Arena ofrece estacionamiento gratuito para los poseedores de entradas para la Copa Mundial de la FIFA que utilicen el servicio de autobús exprés gratuito del condado de Broward para llegar al Miami Stadium, también conocido como Hard Rock, en Miami Gardens.

19 de julio : El partido final es a las 15:00.

Fiesta para ver la final en Miami Beach: Las puertas se abren a la 1 pm del 19 de julio en The Sandbowl, detrás de The Bandshell, en 7275 Collins Ave., para la final que comienza a las 3 pm.

Fiesta para ver el partido al amanecer : El Amerant Bank Arena, un recinto cubierto, organiza una fiesta gratuita para ver la final el 19 de julio para los poseedores de entradas . El estacionamiento es gratuito.

Historias relacionadas

• Información clave para los aficionados que asistan a los partidos en el Estadio de Miami.
• Un guardia de seguridad fue acusado de robar un uniforme de árbitro de la FIFA de un hotel en Miami Beach.

Rastrea los grupos

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

Wednesday evening’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.

Venezuelan officials were trying to make the most of the daylight hours to speed up efforts to rescue people believed to remain trapped under the rubble.

Here are some of the reactions from world leaders to the earthquakes in Venezuela.

US State Secretary Marco Rubio

“The United States extends our deepest condolences to the people of Venezuela following the devastating earthquakes,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the social platform X.

“America stands with the Venezuelan people during this difficult time and at the direction of President Trump, the State Department is immediately deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources, and humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.”

French President Emmanuel Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron took to social platform X to express France's solidarity with the Venezuelan people and said that a team of 85 French rescue workers specializing in search and clearance operations is “being deployed immediately” to Venezuela.

“France stands ready, alongside its European partners, to provide assistance to the affected populations in response to the needs identified by the Venezuelan authorities,” he wrote.

Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said that a team of military rescue workers, along with medical personnel, will depart for Venezuela on Thursday. She did not say how many people would be traveling.

“We will determine tomorrow exactly what additional personnel are needed to continue helping the communities that need it,” the Mexican president said.

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil expressed his country's “determination" to support the government of Venezuela in its recovery efforts.

Lula said on X that he had instructed Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assess the situation in Venezuela “and to evaluate what assistance measures Brazil might adopt.”

"I reaffirm our determination to support the government of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez in the recovery of affected areas in this sister nation, whose people have demonstrated great resilience in the face of adversity," he wrote.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun

“China has taken note of the reports concerning Venezuela. We extend our sincere condolences to the Venezuelan government and the affected people,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Thursday in a news conference.

He added that “China is willing to provide assistance to Venezuela to the best of its ability, according to Venezuela's needs."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez

“All the support from me and Spain to the Venezuelan people after the devastating earthquakes of last night," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on Instagram. “Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.”

Colombia’s President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella

“I stand in full solidarity with the brotherly people of Venezuela following the devastating earthquake. Colombia stands with you during this difficult time with affection, respect, and hope. My prayers are with the victims and their families. God will provide,” Colombian President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella wrote on X.

Torrey Holston y Jose Romero fueron declarados culpables en mayo por la muerte del hombre de 39 años.

En octubre de 2019, el cuerpo de Randazzo fue encontrado cerca del Southern Seas Resort en Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Su iPhone, sus zapatillas, su billetera y sus llaves fueron robados después de que recibió un disparo en la parte posterior de la cabeza.

Aunque ambos hombres fueron declarados culpables de asesinato, no fueron declarados culpables de poseer un arma ni de disparar un arma de fuego.

“Creo que el jurado fue claro y unánime sobre la participación de ambos. Quizás no pudo determinar más allá de una duda razonable quién fue el verdadero autor del disparo”, dijo el juez Michael A. Usan.

El abogado de Romero, Jim Lewis, dijo a Local 10 en mayo que se está considerando una apelación y afirmó que juzgar a ambos hombres juntos fue un “perjuicio”.

“Siempre habíamos pedido ser juzgados por separado. Nunca se alegó que Jose Romero llevara un arma en este incidente. Sí se alegó del coacusado, por lo que hasta cierto punto pagamos el precio”, dijo Lewis.

Los fiscales no estaban solicitando la pena de muerte en el caso, pero ambos hombres enfrentaban sentencias obligatorias de cadena perpetua.

The 6-3 decision overturns lower court orders and allows the Department of Homeland Security to swiftly end temporary protected status, a program that protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries.

It marked another victory at the high court for Republican President Donald Trump's sweeping crackdown on immigration. Though the conservative-dominated court has put the brakes on some of Trump’s immigration policies, it handed him a second win Thursday in a decision clearing the way for the revival of a policy restricting immigrants seeking asylum.

The court’s conservative majority found that immigration authorities have sole authority over the program, and the law doesn't allow judges to intervene.

The majority opinion from Justice Samuel Alito also brushed aside arguments that derogatory comments from Trump about Haitians showed the decision was unlawfully tinged by prejudice. He called the statements “insufficient to show that the termination of Haiti’s TPS designation was based on the race of the Haitian people.”

Justice Elena Kagan forcefully disagreed, calling Trump's comments “so repellent and racially inflected that the majority declines to put them in print.” She pointed out that Trump had said Haitians in the U.S. “probably have AIDS,” and he also amplified false rumors during the 2024 campaign that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were abducting and eating dogs and cats.

Lawyers said Haitian immigrants would be in serious danger if they are sent back. “Simply put, the Supreme Court’s ruling will directly result in thousands of innocent people dying violent, needless deaths,” Geoff Pipoly and Andy Tauber said.

They urged the Senate to approve an extension of deportation protections for Haitians that passed the House on a rare bipartisan vote in April.

“Families are here, kids are going to school, parents are going into work, folks are trying to commute, and it’s like the Supreme Court just put all those activities on stop and put folks in limbo,” said Viles Dorsainvil, who runs a support center for Haitians in Springfield, Ohio.

Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, called the ruling “a devastating betrayal of Haitian families who have lived, worked, and contributed to this country for years — only to be cast out based on anti-Black immigration sentiment.”

Haitians with TPS are also a key part of the workforce in long-term care facilities. “This would be a dreadful loss for all seniors in our community,” said Rita Siebenaler, a resident at Goodwin Living, a senior living community in Virginia.

The Justice Department appealed to the Supreme Court after judges postponed the end of the program for about 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians. The high court sided with the administration before and allowed the end of the program for people from Venezuela.

Federal authorities deny that prejudice played a role. They also cited a Supreme Court decision from Trump’s first term that rejected bias claims based on his social media posts and upheld a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries.

James Percival, DHS general counsel, applauded Thursday's ruling. He said the program had, in many cases, become “de facto amnesty. This is a win for the rule of law and common sense.”

Since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, Homeland Security has ended the protections, including some that had been in place for more than a decade, for people from 13 countries.

The terminations were made even though countries such as Haiti and Syria remain dangerous, immigration lawyers said. Four Haitian women who were deported from the United States in February were later found beheaded and dumped in a river several months later, lawyers said in court documents.

The United States first granted protections to Haitians in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and extended them multiple times amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.

Syrians were first granted protected status in 2012, during a civil war that lasted for more than a decade before the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government in late 2024.

“Today, many of our community members, they feel lost,” Farrah AlKhorfan of Immigrants Act Now said about Syrian immigrants losing TPS protections. “They are trying to understand … what this decision means for them and how it will be implemented and how much time they will have to prepare for what comes next.”

The program was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters, civil strife and other instability. It allows people already in the country to stay with work permits in increments of up to 18 months, but it does not provide a path to citizenship.

___

Associated Press writer Tim Sullivan in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

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Haitians, who have been struggling with gang violence, had a reason to celebrate. Coach Sébastien Migné, a former player, made it happen.

In South Florida, Haitian Americans had a rallying cry, “Grenadye, alaso!” for “Warriors, advance!” Lenny Joseph and Wilson Isidor listened.

On Wednesday, during the 10th minute of a definitive match against Morocco, Joseph, 25, became Haiti’s first FIFA World Cup 2026 scorer.

Haiti had not scored a FIFA World Cup goal since the legendary Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff couldn’t stop Emmanuel Sanon from scoring in 1974 in Munich.

At the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou also could not stop Joseph’s swift back-heeled flick at the near post.

Isidor, 25, made FIFA World Cup history with a goal from outside the box at the 43rd minute. The forward’s powerful shot flew into the top corner.

Jean-Kévin Duverne, a defender, delivered the two assists: A low cross pass to Joseph and a short pass to Isidor just outside the penalty area.

Morocco won 4-2, and Brazil won 3-0 against Scotland in Miami Gardens. Both advanced in Group C to the tournament’s Round of 32.

Although the road was over for Haiti after the June 19 match against Brazil, the stadium in Atlanta was full of Haitian fans. The team had also gained new fans from other countries.

In Colombia, the owner and employees of Saeta, a company that sponsored the Haitian players’ jerseys, were grateful. They had never displayed their brand at a FIFA World Cup before.

THE RISING STARS

Joseph and Isidor, who were both born in France, are both of Haitian descent.

Joseph was born in Paris. His father, Djimon Joseph, is of Haitian descent, and his mother is from Congo. He plays for the Hungarian club of Ferencváros.

Isidor was born in Rennes. His father is also from Haiti, and his mother is French. He plays for the English Premier League’s Sunderland A.F.C.

Duverne, who is of Haitian descent, was also born in Paris. He plays as a right-back for Belgian Pro League club Gent while on loan from French club Nantes.

More on the FIFA World Cup

• FIFA video: Haiti goalkeeper Johny Placide
• FIFA video: Haiti trains before match with Morocco
• FIFA video: Match preview: Haiti vs. Morocco
• FIFA video: Haiti trains before match with Brazil
• How Brazil advanced to Round of 32 after 3-0 victory against Scotland
• Over 65,000 Brazilian and Scottish FIFA World Cup fans celebrate love of soccer at Miami Stadium
• About 30,000 FIFA World Cup fans join big Miami Bayfront Park watch party
• Dedicated World Cup fans arrive early to the Miami Stadium
• One and Only Exclusive: Feds allow behind-the-scenes look at Miami Stadium security during FIFA World Cup

Los haitianos, que han estado lidiando con la violencia de las pandillas, tenían un motivo para celebrar. El entrenador Sébastien Migné , un exjugador, lo hizo posible.

En el sur de Florida, los haitianos-estadounidenses tenían un grito de guerra, “Grenadye, alaso!”, que significa “¡Guerreros, avancen!”. Lenny Joseph y Wilson Isidor escucharon.

El miércoles, en el minuto 10 de un partido decisivo contra Marruecos, Joseph, de 25 años, se convirtió en el primer goleador de Haití en la Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026.

Haití no había marcado un gol en una Copa Mundial de la FIFA desde que el legendario portero italiano Dino Zoff no pudo evitar que Emmanuel Sanón anotara en 1974 en Múnich.

En el Mercedes-Benz Stadium de Atlanta, el portero marroquí Yassine Bounou tampoco pudo detener el rápido taconazo de Joseph en el primer palo.

Isidor, de 25 años, hizo historia en la Copa Mundial de la FIFA con un gol desde fuera del área en el minuto 43. El potente disparo del delantero se coló por la escuadra.

Jean-Kévin Duverne, defensa, dio las dos asistencias: un pase raso cruzado a Joseph y un pase corto a Isidor justo fuera del área de penalti.

Marruecos ganó 4-2 y Brasil venció 3-0 a Escocia en Miami Gardens . Ambos avanzaron en el Grupo C a los dieciseisavos de final del torneo .

Aunque la trayectoria de Haití había terminado tras el partido del 19 de junio contra Brasil , el estadio de Atlanta estaba repleto de aficionados haitianos. El equipo también había ganado nuevos seguidores de otros países.

En Colombia, el propietario y los empleados de Saeta , empresa que patrocinaba las camisetas de los jugadores haitianos, se mostraron agradecidos. Nunca antes habían exhibido su marca en una Copa Mundial de la FIFA.

LAS ESTRELLAS ASCENDENTES

Joseph e Isidor, ambos nacidos en Francia, son de ascendencia haitiana.

Joseph nació en París. Su padre, Djimon Joseph, es de ascendencia haitiana, y su madre es del Congo. Juega en el club húngaro Ferencváros.

Isidor nació en Rennes. Su padre también es de Haití y su madre es francesa. Juega en el Sunderland AFC de la Premier League inglesa.

Duverne, de ascendencia haitiana, también nació en París. Juega como lateral derecho en el Gent, club de la Primera División belga, mientras está cedido por el Nantes francés.

Más información sobre la Copa Mundial de la FIFA

• Vídeo de la FIFA: El portero de Haití, Johny Placide
• Vídeo de la FIFA: Haití entrena antes del partido contra Marruecos.
• Vídeo de la FIFA: Previa del partido: Haití vs. Marruecos
• Vídeo de la FIFA: Haití entrena antes del partido contra Brasil.
• Cómo Brasil avanzó a los dieciseisavos de final tras su victoria por 3-0 contra Escocia.
• Más de 65.000 aficionados brasileños y escoceses de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA celebran su pasión por el fútbol en el Estadio de Miami.
• Cerca de 30.000 aficionados al Mundial de la FIFA se unieron a la gran fiesta para ver el partido en Miami Bayfront Park.
• Los aficionados más fieles al Mundial llegan temprano al estadio de Miami.
• Exclusiva única : Las autoridades federales permiten un vistazo entre bastidores a la seguridad del estadio de Miami durante la Copa Mundial de la FIFA.

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According to an arrest report from the Medley Police Department, Michael Turro-Cabrera, 43, of Pembroke Pines, was arrested Tuesday on charges of grand theft of cargo under $50,000 and organized fraud.

His co-defendant, Yasmany Aguiar-Gonzalez, 39, remains at large.

According to police, the Apple products were stolen on Nov. 28 and Nov. 29, 2025, while the items were supposed to be in the care of Turro-Cabrera, who at the time was a driver for FedEx Freight.

Police said FedEx Freight formally reported the thefts on Dec. 18, 2025, after Apple confirmed shortages totaling $22,507.28 on Nov. 28 and $8,658.20 on Nov. 29.

FedEx Freight confirmed that Turro-Cabrera was fired on Dec. 18, 2025, for “policy violations,” including unexplained extended stops and “timeclock manipulation” that was discovered during an internal review, the arrest report stated.

According to the report, surveillance video from Nov. 28 shows Turro-Cabrera making an unauthorized stop in a Pinecrest alleyway in his assigned FedEx Freight truck before a gray Dodge pickup truck arrived and backed up directly to the rear of the truck “in a manner consistent with a back-to-back cargo transfer.”

Police said the video “strongly suggests” that items were moved from the FedEx Freight trailer into the pickup truck before a white male drove away in the pickup truck.

According to the report, a phone records check revealed that Turro-Cabrera placed a call to Aguiar-Gonzalez at the exact time he arrived in the Pinecrest alleyway.

Police said FedEx Freight personnel reviewed the footage and identified the driver of the pickup truck as Aguiar-Gonzalez, who they said was a former driver of theirs who had also been terminated after working for the company for eight years.

“FedEx Freight does not tolerate illegal activity within our network,” a company spokesperson told Local 10 News in a statement after Turro-Cabrera’s arrest. “The security of our customers’ shipments is a top priority, and we fully cooperate with law enforcement on investigations. This individual is no longer employed by the company.”

Anyone with information about Aguiar-Gonzalez’s whereabouts is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Según un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Medley, Michael Turro-Cabrera, de 43 años y residente de Pembroke Pines, fue arrestado el martes por cargos de hurto mayor de carga menor a $50,000 USD y fraude organizado.

Su coacusado, Yasmany Aguiar-Gonzalez, de 39 años, permanece prófugo.

Según la policía, los productos Apple fueron robados el 28 y 29 de noviembre de 2025, mientras los artículos debían estar bajo el cuidado de Turro-Cabrera, quien en ese momento era conductor de FedEx Freight.

La policía dijo que FedEx Freight reportó formalmente los robos el 18 de diciembre de 2025, después de que Apple confirmó faltantes por un total de $22,507.28 y $8,658.20 el 29 de noviembre.

FedEx Freight confirmó que Turro-Cabrera fue despedido el 18 de diciembre de 2025 por “violaciones de política”, incluyendo paradas prolongadas sin explicación y “manipulación del reloj laboral” que fue descubierta durante una revisión interna, indica el informe de arresto.

Según el informe, un video de vigilancia del 28 de noviembre muestra a Turro-Cabrera realizando una parada no autorizada en un callejón de Pinecrest con su camión asignado de FedEx Freight antes de que una camioneta pickup Dodge gris llegara y retrocediera directamente hasta la parte trasera del camión “de una manera consistente con una transferencia de carga de parte trasera a parte trasera”.

La policía dijo que el video “sugiere fuertemente” que los artículos fueron movidos desde el remolque de FedEx Freight hacia la camioneta pickup antes de que un hombre blanco se marchara conduciendo la pickup.

Según el informe, un análisis de registros telefónicos reveló que Turro-Cabrera realizó una llamada a Aguiar-Gonzalez exactamente en el momento en que llegó al callejón de Pinecrest.

La policía dijo que el personal de FedEx Freight revisó las imágenes e identificó al conductor de la pickup como Aguiar-Gonzalez, quien, según indicaron, era un ex conductor de la compañía que también fue despedido tras trabajar para la empresa durante ocho años.

“FedEx Freight no tolera actividad ilegal dentro de nuestra red”, dijo un portavoz de la compañía a Local 10 News en un comunicado tras el arresto de Turro-Cabrera. “La seguridad de los envíos de nuestros clientes es una prioridad principal, y cooperamos plenamente con las autoridades en las investigaciones. Este individuo ya no trabaja para la compañía”.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el paradero de Aguiar-Gonzalez debe llamar a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

Según la policía de Fort Lauderdale, el choque con fuga fue reportado alrededor de las 6:40 a.m. en la cuadra 2000 de Southeast 17th Street.

La policía dijo que la ciclista fue atropellada por un vehículo de color oscuro en los carriles en dirección este antes de que el conductor huyera de la escena.

La víctima fue trasladada al Broward Health Medical Center, donde murió, confirmaron las autoridades.

Investigadores de Homicidios de Tráfico se encuentran actualmente en la escena y los carriles en dirección este de Southeast 17th Street estarán cerrados durante la investigación, dijo la policía.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el choque o la identidad del conductor debe llamar a la policía de Fort Lauderdale o a Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477. Los llamantes pueden permanecer anónimos.

The justices, in a 6-3 decision, overturned a lower court order blocking the practice that limited the number of people who could apply for asylum each day, first under the Obama administration and then expanded during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Advocates said the tactic created a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people settled in unsafe makeshift shelters to await their turn. The Trump administration said it was necessary to deal with an increase of asylum seekers at the border.

The policy is not in place now, though authorities have imposed other restrictions on asylum seekers. The Department of Homeland Security did not say if it plans to revive it, but applauded the ruling. “This decision opens up an important tool to continue securing our southern border,” said James Percival, the agency's general counsel.

The administration argued that metering is a critical tool that’s been used by presidents of both parties and should stay available. Federal attorneys say people turned away at the border could come back later, though lines were thousands of people long when the policy was in place before.

The case is one of several immigration suits the court is considering this term, including Trump’s push to restrict birthright citizenship. The high court also allowed his administration to end deportation for migrants fleeing instability and armed conflict on Thursday.

Under federal law, migrants who arrive in the U.S. must be able to apply for asylum and be screened for fear of persecution in their home countries.

The Justice Department argued that people stopped by authorities haven’t arrived in the country, so immigration agents don’t have to let them apply.

The court's conservative majority agreed. “A guest does not arrive in a house when he knocks on the front door,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote.

But attorneys for people seeking asylum say the law has long meant anyone arriving at a port of entry should be screened, and blocking arrivals disregards the nation’s ideals.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissented from the bench, saying that the majority’s opinion “regrettably and tragically extinguishes the light of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.”

The decision could also give people a “perverse incentive” to enter the country illegally if they can't count on being able to legally apply for asylum at a port of entry, she said, a concern that Alito's opinion said was overblown.

In an unusual exchange, Alito voiced a response after she finished speaking. He expressed surprise that she had read her dissent out loud and defended his opinion by pointing out that the policy had been used during two presidential administrations. “I won’t add anything more to that,” Alito said.

Metering was first used under President Barack Obama when large numbers of Haitians appeared at the main crossing to San Diego from Tijuana, Mexico. It was expanded to all border crossings from Mexico during Trump’s first term in the White House.

It ended in 2020 when the government introduced greater restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, and President Joe Biden formally rescinded it in 2021.

The same year, a California-based federal judge found that metering violated the asylum seekers' rights and the law requiring screening. A divided appeals court panel affirmed the ruling but nearly half of judges on the full San Francisco-based court voted to rehear it, a strong signal that might have caught the attention of the Supreme Court.

Attorneys with the group Democracy Forward first brought the case, and condemned Thursday's ruling. “We are disappointed in the Court’s decision and call on all Americans to demand that our government protect the families the Court today decided to keep in harm’s way,” said President and CEO Skye Perryman.

They represented the group Al Otro Lado, whose executive director said the decision would mean a “hardening of borders to keep out the most vulnerable" that is "sure to result in many more lives lost.”

U.S. law allows people seeking refuge to apply for asylum once they are on American soil, regardless of whether they came legally. To qualify for asylum, they must show a fear of persecution in their homeland for specific reasons, like race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion.

People who are eventually granted asylum can’t be deported. They can legally work, bring in immediate family, apply for legal residency and seek citizenship.

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Associated Press writers Fatima Hussein and Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.

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For now, our computer models aren’t particularly bullish on tropical development odds, with Google’s DeepMind’s newest 1,000-member ensemble system showing only about a 10 percent chance of development from off the southeast U.S. to the northern Gulf for the latter part of next week.

Though the odds are low, it’s worth monitoring the trends, as waters are especially warm in the subtropical Atlantic east of Florida – at record to near-record warmth for the time of year – and wind shear will be less of a deterrent than in the main tropical belt where the subtropical jet will be slicing and dicing through would-be storms.

Additionally, if anything were to develop, it would be closer to land and likely steered back in the direction of the U.S. for the July 4^th holiday weekend.

For now, it’s not anything to worry about, but something we’ll want to check back on in the coming days and into next week.

Otherwise, as we’ve discussed in newsletters this week, the Atlantic will stay closed for business, with no development expected through the end of the month.

Por ahora, nuestros modelos informáticos no son particularmente optimistas sobre las probabilidades de desarrollo tropical, ya que el sistema de conjunto más reciente de DeepMind de Google, compuesto por 1000 miembros, muestra solo alrededor de un 10 por ciento de probabilidad de desarrollo desde la costa sureste de EE. UU. hasta el norte del Golfo para la última parte de la próxima semana.

Aunque las probabilidades son bajas, vale la pena monitorear las tendencias, ya que las aguas están especialmente cálidas en el Atlántico subtropical al este de Florida (con temperaturas récord o casi récord para esta época del año) y la cizalladura del viento será un factor disuasorio menor que en el cinturón tropical principal, donde la corriente en chorro subtropical estará cortando y desgarrando las posibles tormentas.

Además, si se desarrollara algún proyecto, estaría más cerca de tierra firme y probablemente se dirigiría de nuevo hacia Estados Unidos para el fin de semana festivo del 4 de ^julio .

Por ahora, no hay nada de qué preocuparse, pero es algo que revisaremos en los próximos días y la semana que viene.

De lo contrario, como ya hemos comentado en los boletines informativos de esta semana, el Atlantic permanecerá cerrado al público y no se prevén novedades hasta finales de mes.

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According to Fort Lauderdale police, the hit-and-run crash was reported at about 6:40 a.m. in the 2000 block of Southeast 17th Street.

Police said the bicyclist was struck by a dark-colored vehicle in the eastbound lanes before the driver fled the scene.

The victim was transported to Broward Health Medical Center, where she died, authorities confirmed.

Traffic Homicide investigators are currently at the scene and the eastbound lanes of Southeast 17th Street will be shut down during the investigation, police said.

Anyone with information about the crash or driver’s identity is asked to call Fort Lauderdale police or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477. Callers may remain anonymous.

JUNE 24: DAY 3

Brazil advanced with a 3-0 victory over Scotland at the Miami Stadium, and Morocco advanced with a 4-2 victory over Haiti.

• Vinícius Júnior scores 2 goals as Brazil beats Scotland 3-0 to reach World Cup knockout stage

• Haitian pride: Lenny Joseph and Wilson Isidor make FIFA World Cup history

JUNE 19: DAY 2

Brazil gets 3 points

• Game analysis: Matheus Cunha scores 2 goals as Brazil eliminates Haiti from World Cup with 3-0 win

Morocco gets 3 points

• Pre-game coverage: Scotland fans have descended on Boston for the World Cup, and bars are struggling to keep up

JUNE 13: DAY 1

Brazil and Morocco each get 1 point

• Game analysis: Brazil rallies for 1-1 draw against Morocco in its World Cup opener behind Vinícius Júnior’s goal
• FIFA game video: Morocco’s Ismael Saibari scores
• FIFA game video: A Vinicius Jr. special!

Scotland gets 3 points after playing against Haiti

• Game analysis: Scotland marks 28-year World Cup absence with 1-0 victory over Haiti in Group C
• FIFA game video: Scotland’s John McGinn scores
• Pre-game story: Haiti’s long-awaited World Cup return comes with formidable challenge

Track the groups

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

The high court's 6-3 decision means people can carry guns onto privately owned property like shopping malls and gas stations, unless the owners specifically say guns are banned at their establishments. It comes shortly after the court found that marijuana users can't be completely banned from owning firearms.

It's a win for President Donald Trump's Republican administration, which argued the law violates the Second Amendment. The measure was sometimes referred to as a “vampire rule" because it required people with guns to get permission to enter, according to vampire lore, bloodsuckers need an invitation to enter a home.

Hawaii argued that the 2023 measure ensured private owners could decide whether they wanted firearms on their property. The state passed the law as thousands more people got legal permission to carry guns in the wake of a 2022 Supreme Court ruling that found the Second Amendment gives most people the right to have guns in public.

About four other states have enacted similar laws, though presumptive restrictions for guns on private property open to the public have also been blocked elsewhere.

Hawaii also restricts guns in places like parks, beaches and restaurants that serve alcohol, but those rules weren't before the court. They are being challenged in lower courts, however.

The suit before the Supreme Court was filed by a gun rights group, the Hawaii Firearms Coalition, and three people from Maui. A judge originally blocked the measure, but an appeals court allowed it to be enforced. Trump's Republican administration backed the Supreme Court appeal.

The Second Amendment Foundation applauded the ruling. “This law was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to disarm peaceable citizens, and we’re grateful the Supreme Court saw through the ruse," said Alan Gottlieb, its founder and executive vice president.

The Hawaii Department of the Attorney General said they are disappointed, but will “continue to pursue common-sense regulation of firearms, consistent with the Second Amendment, for the safety of our people.”

The gun-control group Everytown Law pointed out that business owners can still post signs forbidding firearms on their properties. “The Supreme Court may have changed the default rule, but it cannot take away a private property owner’s authority over their own land," said Janet Carter, managing director of Second Amendment Litigation.

The two Second Amendment decisions this term are the latest in a series of gun cases that have come before the Supreme Court in the wake of its 2022 ruling, which led to a flood of challenges to firearm restrictions across the country. The justices have since struck down a ban on bump stocks, gun accessories that enable rapid firing, but upheld a federal gun law intended to protect domestic violence victims as well as strict regulations on firearms known as ghost guns, which are nearly impossible to trace.

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

Thapelo Maseko scored in the 63rd minute off a precise cross from Tshepang Moremi and South Africa finished in second place in Group A behind Mexico, which won all three of its group-stage games.

South Africa will take on Canada, the second-place finisher in Group B, in a knockout game Sunday at Inglewood, California.

Maseko had five total shots in the match and leads South Africa with eight shots in the tournament.

When Maseko was asked what he would tell his younger self about his accomplishment, the Mamelodi Sundowns forward said: “The one thing I would say is ‘keep dreaming.’”

South Africa had opened its World Cup with a 2-0 loss to Mexico before using a late goal to earn a 1-1 draw with Czech Republic. It entered its final group-stage needing to defeat South Korea in order to advance. Bafana Bafana had failed to advance from the group stage in 1998, 2002 and as host in 2010.

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos described the faith he had in his team despite the difficult start to the tournament.

“The mentality in this group is amazing,” Broos said. “Everybody is working for everybody. We are not afraid of other teams.”

Sphephelo Sithole, who received a red card in the opening game against Mexico, also earned a start and helped South Africa keep a clean sheet.

“In the first two, three days, it wasn’t easy,” Sithole said. “I needed to pick myself up. I’m very proud of myself because I did.”

Maseko, who plays for South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, missed two big chances early in the match before scoring the winner.

The 22-year-old received the ball from a cross on the right side of the box — cut inside — and struck the ball low with his left foot through a defender’s legs and into the bottom corner.

South Africa’s bench players ran across the sideline to celebrate with Maseko for his first World Cup goal.

When the final whistle was blown, the bench stormed the field and the players embraced each other.

“(The final whistle) for me was a rush of emotions not only because we won the game, but also because it will probably be one of the last games of my career,” the 74-year-old Broos said. “When you can end a career in this way, I think every coach dreams of it.”

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo raised some eyebrows when he decided not to start Son Heung-min, and instead bring him in as a substitute. He said that he preferred to bring Son onto the field when the South African defenders were lower on energy.

“If I knew the result beforehand, I probably would have made some different choices.” Hong said. “On the world stage like this, the responsibility is ultimately down to the head coach.”

South Korea opened this World Cup with a 2-1 come-from-behind win over Czech Republic and lost to Mexico 1-0 in its second game. The Taegeuk Warriors could still advance in the tournament, pending the results of other games this week.

South Korea became the first Asian team to reach the knockout round in 2002, when it finished fourth overall. The Taegeuk Warriors also advanced out of the group stage in 2010 and 2022, both times reaching the round of 16.

___

Maya Koluder-Ramirez is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.

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

Mateo Chávez and Julián Quiñones scored in a six-minute span early in the second half, and Mexico beat the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday to complete wins in all three of its World Cup group-stage matches for the first time.

The 22-year-old Chávez, in his first World Cup, opened the scoring in the 55th minute and Quiñones scored his second goal of the tournament in the 61st. Alvaro Fidalgo added a goal in stoppage time.

“It was something very beautiful, and I’ll take it with me to the grave,” Chávez said of his goal. “I imagined it many times; I dreamed of this.”

Mexico’s previous best group-stage performance was two wins and one draw, done in 1986 and 2002 and both featuring Javier Aguirre, the first as a midfielder and the second as El Tri’s coach. Aguirre is back as coach this year, his third stint leading the national team.

After topping Group A, Mexico will play again at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday in a round-of-32 match against an opponent to be determined.

“Now comes the knockout stage; statistics and data don’t matter. We’re achieving things, but what lies ahead is what counts,” Aguirre said. “Neither the players nor I dwell on what we’ve just done; we’re thinking about what’s next.”

Mexico is undefeated at nine World Cup matches at the massive stadium, which was packed with 80,824 fans on Wednesday. El Tri has only two losses at Azteca, most recently in World Cup qualifying against Honduras on Sept. 6, 2013.

The match Wednesday included nods to Mexico’s past and future. Gilberto Mora, at 17, became the youngest Mexico player to start in a World Cup. And 40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa entered in the 77th minute, joining Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the only players to appear in six World Cups.

Mora said “it’s like a dream come true after everything I’ve worked for.”

“Now we have tough opponents ahead,” he added. “We’re going to keep working to stay on this path. We want to keep advancing because the Mexican national team can become champion.”

Mexico’s triumph was marred, however, by the return of a homophobic chant by fans that has previously led to fines and other sanctions against its soccer federation. The chant, a one-word slur, was heard near the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick.

The Czech Republic was eliminated, finishing with one point in three games.

Mexico is unbeaten in 11 games dating to a friendly loss against Panama last November. And Aguirre has made the most of his roster, using 25 of 26 players in the tournament. Chávez was one of five starters Wednesday who didn’t start in the previous win over South Korea.

“Twenty-five of the 26 have played — that is no small detail — nor is it a small detail that everyone celebrates the goals,” Aguirre said.

Ochoa makes history in his likely farewell

Ochoa, who wears No. 13, played the last 13 minutes in regulation, plus stoppage time, in what’s likely to be his last appearance for Mexico. He turns 41 on July 13 and plans to retire from international competition after the World Cup.

“Life — football — had this farewell in store for me, to cap it all off perfectly. For my part, I’ve left it all out there; I gave everything,” Ochoa said. “I leave with nothing left because I poured it all into my teams and the national squad.”

He was a substitute in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments and started for Mexico in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

“I felt Memo had to play (but) for how long? I never knew until I said, ‘This is the moment,’” Aguirre said. “These are coaching decisions, but it was a night for Mexico to honor its legend, Memo.”

Raúl Rangel is the starter this year, stepping in for the injured Luis Ángel Malagón, who helped Mexico win the CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup last year. Malagón’s injury opened the door for Ochoa’s return.

Ochoa became the oldest Mexican to play in the World Cup. The previous record holder was Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who was 37 when he played in South Africa in 2014.

After the match, the veteran goalkeeper kissed the goal post before kneeling down and was hugged by the rest of the squad.

“Regarding Memo’s appearance, we don’t know if he’s going to say goodbye or not, but it was a nice tribute for his six World Cups,” added Aguirre. “He is a legend — he is Mexican.” ___

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

The case came before the justices after a tidal wave of litigation that included some multibillion-dollar verdicts against Bayer, a Germany-based agrochemical manufacturer that acquired Roundup’s original producer, Monsanto, in 2018.

The decision is a victory for President Donald Trump's administration, which argued in support of Bayer. But it provoked outrage from allies in the “ Make America Healthy Again” movement who want to rein in pesticide use.

The high court, in a 7-2 ruling, held that Roundup cannot be sued in state courts for failure to warn because federal regulators have found a cancer link unlikely and do not require a warning label. Though focused on Roundup, the ruling could affect similar health claims against other pesticide products.

“This decision is good for American farmers who help feed the world,“ Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said. ”It provides the regulatory clarity necessary for innovators like us to develop the agricultural tools that guarantee an affordable food supply.”

Though Bayer said the ruling should result in the dismissal of failure-to-warn lawsuits, the company said it plans to proceed with a proposed $7.25 billion class-action settlement intended to resolve many of the remaining claims.

The ruling was denounced by environmental groups and lawyers representing people who believe they were harmed by Roundup.

“This Supreme Court ruling wrongly slams the courthouse door on Americans sickened by pesticides," said attorney Christopher Seeger, who is a claimant’s representative in the settlement. But he said a settlement still would allow some people to receive compensation.

The decision “is a tragic setback for public and environmental health,” said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides, a health and environmental group.

A sickened gardener had won $1 million

The case before the Supreme Court was filed by Missouri resident John Durnell. He developed a cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after more than 20 years of serving as the neighborhood association’s “spray guy,” using Roundup on parks in his historic St. Louis community.

A jury agreed that the company failed to warn him about possible cancer dangers and awarded him $1.25 million. But Durnell never received the money as his case was appealed. Durnell, 75, said Thursday that his cancer is in remission, and he will be fine without the money.

But “there are thousands of cases that are like mine that will not see court now," Durnell said. "So that is the biggest disappointment for me.”

There is still fierce debate about whether Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, causes cancer. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the chemical as “probably carcinogenic” in 2015. The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that it’s not likely to cause cancer in humans when used as directed.

The agency approved a label without a cancer warning, and Bayer argued that it was required to follow those federal standards. The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that separate warning requirements cannot be compelled by state laws and courts. The ruling still leaves room for other lawsuits alleging problems with the product’s design, and Durnell said he is considering bringing a new case on different grounds.

Bayer has pledged billions for settlements

Bayer disputes the cancer claims but previously set aside $16 billion to settle cases, and earlier this year proposed a $7.25 billion class-action settlement. A federal judge recently ruled that the proposed settlement will be heard in a Missouri state court, where many of the lawsuits have been filed.

At the same time, Bayer has tried to persuade states to pass laws shielding it from liability in failure-to-warn lawsuits. North Dakota was the first to do so, followed by, Georgia and Kentucky.

About 200,000 Roundup-related claims have been made against Bayer, mostly from home users. It has stopped using glyphosate in Roundup sold in the U.S. residential lawn and garden market.

The company had said it might have to consider pulling glyphosate from U.S. agricultural markets if it keeps getting sued. Agricultural industry groups have said Roundup is important for a strong food supply.

"Today's decision protects our access to the tools that let us care for our soil, protect our crops, and keep food affordable for your family and mine,” said Blake Hurst, a corn and soybean farmer who is a former president of the Missouri Farm Bureau.

The court ruling runs counter to the MAHA movement

Pesticides have created a rift between the administration and members of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s MAHA movement, who were frustrated by an executive order aimed at boosting glyphosate’s production.

Kennedy has said repeatedly that glyphosate causes cancer, even as he says he recognizes the executive order was necessary for food supply and national security reasons.

Some health advocates contend the EPA's approval of glyphosate-based weedkillers was based on limited information and that lawsuits in state courts have turned up additional evidence against it.

“The fact that EPA approved a pesticide label does not mean a product is safe, and it should not become a shield for companies that fail to warn about cancer risks, neurological harm, and other serious dangers,” said Patti Goldman, senior attorney at Earthjustice, an environmental legal organization.

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Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

The Charlotte Hornets agreed to trade Ball, their starting point guard, and Josh Green to the Minnesota Timberwolves for power forward Naz Reid, a 2033 unprotected first-round draft pick, three first-round pick swaps and three future second-round picks, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by ESPN, has yet to be approved by the league.

The three first-round pick swaps will be in 2028, 2029 and 2030. The Hornets also get three second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033.

The 24-year-old Ball, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, had three years left on a franchise-record five-year, $203.9 million designated rookie contract.

An All-Star in 2022, Ball has struggled with ankle and foot injuries during his career, but he played in 72 games last season and averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, helping the Hornets win 44 games before being blown out in the play-in tournament by the Orlando Magic.

Ball finished second in the league in 3s made last year with 272, one behind rookie teammate Kon Knueppel.

Ball is considered an exceptional offensive player, but his shortcomings on the defensive end were at times a source of irritation for coach Charles Lee.

Still, Ball's ability to create opportunities for his teammates off the dribble, his exceptional passing and unique knack for getting off 3-pointers — with shots often coming off one foot — via a stepback move, make him one of the league's most dynamic scoring point guards.

But Ball was never able to get the Hornets to the playoffs in his six seasons with the club, with injuries playing a role. Before this season, Ball missed 141 games over the previous three seasons.

This trade is expected to be included as part of the transaction in which Minnesota agreed to send Julius Randle to Brooklyn in a deal that involved the Chicago Bulls, a second person with knowledge of the agreement told the AP. It will create an NBA-record trade exception of nearly $41 million for the Hornets.

The deals cannot be finalized until July 6, when the league moratorium on such moves is lifted.

It’s another blockbuster for the league, which has seen Giannis Antetokounmpo getting traded by Milwaukee to Miami for a package that includes Tyler Herro, a move that followed the Randle deal before the draft.

The Hornets are expected to re-sign unrestricted free agent Coby White to serve as their starting point guard.

White, the all-time leading scorer in North Carolina high school basketball history, averaged 15.6 points and 3 assists per game while shooting 39.1% from 3-point range last season for the Hornets after being acquired in a trade with the Chicago Bulls.

Reid, 26, has spent all seven of his NBA seasons with the Timberwolves.

After reaching the Western Conference finals in 2024 and 2025, the Timberwolves stagnated at times last season and were ousted in six games in the second round of the playoffs by the runner-up San Antonio Spurs.

President of basketball operations Tim Connelly has never been shy about aggressive pursuit of roster improvement, from the package of draft picks he sent the Utah Jazz in 2022 for defensive ace Rudy Gobert shortly after taking the job in Minnesota, to the stunning trade of franchise cornerstone Karl-Anthony Towns to the New York Knicks two years ago.

To make this work, the Timberwolves had to give up one of the most popular players in their history in Reid, the 2023-24 NBA Sixth Man of the Year who would’ve been in line for a starting spot after the departure of Randle.

The 6-foot-11 Reid, who went undrafted out of LSU in 2019, worked his way into an excellent offensive player with a shooter’s touch from the outside who has the quickness to get to the rim. Playing through a painful shoulder injury this season, Reid appeared in 77 regular-season games while averaging 13.6 points and a career-best 6.2 rebounds per game.

Their five-game loss in 2025 to the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder and their defeat by the Spurs last month made clear to the Timberwolves that they’re not yet at the championship level they’ve been chasing since building their roster around 2020 first overall pick Anthony Edwards. Now they’ll have the third pick in that draft to play next to Ball, one of the few remaining pure point guards in a league that has evolved toward more volume scorers serving as the primary initiators of the offense.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch lamented after the season his abrupt decision to make Edwards the starting point guard, a move Finch said last month set the whole team back.

Trusty veteran Mike Conley will be a free agent and is now more of a limited-role player, leaving Minnesota's front office looking outward for ball-handling options. The agreement to bring back Ayo Dosunmu went a long way toward solidifying the backcourt for the long term, but he’s more of a combo guard who can thrive off the ball.

Connelly even hinted at a move like this on Tuesday night after the first round of the draft.

“We have to ensure that we’re creating as many good shots as possible, specifically for Ant, and whether that’s on our present roster or whether it’s looking outside of our team, it’s something that we certainly have to address,” Connelly said.

Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson is expected to address the deal at a Thursday news conference in which the team is scheduled to introduce first-round draft picks Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson Jr.

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami and AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

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

Into the weekend, the heat will carry on with just a few thunderstorms each day. The majority of the weekend will be dry. There is not a noticeable bump in rain chances until Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

Consumer prices rose 4.1% in May from a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Thursday, the largest annual increase since April 2023. On a monthly basis, inflation was 0.4% last month, matching April’s increase and down from 0.7% in March.

The increase was largely driven by more expensive gas, as well as pricier semiconductors and other computer equipment that are in high demand for the AI buildout. Rising prices have caused the inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve to keep their key rate unchanged this year, a reversal from January when they had penciled in two cuts. Some economists forecast the central bank could lift rates this year instead.

“Underyling inflation is closer to 3% rather than 2%,” said Mark Vitner, chief economist at Piedmont Crescent Capital. "It does suggest to me that the next Fed move, whenever it comes, is more likely to be a hike than a cut.” The Fed probably won't raise rates until next year, he added.

Oil and gas prices have fallen substantially since Trump agreed to a peace deal with Iran earlier this month, but the conflict lifted gas prices to nearly $4.50 a gallon on average nationwide in May. They have since fallen back to $3.92 as of Thursday, according to AAA, but that's more than 20% above prices at this time last year as the driving season gets underway.

Declining gas prices will likely pull down headline inflation next month, yet measures of underlying inflation remain stubbornly elevated and will be a concern for the Fed. Excluding the volatile energy and food categories, core prices rose 3.4% in May compared with a year earlier, up from 3.3% in April and the largest increase since October 2023. On a monthly basis, they rose 0.3% from April to May, the same as the previous month.

Higher gas prices aren't the only thing worsening inflation. The AI buildout has made computer components more expensive, and Apple announced last week that it would raise prices for its computers and iPads because of the higher costs. Services prices also rose sharply last month, lifted by more expensive restaurant meals, hotel rooms, auto repairs, and health care.

At the same time, consumers appear willing to keep spending and boost the economy. Adjusted for inflation, spending rose 0.3% from April to May. And inflation-adjusted incomes rose for the first time in four months, picking up 0.3%, which could bolster consumer spending in coming months.

A separate report Thursday showed that the economy expanded at a 2.1% annual rate in the first three months of the year, an upgrade from a previous estimate of 1.6%. And the number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell last week, a sign that layoffs remain low.

New Fed chair Kevin Warsh last week underscored the central bank’s determination to drive inflation back to its 2% target, but he gave no sign of what steps the Fed might take. Some economists, however, now expect the central bank to increase rates this year. Those expectations upended U.S. markets this week, hammering fast-growing sectors like tech.

Inflation has been above the Fed’s 2% target for more than five years, leaving many Americans more gloomy about the future. Vitner points out that inflation hadn't topped 2.5% for nearly a decade before the pandemic, likely making the inflation spikes since then even harder to accept for most households.

Thursday’s report covers the personal consumption expenditures price index, a lesser-known measure compared to the consumer price index, which was released earlier this month and showed a similarly large increase. The Fed prefers the PCE index because it puts less weight on housing and also reflects changes in how Americans shop when prices rise, such as when consumers buy cheaper off-brand items.

The new inflation data arrives a day after Trump refused to sign housing legislation, approved by Congress, that is intended to spur more construction and lower home prices over time, a response to Americans' concerns about rising costs.

Trump responded to the CPI report earlier this month by saying he “loved the inflation.” He has previously dismissed Democrats’ focus on “affordability” as a “hoax.”

Inflation jumped to 9.1% under former President Joe Biden, but even as it fell back closer to 2% in 2024, voters remained angry about the cumulative rise in the cost of groceries, rent, and other necessities.

The PCE price index was last below 2.5% in April 2025, when Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” tariffs. Inflation then climbed steadily to 2.9% just before the Iran war.

The growth in gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — marked a rebound from a sluggish 0.5% in the last three months of 2025 when a 43-day federal government shutdown weighed on the economy. Thursday’s numbers were an upgrade from of Commerce’s previous first-quarter estimate of 1.6% growth.

Business investment surged, probably reflecting an investment boom in artificial intelligence. But consumer spending, which accounts for around 70% of U.S. economic activity, fell sharply from fourth-quarter 2025 and from Commerce’s previous estimate in a sign that consumers may be cutting back in the face of higher gasoline prices caused by the war with Iran.

“It was unsettling to see consumer spending revised even lower,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said in a commentary. "Spending is likely to tick up in (the second quarter), but it’s worth watching carefully... It’s been a tough few months for American consumers, but most have been able to make it through. The question is how much relief is coming” as the U.S. and Iran continue talks toward a resolution of the conflict.

Excluding housing, private investment jumped 10.6%, up from 2.4% in fourth-quarter 2025. In a sign of the AI boom, investment in information-processing equipment jumped at a 39.9% pace as companies scrambled to outfit their data centers. But Michael Reid, head of U.S. economics at RBC Capital Markets, said before Thursday’s report came out that “unfortunately, it’s not a sustainable path.’’ He expects data center investment to lose momentum going forward.

Residential investment, weighed down by high interest rates, dropped 7.8% from January through March, biggest fall since late 2022 and the fifth straight quarterly decline.

The federal government's spending and investment rose at a 9.4% clip in the first quarter after dropping 16.6% in October-December 2025 largely because of the government shutdown.

Imports, which are subtracted from GDP, grew at a slower pace than last estimated from January through March. They still subtracted 1.49 percentage points from first-quarter growth, but that was down from a 2.59 percentage-point hit in the previous estimate and was a major factor in Thursday's upgrade.

The U.S. economy — the world’s biggest — has continued to chug along despite the Iran energy shock. The American job market has proven especially resilient. Employers added an average 188,000 jobs a month from March through May after adding fewer than 10,000 a month in 2025 amid uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s trade and immigration policies.

Thursday’s report was the Commerce Department’s third and final estimate of first-quarter GDP growth. The first look at second-quarter economic growth is due July 30.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits in the week ending June 20 fell by 12,000 to 215,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s fewer than the 225,000 new applications forecast by analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Despite concerns that the war in Iran would trip up an already wobbly labor market, hiring has picked up in recent months following a miserable 2025 that saw fewer than 200,000 job gains. For comparison, about 1.5 million jobs were added in 2024.

U.S. employers delivered a surprising 172,000 new jobs in May and the economy is averaging 188,000 job gains in the three months since the Iran war began in late February. That’s the best three months of hiring since early 2024. The unemployment rate remains historically low at 4.3%.

The government issues its June jobs report next week.

Job openings also rose in April as employers posted 7.6 million vacancies, up from 6.9 million in March and the most since May 2024.

The government also reported Thursday that the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge rose to a new three-year high in May as gas prices peaked due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s southern border, where one-fifth of the world’s oil typically passes every day.

Consumer prices rose 4.1% in May from a year earlier, the largest annual increase since April 2023, largely driven by more expensive gas. While energy prices have fallen considerably from their peak during the Middle East conflict, those higher prices put the squeeze on consumers’ budgets for months and may have made businesses more reluctant to hire.

Last week, Iran and the U.S. agreed to a deal to end the war and allow Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and sell its oil without restrictions.

With inflation still well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, officials at the U.S. central bank left the benchmark interest rate at its most recent meeting last week.

Lower interest rates can boost the economy and hiring, but also tend to stoke inflation, leading a number of Fed policymakers to say they are actually willing to consider at least one interest rate hike this year. That could potentially help bring inflation down, but higher borrowing costs generally make businesses more reluctant to hire.

The Federal Reserve has signaled that it could raise interest rates at least once before the end of the year. Wall Street sees an 85% chance that the central bank will raise its benchmark interest rate this year, according to date from CME Group.

Optimism over artificial intelligence has also injected a degree of uncertainty about the job market due to the investment required to develop it and because the powerful technology could alter or even replace some jobs.

Among the companies that have cut jobs recently are Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney, Starbucks and Walmart.

Weekly jobless aid applications have stabilized in a range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 since the U.S. economy emerged from the pandemic recession. However, hiring began slowing about two years ago and tapered further in 2025 due to President Donald Trump’s tariffs, his purge of the federal workforce and the lingering effects of high interest rates meant to control inflation.

Thursday's report showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the weekly volatility, rose by 750 to 224,250.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending June 13 increased by 21,000 to 1.82 million.

Kenzo Kies, who played for the Guingamp reserve team, died after being pulled from the Rhone River this week. Both Guingamp and Saint-Etienne, where Kies spent seven years in the club's academy system, paid him a tribute in statements late Wednesday.

France recorded its hottest ever day for the second day running on Wednesday. The Meteo France weather agency said the national thermal indicator — an average of temperatures measured at 30 weather stations — hit a new record of 30 C (86 F), the latest in a series of never-before-registered highs. The mercury surpassed 40 C (104 F) in some locations, including in Paris.

At least 40 fatalities from drowning have been recorded in the past week as people seek relief in rivers and other bodies of water, despite authorities’ warnings about unsupervised swimming. Most of the drownings involved young people, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said on Tuesday.

According to reports in French media, Kies was pulled from the Rhone River on Monday in critical condition after drowning in a prohibited swimming area near Lyon. He had since been declared brain dead.

___

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

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Officials said 38-year-old Precious Bland drowned the baby, claiming she was trying to baptize everyone in the house, on Aug. 23, 2021.

Bland’s 38-year-old husband and 16-year-old daughter were stabbed in the incident and survived.

“God is good. This doesn’t bring back my daughter,” she said Wednesday after the verdict. “I’m thankful. I love my children. Just ready to get my life back together, my husband and my children -- just move forward.”

Authorities discovered the victims at a home located on Northwest 99th Street near 30th Avenue, where they also found Bland suffering from stab wounds determined to be self-inflicted.

Bland’s attorney said she was suffering from a COVID-19 induced psychosis.

“From the first day that I was hired to represent Precious Bland, having done the research, because there’s so much that we don’t know about COVID, and this was one of the first cases in the country to go to trial on COVID-19 to the defense of murder,” said attorney Larry Handfield.

Four other children, all under the age of 11, were in the home at the time of the attack, but they were not harmed.

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The 12-story condominium building collapsed in the early morning hours of June 24, 2021, while many residents were asleep inside. Ninety-eight people lost their lives.

During the Lighting of the Torch ceremony at Veterans Park, a torch was presented as a symbol of hope, resilience and remembrance.

“This torch is more than a light -- it is a promise, a promise that we will forever remember, that we will honor, that we will never allow these lives to be forgotten,” one speaker said.

A firefighter participating in the ceremony echoed that message.

“And let the light shine through all of us,” the firefighter said.

Only three people were rescued alive from the rubble following the collapse. Among them was Devin Gonzalez, who was 16 years old at the time. Her mother also survived.

Gonzalez lost her father in the tragedy.

“The rest of my family, my sister made it out because she wasn’t home that night, but my father was one of the 98 people that passed away, so he did not make it,” Gonzalez said.

Five years later, Gonzalez said the pain remains, but she hopes lessons learned from the collapse will help prevent a similar disaster from happening again.

“Yes, it’s angering and it’s hurtful, but to focus on the future, on things that we can do so that nothing like this ever happens again,” she said.

Among the speakers was Rachel Spiegel, daughter of Judy Spiegel, who died in the collapse.

“Five years since my mother went to sleep in the place that she called home and never came back,” she said.

Raquel Oliveira, the mother of Lorenzo Oliveira and wife of Alfredo Leone, both of whom passed away during the incident, also spoke.

“My son was 5 years old on that day,” she said. “From today on, I’ll have more time without Lorenzo than with him.”

A rescue expert from Israel, whose team specializes in locating people trapped in collapsed structures, said they worked around the clock to help in every way they could.

“We are honored to be able to help,” he said. “It’s a mitzvah to help the other, even if you don’t know the person. We are all humans and it doesn’t matter where we are. We are together to help each other -- one for all and all for one.”

For many first responders who spent weeks searching through the debris, the memories remain vivid.

“When we say we are never going to forget, we are never going to forget,” a firefighter said. “And those who were here — the thousands of first responders and community leaders that were here — we can never forget.”

The annual ceremony served as both a tribute to the 98 lives lost and a reminder of the lasting impact the collapse continues to have on families, survivors and the South Florida community.

Another remembrance ceremony at 88th Street and Collins Avenue in Surfside was held later in the morning.

The tragic anniversary comes after the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a report stating that the deadly destruction of the condominium actually started weeks before it collapsed into a pile of rubble in the middle of the night.

According to the report, two connections between garage columns and the pool deck started to fail around early June 2021. The combination of a structure design that did not meet building codes and alterations made to it over its 40 years meant that the other parts of the pool deck weren’t strong enough to withstand the extra load, leading to the type of slow-motion collapse.

A whistleblower who said she was fired without due process spoke to Local 10 News this week about what happened regarding City Manager Darvin Williams, who was previously fired by the city of Opa-locka for similar complaints.

Kerlyn McHenry said several staff members are working in fear.

She had served as interim director of Public Works for the city of North Miami Beach, where she was known as process-driven, methodical, and, according to a letter of recommendation, “innovative and results-driven” and “highly respected,” which is why she says she was stunned when she was suddenly demoted, then fired, after flagging a series of procurement and accounting concerns for Williams.

“It alluded to capital funds being misappropriated, which is not a true statement at all, and so once I forwarded that to the manager, of course within hours police officers as well as HR was at my door,” she said. “I was pretty scared. I didn’t think that it was warranted.”

Michael Pizzi is McHenry’s attorney who, on Monday, sent the city a notice of their intent to sue.

“A violation of the Florida Whistleblower Statute, abuse of power, and a variety of other violations of federal, state, and local statutes,” said Pizzi. “Right now, the city of North Miami Beach, Ms. McHenry, and other employees are really being terrorized by the new administration.”

Court records show Williams is named a defendant in other suits, including a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by a former North Miami Beach employee who claims she was terminated without due process.

“It is a fear zone,” said McHenry. “Everyone’s afraid of Darwin Williams in the city of North Miami Beach.”

Williams hasn’t been with the city very long, formally installed in February.

Before that, he was with the city of Opa-locka.

In early-February, two days before he was formally sworn-in, Opa-locka’s Commissioner Natasha Ervin spoke in front of the North Miami Beach commission.

“After giving Darvin Williams a contract, everything went awry,” said Ervin. “Darvin terminated employees without due process. He even terminated one employee while he was away fulfilling his duty as an Army reservist. After firing Darvin Williams, it was discovered that he opened 17 bank accounts in the city’s name at a financial institution that we don’t do business with.”

In a memo dated on June 17, Williams told the mayor and city commission that in March, he assumed “additional responsibilities of interim chief financial officer.”

In May, Ervin filed a defamation suit against Williams, claiming he was falsely accused of a crime when she moved to hold him accountable. She is also represented by Pizzi.

“If the city of North Miami Beach commissioners had simply done a Google search, they would have known that this is what was going to happen,” said Pizzi.

Local 10 News reached out to Williams for comment but he had not replied as of the time of this story’s publication.

North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph, who was the only “no” vote against hiring Williams, released a statement to Local 10 News.

“The city commission faces a decision to stop Mr. Williams’ disruptive management decisions or remain silent and complicit while we continue to loose good and qualified employees. I was the only No vote against Mr. Williams’ hiring as City Manager because he publicly stated that he did not meet the minimum qualifications for the position. Despite my strong objections, the City Commission decided to allow Mr. Williams to prove himself or prove that my objections were correct and that his previous employer was right to fire him.”

North Miami Beach Mayor Michael Joseph

MCHENRY NOTICE OF INTENT TO SUE:

Claiming wrongful demotion and wrongful termination, the notice states: “Our client contends these actions were not isolated events but were part of a coordinated effort to remove her from employment in retaliation for her protected complaints and whistleblower activity while treating her differently than similarly situated male employees.”

FROM THE FEDERAL LAWSUIT:

“Plaintiff, Marline Monestime, brings this civil rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. §1983 to obtain legal recourse against the Defendants for the deprivation of her constitutionally protected property interest in her continued employment with the City of North Miami Beach without due process, in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.

“WHEREFORE Plaintiff, Marline Monestime, demands the entry of a judgment in her favor and against Defendant, City of North Miami Beach, after trial by jury, declaring and determining that it violated her due process rights, reinstating her employment to the position she would have held, with all attendant wages and benefits, awarding her damages, lost past and future wages and employment-related benefits, mental anguish and emotional distress damages, awarding her attorney’s fees, costs, and all interest allowed by law, and such other relief as the Court deems just and proper.”

Trump harangued GOP senators face-to-face earlier in the day for allowing a vote to block his war in Iran on Tuesday, further escalating a feud that has diverted GOP efforts to focus on election-year affordability issues.

Also, congressional Democrats called for investigations Wednesday into renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as the ongoing drama over the president’s problem-plagued, $16 million rehabilitation project continued to roil the capital.

Heres' the latest:

Supreme Court allows Trump administration to end legal protections for Haitians and Syrians

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria, exposing hundreds of thousands more people to potential deportation.

The decision overturns lower court orders and allows the Department of Homeland Security to swiftly end temporary protected status, a program that protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries.

The Trump administration argued judges can’t second-guess immigration officials’ decisions about the protections, which were intended to be temporary.

Immigration attorneys said the countries remain unsafe to return, and the administration ended them in an unlawfully hasty process tinged by racial animus. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants were abducting and eating dogs and cats.

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Supreme Court clears way for the Trump administration to revive a restrictive immigration policy

The policy was once used to turn back migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The justices overturned a lower court order blocking the practice that limited the number of people who could apply for asylum each day under the Obama administration and during Trump’s first term.

Advocates said the tactic created a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people settled in unsafe makeshift shelters to await their turn. The Trump administration said it was necessary to deal with an increase of asylum seekers at the border.

The policy isn’t in place now, though authorities have imposed other restrictions on asylum seekers.

The administration argues that metering is a critical tool that’s been used by presidents of both parties and should stay available.

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Trump’s showdown with Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy

President Trump was attending a private lunch Wednesday with the Senate GOP when he wondered aloud how anyone could have voted for a war powers resolution a day earlier that seeks to block further U.S. military action against Iran.

Cassidy, one of the four Republicans who backed the measure, was ready with an answer.

“I stood and said, ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on,’” Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, recounted to reporters afterward. “This is supposed to last four weeks. It’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved.”

Things deteriorated from there.

When Cassidy told Trump he would continue voting for war powers resolutions until there’s a congressional briefing on developments in Iran, the senator recalled that Trump “did not particularly care for my comments” and “raised his voice.”

Trump repeatedly told Cassidy to sit down, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe a private meeting. At one point, the president called the senator a “lunatic,” the person said.

Cassidy acknowledged losing his temper, which he said was “not appropriate.”

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— Steven Sloan and Lisa Mascaro

Oil tankers use new route through Strait of Hormuz despite Iranian threats

Several tankers made their way out of the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday using a new route promoted by a U.N. maritime agency. Iran has threatened vessels using the path, which runs along the coast of Oman.

The opening of an alternative passage through the vital waterway would relieve pressure on the world economy and remove Iran’s main source of leverage in ongoing talks about the interim deal signed last week with the United States.

Traffic through the strait has increased but is still well below prewar levels. Oil on Thursday briefly dipped below its last prewar price of just under $73 a barrel, a sign that the market believes the situation is improving.

The two sides are still debating terms of the deal — from getting ships through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf to the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

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Key inflation gauge jumps to 3-year high in latest sign of affordability challenges

The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge rose to a new three-year high in May as gas prices peaked, a sign rising costs could pose political problems for President Trump as midterm elections near.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that consumer prices rose 4.1% in May from a year earlier, the largest annual increase since April 2023. On a monthly basis, inflation was 0.4% last month, matching April’s increase and down from 0.7% in March.

The increase was largely driven by more expensive gas, as well as pricier semiconductors and other computer equipment that are in high demand for the AI buildout. Rising prices have caused the inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve to keep their key rate unchanged this year, a reversal from January when they had penciled in two cuts. Some economists forecast the central bank could lift rates this year instead.

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Lawmakers demand answers as turmoil over Reflecting Pool repair continues

Congressional Democrats called for investigations Wednesday into renovations at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as the ongoing drama over the president’s problem-plagued, $16 million rehabilitation project continued to roil the capital.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate demanded answers about the saga that’s been highlighted in the news cycle for weeks, even as the White House has repeatedly blamed — without evidence — unidentified vandals for peeling paint and other problems. Six people have been arrested, President Donald Trump said, without providing details, and a local wildlife nonprofit conducted necropsies on dead ducks found near the Reflecting Pool. The president has said the pool may need to be drained once again for additional repairs.

Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, the top Democrat on the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, challenged the Trump administration over no-bid contracts for work on the Reflecting Pool, saying they were awarded to vendors with previous relationships to Trump.

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Senate Republicans reject war powers resolution after Trump berates them at Capitol meeting

Senate Republicans who were berated by President Donald Trump over opposition to his war in Iran held a late-night vote Wednesday to try to appease him, rejecting a war powers resolution a day after a similar measure passed.

Trump harangued GOP senators face-to-face earlier in the day for allowing a vote to block his war in Iran on Tuesday, further escalating a feud that has diverted GOP efforts to focus on election-year affordability issues and brought much of the chamber’s business to a halt. He exchanged particularly harsh words with Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of four Republicans who had voted with Democrats on the measure.

Hours later, though, Cassidy was invited to receive a personal briefing on the war at the White House from Vice President JD Vance and envoy Steve Witkoff. Cassidy then returned to the Capitol to vote against a separate but nearly identical war powers resolution.

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In 2018, the music became a musical show.

Now, South Florida gets to experience the Tony Award-winning spectacle.

Much like Morrisette’s album, “Jagged Little Pill, the Musical” takes you on a journey.

Kimberly Doreen Burns plays the lead, Mary Jane Healy -- a role that Burns’ lived experiences helped her connect with.

From the Amatura Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, the musical is brought to life by Slow Burn Theater, a local professional actors company that has leaned into diversity and the eclectic when it comes to its productions.

Equipos de rescate y los propios vecinos trabajan en las zonas más afectadas para liberar a quienes están bajo los cascotes.

Los terremotos de 7,2 y 7,5 grados de magnitud que sacudieron Venezuela el miércoles son los más fuertes registrados en el país sudamericano en más de un siglo y han ocasionado el cierre del principal aeropuerto y el colapso de más de 200 edificaciones.

Aquí los últimos acontecimientos registrados en Venezuela:

Estados Unidos brinda ayuda por 150 millones de dólares

El Departamento de Estado informó que el gobierno del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump movilizó una respuesta de emergencia a Venezuela que incluye 150 millones de dólares en asistencia humanitaria, el despliegue de un Equipo de Respuesta de Asistencia ante Desastres (DART, por sus siglas en inglés) y dos equipos especializados de búsqueda y rescate urbano.

Según el Departamento de Estado, el DART evaluará las condiciones en las zonas afectadas e identificará las necesidades humanitarias prioritarias para coordinar la respuesta del gobierno estadounidense. Además, fueron desplegados dos equipos de búsqueda y rescate urbano integrados por bomberos, médicos, ingenieros estructurales y especialistas caninos, que ya habían sido movilizados durante la respuesta al huracán Melissa en Jamaica en octubre de 2025.

Sin sistema de alerta de terremotos

Venezuela no dispone en la actualidad de un sistema de alerta sísmico y el organismo encargado de registrar los terremotos, que es la Fundación Venezolana de Investigaciones Sismológicas (Fuvisis), solo dispone de una red de estaciones sismológicas para registrar los movimientos telúricos luego de que ocurren.

Pese a no disponer de ese sistema, algunos venezolanos como Pericles Sánchez, un escritor de 39 años, logró recibir un alerta previo gracias a que Google lo envió a los teléfonos Android. “Nos dio tiempo de salir. No fue sino que hasta que estábamos ya afuera que lo empezamos a sentir”, relató Sánchez a The Associated Press en una comunicación por WhatsApp.

Más de 20 personas rescatadas y 12 fallecidos en municipio de Chacao

La oficina del alcalde de Chacao, Gustavo Duque, reportó que 23 personas fueron rescatadas y 12 fallecieron luego de que se desplomó el edificio Petunia, ubicado en ese próspero municipio capitalino. Otros dos edificios también colapsaron.

“Siento un nudo en la garganta cada vez que veo que el edificio no está. Todos los días pasaba cerca por aquí, camino a mi casa”, dijo Mauricio Contreras, un oficinista de 35 años.

Duque señaló en sus redes sociales que las labores de rescate continúan en búsqueda de sobrevivientes entre los escombros "donde se cree que aún hay personas con vida”.

Al menos 188 muertos, 1.520 heridos y más de 200 atrapados por los dos sismos

El titular de la Asamblea Nacional, Jorge Rodríguez, dijo que hay al menos 188 muertos, 1.520 heridos ingresados en hospitales y más de 200 personas atrapadas a causa de los dos sismos. En tanto 157 personas están desaparecidas.

Por otro lado unos 250 edificios están dañados y 2.927 familias damnificadas, sobre todo en la zona de La Guaira.

Rodríguez señaló que han salido aviones desde Estados Unidos, México, España y Qatar, y otro del grupo de expertos de rescate de Naciones Unidas hacia Venezuela.

“Esta es la hora de salvar vidas”, dijo el funcionario, quien señaló que su hermana, la presidenta encargada Delcy Rodríguez, se encuentra en el estado La Guaira “atendiendo la zona de desastre tremendo que ha ocurrido allí”.

“Los Topos” mexicanos colaborarán en tareas de rescate

El reconocido equipo de rescate mexicano conocido como “Los Topos” anunció que enviará una brigada de al menos seis personas a Venezuela en las próximas horas para colaborar en las labores de rescate.

Iván Barrientos Salas, responsable de comunicación y logística de Los Topos de Tlatelolco A.C., declaró a AP que tienen previsto viajar a Venezuela en un vuelo comercial.

ONU y Unión Europea organizan asistencia

El jefe de ayuda humanitaria de la ONU, Tom Fletcher, afirmó que las Naciones Unidas están “evaluando con urgencia” qué asistencia se necesita en Venezuela. En un comunicado, Fletcher indicó que la Oficina de Coordinación de Asuntos Humanitarios de la ONU está coordinando el rápido despliegue de equipos internacionales de búsqueda y rescate. Fletcher recordó que, antes de los terremotos, cerca de ocho millones de personas en Venezuela ya necesitaban asistencia humanitaria y advirtió que “este desastre corre el riesgo de profundizar las vulnerabilidades existentes”. También informó que el jueves por la mañana habló con la presidenta encargada de Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, y que mantiene contacto permanente con el equipo humanitario de la ONU en el país, encabezado por Gianluca Rampolla.

La presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, anunció por su lado que se coordina la respuesta europea a los sismos a través del Mecanismo de Protección Civil de la Unión Europea. Von der Leyen señaló que España, Italia, República Checa, Francia, Alemania, Luxemburgo y Países Bajos están enviando equipos de búsqueda y rescate. Agregó que la Unión Europea está preparada para ofrecer más ayuda, incluida asistencia médica.

Colombia enviará más de 60 socorristas y perros entrenados

Colombia enviará el jueves a Caracas dos helicópteros que transportarán un grupo élite de más de 60 socorristas, caninos entrenados en rescate y equipos para la búsqueda de personas en espacios confinados y edificios colapsados, informó Javier Pava, director de la Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres.

Ante la restricción de vuelos comerciales, Colombia coordina un permiso especial para el aterrizaje de los helicópteros con la ayuda. Pava indicó que inicialmente estarán en Caracas y luego se desplazarán a otros lugares según la asignación de los organismos de respuesta en Venezuela.

La Cancillería indicó que la sede del Consulado colombiano en Caracas permanece cerrada por afectaciones en su estructura, por lo que evaluará las condiciones para definir si la abre próximamente con el fin de atender connacionales

ONG reparte ayuda

La organización no gubernamental World Central Kitchen anunció que se está movilizando para distribuir comidas calientes a las familias afectadas y a los equipos de rescate lo antes posible.

La organización indicó que trabaja junto a socios locales en Venezuela para coordinar la respuesta humanitaria y atender las necesidades más urgentes de la población. En un comunicado, recordó que ya había participado en otras operaciones de ayuda en el país con motivo de otros desastres.

Habitantes de La Guaira buscan a sus vecinos entre los escombros

Los vecinos de La Guaira, al norte de Caracas, se lanzaron a buscar por su cuenta a las personas atrapadas entre los escombros de los edificios derrumbados.

El profesor jubilado Juan Alberto Mendaño trepó por una pila de escombros tras ver cómo la mano de una mujer atrapada se movía bajo los cascotes de ladrillos y piedras.

“No sé cómo explicarle..llegamos anoche mismo y anoche escuchando el grito no podíamos hacer nada; esperamos a que amaneciera; amaneció y aquí estamos. Ya llegó un familiar de la chica y Dios quiera que la rescaten lo más rápido posible”, dijo Mendaño a AP.

La Guaira es uno de los estados más afectados por los sismos.

Opositor Edmundo González pide ayuda a la comunidad internacional

El opositor venezolano Edmundo González pidió a la comunidad internacional ayuda humanitaria de emergencia para Venezuela.

“Hago un llamado a los países amigos, a los organismos humanitarios y a los millones de venezolanos que viven fuera de nuestras fronteras. Por favor, acompañemos a nuestro pueblo en estas horas”, dijo González, exiliado en España, en sus redes sociales.

González, candidato presidencial en las elecciones de 2024, afirmó que el país enfrenta la emergencia con un sistema de salud, infraestructura y capacidades de respuesta debilitados tras años de deterioro institucional, y agradeció la labor de rescatistas, personal sanitario y voluntarios. “Lo que debió ser inversión para proteger vidas no lo fue”, afirmó.

Al menos 25 fallecidos en Caracas

En una entrevista con la cadena estatal Venezolana de Televisión, la alcaldesa de Caracas, Carmen Meléndez, afirmó que al menos 25 de los fallecidos se encuentran en la capital.

La funcionaria habló frente a un edificio derrumbado en el barrio de San Bernardino, una zona residencial situada al norte de Caracas, con un casco rojo puesto.

Presidenta de México anuncia que rescatistas y médicos irán a Venezuela

La presidenta de México, Claudia Sheinbaum, anunció que un primer equipo de rescatistas militares y personal médico partirán en las próximas horas hacia Venezuela. Añadió que una vez que lleguen y hablen con las autoridades, “determinaremos mañana mismo el personal adicional que se requiera para poder ayudar siempre a los pueblos que lo necesiten”.

Líderes del mundo muestran su pesar y ofrecen su ayuda

El secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, declaró en la red social X que su país está desplegando “de inmediato equipos de búsqueda y rescate, recursos médicos y ayuda humanitaria" en Venezuela. “Nuestros pensamientos están con todos aquellos que han perdido a seres queridos, con los heridos y con los valientes equipos de rescate que trabajan sin descanso tras la catástrofe”.

El presidente francés, Emmanuel Macron, recurrió a la misma red social para expresar la solidaridad de Francia con el pueblo venezolano y afirmó que un equipo de 85 rescatistas franceses especializados en operaciones de búsqueda y desescombro está siendo desplegado “de inmediato” en Venezuela.

El presidente brasileño, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, dijo que ha dado instrucciones a la Cancillería para que evalúe la situación en Venezuela en coordinación con la embajada brasileña en Caracas y determine “qué medidas de ayuda" podría adoptar Brasil.

Personal de la salud de Cuba coopera en la atención a los damnificados

El presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel envió sus condolencias a Venezuela por los fallecidos en los sismos e indicó que “el personal cubano de la Salud coopera activamente en la atención a los damnificados” en su cuenta de X.

Cuba y Venezuela fueron estrechos aliados políticos e ideológicos durante décadas hasta la intervención en enero de Estados Unidos en el país sudamericano que derivó en la caída del entonces presidente Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela vendía petróleo a la isla y ésta envió miles de médicos y personal de salud cooperante a lo largo de más 20 años.

El programa de salud y cooperación cubano no fue desmantelado completamente con la captura de Maduro.

Antecedentes; otro potente sismo en 1967

El sismo más cercano y con una potencia también mortífera data del 29 de julio de 1967. Tuvo una magnitud de 6,5 causando la muerte a 283 personas y unos 2.000 heridos.

“Pensé que no viviría para ver otro como ese. Recuerdo que estábamos viendo el Zorro”, la clásica serie de Disney, dijo a AP Carmen Cecilia, una jubilada de 78 años, quien no dio su apellido. “Salimos corriendo, no regresamos (a casa) hasta el día siguiente; pero no me asusté tanto como ahora”.

La jubilada destacó que en 1967 Venezuela era muy distinta. “Ahora todo es más difícil”.

Venezuela, que posee las mayores reservas probadas de petróleo del mundo, acusa una larga crisis social, política y económica que empujó a millones de personas a dejar el país en busca de mejores condiciones de vida.

La Guaira, uno de los estados más perjudicados

Los supervivientes se abrazaban y contemplaban los edificios derrumbados y las grietas abiertas en las calles de La Guaira.

Dayana Delgado, madre de tres hijos, dijo que estaba desesperada porque su hijo de 8 años había desaparecido. “Quiero saber dónde está, si está atrapado o en un refugio”, afirmó.

Delgado se preguntó dónde estaba la maquinaria pesada que habían prometido los funcionarios del gobierno y señaló que los vecinos son quienes excavan entre los escombros.

“Lo he perdido todo, todo. El piso, el coche, la moto, todo", afirmó por su lado Cristian Carreño. “Al menos estamos vivos, gracias a Dios”.

Cerca de allí, los supervivientes estaban sentados en un campo polvoriento, con sus pertenencias metidas en bolsas de plástico.

Colombia ofrece ayuda y dice que no hay colombianos afectados

La Cancillería de Colombia anunció que no tiene reportes de colombianos afectados o que requieran asistencia consular en Venezuela. También señaló en un comunicado que dispuso equipos especializados de búsqueda y rescate que están “listos para su eventual despliegue de acuerdo con las necesidades que determinen las autoridades venezolanas”.

Los sismos de la víspera se sintieron en las regiones del Caribe y del noreste de Colombia y en ciudades de la Amazonía de Brasil. Ambos son países limítrofes con Venezuela.

Vecinos destacan labores de rescate en curso

José Vitriago le dijo a la estatal Venezolana de Televisión que sus vecinos y los equipos de rescate han sido fundamentales para salvar vidas cerca de la parroquia de San Bernardino, en Caracas.

“Fue horrible”, dijo con la voz entrecortada.

Recordó cómo un grupo de más de una decena de personas que veían un partido de fútbol del Mundial la víspera logró escapar de un edificio en su vecindario justo antes de que se derrumbara.

Vitriago señaló que tenía dos años cuando un terremoto de magnitud 6,6 sacudió Venezuela en 1967 y causó la muerte de cientos de personas. La casa se quebró, según recordó.

Misión de ONU solicita al gobierno venezolano levantar restricciones sobre redes sociales

La Misión Internacional Independiente de Determinación de los Hechos sobre Venezuela solicitó al gobierno venezolano levantar las restricciones locales a las redes sociales resaltando que resulta fundamental “para la protección de la vida" y la seguridad de la población.

En un comunicado fechado en Ginebra, la misión indicó que se trata de una “medida prioritaria e inmediata” e instó a la estatal Comisión Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Conatel) a “restablecer plenamente el acceso a las redes sociales y a todos los medios de comunicación”.

En agosto de 2024, el ahora depuesto presidente Nicolás Maduro, en un intento por suprimir el intercambio de información entre las personas que rechazaban su afirmación de que salió victorioso en los comicios presidenciales de julio de ese año, ordenó el bloqueo de X, antes Twitter, entre otros medios a los que acusaba de prestarse para desacreditar su gobierno.

Mandatarios latinoamericanos ofrecen su ayuda

Varios gobernantes de la región de signo conservador mostraron su solidaridad con Venezuela. El presidente de El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, señaló que 300 miembros de equipos de rescate y paramédicos, junto con 50 toneladas de equipamiento, medicamentos y suministros de emergencia, estaban listos para viajar a Caracas.

El presidente argentino Javier Milei también dijo estar dispuesto a brindar ayuda humanitaria en coordinación con organizaciones internacionales, si fuera necesario. En tanto, el presidente chileno José Antonio Kast afirmó que su gobierno está dispuesto a coordinar el envío de asistencia humanitaria y a desplegar equipos de rescate en Venezuela, y lo mismo indicó el presidente de la República Dominicana, Luis Abinader.

Los mandatarios de Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz; de Panamá, José Raúl Mulino, y de Ecuador, Daniel Noboa, también ofrecieron su ayuda.

Estados Unidos en contacto con Venezuela

El subsecretario de Estado Christopher Landau afirmó en X que “Estados Unidos se solidariza con el pueblo venezolano tras los devastadores terremotos" y está en contacto con las autoridades para movilizar ayuda. Y terminó su mensaje diciendo en español “¡Fuerza, Venezuela! ¡Estamos con vosotros!”.

Pasar la noche a la intemperie

Cientos de personas amanecieron el jueves en las cercanías de edificios que fueron evacuados.

María Cristina Díaz, una trabajadora de limpieza de 41 años, comentó que no pudo dormir en toda la noche y que se alojó en a la Plaza Candelaria, en el centro de Caracas, porque es uno de los pocos lugares despejados en las cercanías de su casa.

Las ciudades venezolanas carecen de puntos de reunión demarcados donde las personas pueden concentrarse después de un sismo.

“Teníamos miedo que los edificios se nos vinieran encima. Pasamos frío. Mi mamá, mi hija y yo no pegamos un ojo, pero no queríamos pasar la noche solas en casa”, comentó Díaz.

Otros pernoctaron en vehículos aparcados en las calles. Las autoridades han pedido que no regresen a las casas con daños estructurales.

Clases suspendidas

El Ministerio de Educación indicó en un comunicado la noche del miércoles que se han suspendido las actividades escolares en todo el país y que las escuelas serán utilizadas como centros de acopio y refugios para atender a las familias afectadas.

Van Hollen’s endorsement, shared first with The Associated Press on the day early voting begins in Michigan, makes him the first senator to back El-Sayed since Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed him shortly after he launched his campaign last year. It also comes on the heels of big wins for progressive challengers in New York U.S. House races on Tuesday.

The Aug. 4 race in Michigan has increasingly split Democrats along ideological lines, with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer backing U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow drawing support from other prominent senators.

Democrats will need to hold the Michigan seat if they want a shot at winning the majority this year. It opened by Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ retirement and former Rep. Mike Rogers has an uncontested path to the Republican nomination.

In an interview with the AP, Van Hollen said he believed El-Sayed was the “strongest” candidate who can win in November, and “the candidate who’s willing to take on the status quo.”

“When I say the status quo, I mean not just the lawless Trump administration, but take on the Democratic establishment that has not fought hard enough for working people," said Van Hollen.

Senate Democrats have split across the field

Schumer last week publicly backed Stevens, a fourth-term congresswoman from suburban Detroit who is seen as the more moderate candidate in the race. She has also been endorsed by other senators from battleground states, including Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, and former Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Stevens has also benefited from heavy outside spending, including nearly $8 million this month from United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

McMorrow, a state senator, has tried to carve out her own lane between Stevens and El-Sayed as an anti-establishment candidate with a reform-focused agenda. She has won endorsements from other senators, including Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, while also drawing millions in outside support.

El-Sayed, the former Wayne County health director, has run furthest to the left on issues including Medicare for All and halting all U.S. weapons transfers to Israel, making him a favorite of the party’s progressive wing. He has campaigned with popular-yet-controversial streamer Hasan Piker, who has millions of followers online but has said things such as that “America deserved 9/11.”

Earlier this month, the United Auto Workers endorsed him, saying its members “want a fighter in Washington, D.C. who isn’t afraid to push forward a strong working-class agenda with moral clarity.”

Van Hollen said he believes El-Sayed is best positioned to compete in a battleground state because he is running on affordability and against what he described as a political system too influenced by wealthy donors and special interests.

“This is not about left versus right. This is about very concentrated economic and political power at the top, and everybody else,” Van Hollen said. “And he’s fighting for everybody else.”

El-Sayed praised Van Hollen after receiving the endorsement, calling it the “culmination of an ongoing conversation” and describing the senator as a “mentor.”

With progressives coming off a string of wins in New York, El-Sayed said the results reflected the same frustrations he has heard from voters across Michigan.

“It’s not surprising to me that candidates who buck that system win,” El-Sayed said. “I really hope that folks in D.C., like Chuck Schumer, decide to pay attention, finally.”

Tensions with Schumer as Democrats debate their future

Asked whether backing El-Sayed amounted to a broader rebuke of Democratic leadership, Van Hollen said the endorsement was “not about personalities” but about backing a candidate who would take on both President Donald Trump and “the establishment Democratic Party” that he said is “too cozy with big money special interests.”

Van Hollen has not called on Schumer to step aside. Asked if he would be interested in leading Democrats in the Senate, Van Hollen told the AP that he has “not thought about doing that.”

But his endorsement lands at a moment of growing friction between Democratic leadership and the party’s left flank over how aggressively to confront Trump and what kind of candidates can win in battleground states.

Those tensions were exacerbated earlier this month in Maine, where Schumer had backed Gov. Janet Mills in the Democratic Senate primary before she suspended her campaign and progressive Graham Platner won the nomination.

Van Hollen has also been among the Senate Democrats urging the party to rethink its approach after the 2024 election. He framed his endorsement of El-Sayed at odds with leadership as a “difference of opinion with respect to which candidates will best connect with voters.”

“I think it's pretty clear that Abdul is the candidate who can build a grassroots movement and others are not," said Van Hollen.

The convention’s 2022 annual meeting passed a resolution apologizing to abuse survivors, several of them by name. It authorized reforms that included the creation of a database of credibly accused church workers.

It appeared to mark a reckoning within the SBC in tandem with the wider #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements — and a recognition that clergy sex abuse extended far beyond the much-publicized scandal in the Catholic Church.

But prominent survivors and advocates have largely given up trying to bring about change in the SBC after witnessing what they view as increasingly faltering efforts toward reform.

And now a counternarrative has reached the highest levels of convention leadership. Prominent Southern Baptists are promoting the view that although sexual abuse has occurred in the SBC, it never rose to a “crisis” level.

SBC president says issue of sexual abuse has been ‘weaponized’ and politicized

The SBC’s newly elected president, Florida pastor Willy Rice, has portrayed the 2022 report by consultant Guidepost Solutions as a “snipe hunt.” Rice said some people with political motives “weaponized” the issue against the large, conservative denomination.

Texas megachurch pastor Jack Graham, a former SBC president, similarly denied there was ever a “systemic sexual abuse crisis” in the denomination.

“The whole thing was a reckless hoax which has cost us not only millions of dollars but immeasurable damage to our witness,” Graham recently posted on the social media site X, alluding to costly lawsuits and impact on the SBC's reputation.

For survivors, such words are traumatizing but not surprising.

“For all those who watched us lead the reform, they also watched us get verbally attacked, maligned, bullied & in the end dropped,” survivor Tiffany Thigpen posted on X. She attended the 2022 annual meeting to advocate for reform but has avoided recent meetings.

Rice said churches should provide training on abuse prevention, report “any hint of illegal activity to the appropriate authorities” and care for victims.

The sexual-abuse reform effort “absolutely was weaponized, just like the #MeToo movement in the secular culture was weaponized,” Rice said. He drew a comparison with sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who denied them and characterized them as politically motivated.

Rice maintained that churches, like other youth-serving organizations, have learned much about the issue.

“To the degree that there have ever been times that Baptist churches or Baptist institutions did not handle abuse correctly, that has damaged our witness,” Rice acknowledged in a news conference at the conclusion of the SBC’s annual meeting earlier this month in Orlando, Florida. “We have tried very hard over the last several years to correct that.”

Rejecting the framing of sexual abuse as a crisis, once a marginal view in the SBC, is increasingly mainstream. Rice’s sole opponent for SBC president, Josh Powell, took a similar stance.

Rice was elected at an annual meeting where delegates also advanced a constitutional ban on SBC churches with women pastors, a measure requiring ratification next year.

Survivor says there's no political agenda for those speaking out about abuse

Christa Brown — a survivor of sexual abuse by an SBC pastor and longtime advocate for reforms — said that if anyone was politicizing the abuse issue, it was people involved in SBC power struggles, not the victims.

“For clergy sex abuse survivors, there has never been anything to gain in speaking out. To the contrary, it almost always comes with a heavy personal cost,” she said via email. “There's no political agenda.”

She added: “There is no place within the SBC where someone who was sexually abused by a pastor or church worker can safely report it and get a proper response. I’ve been working within this arena for over two decades, and this reality has not changed.”

The convention’s 2022 annual meeting authorized a database of church workers credibly accused of sexual abuse and the creation of a task force to oversee reforms. The task force was later discontinued without creating the database, due in part to liability concerns.

The issue was turned over to the denomination’s Executive Committee, which instead is referring churches to existing sex-offender databases while focusing on abuse prevention and education.

Brown said sexual abuse committed by clergy is uniquely traumatizing. Abusive faith leaders often manipulate the religious language of spiritual authority and forgiveness to manipulate the trust of a minor.

“Sexual abuse committed by clergy carries unique dynamics (and this is something that most SBC leaders just don’t seem to understand... or don’t want to understand),” she wrote.

Jules Woodson, a survivor who advocated for SBC abuse reforms at past meetings, said on X she has since needed to “step far away as it became apparent the #SBC has never been, & will never be, a safe place for me...A woman.”

2019 report ‘Abuse of Faith’ highlighted allegations of sexual abuse

SBC skeptics of the idea of a systemic abuse crisis often point to the numbers.

A 2019 report, “Abuse of Faith” by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News, found that about 380 Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers faced allegations of sexual abuse in the previous two decades, with more than 700 victims. The newspapers drew from publicly available records, such as arrests, lawsuits and confessions.

Skeptics said that for a denomination with more than 40,000 churches and millions of members, those numbers were lamentable but not symptoms of a widespread crisis.

But advocates note abuse often goes unreported, particularly when the perpetrator holds a position of authority and often receives protection from other church leaders.

By comparison, a landmark report on the Catholic Church, conducted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, benefited from access to internal church documents on cases that hadn’t gone public. It found that more than 4,000 priests were accused of abuse between 1950 and 2002, about 4% of those serving then.

“Given that publicly reported cases (which are based largely on criminal convictions) are the tip of the iceberg, people should be horrified at what the size of that tip reveals about how huge the whole of the SBC’s clergy sex abuse iceberg almost certainly is,” Brown wrote.

The Guidepost report concluded that survivors repeatedly met “resistance, stonewalling and even outright hostility from some” in the denomination’s Executive Committee. Leaders of major churches failed to report abusers to police or their congregations, the report said.

Two of those named in the Guidepost report sued the SBC for defamation; their cases are pending.

Critics also have challenged the report’s characterization of cases involving women, contending these were consensual affairs that were sinful but not abusive. The women themselves described the actions as assaults or abuse in court depositions.

But advocates for survivors say there’s ample evidence of failures at high levels, even beyond Guidepost's criticisms of the Executive Committee. They cite the 2018 firing of influential seminary president Paige Patterson over his handling of rape allegations and the multiple abuse accusations against the late Paul Pressler, once a dominant force in SBC politics.

North Carolina pastor Bruce Frank, who chaired the Sexual Abuse Task Force formed in the wake of the “Abuse of Faith” report, said survivors understandably have given up on denominational reforms.

“We made some difference. It fell short of what a lot of people who suffered through that could reasonably expect,” said Frank, pastor of Biltmore Church, based in Arden, North Carolina.

He favored a database of credibly accused pastors to help prevent predators from moving to unsuspecting congregations.

“The bottom line is, how do you protect the most people in a loosely bonded, decentralized body, in a place that heavily relies on volunteers?” he said.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 6-to-3 decision that the claim by Exxon Mobil against the government of Cuba for confiscating their properties in the early 1960’s can proceed under the Helms-Burton law.

This clearly sets a precedent for the other 5,913 registered American companies to file legal procedures against the Cuban government.

June 22 update: Ramiro Valdes, one of the original Comandantes of the Cuban Revolution, dies

Ramiro Valdes, one of the original Comandantes of the Cuban Revolution, died in Cuba Sunday at the age of 94. He was the founder of the Ministry of the Interior, known for its repressive measures against the Cuban people. Valdes is credited for killing numerous Cubans who opposed the regime from the early days of the revolution. Most recently, he was responsible for training the security police in Venezuela.

June 19 update: Cuba approves 176 new economic measures

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

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

June 17 update: Can President Trump afford another conflict?

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

June 11 update: Rubio announces sanctioning of CUPET:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 3 update: Raúl Castro turns 95

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Jail records show Joseph Anthony Ciavarella faces charges including DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide in connection with the June 11 crash near Stirling Road and University Drive in Davie.

Authorities said the victim, a 55-year-old retired Hollywood police officer, was attempting to make a left turn into a shopping plaza when Ciavarella struck her vehicle.

Investigators determined Ciavarella was intoxicated and driving without headlights at the time of the crash.

Law enforcement agencies have not publicly identified the victim because sources told Local 10 News that her teenage child was in the vehicle and witnessed the crash.

“Obviously it was a tragic loss for all of us when we heard about it,” said Danielly De Andrade, a detective with the Hollywood Police Department. “She was actually my first supervisor, so I was able to work with her for a little bit.”

De Andrade said the retired officer spent about 15 years with the department.

“It’s very hard for us to hear one of our own actually get affected by this, but we see it every day, and we just urge the public to not drink and drive,” she said.

The victim’s husband also works in law enforcement, adding to the impact the loss has had on South Florida’s law enforcement community.

“This is a loss for our community,” De Andrade added. “This is something that hits home, not something you want to hear after they retire.”

Asked what he would remember most about the victim, De Andrade described her as “just a kind person, very kind, family oriented, very experienced.”

Davie police obtained an arrest warrant and took Ciavarella into custody on Friday.

He did not physically appear during court hearing that was scheduled for Monday, according to the Broward State Attorney’s Office.

A Broward County judge ordered Ciavarella to surrender his passport, wear a GPS monitor, remain within the tri-county area, abstain from drugs and alcohol, and undergo random testing twice a month.

The judge also set his bond at $252,000 and ordered him to remain at a rehabilitation hospital while receiving treatment for injuries he suffered in the crash.

The victim’s funeral was scheduled for Thursday.

It's the first time F1's heat rules, introduced last year, have been used for a race in Europe.

A heat hazard applies when temperatures above 31 degrees C (88 F) are forecast for race day. It can get much hotter inside the cramped cockpits where drivers sit wearing layers of flameproof clothing. A forecast on the F1 website dated Wednesday said the maximum temperature expected for Sunday's race was 32 C.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri predicted the start would be the toughest to handle, without air flowing over the car and cooling the drivers at least a little.

“When you’ve got no air coming in, that’s when it’s the worst," he said.

While Alpine's Pierre Gasly has been running in the heat in his home city of Milan, Piastri has built his own hot-weather training setup in his bathroom.

“I’ve got a few portable heaters and a small bathroom and an exercise bike,” the Australian said. "You can cause yourself a lot of discomfort, a lot of pain by doing that. I do that for the benefit of my performance. Not for pleasure, that’s for sure.”

The FIA declaring the heat hazard on Thursday means drivers either need to use cooling equipment or carry extra weight to ensure there's no competitive advantage from not using the equipment.

Drivers wear vests which pump cooling liquid through a network of tubes, linked to pumping equipment inside the car. Some drivers dislike wearing the equipment because they say it's uncomfortable or distracting.

The FIA started work on cooling technology for drivers after the Qatar Grand Prix in 2023 saw drivers require medical attention after feeling unwell in the heat.

Heat hazard rules were first used at the hot and humid Singapore Grand Prix last year and also for the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.

One driver who isn't sweating the heat is Cadillac's Sergio Perez.

“I’m Mexican, so for me this is not too warm," he said. "It makes me laugh that all the Europeans are concerned about this level of heat. But for me it’s pretty average.” Perez said he'll still wear the cooling vest, though.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Critics warn of doomsday scenarios out of a sci-fi thriller, while backers say AI will generate so much new wealth that no one should worry too much about millions of layoffs.

A new bipartisan nonprofit hopes to ensure that America can realize the economic gains promised by AI without its workers suffering.

RAISE US is starting with more than $500 million to deploy on new forms of education and training, putting a focus on partnering with states and major employers rather than the federal government.

Founded by former Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, and former Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, the group aims to pilot programs and incentives to help American workers pivot to new careers in an economy that will increasingly be automated by artificial intelligence.

“We’re talking about a certain level of unemployment that could destabilize our country and our democracy,” Raimondo said in an interview. “If you want to lead the world in AI, you have to take action to make sure our democracy doesn’t crumble.”

The programs will first start in Arkansas, Maryland, Utah and Connecticut

The nonprofit is initially partnering with officials in Arkansas, Connecticut, Maryland and Utah, along with several of America's largest companies and charitable organizations. The group intends to develop policies that connect schools more closely to employers, so that layoffs can be replaced by the potential for new jobs with higher incomes. They also are exploring changes to corporate taxes and other incentives with the goal of keeping people working.

“Good things tend to happen when you convert have-nots into haves,” Holcomb said.

Among the companies serving as anchor partners with RAISE US are Amazon, Microsoft, Anthropic, the OpenAI Foundation and Bank of America. Other employers involved in the project include UPS, General Motors, Eli Lilly, Mastercard, chipmaker AMD, Cisco and IBM.

Raimondo, the former Democratic governor of Rhode Island who played a formative role in setting AI policy as the Biden administration’s commerce secretary, will be the nonprofit’s CEO.

The advisory board includes former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, billionaire investment manager Stephen Schwarzman, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and the economists David Autor, Erik Brynjolfsson and Raj Chetty.

AI has the potential to displace human workers from factories to offices

An April analysis by the Boston Consulting Group estimated that roughly half of U.S. jobs will be reshaped by AI over the next few years. The analysis said that as many as 25 million jobs could be eliminated in the U.S. over the next five years. Goldman Sachs, in March, separately released an estimate that a quarter of U.S. work hours could be automated by AI.

More than just a glorified search engine or a generator of video clips and novelty images, AI could fill roads with driverless trucks, create factories staffed by robots and supplant office workers, lawyers and doctors.

President Donald Trump has expressed little anxiety about the possibility of AI displacing human workers.

Asked on Tuesday ahead of touring a Mack Trucks factory in Pennsylvania if AI could cause truckers to lose their jobs, Trump told a reporter, “Right now, they’re not.”

The president has been banking on the buildout of AI data centers and power plants to drive hiring and overall economic growth. While AI-related investments have helped the economy, manufacturing has shed 68,000 jobs and the trucking transportation sector has cut 28,300 jobs since the start of Trump’s second term, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“We have, right now, so many jobs that are going to be available and the biggest problem we have is getting the people,” Trump said. “So we’re really doing spectacular.”

Experts say education systems and labor policies aren't built for an AI economy

AI experts have warned of gaps between the transformations that AI could create and a 20th century social safety net of unemployment insurance and four-year college that seems ill-prepared for the scope, scale and speed of the change.

“AI is now disrupting multiple sectors simultaneously, faster than any institution can respond,” said Vivienne Ming, a neuroscientist who has written the book, “Robot-Proof: When Machines Have all the Answers, Build Better People.”

Ming said that she agrees with an argument by economists that the wealth generated by AI could create demand for more workers that could offset any job losses. But she said the skills that matter in an AI economy go beyond professions such as plumbing or construction and involve curiosity and intellectual flexibility.

“Neither our education system nor our labor policies are building the foundational human capital that AI-era work actually requires,” she said.

Raimondo said the new nonprofit wants to use states as a vehicle for testing ideas that Congress can later embrace as policies, paving the way for the possibility of more profound changes to both the tax code and the educational system.

“I don’t have a lot of hope for bold action by Congress in the next few years on this issue, and I don’t think we can wait a few years,” she said. “I also think there are many examples in history that when the federal government does take action, they will look around at what has been working in states. I feel pretty confident that they will look at the work that we’ve done.”

In new overnight strikes, Zelenskyy said Thursday that Kyiv's forces hit two more Russian oil refineries in Ufa, 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from the front line, and an oil depot in the Krasnodar region, 300 kilometers (180 miles) from Ukraine.

In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up its aerial campaign against Russian military installations and energy facilities. Its success has caused fuel shortages and disrupted army supply lines, stalling Moscow’s full-scale invasion after more than four years of fighting.

Zelenskyy said in his daily address late Wednesday that Russia is moving more air defenses to the capital as well as to Valdai, a town some 500 kilometers (300 miles) northwest of Moscow and the site of a residence for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said they are also protecting the Kerch Bridge, a vital supply route connecting the Crimean Peninsula with the Russian mainland.

“In the Moscow region alone, they have amassed hundreds of launchers” for air defense missiles, Zelenskyy said. “Nearly 90 launchers have been redeployed to Valdai from other regions of Russia.”

It was not possible to independently verify Zelenskyy's claims, which portrayed the Russian leadership as caring more about protecting itself than other cities and towns in the vast country. Russian officials made no immediate comment.

Ukrainian drones this month have hit Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city and Putin’s hometown. Ukraine is also trying to cut off Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia invaded and illegally annexed in 2014.

The air defense changes, Zelenskyy suggested, would leave other parts of Russia vulnerable to Ukraine’s increasingly sophisticated long-range drones, which can now fly more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles).I

“There are many difficulties (for Russia), all because Putin refuses to end his war and to hear our proposals for a meeting, genuine negotiations, and a dignified peace,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by U.S. President Donald Trump but Putin has refused, and a year of U.S.-led peace efforts made no significant headway.

Trump praises Zelenskyy

Western officials and analysts say Ukraine’s prospects have improved after more than four years of a grueling war of attrition as its domestic development and production of cutting-edge drones pin down the bigger Russian army.

Trump, who previously has been critical of Zelenskyy, said Wednesday the Ukrainian leader is “courageous” and “doing pretty well” in the war.

Zelenskyy said he won pledges of sustained foreign support when he attended a recent summit of G7 leaders, including Trump, and that promised aid will further help Ukraine’s intensified campaign.

“Our operation, including the one concerning Crimea, has been carefully planned, and the way it is unfolding clearly demonstrates that if Ukraine receives exactly what we discussed with our partners at the G7 — and that depends on our partners’ decisions — we will quickly create conditions in which Russia will be forced to choose peace,” he said.

“We very much hope for a positive response from our partners,” Zelenskyy added. “They know exactly what we are talking about.”

Ukraine is wary of its neighbor Belarus

Belarus, whose factories have played a key role in supporting Moscow’s war effort, appears to have turned off signal repeaters on its soil that Kyiv says were used to help guide Russian drone attacks on Ukraine. Moscow launched its 2022 invasion of its southern neighbor from Belarus.

Zelenskyy demanded last week that Belarus, which borders both Ukraine and Russia, remove the relay equipment. He threatened to take action against the relay stations, presumably with a military strike that could bring the countries into direct conflict.

Ukrainian intelligence has determined that the repeaters are now off, Zelenskyy told journalists.

Even so, Zelenskyy said later Thursday on Telegram that “along our state border, Belarus is completing the construction of road infrastructure and storage facilities for ammunition and fuel, which have no purpose other than military use.”

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said he recently met with Zelenskyy’s representatives and warned them against using force against his country. At a meeting with the governor of the Moscow region, he said Belarus has no intention of entering the war and doesn’t want to fight Ukraine but would “stand alongside Russia.”

Ukrainian military officials on Wednesday ordered a mandatory evacuation for the approximately 1,000 people still in the Chernihiv region bordering Russia and Belarus starting July 1.

The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, said Lukashenko is walking a fine line.

“Lukashenko continues to stall and deflect the Kremlin’s intensified attempts to drag Belarus into the war in Ukraine while maintaining relatively neutral rhetoric towards Ukraine,” the institute said.

Ukrainian Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the armed forces, said last week that Ukraine is strengthening defenses on its northern border, including creating new drone units there.

Russia targets Ukraine's civilian gas stations

Russia launched a ballistic missile and 90 long-range drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said.

One drone struck a gas station Thursday in Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region, injuring four people, said regional administration head Oleh Hryhorov, adding that Russian forces have attacked the region's gas stations 13 times in June alone.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 269 Ukrainian drones from late Wednesday until early Thursday.

Several Russian airports temporarily restricted flights overnight during drone attacks.

In other developments, the French navy intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean that is suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of aging vessels of uncertain ownership and safety practices that are dodging sanctions, French authorities said.

The Deliver, sailing under the flag of Cameroon, had departed from the Russian port of Primorsk, authorities said.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The ban has been widely celebrated by advocates who hope Vermont’s move will prompt similar action in other states to prevent the neurologic disease that robs people of control over their movements and affects about 1 million Americans.

“Vermont took the step to be the leader in this, and that’s significant because it shifts the conversation,” said Dan Feehan, with The Michael J. Fox Foundation, the world’s largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson’s research. “Now, ‘will your state be the last to ban it?’ becomes the question.”

However, for some farmers, the ban could potentially threaten their already slim profit margins. Attempts to prohibit paraquat’s use in other states where the chemical is more heavily used have repeatedly stalled.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is currently reviewing the safety of paraquat after saying there’s no clear link between the herbicide and Parkinson’s.

Syngenta, a Swiss chemicals company that has made paraquat for years, announced earlier this year that it would stop global manufacturing or selling of the chemical, but also defended the herbicide’s safety. Other companies continue to sell it.

“Despite decades of investigation and more than 1,200 epidemiological and laboratory studies of paraquat, no scientist or doctor has ever concluded in a peer-reviewed scientific analysis that paraquat causes Parkinson’s disease,” the company said.

Paraquat is used widely in the US but banned in China and Europe

First introduced in the U.S. in 1964, paraquat became a popular weed killer for farmers.

It’s known as an extremely toxic chemical that is fatal if ingested and can cause chronic health problems on contact. Farmworkers are at particular risk, which has led the EPA to require special training for certified applicators of paraquat. The roughly hourlong training requires applicators to pass a 15-question quiz, and must be completed every three years.

It’s commonly used for protecting soybean, cotton and corn crops, but also for apples and grapes, according to the United States Geological Survey. As of 2018, the USGS reported more than 10 million pounds (4.5 million kilograms) of paraquat was used in the U.S., largely concentrated in the South, Midwest and California.

Despite its popularity, dozens of countries have banned the substance. The European Union and the UK banned paraquat in 2007. China banned domestic use of paraquat in 2017, along with Vietnam and Malaysia. Thailand issued a similar ban in 2019.

Health risks and links to Parkinson's

Defenders of using paraquat say the chemical is quickly absorbed by weeds, meaning that if rain falls — even after 30 minutes of application — it won't wash off into the soil. Companies like Syngenta say paraquat becomes immobilized once it touches soil. Yet there's disagreement over its harmful effects, with the Parkinson's community warning that people living near where paraquat is applied have increased risk of getting the disease.

Whether it causes Parkinson’s disease has been heavily debated and studied for years.

Dr. Philip Landrigan, an epidemiologist who directs a global health program at Boston College and has campaigned against human exposure to toxic chemicals, said multiple studies have shown that environmental factors, including exposure to pesticides like paraquat, can increase the risk for Parkinson's disease.

The Parkinson’s community considers the Vermont ban a significant victory.

“No matter how you slice and dice it, there’s no safe way to use paraquat,” said Ron McConnell, a Vermonter who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s after getting exposed to a different toxic substance at his work in 2017. “This law that Vermont just passed really is protecting the farmers that use it and the farmworkers that use it.”

The ban goes into effect Nov. 1, but the statute gives farmers using paraquat on fruit-producing orchards, berries and small fruit crops until 2030 to transition away from using the herbicide.

Vermont farmers are bracing for changes

Greg Burtt, owner of a family apple orchard and Republican Vermont lawmaker, considers paraquat a “critical tool” in his operation.

He says he believes the ban will place farmers like him at a competitive disadvantage to growers in other states who can continue using the more budget-friendly paraquat. There are alternative herbicides, but some farmers warn that those could involve chemicals that risk killing the plant if not applied carefully. Mechanical tilling, crop rotation and hand weeding are also options, but come with separate downsides, notably increased labor costs.

“There’s a reason why it’s an industry standard,” said Burtt, who's used paraquat for 20 years.

He's not worried about getting Parkinson's because he interpreted the research on the herbicide to be inconclusive.

“I wanna be the first person to make sure that it’s safe because I don’t wanna die young over farming,” Burtt said. “And so if anybody’s had to wrestle with these questions, it’s me.”

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Kruesi reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

Now, they're going on public display for the first time after a nonprofit organization paid a whopping sum of more than $7 million for the sketches after they ended up on an auction block following a family dispute over their ownership.

The four 1940s-era sketches titled “So You Want to See the President!” show people from all walks of life waiting to see President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II. They depict U.S. senators, members of the military, the press and even a Miss America biding their time in the West Wing reception area, as they wait to be shown to the Oval Office.

The White House Historical Association spared no expense for the sketches to prevent them from being “lost forever,” such as to a private art collection, its president Stewart McLaurin told The Associated Press. The public will be able to see them through June 2027 at the historical association’s “The People’s House” education center near the White House, he said.

“And since they had been seen by the eyes of so many presidents and first ladies and senior White House staff and important visitors from around the world, we wanted the American people to see them," McLaurin said. “So we acquired them.”

The sketches had been put up for sale by a grandson of the White House official who received them as a gift from Rockwell.

Rockwell is famous for his scenes of American life

Rockwell, who became famous for his illustrations of everyday American life that graced covers of the Saturday Evening Post, spent hours at the White House people-watching from a chair in the West Wing lobby, McLaurin said.

But after his sketches were consumed by a fire that destroyed Rockwell's art studio in Vermont, he went back to the White House to collect more material.

“So it's really a combination of his memories from that first visit, the memories of the second visit,” McLaurin said. “And it is an array of these people representing the military and White House staff and members of Congress and the press corps and all kinds of people that literally, to this day, go through that space in the West Wing.”

The first of Rockwell's colorful sketches opens with scenes of the entrance gate, photographers waiting outside the White House entrance on West Executive Avenue and Stephen Early, a former AP journalist who became the third White House press secretary under Roosevelt, in a huddle with a group of journalists. Seated on red leather chairs and reading papers are members of the press and Rockwell, with a pipe in his mouth and legs outstretched.

The next scene shows Miss America — identified as Rosemary LaPlanche, the 1941 titleholder — in a yellow dress and her sash, sitting on a red sofa alongside her publicity man. A kilt-wearing Scottish officer also sits nearby as a Secret Service agent hovers.

U.S. Sens. Tom Connally, D-Texas, and Warren Austin, R-Vt., face each other in conversation as they sit on a red couch in the third sketch while a U.S. Navy “WAVES” officer looks on from a nearby chair. Gens. Joseph W. “Vinegar Joe” Stillwell and Edwin M. “Pa” Watson shake hands while being photographed, and an aide pushing Roosevelt's lunch cart is chased by Fala, the president's dog.

The final sketch shows more uniformed U.S military members huddled in conversation and, finally, an aide opening the door to the Oval Office, where the president is glimpsed.

“It's such a little aquarium of these people and we're like a fly on the wall as to what it was like at that particular period of time,” McLaurin said of the sketches.

They were a gift for Roosevelt's press secretary

Rockwell made the sketches for Early and gave them to him after they appeared in The Saturday Evening Post in November 1943, during World War II, McLaurin said.

Early, who died in 1951, had displayed them on the wall in his West Wing office and then kept them for many years after. In 1978, a family member turned the sketches over to the White House, where they were on display throughout the West Wing for more than four decades, sometimes in a hallway between the press offices that are mere steps from the Oval Office.

The family’s ownership dispute began in 2017 when Thomas Early, one of the press secretary’s sons, saw them on a wall in the White House while watching a television interview with President Donald Trump, according to court records.

William Elam III, a grandson of Stephen Early, said his mother received the drawings as a gift from her father, the press secretary, before he died, and that ownership had later passed to him.

The illustrations had gone to the White House in 1978 under an agreement that required they be returned to Elam upon request. The White House gave back the drawings in 2022.

A federal appeals court settled the dispute in May 2025, upholding a lower-court ruling in favor of Elam, according to court records. Elam put them up for sale.

Association says the sketches are ‘priceless’

Historians at the association have researched the people in the drawings to learn their stories, McLaurin said, and the exhibit will include a digital component that uses modern technology to bring the characters in the sketches to life.

The association is still figuring out what happens to the sketches after the exhibit ends in June 2027. They may be shown in other venues, and may eventually end up back in the White House, McLaurin said.

When the association learned the sketches were for sale, “our board affirmed that this is an acquisition that we should make,” he said.

McLaurin said the privately funded association, which was founded in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy and receives no taxpayer dollars, had feared the sketches would sell for even more than the $7.25 million it paid for them. That is the most the association has ever paid for a work of art for the vast collection it holds as part of its mission to help the White House collect and display artifacts that represent American history and culture.

“In our view, these are priceless works,” McLaurin said.

La decisión, que se produce en medio de una ola de calor récord en Francia, no llegó a satisfacer las peticiones de las organizaciones climáticas que presentaron la demanda para obligar a la empresa a reducir su producción de petróleo y gas.

El tribunal programó una nueva audiencia para enero de 2027 para considerar la nueva evaluación de TotalEnergies en virtud de una ley de 2017 que exige a las empresas prevenir abusos de derechos humanos y riesgos ambientales. Es la primera vez que la llamada ley del deber de vigilancia corporativa se aplica al cambio climático.

La ley no pretende hacer a las empresas “responsables de los riesgos vinculados al cambio climático, que resultan de toda la actividad humana en el planeta desde la Revolución Industrial”, indicó el tribunal en un comunicado, sino que más bien les pide actuar “de acuerdo con su propia situación”.

Las organizaciones ecologistas Notre Affaire à Tous, Sherpa, ZEA y France Nature Environnement, junto con las autoridades de la ciudad de París, iniciaron el proceso en 2020.

Sostienen que TotalEnergies es uno de los mayores emisores históricos de gases de efecto invernadero y han pedido al tribunal que obligue a la empresa a reducir la producción de petróleo en un 37% y la de gas en un 25% para 2030. La demanda también solicita que se paralicen todos los nuevos proyectos relacionados con los combustibles fósiles.

La decisión del tribunal coincide con una ola brutal de calor en Europa. Las altas temperaturas afectaron también al Reino Unido y España, donde las agencias meteorológicas emitieron alertas rojas —como en Francia— sobre los riesgos del calor extremo para decenas de millones de personas.

La emblemática Torre Eiffel y el museo del Louvre se han visto obligados a restringir los horarios de visita, y los horarios escolares y del transporte se han visto afectados en todo el continente.

El cambio climático causado por el hombre está vinculado a fenómenos meteorológicos cada vez más extremos, y las proyecciones de la agencia climática de Naciones Unidas señalan que es probable que en los próximos cinco años se pulvericen más récords de calor.

Europa es el continente que más rápido se calienta en el mundo, con temperaturas que aumentan al doble de la media global desde la década de 1980, según el Servicio de Cambio Climático Copernicus de la Unión Europea.

Durante los últimos cuatro años, más de 200.000 personas en toda Europa murieron por causas relacionadas con el calor, y la mayoría de esas muertes eran evitables, indicó este mes la oficina para Europa de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS).

La decisión será la última en una serie de fallos en casos sobre cambio climático. El año pasado, el máximo tribunal de la ONU, la Corte Internacional de Justicia, señaló que los países podrían estar infringiendo el derecho internacional si no adoptan medidas para proteger al planeta del cambio climático. En 2024, el Tribunal Europeo de Derechos Humanos dictaminó que las naciones deben proteger mejor a su población de las consecuencias del cambio climático.

En 2019, la Corte Suprema de los Países Bajos emitió la primera gran victoria legal para los activistas climáticos cuando los jueces dictaminaron que la protección frente a los efectos potencialmente devastadores del cambio climático era un derecho humano y que el gobierno tiene el deber de proteger a sus ciudadanos.

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Quell reportó desde La Haya, Países Bajos.

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

The decision, which comes amid a record heat wave in France, fell short of requests from the climate organizations who brought the lawsuit to force the company to reduce its oil and gas production.

The court scheduled a new hearing for January to consider TotalEnergies’ new assessment under a 2017 law that requires companies to prevent human rights abuses and environmental risks. It's the first time that the so-called corporate duty of vigilance law is being applied to climate change.

The law is not intended to make companies “responsible for the risks linked to climate change, which result from all human activity on the planet since the Industrial Revolution” the court said in a statement, but rather requests them to act “according to their own situation.”

Environmental groups Notre Affaire à Tous, Sherpa, ZEA, France Nature Environnement, together with the city of Paris, launched the proceedings in 2020.

The groups said that they were happy that the court decided that climate change was included in the 2017 duty of vigilance law.

“This decision marks a significant step forward, confirming that the duty of vigilance fully applies to climate risks generated by multinational corporations,” they said in a statement.

They claim that TotalEnergies is one of the largest historical emitters of greenhouse gas and asked the court to require the company to reduce oil production by 37% and gas production by 25% by 2030. The lawsuit also asked for a halt to all new fossil fuel projects.

Sébastien Duyck, a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, told The Associated Press that including the effects of climate change in the duty of vigilance law could set a precedent across Europe. This legislation “is a key legal path to corporate accountability,” he said, adding that the French law has “served as a model for other laws of the same nature in other countries and at the EU level.”

The court's decision comes as Europe is experiencing a heat wave. Punishing temperatures extended to the United Kingdom and Spain, where weather agencies issued red alerts — like France — about the risks of extreme heat for tens of millions of people.

The Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum have been forced to restrict visiting hours, and school and transportation schedules have been interrupted across the continent.

Human-caused climate change is tied to increasingly extreme weather, and U.N. climate agency projections say the next five years are likely to shatter more heat records.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, with temperatures increasing twice as fast as the global average since the 1980s, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Over the last four years, more than 200,000 people across Europe died from heat-related causes, and most of those deaths were preventable, the World Health Organization’s Europe office said this month.

The decision is the latest in a series of rulings in climate change cases. Last year, the United Nations’ top court, the International Court of Justice, said that countries could be in violation of international law if they fail to take measures to protect the planet from climate change. In 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that countries must better protect their people from the consequences of climate change.

In 2019, the Netherlands’ Supreme court handed down the first major legal win for climate activists when judges ruled that protection from the potentially devastating effects of climate change was a human right, and that the government has a duty to protect its citizens.

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Molly Quell reported from The Hague, Netherlands.

The head of the International Maritime Organization said the plan to move stranded ships through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region.

It was unclear who launched the projectile or the type of vessel that was targeted. The report of a strike came hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using a U.N.-approved route through the strait without Tehran’s permission.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A cargo ship moving through the Strait of Hormuz on a route backed by the United Nations was hit by a projectile Thursday, the British military said, as several tankers made their way out of the channel using the same path.

It was unclear who launched the projectile or the type of vessel that was targeted. The report of a strike came hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using the route through the strait without Tehran’s permission.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the vessel sustained damage, but it reported no injuries or environmental impact in the attack off the coast of Oman.

The opening of an alternative passage through the vital waterway would relieve pressure on the world economy and remove Iran’s main source of leverage in ongoing peace talks with the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to the Gulf to reassure American allies, said Washington was committed to the new route and making sure ships were able to transit the strait.

“If that stops, then we’re going to have a problem,” Rubio said earlier Thursday.

Traffic through the strait increased in recent days but was still well below prewar levels. Oil on Thursday briefly dipped below its last prewar price of just under $73 per barrel, a sign that the market believes the situation was improving.

The U.S. and Iran are still debating terms of an interim peace deal — from getting ships through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf to the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Under the memorandum of understanding signed last week, the U.S. and Iran have 60 days to iron out the details. As talks are held behind closed doors, U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian leaders have seemed to negotiate in public, trading threats and claiming concessions the other side denies.

Meanwhile, a flare-up of fighting in Lebanon between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants threatened the wider truce. Lebanon says five people have been killed by Israeli strikes over the past two days.

More ships are passing through the strait, but far fewer than before the war

Oil tankers, led by the Stoic Warrior vessel, sailed along the United Arab Emirates and then Oman early Thursday, passing by Oman's Musandam Peninsula fairly close to the shore. The route was laid out by Oman and the International Maritime Organization, a U.N. agency.

North of the route is a corridor in the center of the strait where ships had moved through freely before the war, transporting about a fifth of all the world’s oil and natural gas.

Iran said it mined that passage after the U.S. and Israel attacked it on Feb. 28. At least one mine has been sighted there.

Though some ships had been getting out of the strait, with U.S. military support, the U.N. agency's effort is the latest to free trapped vessels. The shipping company Maersk said its container ship, the Maersk Baltimore, and another chartered vessel made it out on Thursday.

Last week, 125 vessels crossed the strait, up from 33 the week before, according to marine data and analysis firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

According to S&P Global, Wednesday saw 78 transits, the most since the war began, but still below the daily prewar average of 130 or more.

“Opportunistic operators — and there are many of them — emboldened by the lower transit risk, or at least the perceived lower transit risk, have begun chasing the backlog of trapped cargoes,” said Richard Meade, editor-in-chief at Lloyd’s List.

Iran says the new shipping route is ‘unacceptable’

The naval arm of the Revolutionary Guard issued a warning Thursday against using the route, carried by Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.

It said the new route was established without notice or coordination with Iran, calling it “unacceptable and completely dangerous.”

“The only authorized route for passing through the Strait of Hormuz is the one declared by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Iranian force said. “Vessel traffic outside these routes is extremely dangerous and prohibited.”

“Violators will be dealt with,” it added, without elaborating.

On Wednesday, the Guard threatened one tanker over the radio, with a soldier warning, “You are in range of my missiles and maybe (I) fire on you,” according to the private security firm Ambrey.

Rubio says the US will ensure there are no tolls on ships

Rubio met with foreign ministers from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to assure them that their interests would be protected in any agreement with Iran.

Those countries, including major energy producers reliant on the strait for exports, came under attack by Iran after the start of the war.

“There is no part in this deal that’s undertaken that in any way undermines the security, the stability or the prosperity of any of our partners in the Gulf region,” Rubio said at the meeting in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani thanked the U.S. for its support, saying that because of the agreement, “today we see a glimmer of hope for our region” but stressed that it was “critically important that Iran adheres to its obligations.”

Lebanon remains a flashpoint

A lull in fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah that started Sunday began to show cracks after Israel said it targeted Hezbollah militants.

Lebanon’s health ministry said Thursday that three people were killed by an Israeli strike on a car in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has called the recent strikes a ceasefire violation but has not retaliated. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the latest strike, which came as Lebanese and Israeli officials were in Washington discussing a proposed phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon.

Israel’s military said Thursday that a reservist soldier was killed and another hurt in southern Lebanon.

Over 4,000 people in Lebanon have been killed in Israeli strikes since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began in March, when the Lebanese militant group fired at Israel. At least 37 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon or northern Israel during the fighting.

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Lee reported from Manama, Bahrain. Associated Press writers David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

At least 60 people were killed when police opened fire outside Parliament in Nairobi in the June 2024 protests that were triggered by tax increases. The victims' families said that they were protesting against a lack of transparency in compensating the victims, after the government promised reparations.

President William Ruto said last week that the protest would be allowed, but that the government would also protect schoolchildren and workers and he warned against any attempts by the demonstrators to “shut down the country.”

Police erected roadblocks on all major highways around Nairobi, blocking motorists from accessing the city. The Parliament building was barricaded and businesses were closed.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said that 355 “criminals” were arrested in Nairobi and other towns. He said that the measures were necessary to “protect businesses and avert chaos.”

Journalists and witnesses said that many ordinary Kenyans appeared to be among those detained.

Police also fired tear gas at protesters outside Nairobi's main police station who attempted to present a petition.

Opposition leaders backed the protests, calling for transparency in the $15 million government’s compensation program.

During protests on June, 25, 2024, thousands of young Kenyans stormed the Parliament building, urging legislators to vote against a finance bill that had proposed an increase in taxes despite the rising cost of living. Police opened fire outside the building, killing dozens.

Ruto said last week that the government compensation represents “a state acknowledgment that harm occurred,” but was not an admission of guilt. He said that the compensation shouldn't be seen as a “reward for violence or criminality,” in a country where violent protests are common.

Several opposition figures — including former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, former Justice Minister Martha Karua and former Chief Justice David Maraga — marched alongside activists and the families of the 2024 crackdown victims, laying wreaths at the barbed-wire barricades around Parliament.

Edith Wanjiku, whose 19-year-old son Ibrahim Kamau died of gunshots to the neck, said that her family has yet to receive compensation although they had submitted documents to the state-funded Kenya Human Rights Commission.

“Only two out of 10 families whose children were shot that day near Parliament have been compensated and we are wondering what criteria the government is using,” she told The Associated Press.

Gillian Munyao, whose son, Rex Masai, also was killed, said that compensation can't replace justice.

“Arrest the killer cops, that's my message to the government,” she said.

The chair of the compensation panel, Makau Mutua, said on Wednesday that the process was still ongoing and that every verified claim would be paid.

Three police officers have been charged in the deaths of protesters.