According to FHP, the crash occurred in the northbound lanes of the highway, just south of Oakland Park Boulevard.

Troopers said the car was heading north on the highway when, for unknown reasons, the driver ran off the road to the right, entered the outside grass shoulder and crashed into the billboard support post.

Troopers said the car then overturned and came to a final rest within the tree line.

The driver, whose identity has not yet been released, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The boyfriend and girlfriend, who attended Downtown Doral Charter Upper School, were identified in an email sent to families by Ms. Acevedo-Isenberg, Head of Schools at Downtown Doral Charter Schools, as Mateo Dávila, 17, and Alessia Tucci, 16.

“Our entire community is mourning this unimaginable loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, our faculty, and staff at our elementary school and certainly our upper school, where they currently attended,” Acevedo-Isenberg wrote in the email. “Both students deeply loved their school, their teachers, their coaches, and their peers, leaving a lasting impact on everyone who knew them.”

According to police, the teens were in a Kia sedan when it veered off the roadway and crashed into a pole at about 6 p.m. along Northwest 87th Avenue, near 54th Street. They did not specify who was driving.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Detective Argemis “AC” Colome said the car became engulfed in flames after the crash.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel pronounced both students dead at the scene.

Shortly after the crash, dozens gathered at the site to mourn the victims.

“It was, like, a big shock to everyone because it could happen so quickly,” a student named Alexandra told Local 10 News.

“I was in disbelief. I didn’t want to believe it,” another student, Ruben Abreu, said.

Abreu said he has known Dávila since first grade and the news of this has been heartbreaking.

“He was just a jolly person. He would never let, like, bad things bring him down,” Abreu said.

Acevedo-Isenberg said in her email that grief counselors will be available on campus in the coming days for any students or staff who want to speak with someone.

“We recognize that this news is difficult to process. We encourage parents to talk openly with their children and monitor their well-being. If you have concerns about how your child is coping, or if you feel they need additional support, please do not hesitate to contact our counseling department,” Acevedo-Isenberg said. “Thank, you, gracias, obrigada, and merci. We unite as a Dolphin family during this difficult time.”

MDSO traffic homicide detectives are investigating the cause of the fatal crash.

Two other assailants were wounded and captured during Tuesday’s shootout in the city's financial and business district, while two police officers sustained slight injuries, officials said.

Israel had withdrawn its diplomats from Turkey over security concerns and deteriorating relations with Ankara shortly after the start of the war in Gaza, and officials said the consulate was closed at the time of the attack.

Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said one of the assailants had links to a group that he said “exploits religion,” without naming the organization.

The Islamic State group has carried out deadly attacks in Turkey in the past.

Anadolu Agency reported that security forces detained nine suspects in operations conducted in Istanbul as well as in the provinces of Konya and Kocaeli. They were being questioned along with the two injured assailants, the agency reported, without providing further details.

Cifti said the attackers had traveled from the city of Izmit, in Kocaeli province, in a rented car. The two wounded assailants are brothers, identified as Onur C. and Enes C. The first has a criminal record related to drugs.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned the attack and praised the Turkish authorities for preventing further violence.

Dozens of Downtown Doral Charter Upper School students said they were mourning their classmates: A teenage girl and a teenage boy.

Miami-Dade firefighters and Doral police officers responded to the crash at about 6 p.m., along Northwest 87th Avenue, near 54th Street.

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Detective Argemis “AC” Colome released a statement.

“A sedan was traveling southbound on NW 87 Avenue when it veered off the roadway and struck a pole,” Colome wrote. “The vehicle subsequently became engulfed in flames.”

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel pronounced the two dead at the scene, according to M-DSO deputies and Doral police officers.

M-DSO traffic homicide detectives were investigating the cause of the fatal crash.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

More in Miami-Dade: Beware of flooding, rip currents, traffic delays in South Florida

Location of the crash

The 19-year-old shortstop agreed to a nine-year, $140 million contract with the Pirates early Wednesday, less than a week after the former first-round pick made his major league debut.

The deal, the largest in club history, includes escalators that could raise the total value to $150 million.

“Signing Konnor is a meaningful commitment to this team, this city and our fans,” owner Bob Nutting said in a statement. “It reflects our belief in Konnor, in this season's club and in the future of the organization.”

The agreement comes less than 24 hours after general manager Ben Cherington said the “ingredients” were in place for a long-term pact.

The Pirates selected Griffin with the ninth overall pick in the 2024 amateur draft. He sprinted through the team's farm system, hitting .333 with 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases. He was one of the final cuts during spring training last month, and his stay at Triple-A Indianapolis was brief.

Pittsburgh called Griffin to the majors after just a week, and he has played well through his first handful of games. Griffin laced an RBI-double in his first big-league at bat against Baltimore last Friday, and added a pair of hits, including a two-run single, in a 7-1 win over San Diego on Tuesday night that helped the Pirates to their sixth win in seven games.

Griffin, who has said repeatedly he wants to stay in Pittsburgh for as long as possible, has impressed teammates with his maturity and his unique skillset.

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes called Griffin “a big leaguer through and through,” though Griffin is doing his best to ignore the attention that has surrounded his arrival for a team that is trying to return to relevance and end a playoff drought that's now over a decade old.

“Just sticking to being myself, not trying to do too much,” Griffin said Tuesday night. "Just let the game tell me the situation. Compete one pitch at a time and let it all happen.”

___

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

Israel has said the agreement does not extend to its war with the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, although mediator Pakistan said it does.

Israel’s military called it the largest coordinated strike in the current war, striking more than 100 Hezbollah targets within 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa valley.

Black smoke towered over several parts of the seaside capital. Booms interrupted the honking of traffic on what had been a blue-sky afternoon. Ambulances raced toward open flames. At least one apartment building was struck. Emergency responders searched charred vehicles.

It was not immediately clear how many people were killed or wounded, but several strikes were in busy commercial locations, causing panic in the streets.

Israel's military said it had targeted missile launchers, command centers and intelligence infrastructure and accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields.

“The State of Lebanon and its civilians must refuse Hezbollah’s entrenchment in civilian areas and its weapons build-up capabilities,” the military said in a statement.

Israel has rarely struck central Beirut since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war on March 2 but has regularly struck southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Before the wave of new strikes, a Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that the group was giving a chance for mediators to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon, but “we have not announced our adherence to the ceasefire since the Israelis are not adhering to it.” He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.

The Hezbollah official said the group will not accept a return to the pre-March 2 status quo, when Israel carried out near-daily strikes in Lebanon despite a ceasefire being nominally in place since the last full-blown Israel-Hezbollah war ended in November 2024.

“We will not accept for the Israelis to continue behaving as they did before this war with regards to attacks,” he said. “We do not want this phase to continue.”

Hezbollah had fired missiles across the border days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, sparking a regional war. Israel responded with widespread bombardment of Lebanon and a ground invasion.

Israeli airstrikes have killed more than 1,530 people in Lebanon, including more than 100 women and 130 children. The Israeli military has said it has killed hundreds of Hezbollah fighters. More than one million people have been displaced in Lebanon.

Early Wednesday, after the ceasefire in Iran was announced, many displaced people sleeping in tents on the streets of Beirut and the coastal city of Sidon began packing their belongings in preparation to return to their homes.

That was before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed the military would press on in Lebanon.

At a sprawling displacement camp on Beirut’s waterfront, families whiplashed by the conflicting statements expressed confusion and despair.

“We can’t take this anymore, sleeping in a tent, not showering, the uncertainty,” said Fadi Zaydan, 35. He and his parents had prepared to head back to the southern city of Nabatieh before Netanyahu's comments stopped them in their tracks.

“But we’ll be targeted if we go home," Zaydan said. His family decided to wait things out for now in Sidon, a bit closer to home.

___

Associated Press writer Isabel DeBre contributed.

Los fiscales federales dicen que Oren y Alon Alexander, junto con su hermano mayor Tal, usaron su estatus, riqueza e influencia para atraer a “docenas” de mujeres a entornos aislados, donde fueron repetidamente drogadas, violadas y explotadas en el transcurso de más de una década.

El juez de Miami-Dade, Lody Jean, ratificó un acuerdo previo al juicio entre los fiscales y la defensa, otorgando la libertad bajo fianza bajo estrictas condiciones.

Oren Alexander está acusado en tres casos, mientras que Alon enfrenta un cargo. Cada uno debe pagar una fianza de $25,000 por caso, cumplir con el arresto domiciliario de nivel 3 con monitoreo GPS y entregar sus pasaportes. También están obligados a evitar el contacto con las presuntas víctimas.

Un juez federal también negó el viernes la libertad bajo fianza para Tal Alexander, citando preocupaciones sobre su posible riesgo de fuga.

Milton Williams Jr., abogado defensor de Tal Alexander, dijo que su cliente probablemente será trasladado al Centro de Detención Metropolitano en Nueva York, una instalación previamente asociada con casos de alto perfil como el de Sean “Diddy” Combs.

“La familia va en serio para apoyar a su hijo y demostrar que es inocente”, dijo Williams a Local 10 News.

“El gobierno ha cumplido con su carga en lo que respecta al riesgo de fuga”, dijo el juez durante la audiencia. Si bien reconoció que Alexander podría no representar un peligro significativo para la comunidad, el tribunal no encontró condiciones que pudieran mitigar completamente el riesgo de que huyera.

El juez enfatizó la solidez de las pruebas contra Alexander y señaló los “amplios recursos financieros” de su familia, que incluyen activos sustanciales. “En este momento, no sé si 115 millones de dólares son sustanciales para ellos, pero él tiene los recursos financieros para huir si así lo decide”, agregó el juez.

El tribunal desestimó el confinamiento domiciliario y el monitoreo por GPS como salvaguardas suficientes, afirmando que tales medidas “han demostrado en el pasado que no son infalibles”.

Oren Alexander enfrenta cargos de conspiración para cometer tráfico sexual y tráfico sexual que involucra a una víctima a través de la fuerza, fraude o coerción, en tres casos separados, mientras que Alon Alexander enfrenta un cargo de agresión sexual por parte de múltiples perpetradores.

En un acontecimiento significativo, ambas partes llegaron a un acuerdo sobre la libertad previa al juicio por los cargos estatales, que fue ratificado por el juez el viernes. Como parte del acuerdo, el padre de los hermanos, Schlomy Alexander, está poniendo una propiedad familiar, ubicada cerca de la cuadra 200 Bal Bay Drive en Bal Harbour, como garantía.

Los abogados defensores confirmaron que se espera que Ohad Fisherman, un amigo cercano de la familia que enfrenta un cargo de agresión sexual por parte de múltiples perpetradores en relación con un incidente de 2016 que involucró a los tres hermanos Alexander, se entregue la próxima semana después de regresar de su luna de miel en Japón.

A pesar del acuerdo de fianza, los hermanos Alexander permanecen bajo custodia, a la espera de ser transferidos a los Alguaciles de EE. UU. para enfrentar cargos federales de tráfico sexual. Los investigadores alegan que los Alexander, junto con su hermano mayor Tal, explotaron su riqueza e influencia para victimizar a las mujeres durante un período de 11 años.

Informe de las 9 a.m.

El fallo judicial del viernes se produce un día después de que Oren y Alon Alexander comparecieran en una sala del tribunal de Miami-Dade con chalecos verdes antisuicidio, donde la jueza Mindy Glazer les negó la libertad bajo fianza. Los fiscales citaron su acceso a aviones y yates privados como evidencia de riesgo de fuga.

“Este acusado tiene acceso a aviones privados, barcos privados; hay riesgo de fuga”, dijo la fiscal Natalie Snyder al tribunal. Glazer confirmó la decisión, declarando: “Debido a que se considera un delito peligroso, estoy obligado a retenerlo sin fianza”.

Los hermanos Alexander, cuyas batallas legales han atraído una atención significativa, permanecen en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight a pesar de una victoria de la corte estatal el jueves anterior que estableció un acuerdo de arresto domiciliario con condiciones.

Su abogado defensor, quien asistió a una audiencia en un tribunal federal el viernes, le dijo a Local 10 News que los hermanos permanecerán bajo custodia hasta al menos el lunes por la mañana. Se requiere una audiencia a las 10 a.m. en el Edificio de Justicia Richard E. Gerstein para confirmar la fianza vinculada a sus cargos estatales.

Dijo que el procedimiento de la corte estatal esta mañana fue una “victoria”, pero aún hay más por resolver.

Los cargos federales se ciernen sobre los hermanos.

El exfiscal estatal y federal David Weinstein indicó que es probable que los alguaciles federales tomen la custodia de la pareja de TGK en preparación para su caso federal. Sin embargo, el momento de la transferencia depende de cuándo esté programada su comparecencia inicial en el tribunal federal.

Lea el acuerdo de libertad previa al juicio de Oren y Alon Alexander en el documento a continuación (en inglés):

Nota del editor: En el momento de la publicación de este informe, Ohad Fisherman fue acusado de un delito de agresión sexual/múltiples autores por presuntamente ayudar y asistir a los gemelos Alexander en la comisión de una agresión sexual en 2016. El 7 de julio de 2025, la Fiscalía retiró el cargo contra el Sr. Fisherman después de que se presentara una declaración de coartada que indicaba que, en el momento de la agresión sexual, el Sr. Fisherman se encontraba en un barco en el Canal Intracostero.

Leer en español

Federal prosecutors say Oren and Alon Alexander, along with their older brother Tal, used their status, wealth, and influence to lure “dozens” of women into isolated settings, where they were repeatedly drugged, raped, and exploited them over the course of more than a decade.

Miami-Dade Judge Lody Jean ratified a pretrial agreement between prosecutors and the defense, granting bail under strict conditions.

She ruled that both brothers must post a $25,000 bond per case, comply with Level 3 house arrest with GPS monitoring, and surrender their passports. They are also required to avoid contact with the alleged victims.

A federal judge also denied bond Friday for Tal Alexander, citing concerns over his potential risk of flight.

Milton Williams Jr., Tal Alexander’s defense attorney, said his client will likely be transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York, a facility previously associated with high-profile cases like Sean “Diddy” Combs.

“The family means business in supporting their son and proving he is innocent,” Williams to Local 10 News.

“The government has met their burden when it comes to risk of flight,” the judge said during the hearing. While acknowledging that Alexander might not pose a significant danger to the community, the court found no conditions that could fully mitigate the risk of him fleeing.

The judge emphasized the strength of the evidence against Alexander and noted his family’s “extensive financial resources,” which include substantial assets. “At this point, I am not aware whether $115 million is substantial for them, but he has the financial resources to flee if he chose to do so,” the judge added.

The court dismissed home confinement and GPS monitoring as sufficient safeguards, stating that such measures “have proven in the past to not be foolproof.”

Oren Alexander is facing charges of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking involving a victim through force, fraud, or coercion, in three separate cases, while Alon Alexander faces one count of sexual battery by multiple perpetrators.

In a significant development, both sides reached an agreement on pretrial release for the state charges, which was ratified by the judge on Friday. As part of the agreement, the brothers’ father, Schlomy Alexander, is putting up a family property — located near the 200 block Bal Bay Drive in Bal Harbour — as collateral.

Defense attorneys confirmed that Ohad Fisherman, a close family friend who is also facing one count of sexual battery by multiple perpetrators in connection with a 2016 incident involving the three Alexander brothers, is expected to surrender next week after returning from his honeymoon in Japan.

9 a.m. report

Miami-Dade prosecutors also confirmed that a warrant for Fisherman’s arrest has been quashed, but warned it will be reissued if he fails to appear as planned.

Despite the bail agreement for the state case, the brothers remain held under a federal detainer. They are not expected to leave custody due to pending federal charges, with a federal court hearing scheduled for 1 p.m.

Friday’s court ruling comes a day after Oren and Alon Alexander appeared in a Miami-Dade courtroom wearing green anti-suicide vests, where they were denied bond by Judge Mindy Glazer. Prosecutors cited their access to private planes and yachts as evidence of a flight risk.

“This defendant has access to private planes, private boats; he is a flight risk,” prosecutor Natalie Snyder told the court. Glazer affirmed the decision, stating, “Because it is considered a dangerous crime, I am required to hold you with no bond.”

The Alexander brothers, whose legal battles have drawn significant attention, remain at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center despite a state court victory earlier Thursday that established a house arrest agreement with conditions.

Their defense attorney, who attended a federal court hearing Friday, told Local 10 News that the brothers will remain in custody until at least Monday morning. A 10 a.m. hearing at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building is required to confirm the surety bond tied to their state charges.

He said state court proceeding this morning was a “win,” but there’s still more to resolve.

Federal charges loom large for the brothers.

Former state and federal prosecutor David Weinstein indicated that U.S. Marshals are likely to take custody of the pair from TGK in preparation for their federal case. However, the timing of the transfer depends on when their initial appearance in federal court is scheduled.

Tal Alexander, who appeared in Miami-Dade federal court Friday at 1 p.m. before Judge Lissette Reid wearing a beige inmate jumpsuit, sat alongside his defense team, including a New York attorney who questioned an FBI agent currently testifying in court.

Prosecutors allege Alexander conspired with his brothers from at least 2010 to 2021 to engage in a pattern of sexual violence, including the trafficking and rape of approximately 40 victims, some of whom were minors at the time.

The alleged assaults date back to when the brothers attended high school in Miami, with prosecutors referencing a yearbook comment they believe alludes to gang rape.

In court, an FBI agent described messages and social media posts prosecutors claim reveal the brothers’ methods.

Evidence includes a text from January 2024, in which Oren Alexander reportedly warned Tal:

”Start to think about your reputation. We are on the top of our game, and the only thing that can bring us down is some h-- complaining.”

Prosecutors said the brothers used promoters, dating apps, and chance encounters to lure victims. Multiple women reported being restrained, drugged, and sexually assaulted.

Prosecutors said a victim described being attacked in the Hamptons in 2011, waking up outside after being filmed by a camcorder. Another victim, allegedly assaulted in 2016, claimed she was incapacitated after receiving a drink and was raped while unable to move or speak.

The allegations also include a group chat where the brothers discussed “fees per bang” and referred to women as “fresh” acquisitions. Prosecutors argued the brothers were boastful about their crimes, using phrases like “running train,” which refers to gang rape.

Reid has yet to rule on whether Tal Alexander will remain detained. Defense attorneys have pushed back against the evidence, questioning its admissibility and context.

The parties agreed not to disclose the victims’ identities.

Watch Local 10 News at 4 p.m. or refresh this page for updates.

Read Oren and Alon Alexander’s pre-trial release agreement in the document below.

Editor’s Note: At the time of the publication of this report, Ohad Fisherman was charged with one count of sexual battery/multiple perpetrators for allegedly aiding and assisting the Alexander twins in committing a sexual battery in 2016. On July 7, 2025, the State Attorney’s Office dropped the charge against Mr. Fisherman after a notice of alibi was filed indicating that at the time of the sexual battery, Mr. Fisherman was on a boat along the Intercoastal Waterway.

According to Miami police, officers first responded to the building at 187 NW 57^th Ave. at about 4:20 a.m. Sunday after receiving a report about a suspicious person who looked like he was sharpening a knife before entering an apartment where people were arguing and naked.

Police said an officer made contact with both people inside the apartment, who claimed everything was fine.

But police say the same person who reported the first incident called 911 about an hour later, claiming two people were fighting and a person had been cut.

A nearby gas station employee then called 911, stating that a naked man covered in blood was at the GX gas station and was holding a knife.

According to an arrest report, officers responded to the gas station at 5688 W. Flagler St. and found the victim who had stab wounds to the chest.

Miami Fire Rescue transported him to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.

According to the report, the victim told police that he had met the suspect, Frank Zaldivar-Santiesteba, 29, of Miami, a few days ago, and that he came to his apartment with a knife Sunday and told him, “God told me to come here and stab you.”

The victim said Zaldivar-Santiesteba then stabbed him and the two got into a tussle, at which time the victim was able to disarm the suspect and stab him back multiple times, authorities said.

According to the report, at about 9:15 a.m., officers were called to the area of Northwest 42^nd Avenue and Seventh Street about the suspect, who was bleeding “all over his body” and had a white blanket on his waist.

Police said Zaldivar-Santiesteba refused to identify himself.

He was also transported to JMH to be treated for his injuries.

Police said the victim sustained a laceration to the chest and a punctured lung.

According to the report, Zaldivar-Santiesteba later spoke with a detective at the hospital and said he did not want to provide details about the incident, other than that it was argument between him and his brother who he loves and “does not care what happens to him; only God can judge him.”

Police said they were able to identify Zaldivar-Santiesteba by his fingerprints.

He was arrested on an attempted murder charge.

As of Wednesday morning, Zaldivar-Santiesteba was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.

Trump had suggested the U.S. may consider leaving the trans-Atlantic alliance after NATO member countries ignored his call to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping waterway, as Iran effectively shut it and sent gas prices soaring.

The Republican president's meeting with Rutte, with whom he had a warm relationship, comes as the U.S. and Iran late Tuesday agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes the reopening of the strait. The nascent ceasefire was struck after Trump said he would strike Iran's power plants and bridges, threatening that “a whole civilization will die tonight."

The plan to reopen the strait is still cloudy and is expected to be a central focus of the Wednesday afternoon meeting with Rutte. The White House said the meeting was expected to be behind closed doors. In the Trump administration, though, that can change at the last minute, and meetings can be opened to the press.

Congress in 2023 passed a law that prevents any U.S. president from pulling out of NATO without its approval. Trump has been a longtime critic of NATO and in his first term had suggested he had the authority on his own to leave the alliance, which was founded in 1949 to counter the Cold War threat posed to European security by the Soviet Union.

The crux of the commitment its 32 member countries make is a mutual defense agreement in which an attack on one is considered an attack on them all. The only time it has been activated was in 2001, to support the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

Despite that, Trump has complained during his war of choice with Iran that NATO has shown it will not be there for the U.S.

Ahead of the meeting, Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, issued a statement Tuesday night in support of the alliance, noting that, “Following the September 11th attacks, NATO allies sent their young servicemembers to fight and die alongside America’s own in Afghanistan and Iraq.” McConnell, who sits on a committee overseeing defense spending, urged Trump to be “clear and consistent” and said it's not in America's interest to “spend more time nursing grudges with allies who share our interests than deterring adversaries who threaten us.”

If Rutte's meeting does not alleviate Trump's frustrations, it's unclear if the Trump administration would challenge the law barring a president from pulling out of NATO. When the law passed, it was championed by Trump's current secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who at the time was a senator from Florida.

The alliance was already rattled over the past year as Trump returned to power and reduced U.S. military support for Ukraine in the war against Russia and threatened to seize Greenland from ally Denmark.

But Trump's badgering of NATO intensified after the Iran war began at the end of February, with the president insisting that securing the Strait of Hormuz was not America's job but the responsibility of countries that depend on the flow of oil through it.

“Go to the strait and just take it,” Trump said last week.

Trump was also angered as NATO allies Spain and France forbade or restricted use of their airspace or joint military facilities for the U.S. in the Iran war. They and other nations, however, agreed to help with an international coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz when the conflict ends.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has been a particular source of Trump's frustration, was set to travel on Wednesday to the Gulf to support the ceasefire. The U.K. has been working on developing a post-conflict security plan for the strait, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil passes.

Trump has previously threatened to leave NATO and often said that he would abandon allies who don’t spend enough on their military budgets. Former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, in his recent memoir, said he feared that Trump might walk away from the alliance in 2018, during his first term as president.

___

Associated Press writer Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

Para John Steinbeck, era la Carretera Madre que llevó a agricultores pobres desde la desesperación de las praderas asoladas por sequías hasta la soleada California. Para los indígenas estadounidenses a lo largo de la ruta, fue un impulso económico que también dejó cicatrices. Para los viajeros negros, ofreció refugio durante la segregación. Y para los aficionados a la música, era el lugar plasmado en grandes clásicos.

La Ruta 66 celebra su centenario este año. Pese a haber perdido hace décadas su condición de una de las principales arterias del país, personas de todo el mundo siguen acudiendo a ella para hacer quizá el viaje por carretera más emblemático de Estados Unidos y empaparse de sus luces de neón, sus moteles y atracciones kitsch, y su oferta culinaria.

Cada pueblo tiene su propia historia y su propia magia, comentó Sebastiaan de Boorder, un empresario neerlandés que, junto con su esposa, dio nueva vida al Aztec Motel en Seligman, Arizona.

“Es una parte esencial de la cultura y la historia estadounidenses. El aspecto histórico es una parte muy grande e importante de la cultura estadounidense, con su influencia y su carácter”, señaló sobre la carretera De Boorder.

El sueño

La Ruta 66, que recorre aproximadamente 2.400 millas (3.860 kilómetros) desde Chicago a través de Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Nuevo México y Arizona antes de terminar en Santa Mónica, California, se armó hace un siglo a partir de una colección de rutas comerciales de indígenas estadounidenses y viejos caminos de tierra con el objetivo de enlazar la región industrial en el centro norte de Estados Unidos con la costa del Pacífico.

El empresario de Oklahoma Cyrus Avery, conocido como el Padre de la Ruta 66, la veía como algo más que una forma de cruzar el país con eficiencia. Era una oportunidad para conectar el Estados Unidos rural y crear nuevos focos de comercio.

Avery sabía que el número 66 sería ideal para el marketing y podría quedar grabado en la mente de los conductores, y tenía razón: la Ruta 66 ha sido inmortalizada en películas, libros —entre ellos “Las uvas de la ira”, de Steinbeck, y “En el camino”, de Jack Kerouac— y canciones como “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”, de Bobby Troup, que sirvió como himno del optimismo y la movilidad posteriores a la Segunda Guerra Mundial.

Oleadas migratorias

Desde su designación en noviembre de 1926 como una de las carreteras numeradas originales del país, la que en su día fue conocida como Calle Principal de Estados Unidos ha encarnado la promesa de prosperidad.

Se convirtió en una senda literal de esperanza para los migrantes que huían de granjas arrasadas por la sequía y de la pobreza en la década de 1930 y la Gran Depresión. Y durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial se utilizó para trasladar tropas, equipo y trabajadores hacia el Oeste.

El auge de la posguerra en las décadas de 1940 y 1950 fue la época dorada de la Ruta 66, al convertirse en una ruta vacacional popular. Los autos se volvieron más asequibles, aumentaron los ingresos disponibles y la gente empezó a perseguir la libertad en la carretera abierta.

“Por lo general, la gente tiene un sentido de aventura, un sentido de curiosidad. Y eso se puede encontrar en la Ruta 66. Esta es la carretera de los sueños”, afirmó el autor e historiador Jim Hinckley.

El salto a la fama

Los restaurantes de carretera y los moteles prosperaron, mientras emprendedores ingeniosos ideaban maneras de sacarles dinero a los automovilistas. Había fosas con serpientes de cascabel, tótems, puestos comerciales, cavernas donde supuestamente se reunían forajidos del Viejo Oeste, y maravillas de la ingeniería moderna como el reluciente arco de acero de St. Louis.

Se pintaban graneros con anuncios gigantescos, las vallas publicitarias tentaban con atracciones locales y el neón estaba por todas partes.

¿La guinda del pastel? La comida.

Había lugares para comprar y seguir, pero también para sentarse y saborear un pedazo de hogar. El Cozy Dog Drive In —famoso por sus hot dogs empanizados en un palo— ha cumplido ambas funciones desde 1949. Dentro del comedor en Springfield, Illinois, los viajeros cuentan historias de la vida en la carretera.

“El camino no estaría vivo sin las historias de todos los lugares a lo largo de él que lo mantuvieron en marcha de pueblo en pueblo”, sostuvo Josh Waldmire, propietario de tercera generación. “Simplemente sobrevivimos unos de otros. La carretera nos alimenta y, mientras devolvamos nuestros sentimientos y amor a la carretera, resonará con los viajeros y con las historias de la gente”.

Una carretera dividida

La Ruta 66 fue un impulso económico para las tribus indígenas estadounidenses a lo largo del trayecto. Pero aunque trajo turistas, también dejó cicatrices de expropiación por causa de utilidad pública en tierras tribales y perpetuó estereotipos.

Más de la mitad de la carretera atravesaba territorio indígena, y los letreros de los vendedores a menudo hacían referencias casuales a tipis y tocados de plumas: símbolos fácilmente apropiados para el marketing pero no siempre representativos de las culturas distintas que se encuentran a lo largo de la ruta.

En Laguna Pueblo, al oeste de Albuquerque, surgieron restaurantes y estaciones de servicio, algunas operadas por veteranos militares del pueblo que eran expertos en arreglar desde llantas pinchadas hasta radiadores averiados.

Las mujeres del pueblo también se adaptaron, convirtiendo vasijas de cerámica prácticas en obras de arte codiciadas por los turistas. El pan y los pasteles caseros sellaban el trato.

Los líderes de Laguna han considerado durante mucho tiempo la carretera —o he-ya-nhee’ en el idioma keres de la tribu— como “el corredor del comercio”, indicó el empresario y miembro tribal Ron Solimon. Aprovechando ese potencial, la tribu ha construido un imperio multimillonario de casinos, puestos de hamburguesas y otros negocios.

También había peligros a lo largo de la ruta, en particular durante la era de Jim Crow, cuando los viajeros negros tenían que depender de guías como el Green Book para encontrar alojamiento y servicios seguros.

“Especialmente para los viajes de larga distancia, la segregación era un hecho de la vida”, explicó Matthew Pearce, historiador estatal de la Oklahoma Historical Society. “Y por eso los automovilistas negros necesitaban saber un lugar seguro al que ir”.

La estación de servicio Threatt Filling Station, cerca de la comunidad de Luther, en el centro de Oklahoma, no figuraba en el Green Book, pero sí servía como refugio seguro entre dos “pueblos de puesta de sol”, donde las personas que no eran blancas debían irse antes del atardecer. La estación ofrecía barbacoa e incluso béisbol.

Edward Threatt, cuyos abuelos abrieron el establecimiento alrededor de 1933, recordó un programa de televisión sobre viajeros que disfrutaban en la 66, en referencia al clásico “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" (que podría traducirse como ”date el gusto en la ruta 66").

“En general, el viajero negro no se daba muchos gustos en la Ruta 66”, expresó. “Y si se daba alguno, no era del tipo que uno imaginaría”.

Una nueva dirección

La visión del presidente Dwight Eisenhower de un sistema moderno de autopistas interestatales finalmente llevó a que la Ruta 66 fuera retirada de su condición de carretera federal en 1985. Algunos pueblos a lo largo de la ruta murieron, y la tarea de preservar sus tramos de la famosa carretera recayó en gobiernos locales, sociedades históricas estatales y empresas privadas.

Una fuerza impulsora fue Angel Delgadillo, un barbero que presionó a la Legislatura de Arizona para que designara la carretera como ruta histórica. Salvó a Seligman de convertirse en un pueblo fantasma y fijó el estándar de preservación en otros lugares.

En Nuevo México se han conservado bocetos originales de letreros de neón, abundan los murales con temática de la Ruta 66 y desarrolladores en Albuquerque han restaurado alojamientos a lo largo del tramo urbano más largo de la carretera que aún permanece intacto.

En California todavía se puede recorrer más del 90% de la carretera. Cadillac Ranch, en el extremo norte de Texas, ofrece la oportunidad de pintar con aerosol autos medio enterrados. Y en el río Mississippi, los viajeros pueden caminar o ir en bicicleta por el viejo puente Chain of Rocks.

Más de 250 edificios, distritos y segmentos de carretera de la ruta están inscritos en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos. Pero no son sólo los ladrillos y el asfalto lo que alimenta la fascinación.

“Algunas de las cosas más interesantes y divertidas que les pasan a las personas cuando recorren la ruta es encontrarse con alguien que conocen o con algún hecho fortuito totalmente inesperado”, comentó el autor e historiador Jim Ross. “Y esa es una gran parte de la experiencia de la Ruta 66”.

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Los periodistas de The Associated Press John O’Connor en Springfield, Illinois, y Sean Murphy en Oklahoma City contribuyeron a este reportaje.

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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.

Information on which vehicles hold their value best isn’t readily accessible, but savvy shoppers can use it to pick a vehicle that depreciates less than average over the long haul. The car experts at Edmunds analyzed sales transaction data and compared the average transaction price of used 2023 model-year SUVs with their original manufacturer’s suggested retail price. From there, they identified the top two SUVs in five size categories that hold their value best. These rankings are specific to the 2023 model year but could also be seen as solid bets if you buy a new 2026 model.

Extra-small SUVs: Toyota Corolla Cross and Honda HR-V

The Toyota Corolla Cross is a subcompact SUV that excels as a practical and budget-friendly vehicle. It comes with many standard driver assist features and offers ample cargo space for its size. The Corolla Cross isn’t flashy, but it can’t be beat for value considering it’s worth 81.7% of its original value after three years of ownership.

Nipping at the heels of the Corolla Cross, the HR-V will also appeal to SUV shoppers who want a practical means of transportation. Edmunds praised the HR-V’s amount of passenger space and cargo volume but was underwhelmed by its slow acceleration.

Small SUVs: Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Honda CR-V

Among small SUVs, the Toyota RAV4 aces the fundamentals. It’s comfortable and roomy, and it’s available in a wide range of trim levels to suit varied budgets. Excellent performance in crash tests is another draw, as is great fuel economy. It all leads to the RAV4 Hybrid having a strong 81.4% residual value in our analysis.

Close behind is another very popular small SUV, the Honda CR-V. A smooth ride and easy-to-use tech features are just some of the CR-V’s positive attributes. Edmunds also singled out its easygoing driving nature, roomy cargo hold, and impressive fuel economy from its available hybrid powertrain.

Midsize SUVs: Toyota 4Runner and Ford Bronco

The Toyota 4Runner has a loyal following among those seeking an SUV with a rugged design and genuine off-road capability. Based on the Tacoma pickup, the midsize 4Runner still waves the flag for the traditional SUV fans who want real off-road performance. After three years, the 4Runner retains 83% of its value on average, the best of all SUVs mentioned in our article.

If you want a vehicle with an even more adventurous spirit but still maintains its value, check out the Ford Bronco. It has a retro-fueled design, incredible go-anywhere capability, and a seemingly endless options sheet.

Midsize three-row SUVs: Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Honda Pilot

The Toyota Highlander has been a popular three-row SUV for more than two decades. The current version continues to provide a comfortable driving experience and excellent fuel economy from the Highlander Hybrid version. The Highlander’s third-row seat is pretty small, but you’re not going to complain about the Highlander Hybrid’s residual value of 77% after three years.

Coming in second is the Honda Pilot. It also has an enviable reputation for providing ample space and cargo room for growing families. Its third-row seat is bigger than the Highlander’s, but Honda doesn’t currently offer a hybrid version of the Pilot.

Large three-row SUVs: Toyota Sequoia and Chevrolet Tahoe

The Toyota Sequoia is bound to appeal to SUV shoppers who need maximum room and crave strong performance. Its hybrid engine packs a punch and delivers plenty of passing power — even if fuel economy is about on par with most other large non-hybrid rivals. A residual value of 80% after three years adds reassurance that this large SUV won’t burn a giant hole in your wallet when you drive off the dealer lot.

Chevrolet’s Tahoe comes in second for large three-row SUVs that best maintain their value after three years. Thanks to its lineup of two stout V8 engines and a turbocharged diesel-powered six-cylinder, the Tahoe is ideal if you’re planning on towing a heavy trailer. The Tahoe also comes with Chevy’s latest technology features.

Edmunds says

An SUV of any shape or size is a major investment. Knowing the vehicle that’s caught your eye won’t plummet in value provides added peace of mind.

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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

Nick Kurczewski is a contributor at Edmunds.

Resisting an early onslaught from PSG is key to Liverpool's chances of keeping the tie alive heading into the return leg at Anfield next week.

“PSG under (coach) Luis Enrique do not give you a second to have the ball comfortable on your feet,” Liverpool manager Arne Slot said. “It’s press, press, press every second of the game.”

When the two sides met last season in the round of 16, PSG advanced on penalties against six-time champion Liverpool following an intense battle. PSG carried the momentum from that victory all the way to a first Champions League title.

While Liverpool was arguably the pre-match favorite last year, it's a different story now. Slot's team is reeling from a crushing FA Cup loss and will be trophyless unless it wins the Champions League.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has yet to find his best form in his last season at the club, with only 10 goals in 35 games so far.

PSG has Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, midfielder Vitinha and flying winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in top form. Dembélé scored a scintillating volley against Toulouse in the French league on Friday and seems to be peaking at the right time.

However, PSG is still missing midfielder Fabián Ruiz with a knee injury and is without winger Bradley Barcola, who injured his ankle in the last-16 rout of Chelsea.

Liverpool striker Alexander Isak — the British-record signing for 125 million pounds ($170 million) — has recovered from injury and Slot said he will be on the bench at Parc des Princes.

Isak had surgery in December on a broken ankle and fibula.

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

Several inches of rain and damaging winds impacted parts of the area Tuesday, and with more heavy rain around Wednesday, flooding is certainly possible.

A front just to our south will weaken and move farther south and away from us by the end of the week, so rain chances start coming down by later Thursday and Friday with a return to mostly sunny skies by the weekend.

It’ll become windy, however, so we’ll have to watch for a dangerous risk of rip currents if you have beach plans this weekend.

Highs are around 80 Wednesday and Thursday and then dip into the lower 80s by Friday and into the weekend. High pressure looks to keep it dry into most of next week with highs well into the 80s by then. In the meantime, keep the umbrellas handy and drive carefully on these wet roads.

CLICK HERE for the latest weather updates from Local 10’s Weather Authority.

Barcelona's hopes of ending an 11-year wait for another European Cup will largely rest on the performances of 18-year-old Lamine Yamal. The Spain playmaker has scored in three consecutive Champions League games and his 21 goals overall in all competitions this campaign leads his team.

Atletico for its part will look for inspiration from forward Antoine Griezmann. Atletico's all-time top scorer wants to end his stellar run with the club on a high note before the 35-year-old leaves for the MLS.

The Spanish rivals will have played five times in two months after next week’s second leg in Madrid.

Atletico edged Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semifinals in February before Hansi Flick's side got some revenge on Saturday when it won 2-1 away in the Spanish league to strengthen its league lead.

Barcelona is a five-time European champion, but Diego Simeone’s Atletico eliminated the Catalan club at the same stage both in 2014 and 2016 on the way to reaching the Champions League final.

Barcelona is aiming to reach the semifinals for a second straight year.

Atletico's bid to make its first semifinal appearance since 2017 will depend on its defense and a mix of attacking options which include Julián Álvarez, Ademola Lookman and Alexander Sorloth.

Marcus Rashford will likely start for Barcelona in place of the injured Raphinha.

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

Jasveen Sangha will be the third defendant sentenced of the five people who have pleaded guilty in connection with the 2023 overdose of the 54-year-old actor. His role as Chandler Bing on NBC's “Friends” in the 1990s and 2000s made him one of the biggest television stars of his era.

Sangha is the only one whose plea deal included an acknowledgment of causing Perry’s death, and is likely to get the stiffest sentence of the group by far.

Prosecutors are asking a federal judge in Los Angeles to sentence the 42-year-old Sangha to 15 years in prison. They cast her in court filings as a “Ketamine Queen” who had an elaborate drug operation catering to high-end clients to give herself a jet-setting lifestyle.

Sangha's attorneys said in their sentencing filing that the time she has spent in jail since her August 2024 indictment should be sufficient, and prosecutors' math on federal sentencing guidelines is “factually wrong.” They point to her lack of a previous criminal record and exemplary behavior as an inmate, as well as the unlikelihood she would return to a life of drug dealing.

Members of Perry’s family are expected to speak in court before the sentencing.

He was found dead in the hot tub at his Los Angeles home. The medical examiner ruled that ketamine, typically used as a surgical anesthetic, was the primary cause of death.

Perry, who had lifelong struggles with addiction, had been using the drug through his regular doctor as a legal off-label treatment for depression. But he wanted more than the doctor would give him. That at first led him to Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who admitted to illegally selling Perry ketamine and was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison after prosecutors asked for three years. And it later led Perry to Sangha, who sold him 25 vials of ketamine, including the fatal dose, for $6,000 in cash four days before his death, prosecutors said.

Another doctor, who admitted to providing Plasencia the ketamine he sold to Perry, was sentenced to eight months of home detention. Perry's assistant and his friend, who admitted acting as the actor's middlemen, are awaiting sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett has said she is seeking to calibrate how she sentences each of the five defendants to make sense as a whole.

In September, shortly before a scheduled trial, Sangha pleaded guilty to one count of using her home for drug distribution, three counts of distribution of ketamine and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. She also admitted to selling drugs to another man, 33-year-old Cody McLaury, who had no connection to Perry, before his overdose death in 2019.

The prosecution said that despite Sangha's plea, she continued drug dealing, showing her lack of remorse.

A dual U.S.-U.K. citizen, Sangha moved from England to the U.S. at age 3, and when she was around age 10, her family settled in Southern California.

She didn't know her father but has said her grandfather and stepfather were essential male influences in her life. Both recently died and it has had a “profound effect” on her, the defense said.

She is very close to her mother and grandmother, who would provide her with stability if she were released, her lawyers said.

Sangha has a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine, and a master's degree from Hult International Business School in England.

The defense used her biography to show she's an educated and otherwise upstanding citizen who made an aberrant mistake when she fell into selling drugs.

The prosecution said her life circumstances show she didn't act out of desperation, and that she freely chose to deal drugs to finance the posh lifestyle she wanted.

Sangha's lawyers said she has been a model inmate in jail, maintaining sobriety and organizing and leading Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

The Panama Ports Company, a unit of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison Holdings, said in a statement dated Tuesday that Maersk A/S had undermined a contract over the Hong Kong company's operations of ports at either end of the Panama Canal in order to pave the way for a new operator affiliated with Maersk to take over the Balboa terminal.

The company said the arbitration will be held in London, but didn't explain what remedy it was seeking. Company arbitration is a dispute resolution process in which a neutral third party decides corporate conflicts.

In February, Panama’s government seized control of the Balboa and Cristobal ports after the country’s Supreme Court declared earlier that a concession allowing the Panama Ports Company to run the ports was unconstitutional. The ruling drew backlash from China.

The Panamanian government later allowed subsidiaries of Maersk and the Mediterranean Shipping Company to take over operations at the two ports.

Panama Ports Company started arbitration proceedings against Panama in February. In late March, it expanded its claims, saying damages have escalated beyond $2 billion.

It said on Tuesday that its claim against Maersk is separate from its ongoing steps to hold Panama accountable for what it called “anti-contract and anti-investor conduct.”

Maersk said it does not believe it is liable for the claims and will address them “in the appropriate forum," without elaborating.

There was no immediate comment from Panama's government.

The legal actions could further complicate CK Hutchison's initial plan to sell the bulk of its dozens of global ports, including the two Panama ports, to a consortium that involved U.S. investment firm BlackRock in a $23 billion deal.

The sale plan, first announced in March 2025, pleased U.S. President Donald Trump, who has alleged Chinese interference with the critical shipping lane’s operations. But the planned sale apparently angered Beijing, and China's antitrust regulator last year said it would initiate a review of the deal.

The parties involved in the deal have since been looking for ways to move forward with the sale, including considering plans to add a Chinese investor to the consortium.

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Associated Press writer Alma Solís in Panama City contributed to this report.

“They think they’re invincible. They’re not,” Swalwell told a large crowd at a town hall in Sacramento, the state capital. He didn't specify how he'd advance those policies, which would likely face legal challenges.

The event kicked off a series of campaign functions he's planned around the state with less than a month to go until mail-in ballots go out to voters ahead of the June 2 primary. Swalwell, a Democrat, is among a crowded field of candidates jostling for advantage in a race in which a small margin could decide who advances to the November general election. The two highest vote-getters advance regardless of party, and Democrats are worried about a possible lock-out if no clear front-runner emerges.

Speaking to a friendly crowd, Swalwell painted himself as a “battle-tested” fighter in Congress against President Donald Trump. He served as House manager for Trump’s second impeachment trial and said he wants to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement and has supported taking away the agency's funding. Los Angeles was the target of one of the administration's first large-scale immigration sweeps last summer and the first place where it deployed the National Guard. The position comes after Swalwell faced accusations by some of his Democratic rivals for not taking a strong enough stance against the agency.

Positioning himself as a labor-friendly and progressive candidate, Swalwell said he wants to address ongoing state budget gaps with a new corporate tax and use state funding to pay for health care for low-income people, including immigrants. He also said he supports letting state employees work remotely, a contentious issue in Sacramento.

“I will root for the success of anyone who invests and does business in California, if they work with me to lift the wages of hard-working Californians and expand the benefits,” he said.

This year's election marks the first time since voters approved the state’s “ top two ” primary system more than a decade ago that there has been a governor’s race with no dominant candidate. Swalwell is considered among the leading candidates, alongside billionaire Tom Steyer and former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter on the Democratic side. Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, won Trump's endorsement this week. Sheriff Chad Bianco is another prominent Republican in the contest.

Swalwell in recent weeks has emerged as a favorite target for fellow Democrats, who have accused him of failing to show up for votes in Congress and questioned whether he actually lives in California. On Tuesday, Swalwell again disputed those criticisms and said he's “not going to be distracted.”

An Iowa native who was elected in 2012 and represents a House district east of San Francisco, Swalwell ran a short-lived presidential campaign in 2019.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is term-limited, hasn't endorsed anyone to replace him.

Trump initially said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan, but he later called the plan fraudulent without elaborating.

Trump’s threats to launch devastating strikes on Iran hit a new extreme hours before the ceasefire when he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," if Iran failed to make a deal that included reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement Wednesday morning, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it supports Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, but that it doesn’t include the war with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where more than 1,500 people have been killed.

Here is the latest:

Iranians express cautious optimism about ceasefire

Iranians in Tehran voiced cautious optimism on the first day of a fragile ceasefire, two-week ceasefire

“As we have seen in Gaza and Lebanon, ceasefires have often been violated unilaterally. Hopefully, this time they will remain committed, the ceasefire will hold, and our people will stay steadfast until we achieve final results,” said Ezzat Papar, a Tehran resident.

“When dialogue and negotiation are possible, we should pursue our demands that way,” said Alireza Khoddami, a 60-year-old taxi driver in Tehran.

“How long have we been under sanctions, and what progress have we truly made? In my view, it is the people and the country who continue to suffer. This is a valuable opportunity. We are in a strong position and have the upper hand,” Khoddami said.

WHO warns Middle East health facilities under enormous strain

The World Health Organization said it welcomed the two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, but warned an additional ceasefire is needed between Israel and Hezbollah as more than 1 in 5 Lebanese has been displaced.

“Further violence and displacement will continue to devastate the Lebanese health system and disproportionately impact the most vulnerable—including people with chronic conditions, the elderly and children,” said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, the WHO regional director.

Balkhy spoke at a news conference describing the organization’s emergency response across the Middle East.

He added that regional hospitals and health facilities are operating under intense strain, especially in Iran where more than 33,000 are injured and more than 2,300 have been killed.

Oil prices drop sharply but energy costs still high

Financial markets see the two-week ceasefire reached between the U.S. and Iran as reducing the threats to global energy supplies, with the global benchmark for crude oil falling roughly 14% to $94 a barrel in Wednesday morning trading.

But oil prices are still higher than before the start of the Iran war, a sign that uncertainty persists about the conflict and the flow of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, which now appears to be under Iran’s control.

Brent crude oil futures were trading at $72.29 a barrel before the war began.

Israel hits over 100 Hezbollah targets in 10 minutes

Israel’s military said it struck more than 100 Hezbollah targets within a space of 10 minutes in Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Beqaa region, calling it the largest coordinated strike in the current war.

The military noted the targets included missile launchers, command centers and intelligence infrastructure.

Many were located within civilian areas and Israel accused Hezbollah of using civilians as human shields.

“The State of Lebanon and its civilians must refuse Hezbollah’s entrenchment in civilian areas and its weapons build up capabilities,” Israel’s military said.

Multiple airstrikes hit Beirut

A series of Israeli strikes hit several areas in central Beirut Wednesday without warning, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Loud booms could be heard throughout the city and smoke was rising from several points.

It was not immediately clear what was targeted, but several of the strikes were in busy commercial locations.

Since the outbreak of the latest Israel-Hezbollah war on March 2, Israel has regularly struck southern and eastern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs but rarely in the center of Beirut.

There was no immediate report on the number of casualties.

The strikes came hours after a ceasefire was announced in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Israel has said the agreement does not extend to Lebanon, although mediator Pakistan said it does.

Trump says US will work with Iran to ‘dig up’ enriched uranium, Iran does not confirm

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. will work with Iran to “dig up and remove” its enriched uranium that was buried under joint U.S-Israeli strikes last summer.

Trump said on social media, “There will be no enrichment of Uranium” and that none of the material had been touched since the June attacks.

He previously said the U.S. would retrieve the deeply buried material, which is expected to be an intensive undertaking, if it struck an agreement with Iran.

“We are, and will be, talking Tariff and Sanctions relief with Iran,” Trump said.

Through Trump had said Tuesday the U.S. found a 10-point ceasefire proposal from Iran “workable,” the president on Wednesday suggested many of the points in his 15-point plan, which Iran had rejected, had been agreed to.

Iran has not said that, nor has confirmed it would work with the U.S. to retrieve the buried uranium.

German government dampens hopes of lower fuel prices

The government in Europe’s biggest economy is calling for “realistic expectations” after the ceasefire announcement.

German officials say their country doesn’t have a supply problem but point to the effect of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on the global market.

Government spokesperson Sebastian Hille noted “significant setbacks” are possible at any time in the peace process, damaged production facilities need to be repaired, reopening the strait will take time and ships will take weeks to make their journeys.

He said it will take time for significant price reductions to show up.

Turkey discusses ceasefire in call with Iran

During a call Wednesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan expressed Turkey’s satisfaction with the planned two-week pause in fighting.

He also stated Turkey, which has been involved in efforts to end the war, would keep working toward a permanent peace.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the ceasefire should be implemented fully and shielded from possible “provocations and sabotage.”

“It is our genuine wish that our geography, which has suffered greatly from war, conflict, tension, and oppression, will soon achieve peace, tranquility, and stability,” Erdogan said in a message posted on X.

Russia supports move away from escalation

Speaking about the ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia “from the very beginning spoke about the need for swiftly shifting this escalation onto a peaceful track, onto a track of political and diplomatic contacts, negotiations.”

Peskov said “given yesterday’s rather harsh statements from different sides, which elicited a lot of emotions around the world,” Moscow welcomed the news.

“We welcome the decision not to follow the path of military escalation further, not to carry out strikes on civilian targets,” Peskov said. “We consider this to be very important.”

The Kremlin spokesman expressed hope that “each side will be able to defend its interests not through armed intervention, but at the negotiating table.”

Pope calls ceasefire a sign of hope

At the end of his weekly general audience Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV called the ceasefire a “sign of true hope” and repeated a call for the faithful to join him in a peace prayer vigil Saturday in St. Peter’s Basilica. The previous day, the pope condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization as “truly unacceptable” and said that any attacks on civilian infrastructure would violate international law. Meanwhile, Italy’s foreign minister welcomed the ceasefire as a positive sign for both peace in the Mideast and the Italian economy. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on social media: “Iran cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons, and it is right that the U.S. does not bomb the civilian population.”

Hezbollah giving mediators opportunity to secure ceasefire

A Hezbollah official says the militant group backed by Iran is giving a chance for mediators to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon.

In the meantime, the official said, “We have not announced our adherence to the ceasefire since the Israelis are not adhering to it.”

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.

Israel has said the agreement reached to halt the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran does not extend to its war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, although Pakistan, which mediated the agreement, said the two-week cessation of hostilities included Lebanon.

The Hezbollah official said the group will not accept a return to the pre-March 2 status quo, when Israel carried out near-daily strikes in Lebanon despite a ceasefire being nominally in place since the last full-blown Israel-Hezbollah war ended in November 2024.

“We will not accept for the Israelis to continue behaving as they did before this war with regards to attacks,” he said. “We do not want this phase to continue.”

375 people detained in Abu Dhabi

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates said police have detained 375 people across the capital, Abu Dhabi, over the course of the war.

Abu Dhabi police said the people are from various countries and were detained for filming and “disseminating false information” on social media.

It said the cases have been referred to prosecutors for allegations of violating the UAE’s laws aimed at “protecting the society.”

Gulf countries have cracked down on people who have filmed impacted sites throughout the war, with hundreds detained, including migrant workers.

Lebanese president and Kuwait hope ceasefire leads to comprehensive settlement

Lebanon President Joseph Aoun said he hopes the two-week agreement is a “first step” toward final and comprehensive agreements for regional crises.

Israel and the Hezbollah militant group are at war in Lebanon and Israel denies they are part of the agreement, while mediators Pakistan and Egypt as well as France say Lebanon is included.

“The President affirmed the Lebanese state’s ongoing efforts to ensure regional peace encompasses Lebanon in a sustainable manner, based on the principles agreed upon by the Lebanese people” Auon’s statement said.

He called on Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanese territory and for Hezbollah and other non-state groups to disarm.

“The complete sovereignty of the state over all its territory, its liberation from any occupying presence, and the exclusive right to declare war and peace and to use legitimate force, solely in the hands of its constitutional institutions.”

Separately, Kuwait said it hopes the ceasefire will lead to a “comprehensive and permanent settlement.”

The fforeign ministry in Kuwait, which is one of the nations that has been most impacted by Iranian attacks, called for adhering to the ceasefire to pave the way for dialogue between the warring parties, according to the state-run Kuwait News Agency.

Pakistan says Iran confirms attendance at talks with US

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday that Iran has confirmed it will attend talks with the United States on Friday in Islamabad.

It was not immediately clear who would represent Tehran at the negotiations.

Sharif’s office said he spoke for more than 45 minutes with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, thanking Iran’s leadership for agreeing to a ceasefire and accepting Pakistan’s offer to host the talks.

Pezeshkian thanked Pakistan for its efforts and conveyed his best wishes to the country’s people, the office said.

Saudi Arabia calls for unrestricted transit through Strait of Hormuz

Saudi Arabia welcomed the ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran and called for unrestricted opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Riyadh supports efforts to achieve a permanent deal that addresses “all issues that have resulted in instability and insecurity over the past decades.”

The statement called for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open according to U.N. agreements governing international waterways “without any restrictions.”

Iran says Lavan Island refinery came under attack after ceasefire announced

An oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island came under attack Wednesday, hours after a ceasefire in the war was announced, Iranian state television reported.

The report said the attack came at 10 a.m.

It added that firefighters were working to contain the blaze but no one had been hurt.

It did not say who launched the attack.

Vance calls agreement ‘a fragile truce’

U.S. Vice President JD Vance called the ceasefire agreement “a fragile truce” but offered no details

The vice president, who was speaking at an event in Hungary, said the deal that the U.S. struck with Iran was being misrepresented within Iran, though he didn’t offer details beyond saying the agreement included a ceasefire, plans to negotiate and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“You have people who are lying about even the fragile truce that we’ve already struck,” Vance said.

Vance did not address speculation about whether he might travel to Pakistan to personally participate in talks with Iran. Vance’s office has not comment.

Vance said Trump told U.S. representatives who will be negotiating with Iran to do so in “good faith” but warned Trump is “impatient to make progress.”

The U.S. is prepared to use “extraordinary economic leverage,” but Trump has instructed us “not to use those tools.”

“He’s told us to come to the negotiating table. But if the Iranians don’t do the exact same thing, they’re going to find out that the president of the United States is not one to mess around,” Vance said.

Vance said of Iran: “I think if they negotiate in good faith, we will be able to find a deal. That’s a big if. And ultimately, it’s up to the Iranians how they negotiate. I hope they make the right decision.”

Kuwait reports drone attacks targeting oil and power facilities

Kuwait’s military said it has responded to an “extensive wave” of drone attacks targeting oil and power facilities despite the ceasefire announcement.

The military said it engaged 31 drones that targeted the oil-rich county since 8 a.m. Wednesday.

The attacks caused significant damage at oil and power facilities and water desalination plants.

UAE says air defenses are firing at incoming Iranian missile barrage

The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday afternoon its air defenses were firing at an incoming Iranian missile barrage.

The UAE did not elaborate on where the attack was happening.

The announcement came hours after Iran, the U.S. and Israel reached a two-week ceasefire in the war.

Hezbollah legislator warns of response if Israel does not adhere to ceasefire

Hezbollah legislator Ibrahim Al-Moussawi has warned of a response from Iran and its allies if Israel “does not adhere to a ceasefire.”

His comment to local television channel Al-Jadeed is the first from the militant group in Lebanon after the U.S. and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement mediated by Pakistan.

Iran-backed Hezbollah joined the war after firing rockets toward Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Tehran. Hezbollah has not issued an official statement since the ceasefire but also has not yet claimed any strikes on Israel.

Israel has denied Lebanon’s inclusion in the agreement and said it will continue strikes against the small country. Pakistan, France and Egypt, which helped mediate the deal, all have confirmed Lebanon’s inclusion.

“The agreement includes Lebanon, according to its terms, and Iran insisted on this inclusion,” Al-Moussawi said.

Iran’s allies elsewhere, notably the Iraqi umbrella group the Islamic Resistance, announced it would halt its attacks.

Macron says ceasefire ‘fully includes Lebanon’

French President Emmanuel Macron said the ceasefire agreement between the U.S., Israel and Iran “fully includes Lebanon,” which is in opposition to the stance taken by Israel as it continues an offensive there against the militant group Hezbollah.

Macron said the inclusion of Lebanon in the deal is “a good and even essential thing.”

“What we are witnessing today, both from what we have seen with the strikes and the occupation of southern Lebanon, cannot be a long-term solution, we know that,” Macron said.

Macron unsuccessfully backed Beirut’s earlier efforts to de-escalate and push back against an Israeli ground invasion that has displaced more than 1 million people.

Zelenskyy uses Middle East ceasefire to call for halt to Ukraine conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy used the ceasefire in the Middle East to again call for a halt to fighting in Ukraine.

“A ceasefire is the right decision that leads to ending the war,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X, adding that an agreement which “paves the way for diplomatic efforts” would save lives and stop the destruction of cities.

“Security must be guaranteed, and the interests of every nation must be taken into account when defining post-war arrangements,” Zelenskyy said, calling for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Ukraine has “always called for a ceasefire” in the war with Russia and Kyiv would respond in kind if Moscow stops its strikes, he said.

Ceasefire efforts in Ukraine have yielded no results, with both sides continuing long-range strikes.

Egypt says Israel must stop attacking Lebanon

Egypt has called for Israel to immediately stop attacks on Lebanon as part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s two-week ceasefire declaration in the region.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that “the situation in Lebanon remains critical.”

“This declaration of a cessation of military operations must be reflected in Israel immediately ceasing its repeated attacks on brotherly Lebanon,” it said.

Tel Aviv residents are cautious about ceasefire

Residents of Tel Aviv, Israel, are taking news of the ceasefire with a grain of salt

“A lot is unclear, the feeling is sour,“ Zamir Bakal told The Associated Press, adding, “we’re looking forward positively and hope that good things will come out of it.”

After another night disrupted by a blaring missile warning after the announced ceasefire, some residents were jogging on the city’s long promenade and playing beach volleyball.

Yehuda Raveh said he believes Israel will be “in a slightly better position” if the agreement extends to the fighting with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, but he added, “we did not solve our problems.”

Dan Tzivoni decried what he sees as Israel’s lack of political independence, saying Israel “became a little bit a puppet of the United States” and claiming it doesn’t know how to translate “very impressive military achievements” into political achievements.

Nizan Yogev sounded optimistic despite the tentative nature of the announcement, saying, “A temporary agreement will become permanent, and we will return to routine.”

Iraq reopens airports and airspace

Iraq’s Civilian Aviation Authority chief Bankin Rekani said the country’s airports and airspace have reopened following the ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran.

He made the announcement hours after the two-week cessation of hostilities mediated by Pakistan went into effect.

Airspace and flights throughout the region have been disrupted by the war. Baghdad and Irbil’s international airports were shuttered and the latter faced threats and attacks.

Displaced Lebanese wait for ceasefire clarity

Families displaced by the Israel-Hezbollah war scrambled to pack belongings in hopes of returning home after Pakistan said the Iran war ceasefire would include Lebanon.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed his country’s military would press on in Lebanon.

At a displacement camp along Beirut’s waterfront, families whiplashed by the conflicting statements expressed confusion and despair.

“We’re just stuck,” said Fadi Zaydan, 35. “We can’t take this anymore, sleeping in a tent, not showering, the uncertainty.”

His family set out Wednesday for the coastal city of Sidon, where he said they would wait before venturing further south to their abandoned home in Nabatieh.

Others said they expected Israel to escalate operations against Iran-backed Hezbollah even as guns fell silent elsewhere.

“Israel isn’t going to give up,” said Shadi Chehadeh, 47, who fled his southern village of Zefta to sleep in his car in Beirut. “They want our land.”

India urges secure trade routes after ceasefire

India’s foreign ministry on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire in the Middle East Asia and said it expects the “unimpeded freedom of navigation and global flow of commerce” through the Strait of Hormuz.

The ministry in a statement said the fighting has caused “immense suffering” and disrupted global energy supplies and trade.

“We have consistently advocated de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy to bring an early end to the conflict,” the ministry said.

European leaders call for end to war

The leaders of France, Spain and Finland and top European Union leaders all issued statements welcoming the two-week pause in fighting but urging swift negotiations to bring the war to a permanent end.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the planned pause in fighting between Iran, the United States and Iran as “a very good thing” and said he hopes it “will be fully respected in the whole region and permit negotiations to be held.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has been Europe’s loudest critic of the U.S. and Israel’s military actions in the Middle East, criticized the threats of violence that preceded the ceasefire announcement.

“The Government of Spain will not applaud those who set the world on fire just because they show up with a bucket,” Sánchez wrote on X, adding, “What’s needed now: diplomacy, international legality, and PEACE.”

Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission President, and Antonio Costa, the head of the European Council, praised Pakistani mediation efforts in social media posts Wednesday.

The Turkish and Austrian foreign ministries issued statements welcoming the deal and calling for further negotiations. Austria also offered to host talks.

Regional official says ceasefire includes Lebanon

A regional official said Lebanon is included in the two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

The official, who is involved in negotiations and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the pause applies to “all fronts including Lebanon.”

Pakistan, which is a key mediator, has said the ceasefire includes the fighting in Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, said Wednesday that the ceasefire won’t stop his country’s fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

China says it will play ‘constructive role’ toward peace

China welcomed the ceasefire agreed between Iran and the United States but did not confirm any direct talks with Iran that might have led to acceptance of the agreement.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning also welcomed efforts by Pakistan and others, adding without elaborating that China “did its own efforts.”

“We have been advocating for peace talks and a ceasefire,” Mao said in Beijing, adding that Chinese authorities will “keep playing a constructive role” toward peace.

China and Pakistan agreed days earlier to promote a five-point proposal aimed at restoring peace in the Middle East after a monthlong war.

The five points they said they would pursue included an immediate cessation of hostilities, the start of peace talks as soon as possible, ensuring the safety of nonmilitary targets, guaranteeing navigation safety through the Strait of Hormuz and safeguarding the primacy of the U.N. Charter.

Israel says it ‘continues fighting and ground operations’ against Hezbollah

Israel’s military said Wednesday it “continues fighting and ground operations” in its war against the Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

The military issued a statement acknowledging the war continued, even after mediator Pakistan said Israel would halt its attacks as part of a two-week ceasefire in the Iran war.

Israel separately acknowledged strikes into Iran up to the ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier said Israel would honor the Iran ceasefire while continuing to fight Hezbollah.

Hezbollah has not offered any statement yet.

Israel says US wants removal of Iran’s nuclear material and missile threat

Israel was told the U.S. is committed to removing Iran’s nuclear material and missile threat in upcoming negotiations, a senior Israeli official said.

Senior Trump officials told Israel that the U.S. “will firmly insist on removing the nuclear material, stopping enrichment, eliminating the threat of ballistic missiles, and more” during talks expected to take place in the next two weeks, the official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed diplomatic conversations, described the conditions as “shared goals of Israel and the U.S.”

There was little indication in public statements and proposals about the ceasefire that Iran and the U.S. had resolved disagreements over Iran’s nuclear program.

The official said the U.S. coordinated the ceasefire with Israel in advance and credited “the massive crushing of the regime’s infrastructure” with securing the agreement.

UAE suspends production at gas facility

The United Arab Emirates announced it would suspend production at the Habshan gas complex.

The Abu Dhabi media office said falling debris from an interception of an attack caused three multiple fires at the facility.

Two Emirates and an Indian suffered minor injuries, the office said.

Minister says Oman will support negotiations

Oman Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi said his country, which has long mediated between Iran and the U.S., will provide support to negotiations following the two-week ceasefire between the U.S., Israel and Iran.

Al-Busaidi said serious negotiations are required to establish a lasting regional peace.

“For now the world has stepped back from disaster,” he wrote on X. “But there’s no room for complacency.”

Middle East and Europe diplomats look to work coming after ceasefire

Diplomats in the Middle East and Europe are offering assessments of the two-week ceasefire and the work that remains ahead.

Anwar Gargash, an adviser to United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said his country has to manage a “complex regional landscape.”

Gargash argued on social media that the UAE will have “greater leverage, sharper insight, and a more solid capacity to influence and shape the future.”

The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, described the ceasefire in the war in the Middle East as a “step back from the brink.”

The agreement has created “a much-needed chance to tone down threats, stop missiles, restart shipping,”

Kallas wrote on X. “The Strait of Hormuz must be open for passage again.”

Norwegian Refugee Council head says ceasefire will benefit aid to Iran

Jan Engeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, an international aid group, said the two-week ceasefire will allow scaling up of assistance for millions of refugees and displaced people in Iran.

He called for more funding to humanitarian operations.

“But we have only some funding from Scandinavians,” he wrote on X. “How come there are easily billions for war, but no funding for the victims of the war?”

African Union head says ceasefire is critical opportunity

Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission, said the ceasefire between the United States, Israel and Iran presents a critical opportunity to ease the suffering of populations affected directly and indirectly by the war.

Youssouf said the agreement reflects commendable leadership and a shared commitment to the de-escalation that the union has consistently called for.

He added that diplomacy guided by the United Nations Charter remains the only viable path to resolving international crises.

German chancellor welcomes ceasefire

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he supports the ceasefire, adding that the goal now must be to end the war.

Negotiations must protect Iran’s civilians and ensure security in the region, as well as avert a global energy crisis, the chancellor said in a statement.

New Zealand prime minister calls ceasefire ‘incredibly encouraging’

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Wednesday that news of a ceasefire in the Middle East was “incredibly encouraging” after weeks of destabilizing conflict.

“The events of the past six weeks have been incredibly destabilizing and deeply concerning for the world. We all want to see an end to the Middle East conflict, which is affecting every country in the world, including New Zealand,” Luxon said in the capital Wellington.

Earlier, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters also said on X that his nation welcomed the effort to end the war, while noting “significant important work” remained.

Israeli opposition leader slams ceasefire as ‘political disaster’

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the two-week ceasefire between the U.S., Iran and Israel.

“There has never been such a political disaster in our entire history. Israel was not even at the table when decisions were made concerning the core of our national security,” Lapid wrote in a Wednesday morning post on X.

Lapid and other opposition party leaders in Israel have expressed support for the war against Iran while criticizing its “management.”

Lapid said in the post hours after the agreement was announced that “the military did everything asked of it, the public displayed incredible resilience, but Netanyahu failed politically, failed strategically, failed to meet any of the goals he himself set.”

UK leader Starmer welcomes ceasefire and flies to Gulf

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is traveling to the Gulf on Wednesday to support a newly announced ceasefire and wider efforts to end the U.S.-IsraeIi war on Iran.

The ceasefire “will bring a moment of relief to the region and the world,” but it must be turned into a “lasting agreement,” Starmer said in a statement.

The U.K. has been involved in international efforts to restore freedom of navigation to the Strait of Hormuz, hosting international diplomatic and military meetings in the past week to work on a post-conflict security plan for the key waterway.

Starmer will hold talks with regional leaders and meet British troops based in the region on the trip, which was planned before the ceasefire was announced.

Protesters storm Kuwaiti Consulate in southern Iraqi city

Protesters stormed the Kuwaiti Consulate in the southern Iraqi city of Basra late Tuesday.

Kuwait said in a statement it condemns the action by protesters opposed to the U.S. military’s use of numerous bases in Kuwait for launching attacks against Iran.

“Kuwait holds Iraq fully and directly responsible for this assault and for any shortcomings in taking the appropriate measures to protect diplomatic and consular missions on its territory,” the statement said.

Kuwait said it would “negatively impact bilateral relations” between the countries, which share a border.

“The State of Kuwait affirms that it is not a party to any regional or international conflict and that it has not and will not allow its territory to be used to launch an attack against any country, in accordance with its foreign policy,” the statement added.

The Iraqi government condemned the incident and said it will launch an investigation. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain issued statements supporting Kuwait.

Oman welcomes US-Iranian ceasefire

Oman said it welcomes the U.S.-Iranian ceasefire agreement and praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts to bring about the 14-day cessation of hostilities.

Prior to the war, Oman was a key mediator in its capital Muscat and in Geneva.

“The Sultanate of Oman emphasizes the importance of intensifying efforts now to find solutions that will end the crisis at its roots and achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities in the region,” the Omani Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Israel strikes parts of southern Lebanon

Israel hit parts of southern Lebanon, with many of the strikes targeting areas near the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.

A residential building was struck at dawn, killing four people in Tyre, where a drone strike targeted a car, although it was unclear who the intended target was in the vehicle.

Elsewhere, Israel hit a post of the Islamic Health Committee paramedics, one of various social programs operated by militant group Hezbollah, NNA reported.

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Lebanon and Israel continue to trade fire because Lebanon is not part of the two-week ceasefire agreed by Washington and Tehran. The statement contradicted information released by Pakistan, which served as a mediator for the agreement.

Hezbollah has not issued a statement on the developments.

Oil prices fall and Asian benchmarks rise

Benchmark U.S. crude oil sank 13.3% to $96, while brent crude, the international standard, dropped below $95 on Wednesday.

The oil prices fell while Asian benchmarks rose in Wednesday trading after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Shares jumped in early trading in Japan, Australia, South Korea and China in reaction to the ceasefire.

A recent spike in prices was a response to the war effectively blocking passage of much of the world’s oil supply through the strait.

Lebanon warns displaced people not to head south

Lebanon’s Crisis Management Unit has urged displaced people not to travel south following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement.

The unit’s statement came as many displaced people packed their belongings and started moving south, thinking the agreement also included Lebanon, where Israel and the Hezbollah militant group are at war.

Pakistan, which mediated the agreement, said the two-week cessation of hostilities agreement included Lebanon, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it did not.

Hezbollah did not immediately comment.

More than 1 million people in Lebanon have been displaced in just over a month.

Governments in Asia welcome ceasefire

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday that the two-week ceasefire in the war in Iran “augurs well for the restoration of peace and stability, not only to the region but also the rest of the world.”

Indonesia also welcomed the latest development as an effort to keep the door open for diplomacy in order to promote de-escalation.

Yvonne Mewengkang, spokesperson for Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs, said: “The Indonesian government will always support any constructive diplomatic efforts, including those that have the potential to lead to a more permanent resolution, with the protection of civilians as our primary focus.”

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry in a statement praised mediation efforts by countries including Pakistan and called for a swift restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East. It said it expects the “prompt and safe” resumption of free passage through the Strait of Hormuz for all vessels, including South Korean ships.

Trump says moment could mark a new ‘Golden Age’ for Mideast

Trump in a social media post declared the ceasefire agreement a “big day for World Peace” and that the U.S. “will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz.”

“There will be lots of positive action!” Trump predicted in his post.

“Big money will be made. Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just ‘hangin’ around’ in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will.”

Trump’s message on his Truth Social website signals Washington’s concern about Iran maintaining its chokehold over the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, through which 20% of all oil and natural gas passes in peace time.

Sirens go off in Bahrain

Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Wednesday morning, hours after the U.S. and Iran say they reached a two-week ceasefire in the war for negotiations.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry announced the warning.

It wasn’t immediately clear from the ceasefire when it would begin.

Iran has fired missiles on the Gulf Arab states and Israel after the announcement.

The dramatic shift in tenor came as intermediaries, led by Pakistan, worked feverishly to head off a further escalation of the conflict. Even China — Iran's biggest trading partner and the United States' most significant economic competitor — quietly pulled strings to find a pathway toward a ceasefire, according to two officials briefed on the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“The reason for doing so is that we have already met and exceeded all Military objectives, and are very far along with a definitive Agreement concerning Longterm PEACE with Iran, and PEACE in the Middle East,” Trump declared in a social media post announcing the temporary ceasefire, about 90 minutes before his deadline for Tehran to open the critical Strait of Hormuz or see its power plants and other critical infrastructure obliterated.

The president is set to meet at the White House on Wednesday with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. The emerging ceasefire and plan to reopen the strait is expected to be at the center of talks.

As the deadline neared, Democratic lawmakers decried Trump's threat to wipe away an entire civilization as “a moral failure" and Pope Leo XIV warned strikes against civilian infrastructure would violate international law, calling the president’s comments “truly unacceptable.”

But in the end, Trump may have ultimately backed down because of a simple truth: Escalation could risk involving the United States in the sort of “forever war” that had bedeviled his predecessors and that he had vowed he'd keep the United States out of if voters sent him back to the White House.

Controlling the strait would have been a long, costly operation

As Trump boasted about U.S. and Israeli military success over the last six weeks, he appeared to be working from the premise that he could bomb Iran into capitulation.

Starting with the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening salvos of the war, he seemed to discount that the Iranian leadership could opt for a long, bloody war.

The Islamic Republic over the last 47 years has repeatedly shown it’s willing to dig in, even when it appears to America they’re working against their own self-interest.

The clerical leadership held Americans hostages for 444 days, from late 1979 to early 1981, at the cost of the country’s international standing. The mullahs allowed the ruinous Iran-Iraq war to go on for years, leaving hundreds of thousands dead. It stood by Hamas after the Oct. 7 attack that spurred a war with Israel that would defang the Iran-backed group in Gaza as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon, and created the conditions that led to the collapse of Tehran-backed Bashar Assad's authoritarian rule in Syria.

Iran's leadership — battered and outgunned — exuded confidence that it could very well bog down the world's superpower in a costly, extended conflict even if it might not defeat a mighty U.S. military.

Defense analysts largely agreed that the U.S. military could quickly take control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Persian Gulf waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20% of the world's oil flows on any given day. But maintaining security over the waterway would require a high-risk, resource-intensive operation that could be a years-long American commitment.

Ben Connable, executive director of the nonprofit Battle Research Group, said securing the strait would require the U.S. military to maintain control of about 600 kilometers (373 miles) of Iranian territory, from Kish Island in the West to Bandar Abbas in the East, to stop Iran from firing missiles at ships passing through the strait. It's a mission that Connable said would likely require three U.S. infantry divisions, roughly 30,000 to 45,000 troops.

“This would be an indefinite operation — so, you know, think: be ready to do this for 20 years,” said Connable, a retired Marine Corps intelligence officer. “We didn't think we were going to be in Afghanistan for 20 years. We didn’t think we’re going to have to be in Vietnam as long as we were, or Iraq.”

The two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through Hormuz, a regional official said. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. It wasn’t immediately clear what Oman would use its money for.

The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had considered the passage an international waterway and never paid tolls before.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said after the ceasefire was announced that Trump was effectively giving Tehran “control” of the strait and delivering “a history-changing win for Iran.”

“The level of incompetence is both stunning and heartbreaking,” Murphy said.

Trump has a pattern of backing down from maximalist demands

The ceasefire announcement came after Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance while also asking Iran to open the strait for two weeks.

Two weeks has become Trump’s favorite interval to buy himself time when making major decisions. Last summer, the White House said he’d decide about launching an initial bombing campaign against Iran within two weeks — only to have the president order airstrikes that he said “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program before that interval was up.

Trump has also repeatedly used two weeks to set deadlines that ultimately led to very little during negotiations to end Russia’s war with Ukraine and even going back to his first term, suggesting he’d have major policy issues like health care solved over such a timeframe.

Trump has repeatedly made maximalist demands throughout the first 15 months of his second White House term only to dial them back.

The president backed off many of the sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs he first announced in April 2025 after they caused the financial markets to go haywire. Perhaps the most spectacular example came during a January meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Trump insisted that he wanted the U.S. to take control of Greenland “including right, title and ownership” only to switch course and abandon his threat to impose widespread tariffs on Europe to press his case.

The pretext for backing down that time was Trump saying he’d agreed with the head of NATO on a “framework of a future deal” on Arctic security — even though the U.S. already enjoyed widespread military latitude in Greenland, which is part of the kingdom of Denmark.

The White House celebrated on Tuesday evening with aides crediting the U.S. military's prowess and Trump's maneuvering for setting conditions for the ceasefire.

“The success of our military created maximum leverage, allowing President Trump and the team to engage in tough negotiations that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution and long-term peace,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared. She added, “Never underestimate President Trump’s ability to successfully advance America’s interests and broker peace.”

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Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo and Farnoush Amiri in New York contributed reporting.

Soler homered off López in the first inning, then was hit by a 96 mph fastball from the right-hander his next time up. In the fifth, Soler charged the mound after López threw a high-and-inside wild pitch that tipped off catcher Jonah Heim's mitt.

At first, López held up his hands as the two glared at each other before both started throwing punches.

“I asked him if everything was OK and the answer he gave me, I didn’t like it,” Soler said through a translator, according to MLB.com. “That’s why I went out there.”

The benches and bullpens emptied as players from both teams tried to separate the two. Atlanta manager Walt Weiss was among those who tackled Soler, the 2021 World Series MVP with the Braves.

“I love Soler. We were teammates here,” Weiss said. “But that’s a big man, and so I just felt I've gotta get him off his feet because he’s gonna hurt somebody. And so that was my instinct, just to get in there and get Jorge off his feet, yeah, because he was on a warpath.”

López was still holding the baseball when he landed a punch on Soler's batting helmet.

The two were teammates in Atlanta during the second half of the 2024 season.

“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” López said through a translator, according to MLB.com. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So, again, it’s just a shame.”

Atlanta led 4-2 when the fight occurred and went on to a 7-2 victory.

Soler's two-run shot in the first made him 14 for 23 with five homers and three doubles against López.

“Obviously, I have good numbers against him,” Soler said. “After the home run and getting hit by a pitch after that, and then he missed way too high and close to my head. At this level, you can’t miss like that.”

Weiss understood why Soler was mad.

“I know it didn’t look good because of Soler’s numbers against Lópey, and he hit a homer, he hit him. It didn’t look good," Weiss said. "Lópey’s not throwing at him. I don’t allow our pitchers to throw at people just because they can’t get ’em out. Our job is to get ’em out. But I understand why Soler got angry. And he’s a really mild-mannered guy. So, I think the switch flipped for him.

“There was no intent there. I just think that Lópey’s just overthrowing, because he’s had a hard time getting him out. But he’s certainly not trying to hit him,” Weiss added.

López pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

“Obviously, guy’s got good numbers off López, and hits a homer his first at-bat. Gets drilled up high in the wrist his second at-bat and then third one takes a good swing and then throws the next one head-high. It wasn’t over his head but it was head-high coming in," Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said.

“I don’t blame Jorge one bit. He went out there and words were exchanged and Jorge went out,” Suzuki added. “You get thrown at your head, you have a family, your career, you know, it’s dangerous. I know it’s part of the game. I know it happens."

The Angels won 6-2 on Monday in the opener of the three-game series. Tuesday night's game was more eventful, to say the least.

“It gets your juices flowing a little bit, on both teams I’m sure," Weiss said. "So, as long as nobody gets hurt, it’s kind of a good time. But as long as nobody gets hurt. But yeah, I was proud of our guys the way we handled everything tonight.”

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

“Nah, not really,” Tatum said Tuesday following Boston's win over Charlotte. “I mean, yeah, I thought about it. Not, like, thrilled to go back and play there. Last time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me."

The experience, of course, was when he was carried off the floor with a ruptured right Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Celtics' Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Knicks last season. It ended the six-time All-Star's season, and following surgery the next day thrust him into a nearly 10-month rehab.

It ended on March 6 with his season debut and a 15-game stretch since then that has him averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds with the playoffs upcoming. But being back in New York for the first time since his injury still will come with some trepidation, he acknowledged.

“Obviously, at some point I knew I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again. So, it's going to have to be this Thursday," Tatum said.

Teammate Jaylen Brown said he thinks Tatum is in a good place.

“I think he's trending in the right direction,” Brown said. “Mentally, it could possibly be something. But that's what the teammates are there for. We got his back."

Coach Joe Mazzulla said the way Tatum has worked his way back into condition both physically and mentally are a testament to everything he's done since being helped off the court in New York last May.

“I think the entire process leading up from Day 1 with the surgery put him in position to be able to do that,” Mazzulla said. “Just how he approached the entire journey and the people he had around him kind of put him in position. I think where he's at now, it all goes together. How do you approach that day? How do you approach recovery? How he's approached every step of the way that he's taken. He did it with a lot of hard work and diligence. ... That kind of set him up to be where he is now."

And like it or not, it's brought him to perhaps the most important step in him feeling mentally back — returning to the site of the worst day of his basketball career.

“It's part of it,” Tatum said. "I decided to come back and play and I'm not necessarily, like, skipping certain games. I mean, I can't play back-to-backs right now. But, I decided to come back and play, so it's another game on the schedule.”

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

It was not clear if the strikes would scuttle the deal, which U.S. Vice President JD Vance called “fragile.”

Even before the new attacks, much about the agreement was unclear as the sides presented vastly different visions of the terms.

— Iran said the deal would allow it to formalize its new practice of charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial transit lane for oil, but the terms were not clear, nor was whether ships would feel safe using it. It also was unclear whether any other country agreed to this condition.

— Pakistan, which helped to mediate the deal, and others said fighting would pause in Lebanon, where Israel has launched a ground invasion against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group. Israel said it would not, and strikes hit Beirut on Wednesday.

— The fate of Iran's missile and nuclear programs — the elimination of which were major objectives for the U.S. and Israel in going to war — also remained unclear. Trump said the U.S. would work with Iran to remove buried enriched uranium, though Iran did not confirm that.

In the streets of Tehran, pro-government demonstrators screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” after the ceasefire announcement and burned American and Israeli flags.

The chants underscored the anger animating hard-liners, who have been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptic battle with the United States. Trump warned Tuesday that “a whole civilization will die tonight,” if a deal wasn’t reached.

Varying reports of ceasefire’s terms

Trump initially said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war the U.S. launched with Israel on Feb. 28. But when a version in Farsi emerged that indicated Iran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium — which is key to building a nuclear weapon — Trump called it fraudulent without elaborating.

Vance later said the deal was being misrepresented within Iran, though he didn’t offer details.

Iran’s demands for ending the war, meanwhile, include a withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions, and the release of its frozen assets.

In his post Wednesday, Trump said: “We are, and will be, talking Tariff and Sanctions relief with Iran.”

It’s not clear if other Western nations would agree to that — and the other points are likely nonstarters.

Pakistan said that talks to hammer out a permanent end to the war could begin in Islamabad as soon as Friday.

Israel backed the U.S. ceasefire with Iran, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Wednesday that the deal doesn’t cover fighting against Hezbollah. Israel’s military said later that fighting and ground operations continue.

Loud booms could be heard throughout Beirut on Wednesday, and smoke rose from several points. It was not immediately clear what was targeted.

Hezbollah has not confirmed if it will abide by the ceasefire, though the group has said it was open to giving mediators a chance to secure an agreement. An official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the group would not stop firing at Israel unless Israel agreed to do the same.

Iran and Oman will collect shipping fees in Strait of Hormuz

While Iran could not match the sophistication of U.S. and Israeli weaponry or their dominance in the air, its ability to control the Strait of Hormuz since the war began proved a tremendous strategic advantage: Iranian attacks and threats deterred many commercial ships from passing through the waterway, through which 20% of all traded oil and natural gas passes in peacetime.

That has roiled the world economy and raised the pressure on Trump both at home and abroad to find a way out of the standoff.

The ceasefire may formalize a system of charging fees in the strait that Iran instituted — and give it a new source of revenue.

The plan allows for both Iran and Oman to charge ships, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations they were directly involved in. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction.

That would upend decades of precedent treating the strait as an international waterway that was free to transit and will likely not be acceptable to the Gulf Arab states, which also need to rebuild after repeated Iranian attacks targeting their oil fields.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management — further clouding the picture of who would be allowed to transit the waterway.

Trump, meanwhile, suggested American warships would be “hangin’ around” the strait. That could be a potential flashpoint in days to come.

News of the ceasefire drove oil prices down Wednesday, but they were still higher than before the start of the Iran war, a sign that uncertainty still persists about the conflict.

Fate of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs remains unclear

U.S.-Israeli strikes have battered Iran and its leadership, but they have not entirely eliminated the threats posed by Tehran's nuclear program, its ballistic missiles or its support for regional proxies, like Hezbollah. The U.S. and Israel said addressing those threats was a key justification for going to war.

Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. would work with Iran to “dig up and remove” enriched uranium that was buried under joint U.S-Israeli strikes in June. He added that none of the material had been touched since. Any retrieval is expected to be an intensive undertaking.

There was no confirmation from Iran on that.

Tehran insisted for years that its nuclear program was peaceful, although it enriched uranium up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels.

Iran referred to its nuclear program differently in two versions of the ceasefire plan that it released. The version in Farsi included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program. That phrase was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats with journalists.

A senior Israeli official said the United States had coordinated the ceasefire with Israel in advance and said Israel’s government credited “the massive crushing of the regime’s infrastructure” with securing the agreement.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because they were discussing private diplomatic conversations, the official said Washington had committed to pressing for the removal of nuclear material and dismantling of Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Airstrikes reported in the hours after the deal is announced

Shortly after the ceasefire announcement, Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all issued warnings about incoming missiles from Iran. That fire stopped for a time, then hostilities appeared to restart.

An oil refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island came under attack, according to Iranian state television. Its report said that firefighters were working to contain the blaze but no one had been hurt. It did not say who launched the attack.

The island is home to one of the terminals that Iran uses to export oil and gas.

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani says the army wasn’t involved in the Lavan attack. The U.S. military’s Central Command did not respond to questions about the strike.

A short time later, the United Arab Emirates’ air defenses fired at an incoming Iranian missile barrage. Kuwait’s military forces, meanwhile, responded to an “extensive wave” of drone attacks.

More than 1,900 people had been killed in Iran as of late March, but the government has not updated the war’s toll for days.

In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, more than 1,500 people have been killed. and 1 million people have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died.

In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Magdy from Cairo and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Edie Lederer at the United Nations, Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem, Abby Sewell in Beirut, and Michelle L. Price and Aamer Madhani in Washington contributed to this report.

Valentina Orellana-Peralta was shopping for Christmas clothes with her mother at a Burlington store in the San Fernando Valley’s North Hollywood neighborhood on Dec. 23, 2021, when she was struck by a bullet that had gone through the dressing room wall.

Police were responding to calls for help after a man wielding a bike lock attacked two women in the building. As armed officers walked through the store, Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr. fired his rifle three times, killing the man and Orellana-Peralta.

The lawsuit filed by the girl's parents alleges wrongful death, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

Her mother Soledad Peralta “felt her daughter’s body go limp and watched helplessly as her daughter died while still in her arms,” the lawsuit states.

It alleges that the LAPD failed to adequately train and supervise the responding officers and “fostered an environment that allowed and permitted this shooting to occur.”

“Valentina had her entire life in front of her, and it was taken in an instant due to reckless decisions made by the very people who were sworn to protect her," said Nick Rowley, who represents the family. “We intend to hold LAPD fully accountable for taking an innocent young woman’s life.”

The Los Angeles city attorney’s office, representing the LAPD, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

The Los Angeles Police Commission, a civilian oversight board, ruled in 2022 that Jones was justified in firing once but that his two subsequent shots were out of policy. Then-Police Chief Michel Moore previously found in his own review that all three shots were unjustified.

Jones told the LAPD’s Use of Force Review Board that he believed someone inside the store was shooting people and mistook the bike lock the man was wielding for a gun. He said he thought a wall behind the man backed up against an exterior brick wall when in fact, the area contained the women’s dressing rooms.

Rowley recently secured a $30 million settlement from the city of San Diego for the killing of 16-year-old Konoa Wilson, one of the largest settlements in a police killing case in U.S. history. It surpassed the $27 million settlement that the city of Minneapolis agreed to pay in the lawsuit over the killing of George Floyd.

The Mother Road, as author John Steinbeck dubbed it, has evolved over the years from an escape for poor farmers fleeing the devastating dust storms of the 1930s to perhaps the quintessential American road trip that’s still delivering kicks.

Although there have been faster and more direct routes between the nation’s second- and third-largest cities for some time, Route 66’s neon still burns brightly and its vintage signs beckon travelers to restored motor lodges, classic diners and roadside attractions.

Each stop turns the wheels of the imagination, leaving travelers to contemplate what life was like for the people and communities that have made the road hum over the years.

Illinois

Chicago has long been one of the country’s economic engines, with access to international waters and railroads that linked all corners of the country. In the 1920s, Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the Father of Route 66, knew it wouldn’t be long before automobiles would dominate the transportation landscape, and the Windy City would be the perfect place to start the journey he envisioned.

A member of the federal highway board appointed to map the U.S. highway system, Avery opted to go with the number 66. He knew those double digits were ripe for marketing and could be seared into the minds of motorists.

For some travelers, the journey is fueled more by the food than the scenery, and there’s plenty to choose from — slices of homemade pie, thick shakes, cheeseburgers and an assortment of fried delights.

The Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield, the Illinois capital, is one of the many diners that sprang up along Route 66, and its breaded hot dogs on a stick have stood the test of time. Third-generation owner Josh Waldmire says the recipe is a secret.

Waldmire’s grandfather, Ed, saw the concoction’s potential as fast and convenient road food and developed a system for frying the dogs vertically.

Missouri

Route 66 has its share of twists and turns, and it’s no surprise that a highway famous for its quirky roadside attractions would cross the nation’s most famous river on one of the more peculiar bridges known to modern engineering.

As the road nears St. Louis, the mile-long (1.6-kilometer-long) Chain of Rocks Bridge hovers more than 60 feet (18 meters) above the Mississippi River.

Engineers eventually built a straighter, higher-speed option, and a poor resale market spared the original bridge from the scrap heap. Today it’s reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.

A median in Missouri is home to St. Robert Route 66 Neon Park, which features orphaned neon signs that once beckoned travelers to stop at certain sites and businesses along the highway. Often handcrafted, they weren’t only markers for motels, cafes and gas stations, but were also folk art and symbols of local culture.

Kansas

The Sunflower State hosts only a short stretch of Route 66, but it packs a punch with the Kan-O-Tex Service Station in Galena. A classic example of roadside fare, the station served as inspiration for the animated 2006 Pixar film “Cars.”

Director John Lasseter and his crew took road trips along the route, digging into history and looking for elements that could bring the project to life. It was in Galena where they spotted the old boom truck that served as the basis for the character Tow Mater. The plot wasn’t far off, as so many once bustling towns — like the fictional Radiator Springs — nearly faded away after being bypassed by an interstate.

Kansas also is home to the Brush Creek Bridge, otherwise known as the Rainbow Bridge. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of few remaining examples of the concrete arched bridges designed by James Barney Marsh.

Oklahoma

There was a real danger for some who traveled the road, particularly Black motorists passing through inhospitable and segregated areas during the Jim Crow era. The Green Book — a guide first published in 1936 by Victor Hugo Green — listed hotels, restaurants and gas stations that would serve Black customers.

The Threatt Filling Station near Luther wasn’t listed in The Green Book, but it was a safe haven — not only for getting fuel, but for barbecue and baseball. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was the only known Black-owned and operated gas station along Route 66.

Route 66 is littered with abandoned buildings and faded signs, but one example of the highway’s resilient spirit stands tall in Sapulpa, near Tulsa. The restored Tee Pee Drive-In Theater offers a step back into the 1950s, when the booming car culture helped spawn thousands of drive-in theaters nationwide.

Built in 1949, the drive-in officially opened in the spring of 1950 with a screening of John Wayne’s “Tycoon.” It was one of the few drive-ins at the time to have paved pathways. Over the years, it survived a tornado, a fire that destroyed the concession stand and break-ins before being shuttered for more than 20 years. It reopened in 2023.

Texas

Blink and you might miss it, but a stop at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo is a must for any Route 66 journey. For decades, visitors have been spray-painting the 10 vintage Cadillacs at the site and mulling the transitory nature of time as Bruce Springsteen did in his 1980 song of the same name.

It’s not a ranch, but rather a public art installation created in 1974 by the art and architecture collective Ant Farm. At first, the cars — which were half-buried front-down at a 60-degree angle — were used for target practice. Others would scratch their initials into the metal. The spray painting started later.

Arrive in Adrian and you’re halfway through your trip. Steps from a white line marking the midpoint of Route 66 is the Midway Cafe, where the “ugly pies” are anything but.

If you’re still hungry, head back to Amarillo for a 72-ounce (2 kilogram) steak and all the sides at The Big Texan. If you can finish the meal in an hour or less, it's free.

New Mexico

More than half of Route 66 cuts through sovereign Native American lands, often tracing routes used by tribes long before settlers arrived. Much like the railroad in the 1800s, the highway opened the door to a new era of commerce, but it also fueled stereotypes about cultures along the way.

There are still faded and crumbling references to tipis and feathered headdresses at some stops along the historic highway. The symbols were easily appropriated for marketing by roadside vendors but weren't indicative of the separate and distinct Native American cultures in the area.

Today, tribes are telling their own stories and showcasing their creations, whether it be pottery, fruit pies or poems.

Albuquerque boasts the longest intact urban stretch of Route 66. Those 18 miles (29 kilometers) pass through several neighborhoods and business districts, from historic Old Town to Nob Hill.

Some of the old motor lodges and neon signs along what is now Central Avenue have been restored. Other signs are being reimagined using hubcaps, elaborate lowrider-inspired paint jobs and New Mexico’s classic yellow and red license plates in a nod to the car culture that is very much still alive in the city.

Arizona

Musician Jackson Browne was taking his own road trip in the early 1970s when his car left him stranded in Winslow. The experience inspired the lyrics to the Eagles’ hit “Take it Easy.” But it’s certainly not the only song that is a must-have for a Route 66 playlist.

Bobby Troup created a classic American road anthem in the 1940s with “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” Nat King Cole, Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones and Depeche Mode carried it through the decades, each covering the song with their own flare.

While standing on a corner in Winslow, don’t be surprised if someone saunters up with a guitar and starts strumming favorites from their own road trip playlist.

Before leaving the state, the one-time gold mining town of Oatman features a Wild West atmosphere, daily staged shootouts and beloved burros. Oatman was a destination along one of the original alignments of Route 66 via a treacherous path through the Black Mountains, but it was later bypassed as part of improvements made in the 1950s.

California

Once a desert oasis, Roy’s Motel & Café in Amboy is a quintessential Route 66 landmark. The towering neon sign is one of the most photographed spots along the road. Inside, foreign currency left by international visitors lines one wall. Across the street, a clothing post decorated with shoes, shirts and other items juts up from the desert floor.

This stretch of the highway through the Mojave Desert offers a special kind of solitude. The pavement gets rough in spots and the landscape takes charge, showing off Joshua trees, wide-open spaces and the remnants of ancient volcanic activity.

Much of the area is undeveloped, meaning it looks a lot like it would have when Route 66 was commissioned in 1926.

After making it through oft-congested Los Angeles, the iconic Santa Monica Pier marks the end of the line, and it’s nothing short of a perpetual party with a steady stream of spectators and performers. Although many stretches of Route 66 have lapsed into decay, the breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean are a reminder of the pursuits made possible by the road over the last century.

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Associated Press writers John O’Connor in Springfield, Illinois, and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

After a blast of guitar feedback, 20-year-old Kurt Cobain politely announced to the crowd at the small club called Dreamerz: “Hello, we're Nirvana. We're from Seattle.” With that, the band, then a quartet, launched into the riff-heavy first song, “School.”

Jacobs surreptitiously recorded the performance, documenting the fledgling band in raw, fiery form more than two years before Nirvana's global breakthrough with the album “Nevermind.”

Jacobs went on to record more than 10,000 concerts, with increasingly sophisticated equipment, over four decades in Chicago and other cities. Now a group of devoted volunteers in the U.S. and Europe is methodically cataloging, digitizing and uploading them one by one.

The growing Aadam Jacobs Collection is an internet treasure trove for music lovers, especially for fans of indie and punk rock during the 1980s through the early 2000s, when the scene blossomed and became mainstream. The collection features early-in-their-career performances from alternative and experimental artists like R.E.M., The Cure, The Pixies, The Replacements, Depeche Mode, Stereolab, Sonic Youth and Björk.

There's also a smattering of hip-hop, including a 1988 concert by rap pioneers Boogie Down Productions. Devotees of Phish were thrilled to discover that a previously uncirculated 1990 show by the jam band is included. And there are hundreds of sets by smaller artists who are unlikely to be known to even fans with the most obscure tastes.

All of it is slowly becoming available for streaming and free download at the nonprofit online repository Internet Archive, including that nascent Nirvana show recording, with the audio from Jacobs' cassette recorder cleaned up.

Jacbos' first recording was in 1984

By the time Jacobs snuck his tape recorder into that Nirvana gig, he had been recording concerts for five years already. As a teen discovering music, Jacobs began taping songs off the radio.

“And I eventually met a fellow who said, ‘You can just take a tape recorder into a show with you, just sneak it in, record the show.’ And I thought, ‘Wow, that’s cool.’ So I got started,” Jacobs, now 59, recalled.

He doesn't remember offhand what that first concert was in 1984, but he taped it with a tiny Dictaphone-type device that he borrowed from his grandmother. A short time later, he bought the Sony Walkman-style tape recorder. When that broke, he briefly used his home console cassette machine stuffed in a backpack that a generous soundman let him plug in.

“I was using, at times, pretty lackluster equipment, simply because I had no money to buy anything better,” he said. Later, he moved on to digital audio tape, or DAT, and, as technology progressed, to solid-state digital recorders.

Jacobs doesn't consider himself obsessive or, as many call him, an archivist. He says he's just a music fan. He figured if he was going to attend a few concerts a week anyway, why not document them? In the early years, he contended with contentious club owners who tried to prevent him from taping. But they eventually relented as he became a fixture in the music scene, and many began letting the “taper guy” in for free.

Author Bob Mehr, who wrote about Jacobs in 2004 for the Chicago Reader, calls him one of the city's cultural institutions.

“He's a character. I think you have to be, to do what he does,” Mehr said. “But I think he proved over time that his intentions were really pure."

After a local filmmaker made a documentary about Jacobs in 2023, a volunteer with the Internet Archive reached out to suggest his collection be preserved. “Before all the tapes started not working because of time, just disintegrating, I finally said yes,” he said.

Boxes stuffed with tapes

Once a month, Brian Emerick makes the trip from the Chicago suburbs to Jacobs' house in the city to pick up 10 or 20 boxes each stuffed with 50 or 100 tapes. Emerick's job is to transfer — in real time — the analog recordings to digital files that can be sent to other volunteers who mix and master the shows for upload to the archive. Emerick has a room devoted to his setup of outdated cassette and DAT decks.

“So many of the machines I find are broken. They’re trashed. And so I learned how to fix those, get them running again,” said Emerick. “Currently, I have 10 working cassette decks, and I run those all simultaneously.”

Emerick estimates he's digitized at least 5,500 shows since late 2024 and that it will take another few years to complete the project. The digital files are claimed by a dozen or so volunteer-engineers in the U.S, U.K. and Germany who provide the metadata and clean up the audio. Among them is Neil deMause in Brooklyn, who said he's constantly impressed by the audio fidelity of the original tapes, especially considering Jacobs was using “weird RadioShack mics” and other primitive equipment.

“Especially after the first couple years, he's got it so dialed in that some of these recordings, on, like, crappy little cassette tapes from the early 90s, sound incredible,” deMause said.

Emerick pointed to a 1984 James Brown concert as a gem he discovered in the stacks.

Often, the hardest job is figuring out song titles. Occasionally, Jacobs kept helpful notes, but the volunteers frequently spend days consulting each other, searching and even reaching out to artists to make sure the setlists are accurately documented.

Jacobs said the majority of the artists he recorded are pleased to have their work preserved. As for copyright concerns, he's happy to remove recordings if requested, but added that only one or two musicians so far have asked that their material be taken down.

“I think that the general consensus is, it’s easier to say I’m sorry than to ask for permission,” he said. The Internet Archive declined to comment for this story. David Nimmer, a longtime copyright attorney who also teaches at UCLA, said that under anti-bootlegging laws, the artists technically own the original compositions and live recordings. But since neither Jacobs nor the archive are profiting from the endeavor, lawsuits seem unlikely.

The Replacements, a foundational punk-alternative band, were so happy with Jacobs’ tape of a 1986 show that they mixed some of it in with a soundboard recording. They released it in 2023 as a live album as part of a box set produced by Mehr.

Jacobs stopped recording a few years ago as worsening health problems sapped his desire to go out and see concerts. But he still enjoys experiencing live music he finds online, much of it recorded by a new generation of fans.

“Since everybody’s got a cellphone, anybody can record a concert,” he said.

To John Steinbeck, it was the Mother Road that led poor farmers from Dust Bowl desperation to sunny California. To Native Americans along the route, it was an economic boon that also left scars. To Black travelers, it offered sanctuary during segregation. And to music fans, it was the place to get their kicks.

Route 66 marks its 100th anniversary this year. Despite losing its status decades ago as one of the nation’s main arteries, people from around the world still flock to it to take perhaps the quintessential American road trip and soak in its neon lights, kitschy motels and attractions, and culinary offerings.

Each town has its own history and magic, said Sebastiaan de Boorder, a Dutch entrepreneur who, with his wife, breathed new life into The Aztec Motel in Seligman, Arizona.

“It's an essential part of American culture and history,” he said of the highway. “The historical aspect is just a very big important part of American culture, with its influence and its character.”

The dream

Route 66, which runs for roughly 2,400 miles (3,860 kilometers) from Chicago through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before ending in Santa Monica, California, was stitched together a century ago from a collection of Native American trading routes and old dirt roads with the goal of linking the industrial Midwest to the Pacific coast.

Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the Father of Route 66, saw it as more than just a way to cross the country efficiently. It was a chance to connect rural America and create new pockets of commerce.

Avery knew the number 66 would be ripe for marketing and could be seared into drivers' minds, and he was right: Route 66 has been immortalized in movies, books, including Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” and Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road,” and songs such as Bobby Troup's “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” which served as an anthem for post-World War II optimism and mobility.

Waves of migration

Since its November 1926 designation as one of the nation's original numbered highways, the onetime Main Street of America has embodied the promise of prosperity.

It became a literal path of hope for migrants escaping drought-ravaged farms and poverty during the 1930s Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. And during World War II, it was used to move troops, equipment and workers out West.

The postwar boom of the 1940s and 1950s were Route 66's heyday, as it became a popular vacation route. Cars became more affordable, disposable income increased, and people began chasing freedom on the open road.

“People generally have a sense of adventure, a sense curiosity. And you can find that on Route 66. This is the road of dreams,” author and historian Jim Hinckley said.

Going mainstream

Roadside diners and motels thrived, as crafty entrepreneurs dreamed up ways to part motorists from their money. There were rattlesnake pits, totem poles, trading posts, caverns where Old West outlaws purportedly hung out, and modern engineering marvels like St. Louis' gleaming steel arch.

Barns were painted with larger-than-life ads, billboards teased local attractions, and neon was everywhere.

The cherry on top? The food.

There were places to grab and go, but also to sit down and relish a slice of home. The Cozy Dog Drive In — famous for its breaded hot dogs on a stick — has fit both bills since 1949. Inside the dining room in Springfield, Illinois, travelers tell tales of life on the highway.

“The road wouldn’t be alive without the stories of all the places along it that kept it going from town to town,” third-generation owner Josh Waldmire said. “We just survive off each other. The road feeds us, and as long as we put our feelings and love back into the road, it will reverberate with the travelers and the stories of the people.”

A divided highway

Route 66 was an economic boon to the Native American tribes along the way. But although it brought tourists, it also left scars of eminent domain across tribal land and perpetuated stereotypes.

More than half of the highway crossed through Indian Country, and vendor signs often made casual references to tipis and feathered headdresses — symbols easily appropriated for marketing but not always representative of the distinct cultures found along the route.

At Laguna Pueblo west of Albuquerque, restaurants and service stations sprang up, some operated by military veterans from the pueblo who were masters at fixing everything from flat tires to busted radiators.

Pueblo women adapted too, turning utilitarian pottery vessels into works of art coveted by tourists. Homemade bread and pies sealed the deal.

Laguna leaders have long considered the road — or he-ya-nhee' in the tribe's language of Keres — as “the corridor of commerce,” said businessman and tribal member Ron Solimon. Capitalizing on that potential, the tribe has built a multimillion-dollar empire of casinos, burger stands and other businesses.

There were also dangers along the route, particularly during the Jim Crow era, when Black travelers had to rely on guides like the Green Book to find safe lodging and services.

“Especially for long-distance travel, segregation was a fact of life,” said Matthew Pearce, state historian for the Oklahoma Historical Society. “And so Black motorists needed to know a safe place to go.”

The Threatt Filling Station near the central Oklahoma community of Luther wasn't listed in the Green Book, but it did serve as a safe haven between two sundown towns, where people who weren't white needed to leave by sunset. The station offered barbecue and even baseball.

Edward Threatt, whose grandparents opened the station around 1933, recalled a TV program about travelers getting their kicks on 66. “By and large, the Black traveler didn’t get a lot of kicks on Route 66,” he said. “And if they got some kicks, it wasn’t the kind you would think of.”

A new direction

President Dwight Eisenhower’s vision for a modern interstate highway system eventually led to Route 66 being decommissioned as a federal highway in 1985. Some towns along the route died, and it fell to local governments, state historical societies, and private businesses to preserve their sections of the famed road.

A driving force was Angel Delgadillo, a barber who lobbied the Arizona Legislature to designate the road as a historic highway. He saved Seligman from turning into a ghost town and set the bar for preservation elsewhere.

In New Mexico, original sketches for neon signs have been preserved, Route 66-themed murals abound and developers in Albuquerque have restored motor lodges along the longest urban stretch of the road still intact.

More than 90% of the road is still drivable in California. Cadillac Ranch in the Texas Panhandle offers the chance to spray-paint half-buried cars. And at the Mississippi River, travelers can walk or bike across the old Chain of Rocks Bridge.

More than 250 of the route's buildings, districts and road segments are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. But it's more than bricks and asphalt that fuel the fascination.

“Some of the most interesting and fun things that happen to people when they travel the route is running into somebody they know or some happenstance thing that comes totally unexpected,” said author and historian Jim Ross. “And that's a great part of the Route 66 experience.”

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Associated Press writers John O'Connor in Springfield, Illinois, and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Moments after the Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Tuesday night to clinch Central Division and top seed in the Western Conference, Bednar was already focusing on the next step toward the ultimate goal of a Stanley Cup.

“We’re not all the way there yet,” Bednar said. “You know, like the goal for us started with winning the division, the conference, we still need another win to get first overall. Like, we’d be crazy not to chase that at this point, right? It’s important, if you get to where you want to go, you might as well try and get your home ice, especially after a season like this.”

It is the third time in five seasons, and first since 2023, that the Avalanche finished as the top team in the conference. The team lost in the first round of the playoffs that season, but won the organization’s third Stanley Cup after finishing first in the Western Conference in 2022.

The Avalanche (51-16-10, 112 points) actually have a better record on the road with a 27-7-5 mark compared to a 24-9-5 record at Ball Arena. But goalie Scott Wedgewood said home ice in the playoffs is a big advantage.

“Just atmosphere, altitude … you’re in your own bed the night before,” Wedgewood said. “You know, you still got to perform. It doesn’t mean you win because you’re at home, but like I said in between rounds, you’re able to knock a team out in five or six, you’re home for that many more days.”

The Avalanche are also on the cusp of clinching the President’s Trophy, awarded to the team with the best regular-season record, which would give them home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.

“Then obviously the fans, you get them going with a couple of hits, playoff hockey’s intense, and it’ll pay in your favor,” Wedgewood said.

Bednar would like to see consistency from the team through the final five games, noting that the Avalanche have been up and down over the last few games.

“We’ve proven that we can do it when we want to set our minds to it, which is really important,” Bednar said. “I don’t have to see it for 60 minutes for every game the rest of the way, but we need to see it enough to secure our goal and making sure everyone’s confident in the way we play.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Roberts-Smith was awarded both the Victoria Cross and Medal of Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan and is only the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime.

The charges follow a military report released in 2020 that found evidence that elite Australian Special Air Service and commando regiment troops unlawfully killed 39 Afghan prisoners, farmers and other noncombatants. Around 40,000 Australian military personnel served in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, of whom 41 were killed.

Veteran accused of 5 unlawful deaths

The allegations against Roberts-Smith relate to the deaths of five Afghan people who died in 2009 and 2012 while he served in Afghanistan as an elite SAS corporal. Police allege he either shot his victims or ordered a subordinate to shoot them in Uruzgan province where Australia's forces were based.

Police said he had been charged Tuesday with five counts of war crime murder. But the charges laid in court Wednesday were two counts of war crime murder and three counts of aiding or abetting a war crime murder. All charges carry the same potential maximum sentence of life in prison.

The charges allege Roberts-Smith killed and caused a subordinate to kill at Kakarak village on April 12, 2009. He allegedly caused a subordinate to kill at Darwan village on Sept. 11, 2012. He allegedly killed and caused a subordinate to kill at Syahchow village on Oct. 20, 2012.

Australian law defines war crime murder as the intentional killing in a context of armed conflict of a person who is not taking an active part in the hostilities, such as a civilian, prisoner of war or a wounded soldier.

Australian prime minister describes veteran's arrest as a ‘difficult time’

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Roberts-Smith's arrest as a “difficult time” for the Australian Defense Force.

“We should give thanks every day for the men and women who wear our uniform, who are prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation, to keep our Australian way of life going forward. That doesn’t change,” Albanese told Sky News television.

“It’s important that this not be politicized, and I have no intention of commenting on what is a legal process,” Albanese added.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor called on the federal government, known as the Commonwealth of Australia, to pay for the legal defenses of all military personnel prosecuted for war crimes, including Roberts-Smith.

“It is an imperative that the Commonwealth provide anyone who’s prosecuted in this process, including Ben Roberts-Smith, with ... the financial support they need to defend themselves and to ensure that there is a fair trial,” Taylor told reporters. “The presumption of innocence is crucial.”

Former Australian prime minister pays tribute to troops

John Howard, who as Australia's then-prime minister first committed Australian troops to fight in Afghanistan in 2001, said Roberts-Smith's arrest would emotionally impact millions of Australians.

“This is a difficult issue for many, as it tests to the limits not only our respect for Australian values, but the deep and special reverence we have for those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe,” Howard said in a statement.

The Australian Special Air Service Association, which represents current and former members of the elite regiment, said some may be required to testify against former comrades. Others must defend themselves against “grave allegations.”

“These realities are deeply confronting for a close and enduring community,” the association said in a statement.

Roberts-Smith, 47, spent the night in jail after he was arrested at the Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning, and he did not appear in court either in person or by video link Wednesday.

His lawyers did not enter pleas to the charges or apply for his release on bail. The case was adjourned until June 4.

Civil court upholds similar allegations

A civil court has already found similar allegations against Roberts-Smith credible in a defamation suit he brought after newspapers published articles in 2018 accusing him of a range of war crimes. In 2023, a federal judge rejected Roberts-Smith’s claims and ruled that he likely killed four noncombatants unlawfully in 2009 and 2012.

But while the civil court found the war crimes allegations were mostly proven on a balance of probabilities, the war crime murder charges would have to be proved in a criminal court to a higher standard of beyond reasonable doubt.

Media magnate Kerry Stokes helped fund Roberts-Smith's civil court action. Roberts-Smith quit his job as a state manager of Stokes' Seven West Media in 2023 after losing the defamation case.

During his defamation trial, Roberts-Smith had testified that he had never killed an unarmed Afghan and denied ever committing a war crime. He claimed he has the victim of spiteful fellow soldiers' lies and of others' envy of his medals.

Roberts-Smith is the second Australian veteran of the Afghanistan campaign to be charged with a war crime.

Fellow veteran pleads not guilty to war crime allegation

Former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz has pleaded not guilty to a charge of war crime murder. He is accused of shooting Afghan man Dad Mohammad three times in the head in an Uruzgan province wheat field in 2012.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers said Schulz's trial is unlikely to be held before 2027.

In 2024, the government announced that several serving and former Australian military commanders had been stripped of medals over allegations of war crimes committed in Afghanistan.

Holding commanders to account for alleged misconduct of Australian special forces between 2005 and 2016 had been recommended in the war crime investigation report made public in 2020.

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Residents along Northwest 181st Street and a lake saw waterspouts, furniture blown around, heavy rain, and downed tree limbs.

“I see stuff starting to fly around, and then it got bad, and I ran into the bathroom,” a resident said, adding that the commotion lasted less than 5 minutes.

The wind flipped a boat and damaged roofs. There were downed trees and some power disruptions.

Crews with the Florida Power & Light Company were out working in the neighborhood on Friday night.

Tips on what to do during a tornado

• Seek shelter in the interior room of a sturdy building and away from windows.
• Drive to the closest shelter.
• Cover your head

Source: The National Weather Service

For the Weather Authority’s live weather radar and hour-by-hour forecasts, visit this page.

Related stories

•  Flood watch in effect for South Florida, weather affecting local airports
• Beware of flooding, rip currents, traffic delays in South Florida

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

The 34-year-old rapper suffered non-life-threatening injuries during a shooting on Monday night in a valet area at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, according to the Seminole Police Department.

There was a fight before the shooting. Tione Jayden Merritt, better known as rapper Lil Tjay, was among two arrested, according to police.

Merritt, 24, faced charges of disorderly conduct and operating a vehicle without a valid license when he walked out of the Broward County Main Jail on Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale.

“Did he put his hands on you?” Local 10 News reporter Bridgette Matter asked him. “Hell naw,“ the rapper said. ”How many times I gotta tell you that ain’t nobody touch me?”

Migos rappers Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset split in 2022. Offset went solo, and Quavo and Takeoff formed duo, Unc & Phew. Takeoff was fatally shot months later in Houston, Texas.

Offset and Cardi B, who wed in 2017 and divorced in 2024, have three children together.

Trump swerved to deescalate the war less than two hours before the deadline he set for Tehran to capitulate to a deal or face attacks on its bridges and power plants meant to destroy Iranian “civilization.”

Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it has accepted the ceasefire and that it would negotiate with the United States in Pakistan beginning Friday. Neither Iran nor the United States said when the ceasefire would begin, and attacks took place in Israel, Iran and across the Gulf region early Wednesday.

Israel backed the U.S. ceasefire with Iran but the deal doesn’t cover fighting against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said early Wednesday.

His office said in the statement that Israel supported Trump’s decision to suspend strikes subject to Iran immediately opening the Strait of Hormuz and stopping all attacks on the U.S. Israel and countries in the region. His office said Israel also supports U.S. efforts to ensure Iran no longer poses a nuclear or missile threat.

The ceasefire calls for Israel and Hezbollah to halt fighting in Lebanon, according to the prime minister of Pakistan, which has been mediating talks.

The ceasefire process was clouded in uncertainty after Iran released different versions of the 10-point plan intended to be the basis for negotiations. The version in Farsi included the phrase “acceptance of enrichment” for its nuclear program. But for reasons that remain unclear, that phrase was missing in English versions shared by Iranian diplomats to journalists.

Trump initially had said Iran proposed a “workable” 10-point plan that could help end the war launched by the U.S. and Israel in February. But he later called it fraudulent, without elaborating. Trump has said ending Iran’s nuclear program entirely was a key point of the war.

Pro-government demonstrators in the streets of Iran’s capital screamed: “Death to America, death to Israel, death to compromisers!” after the ceasefire announcement Wednesday morning. They also burned American and Israeli flags in the street.

It shows the ongoing anger from hard-liners, who had been preparing for what many assumed would be an apocalyptical battle with the United States.

Iran and Oman to collect shipping fees in Strait of Hormuz

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said passage through the strait would be allowed under Iranian military management. It wasn’t immediately clear whether that meant Iran would completely loosen its chokehold on the waterway.

The plan allows for both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the strait, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations they were directly involved in. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction.

In addition to control of the strait, Iran’s demands for ending the war include withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from the region, the lifting of sanctions and the release of its frozen assets.

Since the war began, Trump has repeatedly backed off deadlines just before they expire.

In doing so again Tuesday, Trump said in a social media post he had come to the decision “based on conversations” with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Gen. Asim Munir, Pakistan’s powerful army chief. Sharif, in a post on X hours earlier, urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance. He used the same post to ask Iran to open the strait for two weeks.

“Almost all of the various points of past contention have been agreed to between the United States and Iran, but a two week period will allow the Agreement to be finalized and consummated,” Trump said.

There are concerns in Israel about the agreement, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media. The person said Israel would like to achieve more.

Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium is still buried at enrichment sites. The program had been one of the main issues cited by both Israel and the U.S. in launching the war.

Earlier Trump threats raised alarms

“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if a deal isn’t reached, Trump said in an online post Tuesday morning. But he also seemed to keep open the possibility of an off-ramp, saying that “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.”

Trump’s expansive threat did not seem to account for potential harm to civilians, prompting Democrats in Congress, some United Nations officials and scholars in military law to say such strikes would violate international law.

Tehran’s representative at the U.N., Amir-Saeid Iravani, said the threats “constitute incitement to war crimes and potentially genocide” and that Iran would “take immediate and proportionate reciprocal measures” if Trump launches devastating strikes.

The U.S. and Israel have battered Iran with attacks targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. Iran has responded with a stream of strikes on Israel and Gulf Arab neighbors, causing regional chaos and outsized economic and political shock.

Late Tuesday, Pakistan’s prime minister urged Trump to extend his deadline by two weeks to allow diplomacy to advance. In a post on X, Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been leading negotiations, also asked Iran to open up for two weeks the Strait of Hormuz.

China, which is Tehran’s biggest trade partner, encouraged the Iranians to find a way to a ceasefire as talks progressed, according to two officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Before the deadline, airstrikes hit two bridges and a train station, and the U.S. hit military infrastructure on Kharg Island, a key hub for Iranian oil production.

While Iran cannot match the sophistication of U.S. and Israeli weaponry or their dominance in the air, its chokehold on the strait since the war began in late February is roiling the world economy and raising the pressure on Trump both at home and abroad to find a way out of the standoff.

Airstrikes hit Iran, which fires on Saudi Arabia and Israel

Even as the ceasefire was announced, missile alerts continued in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait early Wednesday, hinting at the chaos surrounding the diplomatic moves. A gas processing facility in Abu Dhabi was ablaze after incoming Iranian fire, officials said.

Israel was continuing its attacks on Iran, said an Israeli military official who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military regulations. Iran also kept up fire on Israel.

The U.S. military has halted all offensive operations against Iran but continues defensive actions, said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive military operations.

Earlier Tuesday the Israeli military said it attacked an Iranian petrochemical site in Shiraz, the second day in a row it hit such a facility. The military later said it also struck bridges in several cities that were being used by Iranian forces to transport weapons and military equipment.

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, but the government has not updated the toll for days.

In Lebanon, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants, more than 1,500 people have been killed. and more than 1 million people have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died there.

In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri at The United Nations; Aamer Madhani, Konstantin Toropin, Seung Min Kim, Michelle L. Price, Joshua Boak and Will Weissert in Washington; John Leicester in Paris; Nicole Winfield in Rome; Amir-Hussein Radjy in Cairo and Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Futures for the S&P 500 jumped 2.7% before the opening bell and futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 2.6%. Nasdaq futures soared 3.4%.

Benchmark U.S. crude sank $18.43 to $94.52 a barrel, a nearly 16% decline. Brent crude, the international standard dropped $15.54 to $93.73 a barrel. Natural gas futures declined close to 5%.

The drops reversed some of the rise in oil prices since the start of the war more than five weeks ago that had effectively blocked passage through the strait that’s a crucial route for global supplies.

“Yet the mood remains one of cautious optimism rather than outright celebration," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. "The ceasefire is only two weeks long, and markets will be watching closely to see whether shipping through the Strait of Hormuz normalizes as promised and whether the fragile truce can pave the way for a more durable peace agreement."

Late Tuesday, Trump said he was holding off on his threatened attacks on Iranian bridges, power plants and other civilian targets. Iran’s foreign minister said passage through the strait would be allowed for the next two weeks under Iranian military management.

But analysts warned against too much optimism.

“There is a reason to be optimistic, but it is still too early to tell, because, as you know, after all, it is Trump,” said Takashi Hiroki, chief strategist at MONEX.

In equities trading, major U.S. airline stocks soared on the steep drop in oil prices. Delta and United jump more than 12% in premarket while American rose 10%. Delta on Wednesday also reported first-quarter sales and profit that came in ahead of Wall Street forecasts and said that demand remained strong with the summer travel season just a few months away.

Companies in the energy sector fell along with the drop in oil prices. Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips each lost close to 6% while Chevron tumbled 4.6%.

Elsewhere, in Europe France's CAC 40 added 4.5% by midday, while the German DAX soared nearly 5%. Britain's FTSE 100 gained 2.9%.

In Asia, Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 5.4% to finish at 56,308.42. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 2.6% to 8,951.80. South Korea’s Kospi soared 6.9% to 5,872.34. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng surged 3.1% to 25,893.02, while the Shanghai Composite added 2.7% to 3,995.00.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 158.39 Japanese yen from 159.52 yen Wednesday. The euro cost $1.1701, up from $1.1597. The dollar usually becomes a safe haven during geopolitical uncertainty, so the ceasefire deal worked to lessen that appeal.

___

Associated Press videographer Mayuko Ono in Tokyo and Writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Miami police said they arrested Augustin Hernandez, 46, Rogelio Espina, 54, and Yoamil Napoles, 50, in connection with a robbery that occurred on Dec. 29, 2025, at a home in the 3100 block of Southwest Eighth Street.

Video shows a man struggling on the floor as the intruders overpower him before forcing their way into the home around 10 p.m., where police say they restrained a man and a woman with zip ties, assaulted them and demanded money.

Detectives said the suspects coerced one of the victims into opening a black safe containing about $400 in cash. The report also states that one of the suspects took gold jewelry from the victims.

They said the male victim reported being punched, having his mouth covered to prevent him from calling for help, and being tied up as he pleaded for officers to help him.

The woman said she was asleep when she was awakened by yelling, then struck, restrained and gagged, the report states.

Miami Fire Rescue evaluated both victims at the scene.

Investigators said the man suffered a broken nose and a laceration to the cheek, while the woman had a cut on her foot. Both declined to be taken to the hospital, according to the report.

Body camera video shows officers arriving at the scene and hearing distress inside the home before setting up a perimeter and ordering the trio to surrender.

“Hands up! Turn around,” officers are heard shouting in the video before the suspects were taken into custody.

Court records show all three men have remained at the Metrowest Detention Center without bond since Dec. 30. Arrest reports list Hernandez and Espina as homeless, while Napoles is listed as living in the city’s Grapeland Heights neighborhood.

Local 10 News spoke with the victims, who said they remain shaken but are relieved the suspects are behind bars as the case moves forward.

It is the third time in five seasons, and first since 2023, that the Avalanche finished as the top team in the conference.

Martin Necas also scored and Scott Wedgewood made 18 saves for Colorado, which has earned points in eight of its last 11 games.

Wedgewood was shaken up midway through the third period after Philip Broberg made contact with him after being tripped by Sam Malinski. Wedgewood was driven awkwardly into the post and stayed down for several minutes, but remained in the game.

Robert Thomas scored and Joel Hofer made 34 saves for the Blues, whose slim playoff hope took a hit with the loss.

Colorado outshot St. Louis 17-3 in the first period and had a two-goal lead as a result.

Nichushkin gave the Avalanche the lead with 3:49 left in the first and Necas made it 2-0 with 27.7 seconds left in the period, scoring off a feed from Nathan Mackinnon feed.

Nichushkin added to the Colorado advantage with a short-handed goal at the 1:40 mark of the second. It was Colorado's second short-handed goal of the season and first since November 8.

Thomas got the Blues on the board with 4:22 left in the second. It was the sixth goal in the last four games for Thomas, who had a hat trick against Colorado on Sunday.

Nicholas Roy returned to the Colorado lineup after missing seven games to an upper-body injury.

Up next

Avalanche: Hosts Calgary on Thursday night.

Blues: Host Winnipeg on Thursday night.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Bukele escribió el martes en su cuenta de la red social X que hace algún tiempo planteó una propuesta similar a la ex secretaria de Estado estadounidense, Hillary Clinton, tras sus críticas contra el sistema carcelario salvadoreño.

“Permítame entonces extenderle la misma invitación, con el mayor respeto”, indicó Bukele a su colega colombiano. “Si, como usted sostiene, en nuestro país existen ‘campos de concentración’, estaríamos frente a una situación que no admite términos medios, sino decisiones firmes en favor de la dignidad humana”.

"En ese espíritu, El Salvador está dispuesto a facilitar el traslado del 100% de su población carcelaria, todos, incluyendo los llamados presos políticos y cualquier otro caso que considere viole su política del ‘amor y la vida’”, agregó.

Petro aseguró la víspera en X que “tener un 36% de personas presas inocentes es un crimen contra la humanidad, se trata de campos de concentración de población civil, gente apresada porque tiene un tatuaje o es joven”.

Después de que en tan sólo un día de 2022 las pandillas asesinaron a 62 personas en todo El Salvador, el Congreso aprobó el 27 de marzo de 2022 el régimen de excepción a solicitud de Bukele para combatir a las pandillas, las cuales según las autoridades operaban en el 90% del territorio e impartían su propia justicia, extorsionaban y asesinaban a los que no pagaban.

El prolongado estado de excepción suspende derechos fundamentales, incluido el de ser informado de los motivos de la detención y el de tener acceso a un abogado. Además, las fuerzas de seguridad pueden intervenir las telecomunicaciones sin orden judicial y la detención sin audiencia se prolonga de 72 horas a 15 días.

Desde que entró en vigor la medida, las autoridades dicen haber capturado a 91.300 personas acusadas de pertenecer supuestamente a las pandillas o tener vínculos con estos grupos criminales. Bukele ha dicho que 8.000 personas que eran inocentes han sido liberadas.

Recientemente un grupo de juristas internacionales presentó ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) un informe sobre supuestos crímenes de lesa humanidad cometidos en el marco del régimen de excepción impulsado por el gobierno de Bukele para combatir a las pandillas.

En el 2025, Bukele propuso un canje de prisioneros con Venezuela, sugiriendo que intercambiaría a un grupo de venezolanos deportados por Estados Unidos y que su gobierno mantenía encarcelados en el llamado Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo (CECOT) por quienes denominó “presos políticos” en Venezuela.

The rally was organized by the Federation of Cuban Women, a massive organization with close ties to the government and the Communist Party, to honor the late Vilma Espín, the federation’s founder, a guerrilla fighter and Raúl Castro’s wife.

The crowd that gathered at a park commemorating a 19th-century independence patriot waved Cuban flags, held signs that read “Down with the Blockade” and clutched pictures of Fidel Castro and Espín.

Deputy Prime Minister Inés María Chapman and Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal led the demonstration along with Mariela Castro, daughter of Espín and former President Raúl Castro.

“This policy of abuse has to stop,” Vidal told The Associated Press. “The Cuban people don’t deserve this. It’s the most comprehensive, all-encompassing, and longest-running system of coercive measures ever imposed against an entire country.”

Vidal, a key negotiator in a historic rapprochement between Cuba and the United States in 2014 under the administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama, added: “It subjects us to collective punishment, recognized as such under international law, and we couldn’t fail to be here.”

In early January, the U.S. attacked Venezuela and arrested its then-leader, disrupting critical oil shipments to Cuba. Later that month, Trump threatened tariffs against any country that sells or supplies oil to the island.

However, Trump said he didn’t mind when a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil arrived in Cuba last week, marking the island’s first oil shipment in three months. Russia has since said it would send a second tanker.

Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it consumes, and the shortage has paralyzed the Caribbean nation, affecting its health system, public transportation and the production of goods and services, and deepened an economic crisis that has plagued the island for the past five years.

“I am here fighting for the people of Cuba,” said Leydys de la Cruz, a 57-year-old seamstress who joined Tuesday’s rally. “I would ask Trump to leave us in peace. The situation is very bad because of the blockade he’s imposed on us.”

Georgina Reyes, a 36-year-old IT technician, also pleaded with Trump: “I would tell him that we don’t hurt anyone. ... Please don’t hurt us.”

Trump has pressured for regime change in Cuba and threatened to take over the island while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio — the son of Cuban immigrants — has demanded the release of political prisoners and liberal economic reforms.

The U.S. and Cuban governments have confirmed talks, but the extent of those is unclear.

___

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

Reaves is out for the rest of the regular season after straining his oblique during the Lakers' blowout loss at Oklahoma City last Thursday. He was examined in Dallas, where the Lakers had subsequently traveled for their next game, by the Mavericks' medical team in a courtesy typically extended by home NBA teams to their visitors.

At the Lakers' practice in Dallas on Saturday, Redick claimed the Mavs' medical team “scanned the wrong area” and had to do two MRIs to identify Reaves' Grade 2 left oblique strain.

The Mavericks issued a statement to DLLS Sports on Tuesday saying their “medical team followed standard imaging protocols based on the information provided at the time. There was no error in the scan performed.”

When Redick was asked why he claimed otherwise before the Lakers hosted the Thunder on Tuesday, he was brief.

“Look, I think in the end, we got the image we needed,” Redick said. “Obviously very appreciative, because it’s happened throughout the season, whenever the home team is accommodating to us, just like we would be for them. And we’re going to move on.”

The Lakers also lost Luka Doncic for the rest of the regular season during that loss in Oklahoma City. The NBA's top scorer has a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring.

___

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

Like “cozy maxxing,” it encourages engaging in self-care activities such as reading, journaling, and applying skin products while in bed.

“You spend a lot of time in your bed, some of which you are trying to be productive, and that is not productive for going to sleep,” said Chen, a staff physician in Sleep Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. "

Chen said self-care and bedtime routines need to be activated at the right place and time.

“Where you become drowsy should be outside of your bed, and in your bed, you just sleep,” Chen said.

Bedtime routines leading to good quality sleep are crucial to regulate the circadian rhythm, the body’s internal clock, according to Chen.

This applies especially to people who suffer sleep disordered breathing, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, parasomnia, circadian rhythm disorder, and central disorders of hypersomnia.

Sleep hygiene tips

• The goal is to have 8 to 10 hours of sleep a night.
• Set a fixed bedtime and wake-up time to help regulate the circadian rhythm.
• The routine should include self-care activities such as taking a bath, brushing your teeth, and skincare.
• The routine can include entertainment or leisurely screen-free activities away from the bedroom.
• Avoid consuming caffeine after lunchtime.
• Avoid alcohol in the evenings. It can make you sleepy, but it becomes stimulating after a few hours.
• Avoid nicotine in the evenings. It’s a stimulant.
• Have dinner three hours before bedtime.
• Avoid excessive screentime at night.
• Wearable trackers may be useful.
• A sleep machine with soothing sounds and heavy curtains may help mask noise.
• Keep electronic devices related to work out of the bedroom when possible.
• Use the Sleep by Cleveland Clinic app to assess your risk of sleep disorders.

Tips for ‘the power down hour’: A routine before heading to bed

• Journal to clear the mind
• Practice deep breathing and meditation
• Listen to calming music
• Cuddle with your pet
• Use aromatherapy to relax
• Wear comfortable sleepwear
• Make sure your bed is clean and inviting

Source: Harvard’s Improving Sleep and The National Sleep Foundation

La mina, ubicada en una zona del norte del país y considerada una de las más grandes de la región, quedó paralizada tras semanas de protestas que se extendieron por todo el país en rechazo a la actividad minera y a la extensión del contrato. Desde entonces, el sitio ha permanecido en lo que el gobierno llama un plan de preservación.

La decisión de efectuar esa actividad en la mina había sido aprobada y anunciada a inicios de este año en un discurso a la nación por el presidente de Panamá, Jose Raúl Mulino, a pesar de ser un tema controversial.

La resolución emitida por el Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias, divulgada en un comunicado el martes, se enmarca según las autoridades en la ejecución del Plan de Preservación y Gestión Segura (PGS), y responde a advertencias técnicas sobre el material aún expuesto en el sitio. Un informe del Ministerio de Ambiente identificó riesgos asociados al drenaje ácido, un fenómeno que, advirtió, puede afectar suelos y fuentes de agua si el mineral no es manejado adecuadamente.

Con base en esas evaluaciones se autorizó a la empresa a procesar el material en acopio —estimado en unas 38 millones de toneladas con diferentes concentraciones que contienen aproximadamente 70.000 toneladas de cobre recuperable— y trasladar el producto resultante fuera del país, se indicó.

First Quantum aseguró que esta actividad no constituye una reapertura de la mina y no involucrará nuevas perforaciones, voladuras, ni reactivación de operaciones mineras.

El gobierno indicó que la empresa será responsable de cubrir en su totalidad los costos y gastos asociados a la ejecución de las actividades establecidas en la resolución, sin que esto represente erogación alguna para el Estado. Agregó que una vez se obtenga el concentrado de cobre en condiciones de ser comercializado, “este estará sujeto al pago de las regalías correspondientes sobre el producto exportado”.

En un comunicado, el director ejecutivo de la compañía, Tristan Pascall, señaló que la aprobación permite avanzar en la gestión del material acumulado, particularmente en aspectos relacionados con el manejo del agua y los relaves. La empresa estima que el programa podría generar más de 1.000 empleos directos y requerirá una inversión aproximada de 250 millones de dólares, principalmente para reactivar inventarios y cadenas de suministro.

La empresa estima que los trabajos de preparación, incluyendo el restablecimiento de proveedores locales y la reposición de insumos, podrían tomar hasta tres meses antes de iniciar el procesamiento.

La mina ya exportó un material. En septiembre de 2025 se autorizó la exportación del concentrado de cobre que se encontraba almacenado y que había sido procesado antes del cierre. Esa operación generó ingresos totales por 334 millones de dólares, de los cuales el Estado de Panamá recibió cerca de 30 millones de dólares en regalías.

Mulino ha anticipado que en junio daría a conocer la decisión de su gobierno en cuanto al futuro de la mina, aunque ha adelantado que se estudia un modelo distinto al anterior que era un contrato ley que debía pasar por la aprobación de la Asamblea Nacional unicameral. Aseguró que en este nuevo modelo el país deberá obtener mejores regalías. El presidente también ha dicho que se está asesorando con expertos de Chile y el nuevo gobierno del país sudamericano, el mayor productor mudial de cobre.

The opinion said Customs and Border Protection officers have limited authority to cancel visas and can't do so for suspected smuggling of biological samples. The cancellation of Kseniia Petrova 's visa was arbitrary and capricious, U.S. District Court Judge Christina Reiss said in her written ruling.

“The undisputed facts reveal that Ms. Petrova’s visa was impermissibly canceled because of the frog embryo samples and for no other reason,” Reiss wrote.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which includes Customs and Border Protection, didn't immediately return an email message seeking comment.

In February last year, Petrova was returning from a vacation in France, where she had stopped at a lab specializing in splicing superfine sections of frog embryos and obtained a package of samples for research. She was questioned about the samples while passing through a customs checkpoint at Boston Logan International Airport.

After an interrogation, Petrova was told her visa was being canceled.

Petrova was briefly detained by immigration officials in Vermont, where she filed a petition seeking her release. She was later sent to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Louisiana.

She told The Associated Press in an interview last year that she did not realize the samples needed to be declared and was not trying to sneak anything into the country. Petrova has been back in her Harvard lab since January after successfully petitioning a court for the right to return to work, her attorney, Gregory Romanovsky, said.

Tuesday's ruling was an important step toward “correcting what should never have happened in the first place,” Romanovsky said in a statement.

Petrova’s case is being closely watched by the scientific community, with some fearing it could impact recruiting and retaining foreign scientists at U.S. universities.

Rivers' reason: grandkids.

And put simply, he sounds like someone who wants to spent more time with them.

“I won't answer that, but I have grandkids that I want to see,” Rivers told reporters when asked before the Bucks' game in Brooklyn about his future. "I'll put it that way. I'll let you figure it out from there."

The 64-year-old Rivers is going into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame this summer. Only Gregg Popovich, Don Nelson, Lenny Wilkens, Jerry Sloan and Pat Riley have more coaching wins than Rivers — who won the NBA title as a coach with Boston in 2008.

Milwaukee came into the season with championship aspirations, built again around perennial All-Star and former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and further bolstered by the acquisition of Myles Turner in free agency last summer. But injuries doomed Milwaukee; the Bucks started 8-5, then lost seven consecutive games to fall under .500 and that's where they stayed the rest of the way.

They haven't been a top-eight team in the Eastern Conference since mid-November, wound up fielding trade offers for Antetokounmpo in February — ultimately deciding to keep him, at least for now — and now are embroiled in a war of words with their best player. He says he wants to play even though the Bucks are out of the playoff picture; the team has kept him out citing injuries.

Antetokounmpo has appeared in 36 games this season, by far the fewest of his 13-year career. The constant speculation about his future in Milwaukee has grated on Rivers for some time, prompting him to say last week that it has been bothersome to incessantly have to deal with questions about the relationship between Antetokounmpo and the franchise.

“The tough part about all this is I’m in the middle when I have nothing to do with it,” Rivers said Friday. “Coaches don’t decide any of this. But, the problem with our league is the coaches are the ones sitting out front and we have to sit here and answer this stuff. And I think there are two sides to this. I will tell you that.”

Antetokounmpo's future with the team is certain to be a major topic in the offseason. And now, Rivers' will be as well.

He sounded somewhat reflective last week when formally announced as a Hall inductee.

“Without the players that I’ve coached, without the coaches that I’ve coached with, I wouldn’t be here,” Rivers said when announced as part of this year’s Hall class. “None of us live in isolation. We all live and breathe with other people, and other people help us get to places we are.”

Rivers joined the Bucks midway through the 2023-24 season. He has a number of interests outside of coaching, would likely be a sought-after broadcaster — he's done TV work before — if he steps down from coaching, and indicated that it's difficult to not be present around young grandchildren.

"I have seven grandkids now and they're all 8 years and under," Rivers said. “And it kills me every time I miss grandparents' day with each one of them in school. And it's probably time to go see them more. So, I'll let you figure out the rest.”

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

Miami-Dade and Broward counties can expect overnight low temperatures near the 70s.

Wednesday will be partly cloudy with the likelihood of more storms, particularly during the afternoon and early evening.

Localized flooding is possible. Temperatures are expected to be seasonable with highs forecast in the low 80s.

15

(fifteen)

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In coastal and metropolitan Miami-Dade and Broward counties, there was a rip current statement in effect until 8 p.m., and a flood watch in effect until 10 p.m.

By 5:30 p.m., in Miami-Dade, Cutler Bay had gotten 2.44 inches of rain, Kendall had 1.81 inches, and Coral Gables had 1.47 inches.

There was a multi-vehicle crash on the MacArthur Causeway’s westbound lanes from Miami Beach to Downtown Miami.

Storms were impacting traffic in the Doral area on the Florida Turnpike and the Palmetto Expressway. There were also delays on Krome Avenue.

By 5:30 p.m., in Broward, Davie had 1.27 inches of rain, and Fort Lauderdale had .46.

Once the sun goes down, the rain chance will drop off. There will be more showers and storms on Wednesday in South Florida.

For the Weather Authority’s live weather radar and hour-by-hour forecasts, visit this page.

For the Traffic Team’s map with live updates, visit this page.

Related story: Flood watch in effect for South Florida, weather affecting local airports

Related posts

This thunderstorm produced a 73mph wind gust just east of Port Miami this afternoon pic.twitter.com/QhVyWjCpwN

— Brandon Orr (@BrandonOrrWPLG) April 7, 2026

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said several missiles lifted off from North Korea’s eastern coastal Wonsan area on Wednesday morning and flew about 240 kilometers (150 miles) each in a direction toward the North’s eastern waters.

It said an additional North Korean ballistic missile fired later Wednesday traveled more than 700 kilometers off the North’s east coast. Japan’s Defense Ministry said it assesses that the missile fell in waters outside the country’s exclusive economic zone.

South Korea’s military said it maintains a readiness to repel any provocations by North Korea under a solid military alliance with the United States. It earlier said it detected the launch of an unidentified projectile from North Korea’s capital region on Tuesday.

South Korean media reported the projectile, also likely a ballistic missile, disappeared from South Korean military radars after displaying an abnormal development in the initial launch stage. This indicated the launch ended in failure, according to the reports.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the North Korean launches had not posed any immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to allies.

The back-to-back launches came after North Korea made it clear that it has no intentions of improving ties with South Korea, whose liberal government has steadfastly expressed its hopes to restore long-dormant dialogue.

South Korea would always remain North Korea's “most hostile enemy state,” Jang Kum Chol, first vice minister at Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry, said on Tuesday. He derided South Korea as “world-startling fools” engaged in wishful thinking over a recent statement by Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

After South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over alleged civilian drone flights into North Korea, Kim Yo Jong on Monday praised him for what she called honesty and courage, but reiterated a threat to retaliate if such flights recur. South Korean officials responded by describing Kim’s statement as meaningful progress in relations.

Jang said her statement was intended as a warning. He cited Kim Yo Jong as calling South Korea “the dogs affected by mange that blindly bark to the tune of neighboring dogs” as she criticized it for recently co-sponsoring of a U.N. resolution on the North’s purported human rights violations.

North Korea has refused to return to talks with South Korea and the U.S. and pushed to expand its nuclear arsenal since Kim Jong Un’s diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. North Korea has instead sought to strengthen ties with Russia, China and other countries embroiled in confrontations with the U.S. Last September, Kim Jong Un traveled to Beijing to attend a military parade alongside other foreign leaders and held his first summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in six years.

North Korean media reported on Wednesday that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit North Korea on Thursday for a two-day trip.

Earlier this week, North Korea said Kim Jong Un had observed a test of an upgraded solid-fuel engine for weapons and called it a significant development boosting his country’s strategic military arsenal.

Missiles with built-in solid propellants are easier to move and conceal their launches than liquid-fuel weapons, which in general must be fueled before liftoffs and cannot last long.

South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers Monday the engine test was likely related to an effort to build a more powerful solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile that can carry multiple nuclear warheads, according to lawmakers who attended the meeting.

Experts say North Korea wants multi-warhead missiles to penetrate U.S. missile defenses, but they doubt Pyongyang has mastered the technology needed to acquire such a weapon.

— AP journalists Mari Yamaguchi and Mayuko Ono contributed from Tokyo.

The 87-year-old country star, who is known for his topical satire, fell late last month, according to the statement released on his X account. He will need to wear a neck brace for about a month.

“He remains fully mobile & in good spirits," the statement said.

Stevens' decades-long recording career has included such hits as the Grammy-winning “Everything Is Beautiful" as well as the zany “The Streak," which captured the mid-1970s craze for running naked in public.

Born Harold Ray Ragsdale, Stevens's music was also known for its social commentary. In 1961, he recorded “Jeremiah Peabody’s Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green and Purple Pills,” which made fun of the advertising industry.

His latest album is expected to be released Friday on Curb Records.

In July, Stevens suffered a mild heart attack and had heart surgery, according to a post on his X account. His performances at his CabaRay Showroom in Nashville, Tennessee, were canceled for the rest of the month as he recovered.

Slotkin, a potential Democratic 2028 presidential contender, peppered five Iowa voters with questions about divisiveness in U.S. politics and issues affecting their communities. She also wanted to know what the voters would look for if they could “build a candidate in a test tube" and why they chose Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.

“What would have gotten you to actually consider a Democrat?” Slotkin asked as the discussion winded down.

She hadn’t told them yet she was one.

The conversation was one of many Slotkin is having ahead of this fall’s crucial midterm elections. They are a way for the Midwestern Democrat to hear what it might take for the party to win back parts of the country like Iowa, which swung from backing President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 to Trump in the last three elections.

Slotkin on Tuesday described a Democratic Party that has forgotten about the middle of the country, has spent too much time rehashing old fights and lacks coordination in delivering a strong counter to Trump.

“I’m pretty clear-eyed about the problems,” Slotkin told The Associated Press in an interview. “I’m interested in being a part of the next generation who’s going to rehab the Democratic brand.”

Slotkin's sit down with Trump voters in Iowa Tuesday, and a town hall in Ohio Wednesday, was organized by a PAC dedicated to reshaping the party, Majority Democrats. But for Slotkin, the stops in red and purple states also are opportunities for the former CIA analyst to introduce herself to voters outside her home state, many of whom — like those gathered for Tuesday’s lunch — don’t know who she is or what she stands for.

Slotkin was elected to the Senate in 2024 after serving three terms in the U.S. House. She was among six Democrats in Congress with military or national security backgrounds who in a video last year urged U.S. military members to resist “illegal orders.” Trump accused the lawmakers of sedition punishable by death, and the video prompted a Justice Department investigation.

Slotkin said Tuesday that they made the video “for moments exactly like this,” shortly before Trump paused for two weeks his threat to take out Iran’s “whole civilization.”

Democrats want to flip House seats in Iowa

Later Tuesday, Slotkin’s schedule included headlining a fundraiser and a county party dinner. She also held a health care-focused town hall with Iowa state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Democrat looking to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn in one of the most competitive House seats in the country.

She shared some of the same themes to the friendly faces in Des Moines as she did earlier with the Trump voters, lamenting that politics is so divisive and describing the bipartisan disappointment over the health care system that she hears across the country.

But she put a finer point on her own views to the Democratic audiences, saying that the U.S. needs a public health insurance option for people of any age and giving advice on how to convince voters that supporting a Democrat is in their best interest.

“I want to win in November," Slotkin told an applauding audience. “That means being honest about where the Democratic Party needs to go.”

“The debate is not between progressive and moderate," she said. "It’s fight or flight.”

Slotkin shies away from answer on 2028

Visiting Iowa used to hold more obvious significance for Democrats before the party shook up the early presidential nominating calendar last cycle, bumping Iowa from its place as the first state to weigh in on the nominations. The state party in 2024 did away with the traditional, quirky caucuses that have historically been the first contest for both parties.

Now Iowa Democrats are among those pitching their state should go first in 2028; Michigan is also vying for the first Midwest slot. But it's still months before the Democratic National Committee will decide the order.

Slotkin is one of many prominent Democrats eyeing a potential 2028 run that have been visiting swing states and those that have traditionally been important in the nominating process.

“I'm not announcing anything,” Slotkin said Tuesday, and even joked about Iowa and Michigan's “cage match" for the early position.

The ambition didn't get past Ed Klavins, a Trump voter who participated in the focus group.

“She’s trying to figure out what she can do differently to have a better chance of getting reelected and maybe higher office,” said Klavins, a retiree from Urbandale, Iowa, who didn’t know Slotkin was the guest for Tuesday’s focus group lunch and said he was paid $200, plus lunch, to be there.

Klavins wants politicians on both sides of the aisle that challenge their party’s status quo. He told Slotkin that he wants a candidate who doesn’t pander to what they think voters want. He voted for Trump and thinks he’s succeeding in putting national security first, like closing the U.S.-Mexico border and eliminating the threat Iran poses to national security.

But Slotkin showing up to listen “makes her a little more genuine in my eyes,” he said. “I like her.”

Four astronauts were on their way back home to Earth after flying over the moon and sending more than 50 gigabytes of data they collected.

Mission Control in Houston arranged a historic call between the Canadian and American astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft and the French and American astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

“It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive,” Astronaut Christina Koch told ISS Crew-12 commander Jessica Meir about the view from inside Orion.

Koch also talked about “the funny and practical” from how to eat" to “how to do silly things with water” and “how to flip around.”

On Monday, minutes before the Artemis II mission’s Orion spacecraft shattered Apollo 13’s 1970 distance record, a camera recorded a flying jar of Nutella hazelnut spread. The free ad went viral.

The astronauts on the Artemis II mission are set to return to Earth on Friday in the Pacific.

The Artemis III mission will have a lunar lander go around the Earth’s orbit in 2027, and the Artemis IV mission will have two astronauts land on the moon in 2028.

Interactive graphic on the mission

Related stories

• Artemis II astronauts make long-distance call to the space station as they head home from the moon
• Artemis II astronauts channel Apollo 8 with a striking Earthset photo

Well, sort of.

The Dolphins joined the Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Tennessee Titans as teams with a first-year head coach to kick-start the first phase of voluntary offseason workouts on Tuesday.

Head coach Jeff Hafley met with reporters for about half an hour at the Baptist Health Training Complex.

In the NFL offseason program, Phase 1 is very limited and focused strictly on conditioning.

Coaches aren’t allowed to hold on-field team drills or football-specific practices.

Players aren’t allowed to wear football pads or helmets.

Hafley mentioned early in the media availability that running back De’Von Achane did not report.

Achane is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is due for an extension.

“I’m not going to dive into those thoughts right now. That’s all like, honestly, that’s part of the business,” Hafley said. “It’s part of what every team goes through in those situations and they’ll work it out.”

Achane is coming off a career-high 2025 season, in which he earned his first Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,350 yards and eight touchdowns - tying his rookie-year total in 2023 - and averaging a league-best 5.7 yards per touch.

Hafley was also asked about quarterback Malik Willis, whom the Dolphins signed to a three-year, $67.5 million deal, including $45 million in guaranteed money.

“Yeah, I had a great conversation with him yesterday, he came to office. I said, don’t change who you are. I said, don’t put any extra pressure on yourself. You’ve earned the right to be here and have this opportunity, and you’ve done that by doing all the things the right way - don’t change that,” Hafley said.

The Dolphins are banking on Willis, who replaces Tua Tagovailoa after six seasons with the team.

Tagovailoa signed a one-year deal to join the Atlanta Falcons.

Other notable offseason dates are the voluntary minicamp April 21–23, OTA workouts May 18–19, May 21, May 26–27, May 29, June 8–9, June 11, and mandatory minicamp June 2–3.

You can watch Hafley’s full media conference below.

That person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Mendoza hasn’t made his plans public.

The draft will take place in Pittsburgh starting April 23, and many top players will be there to receive congratulations and a hug from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. But players, even those who are drafted first, sometimes prefer to watch from a different location.

Defensive end Travon Walker in 2022 and quarterback Trevor Lawrence in 2021 were the two most recent top picks to watch from afar.

Raiders officials have signaled they would like to ease Mendoza into the starting lineup without expressly saying they will draft the player who won the Heisman Trophy and led Indiana to the national championship.

Las Vegas signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins last week likely with the idea of him starting while Mendoza watches and learns from the sideline. Cousins is in Las Vegas for offseason workouts.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Beginning Wednesday, most domestic and short-haul international passengers will pay $45 to check one bag, $55 for a second and $200 for a third, according to Delta. That’s an increase of $10 on each of the first two bags and $50 on the third.

The move follows similar announcements from United Airlines and JetBlue, both of which raised baggage fees last week.

“These updates are part of Delta’s ongoing review of pricing across its business and reflect the impact of evolving global conditions and industry dynamics,” the carrier said in a statement. It marks Delta’s first increase to checked baggage fees on domestic routes in two years.

Delta said complimentary bags will still be available to customers in premium cabins, active-duty military personnel, eligible co-branded credit card holders and members of certain loyalty tiers. Fees for long-haul international flights are not affected.

CEO Ed Bastian told investors last month that the jump in jet fuel prices had already added about $400 million to Delta’s operating expenses since the conflict began on Feb. 28. Executives at United and American Airlines reported similar figures.

Delta is scheduled to report its first-quarter earnings on Wednesday, kicking off the earnings season for U.S. airlines, which could offer travelers an early gauge of how rising jet fuel prices may affect them.

Airlines around the world have been grappling with volatile oil markets as fighting near the Strait of Hormuz disrupts global supplies. Roughly a fifth of the world’s oil typically passes through the narrow water way, and the threat to that chokepoint is pushing up the price of jet fuel, which is refined from crude.

Fuel typically ranks as the second-largest expense for airlines after labor.

The average price for a gallon of jet fuel in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles and New York was $4.81 on Tuesday, up from $2.50 the day before the war started, according to Argus Media. The energy market intelligence company’s U.S. Jet Fuel Index tracks average prices across those major hubs.

In addition to raising ticket prices, analysts say U.S. carriers are likely to lean more on ancillary fees to offset the higher expenses, while many non-U.S. carriers are responding by adding or increasing fuel surcharges.

Southwest Airlines announced Tuesday that starting April 20 passengers will only be able to carry one charger on their planes, and they won't be allowed to put it in the overhead bin or in their checked luggage. The airline already requires passengers to keep their chargers in the open while they are using them, so flight attendants can act quickly if they start to overheat.

The new Southwest rule goes even further than the limit of two chargers per passenger that the International Civil Aviation Organization recommended last month. But the airline says it isn't going to aggressively enforce the policy by searching bags and confiscating chargers. Instead, Southwest's Vice President of Safety and Security Dave Hunt said the airline will stress this to travelers when they book their flights and arrive at the airport while explaining the potential dangers.

That alone might be a big help because most people don't seem to be aware of the risks, said Jeff Marootian, who is CEO of UL Standards & Engagement, which establishes the guidelines for the makers of these chargers and other electronic devices.

“A huge part of the concern here is seeing that number of incidents continue to increase, correlating, of course, to the number of devices that people are bringing on planes,” he said.

The Federal Aviation Administration said more lithium battery incidents are reported every year and hit 97 in 2025 as everyone carries more re-chargable devices like phones, iPads, laptops and these portable chargers. Marootian said that his organization hears about two incidents every week, and reported a 42% increase in the number of incidents involving portable chargers in 2025.

One of the worst happened in January 2025 when a devastating fire aboard an Air Busan plane waiting to take off from an airport in South Korea forced the evacuation of all 176 people aboard before the fire burned through the plane's roof.

Flight attendants have fire-resistant bags and insulated gloves to put overheating devices into to contain any potential blaze. Southwest’s Hunt said the airline’s new rule will “strengthen our ability to contain and mitigate lithium battery incidents, including reducing the risk of battery fires.”

To help make the rule workable for passengers, Southwest plans to equip all of its planes with in-seat power by the middle of next year.

Aviation safety expert Steve Arroyo, who flew for United Airlines for 37 years, said he thinks Southwest's new policy is a positive step to reduce the risk. Even though the number of fires is small compared to the roughly 100,000 flights every day around the globe, the potential consequences of a battery fire can be disastrous.

“It can turn into something very serious very quickly,” Arroyo said.

The world is watching as the president’s 8 p.m. deadline approaches, and here in South Florida, members of the Iranian community are keeping a close eye on developments.

Many are reacting to recent sharp words from Trump, who posted on social media, doubling down on his ultimatum for Iran to end its blockage of Gulf oil.

For some in the community, it marks an important moment, but it also comes with mixed emotions, including concern, frustration and hope.

Local 10 News spoke with Orusha Ashrafi, a community activist in South Florida’s Iranian community who has organized rallies and demonstrations in the past. He said tonight could be a critical turning point.

“It’s a real threat. President Trump is not joking, he’s not bluffing, he’s a real man,” Ashrafi said. “If he says something, he can do it, but we are hoping, as we saw when he says something he does something else. The last time he gave them a timeline, he extended the timeline.”

He has been vocal about the direction of Iran well before recent U.S. military involvement in the region.

The Texas Rangers are also helping look into allegations of neglect, according to the Texas Department of Safety, although the scope of the state’s elite investigations unit was not immediately clear.

The investigations underscore the hurdles facing Camp Mystic as it pushes ahead with reopening plans over the outrage of the families of the 25 girls and two teenage counselors who died in the July 4 floods. More than 850 families have signed up to return to the Christian, all-girls camp this summer if it is allowed to reopen a portion of the camp that did not flood.

The Department of State Health Services said that since February, the agency has received “hundreds of complaints regarding Camp Mystic’s operations in the summer of 2025” alleging violations of state laws governing youth camps. The agency said it asked for help from state police.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said the Texas Rangers joined an “investigation regarding complaints of neglect” during the flood. Neither agency released details. The camp did not evacuate and was hit hard when the river rose from 14 feet (4.2 meters) to 29.5 feet (9 meters) within 60 minutes before dawn.

A letter sent Tuesday from the health agency to the camp owners informed them of the agency’s investigation, but made no mention of the Texas Rangers being involved.

Lawyers for the families of the girls who were killed and the Camp Mystic owners did not immediately respond to email messages requesting comment.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the Texas Rangers’ involvement a “criminal investigation” and said the state should not grant the camp a license to reopen until that probe and another one by state lawmakers are complete.

“I urge you to prioritize safety and do everything in your power to ensure Camp Mystic and/or their operators are not allowed to operate until the facts are in,” Patrick wrote in a letter Tuesday to the head of the health agency.

Families of several of the girls who died have sued the camp’s operators, arguing that camp officials failed to take necessary steps to protect the campers as life-threatening floodwaters approached. A district judge last month ordered the camp owners to preserve damaged cabins and other parts of the grounds in the flooded area as the lawsuits proceed.

The body of one of the campers killed, 8-year old Cile Steward, has not yet been recovered. DPS officials said the search for the girl continues.

Richard Eastland, one of the camp owners, was also killed. All told, the destructive flooding killed at least 136 people along a several-mile stretch of the river, raising questions about how things went so terribly wrong.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Richard Eastland, not Edward Eastland, was killed in the flooding.

“Cade is gonna have surgery,” Counsell said before the Cubs game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. “He’s gonna miss the rest of the year.”

The exact procedure, whether it will be a full Tommy John reconstruction or an internal brace repair, won’t be determined until surgeons go into the elbow. Horton visited renowned elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday.

No surgery date has been set.

The announcement confirms what Cubs fans feared when Horton walked off the mound in Cleveland on April 3, after just 17 pitches. His velocity had dropped from 96 mph in the first inning to 93.8 mph on his final pitch before he waved toward the dugout.

It will be the 24-year-old right-hander’s second elbow reconstruction surgery. He had Tommy John surgery as a freshman at Oklahoma in 2021. He was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 draft and broke through in the majors last season with an 11-4 record and a 2.67 ERA in 118 innings. He finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting. In his 2026 debut, Horton held Washington to two runs in 6 1/3 innings just one week before the injury.

The blow is particularly tough because the Cubs are already without ace Justin Steele, who is recovering from his own UCL surgery and is not expected back until late May at the earliest. With Matthew Boyd also on the injured list, the Cubs will lean on Colin Rea and Javier Assad in the rotation. Rea stepped up in a similar role last season, posting a 3.95 ERA across 27 starts after Steele went down.

“Colin’s going to be asked to pitch more innings out of the bullpen, and then somebody’s going to take Colin’s bullpen innings," Counsell said. "That’s how it’s going to be addressed on paper. But it’s not all on Colin. ... We all have to just do our part.”

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

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Now, Bali Ramnarace says he is in parking purgatory while hoping to find a solution.

“I make a living by this truck,” he said. “Without this truck, I can’t do what I do for 45 years, the same ritual.”

While the trucks have changed over the years, they’ve always been parked in the same driveway.

That’s until recently, when the city informed Ramnarace, who is 75 years old, that the truck could no longer be parked there.

Officials said the truck violates an ordinance in place in 2019.

Now Ramnarace is facing mounting fines after receiving a citation from the city.

Due to pending litigation, city officials did not want to answer Local 10’s questions on camera, instead releasing the following statement:

“The purpose of the oversized commercial vehicle ordinance is to help ensure neighborhood streets remain safe and accessible for residents, pedestrians, and emergency vehicles. These standards are applied consistently throughout the community.”

Ramnarace said he doesn’t understand the sudden enforcement, saying he doesn’t cause any trouble, only works and keeps to himself.

“I want to keep on working, I’m strong,” he said.

While Ramnarace said he’s physically not the man he used to be, as his body doesn’t move quite as well as it once did, his hands still know how to fix things, it’s just more difficult for him to get around these days.

“This is more convenient for me to get in my truck and go, because sometimes I can’t lift too much heavy loads with this damaged foot,” he said.

Ramnarace believes a good resolution would be to allow him to park in his driveway, basically grandfathering him in to keep his parking spot.

Ahora, Bali Ramnarace dice que está en un “purgatorio de estacionamiento” mientras espera encontrar una solución.

“Me gano la vida con este camión”, dijo. “Sin este camión, no puedo hacer lo que he hecho durante 45 años, el mismo ritual”.

Aunque los camiones han cambiado con los años, siempre han estado estacionados en la misma entrada.

Eso fue hasta hace poco, cuando la ciudad informó a Ramnarace, de 75 años, que el camión ya no podía estacionarse allí.

Los funcionarios dijeron que el camión viola una ordenanza vigente desde 2019.

Ahora Ramnarace enfrenta multas acumuladas tras recibir una citación de la ciudad.

Debido a un litigio pendiente, los funcionarios de la ciudad no quisieron responder a las preguntas de Local 10 en cámara, y en su lugar emitieron el siguiente comunicado:

“El propósito de la ordenanza sobre vehículos comerciales de gran tamaño es ayudar a garantizar que las calles del vecindario permanezcan seguras y accesibles para los residentes, peatones y vehículos de emergencia. Estas normas se aplican de manera consistente en toda la comunidad”.

Ramnarace dijo que no entiende la repentina aplicación de la norma, y asegura que no causa problemas, solo trabaja y se mantiene al margen.

“Quiero seguir trabajando, estoy fuerte”, dijo.

Aunque Ramnarace señaló que físicamente ya no es el hombre que solía ser, ya que su cuerpo no se mueve tan bien como antes, sus manos aún saben cómo reparar cosas, aunque ahora le resulta más difícil movilizarse.

“Esto es más conveniente para mí para subirme a mi camión e irme, porque a veces no puedo levantar cargas muy pesadas con este pie lesionado”, dijo.

Ramnarace cree que una buena solución sería permitirle estacionar en su entrada, básicamente respetando su derecho adquirido a mantener su lugar de estacionamiento.

The case of Nigel Max Edge had been scheduled for a Brunswick County court hearing in which the local prosecutor was slated to reveal whether he intended to seek the death penalty. But District Attorney Jon David said in a news release that part of the case was set aside because questions about Edge's “capacity to proceed” were raised by multiple mental health professionals.

“The defense has presented evaluations from two experts, and this office requested an independent evaluation by a state forensic examiner,” David said. “All three evaluations conclude that Mr. Edge currently lacks the capacity to proceed to trial.”

Superior Court Judge Jason Disbrow ordered that Edge be transferred to Cherry Hospital, a state psychiatric facility in Goldsboro, David said.

David said the state’s mental expert found that Edge “may be restored to capacity through appropriate treatment, including medication and counseling.” Voicemail and email seeking comment were left for Edge's public defender, Matthew Geoffrion.

Authorities allege Edge, 41, piloted a small motorboat up to a dockside cocktail bar in Southport last Sept. 27 and opened fire with a short-barreled semiautomatic rifle. Three people were killed, and several others were injured.

Edge, who faces additional charges, was serving with an elite sniper unit in Iraq when he was shot four times, including once in the head. Friends and family say he has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and still has a bullet lodged in his brain.

Tuesday’s action has “the practical effect of suspending further litigation unless and until the defendant’s capacity is restored,” David said, adding the state could still seek the death penalty “should the facts and law warrant this designation.”

Edge will remain in custody during treatment, which David said would be for an “indeterminate” amount of time.

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Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the suspect, Andrea Houston, was arrested Monday.

According to investigators, the incident occurred on Dec. 27 at McDonald’s, located at 18295 S. Dixie Highway, in the county’s Palmetto Bay area.

Authorities said Houston became upset while at the drive-thru window, believing items were missing from her order. However, the employee told her the order was complete and that she would have to pay for any additional items.

They said the situation escalated when Houston grabbed a piece of wood from inside her vehicle, began yelling at the employee, and threatened to hit him.

Investigators said she then “tapped the victim in the face” with the piece of wood through the drive-thru window before fleeing.

They said the area where the employee was working is not open to the public and is designated for employees only.

A witness recorded the incident and provided the vehicle’s license plate, which investigators later determined was registered to Houston. The victim later identified her in a photographic lineup, deputies said.

They said Houston has prior convictions, including felony battery and battery on a law enforcement officer, firefighter or corrections officer.

Houston’s arrest report states that she was taken into custody Monday after deputies conducted a traffic stop along South Dixie Highway.

During the arrest, deputies said she resisted by tensing her arms and moving her body, making it difficult to detain her.

After being taken into custody, Houston told deputies she is “always under the influence of narcotics” due to medications she takes, according to the report.

Jail records show Houston is facing one count each of burglary with assault or battery and resisting an officer without violence to his person.

As of Tuesday afternoon, she was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where her bond was set at $8,000.

She was also placed on house arrest and ordered to stay away from the victim and the McDonald’s where the incident took place.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade indicaron que la sospechosa, Andrea Houston, fue arrestada el lunes.

Según los investigadores, el incidente ocurrió el 27 de diciembre en un McDonald’s ubicado en el 18295 de South Dixie Highway, en el área de Palmetto Bay.

Las autoridades señalaron que Houston se molestó en la ventanilla de autoservicio al creer que faltaban artículos en su pedido. Sin embargo, el empleado le indicó que la orden estaba completa y que debía pagar por cualquier producto adicional.

Indicaron que la situación escaló cuando Houston tomó un pedazo de madera dentro de su vehículo, comenzó a gritarle al empleado y lo amenazó con golpearlo.

Los investigadores dijeron que luego “tocó a la víctima en la cara” con el pedazo de madera a través de la ventanilla antes de huir.

Señalaron que el área donde trabajaba el empleado no está abierta al público y está designada solo para empleados.

Un testigo grabó el incidente y proporcionó la placa del vehículo, que posteriormente se determinó estaba registrada a nombre de Houston. La víctima luego la identificó en una rueda fotográfica, indicaron los agentes.

Las autoridades dijeron que Houston tiene antecedentes, incluyendo agresión grave y agresión contra un agente del orden, bombero o funcionario correccional.

El informe de arresto indica que fue detenida el lunes tras una parada de tráfico en South Dixie Highway.

Durante el arresto, los agentes dijeron que se resistió tensando los brazos y moviendo el cuerpo, lo que dificultó su detención.

Tras ser puesta bajo custodia, Houston dijo a los agentes que está “siempre bajo la influencia de narcóticos” debido a medicamentos que toma, según el informe.

Registros carcelarios muestran que enfrenta un cargo de allanamiento con agresión y otro por resistirse a un agente sin violencia.

Hasta la tarde del martes, permanecía detenida en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, con una fianza fijada en $8,000 USD.

También fue puesta bajo arresto domiciliario y se le ordenó mantenerse alejada de la víctima y del McDonald’s donde ocurrió el incidente.

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After more than two decades of having BSO run the county fire department, commissioners are looking at managing fire and emergency medical services on their own.

BSO took over the former Broward County Fire Rescue ― and separate airport and port fire departments ― in 2003, becoming Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.

The county is looking at bringing on a consulting firm to study a plan to bring the fire rescue service back into the fold. Commissioners were set to vote on a measure to do that on Tuesday.

Commissioner Lamar Fisher sponsored the proposal.

“It is time to really look at the detail of what it would look like to bring them back to Broward County,” Commissioner Lamar Fisher said. “I think it is cost savings number one, but obviously public safety is number one to the board itself and we want to make sure that we provide the best safety to our residents and our visitors here in Broward County.”

Fisher added that Sheriff Gregory Tony has been granted funds for pay raises, hiring, resources and new equipment. He said it’s imperative that the county look at more cost-effective ways to serve the public.

“(Tony) has the right to do whatever they want to with that money so it is frustrating to us at then end of the day but that is his will to do so,” Fisher said. “By bringing (fire rescue) back, we have full control and full transparency to the constituents that we serve.”

Unlike many Florida sheriff’s offices, which have large, populated unincorporated areas to patrol by default, the vast majority of BSO’s policing and firefighting work are done in cities that pay for the agency’s services in lieu of having in-house departments.

But after losing the policing contract in Pembroke Park and the policing and firefighting contracts in Deerfield Beach ― with Pompano Beach mulling a BSO breakup of its own ― the same county agenda item puts another one of BSO’s prominent roles in the crosshairs: airport and port policing.

A consulting firm could “study the feasibility of establishing” county-run police departments at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades, both owned by the county, to replace BSO.

Fisher said the new agency or agencies would have “the same coverage, the same police opportunities, the same comfort” as BSO.

“But at the end of the day, we have got to look at this to make sure that this is prudent for us as a county,” Fisher said.

Commissioners emphasized that Tuesday’s vote would not be to replace firefighting or police services ― just one to study the matter.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Broward Sheriff’s Office said, in part, “For more than 22 years, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue has been a cornerstone of public safety in Broward County by saving lives, easing suffering and protecting property.”

It continued, “Through high-quality fire and emergency services, crews respond 24/7 to protect residents and visitors across Broward County when it matters the most.”

Tras más de dos décadas en las que BSO ha operado el departamento de bomberos del condado, los comisionados evalúan gestionar por cuenta propia los servicios de bomberos y emergencias médicas.

BSO asumió el antiguo Broward County Fire Rescue, así como los departamentos de bomberos del aeropuerto y del puerto, en 2003, convirtiéndose en Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue.

El condado analiza contratar a una firma consultora para estudiar un plan que permita retomar el control del servicio. Los comisionados tenían previsto votar el martes sobre una medida para avanzar en ese análisis.

La propuesta fue presentada por el comisionado Lamar Fisher.

“Es momento de analizar en detalle cómo sería traerlos de vuelta al condado Broward”, dijo Fisher. “Creo que el ahorro de costos es lo principal, pero obviamente la seguridad pública es la prioridad de la junta, y queremos asegurarnos de brindar la mejor protección a nuestros residentes y visitantes”.

Fisher agregó que el alguacil Gregory Tony ha recibido fondos para aumentos salariales, contrataciones, recursos y nuevos equipos, y señaló que es fundamental evaluar formas más rentables de servir al público.

“Él tiene derecho a hacer lo que quiera con ese dinero, así que al final del día resulta frustrante para nosotros, pero es su decisión”, dijo Fisher. “Al traer de vuelta el servicio, tenemos control total y transparencia para los ciudadanos a los que servimos”.

A diferencia de muchas oficinas del sheriff en Florida, que patrullan grandes áreas no incorporadas, la mayoría de las labores policiales y de bomberos de BSO se realizan en ciudades que pagan por sus servicios en lugar de operar departamentos propios.

Sin embargo, tras perder contratos policiales en Pembroke Park y contratos de policía y bomberos en Deerfield Beach —y con Pompano Beach evaluando una posible separación—, el mismo punto en la agenda del condado también pone bajo análisis otro rol importante de BSO: la seguridad en el aeropuerto y el puerto.

Una firma consultora podría “estudiar la viabilidad de establecer” departamentos de policía administrados por el condado en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood y en Port Everglades, ambos propiedad del condado, para reemplazar a BSO.

Fisher afirmó que las nuevas agencias tendrían “la misma cobertura, las mismas oportunidades policiales y la misma confianza” que BSO.

“Pero al final del día, tenemos que analizar esto para asegurarnos de que sea lo más conveniente para el condado”, dijo.

Los comisionados enfatizaron que la votación del martes no sería para reemplazar los servicios de bomberos o policía, sino únicamente para estudiar el tema.

En un comunicado, un portavoz de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward señaló, en parte: “Durante más de 22 años, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue ha sido un pilar de la seguridad pública en el condado Broward, salvando vidas, aliviando el sufrimiento y protegiendo la propiedad”.

El comunicado añadió: “A través de servicios de bomberos y emergencias de alta calidad, los equipos responden las 24 horas del día para proteger a residentes y visitantes en todo el condado Broward cuando más importa”.

There is no instruction manual for a baby, but there are classes that can help.

The classes are free.

There are a variety of options, including ones focused on C-sections and breastfeeding. They’re offered both in person and online, so parents can find a schedule that works for them.

Baby is crying. Baby is hungry. Baby won’t sleep. Now what?

For first-time parents, or even second-time parents, being prepared before a baby arrives can make a big difference.

Tammy Narup, a registered nurse and certified childbirth educator at Memorial Hospital Miramar, teaches classes that cover what parents need to know before the baby arrives.

“We offer everything from preparing for your labor,” Narup said. “And then in the labor classes, we also offer a sister and birth class for someone who’s going to just be already planning for cesarean. And then we go into postpartum, going after delivery classes, baby care, breastfeeding, and the safety and CPR.”

During one session, parents participated in a baby care skills workshop.

They learned how to properly burp a newborn, how to change a diaper, and how to swaddle a baby, among other skills.

First-time dad Rainier Leon and second-time mom Ali O’Walk are preparing to welcome their baby boy and wanted to feel confident before his arrival.

“I have a 14-year-old, almost 14-year-old daughter, so it’s been 14 years since I’ve taken these classes, and a lot has changed,” O’Walk said. “So, I really want to just be updated on what the best practices are for my new baby.”

Leon said, “Everything is a concern. This is new to me.”

But he says he’s going home with new knowledge.

“How to swaddle the baby, I had no experience at all. And putting and taking off the diaper, only what you see in movies and what you try at home, but nothing from a professional that tells you the right way to do it,” he said.

O’Walk also said she picked up helpful tips, especially when it comes to diaper changes.

“I was asking a lot of questions about diaper changes and how that’s different when you have a daughter versus a son, and I liked covering, so there’s nothing hitting your face. So, that’s something that I learned,” she said.

Each class lasts about two hours. Narup also recommends that, just as parents create a birth plan, they should also consider a postpartum plan.

“Just to let them know what to expect and think about what you want to do with visitors and people helping to share in baby care, so they realize they’re not completely alone on this,” Narup said.

She adds that parents shouldn’t feel like they have to rely only on their partner.

“I would tell them to have a resource list — people they can call, even maybe a friend they can call in the middle of the night when they’re exhausted,” she said. “You need to feed the baby frequently.”

As for advice to other parents considering classes, Narup says they can help build confidence.

“No, you’re not going to know everything by taking classes, but you are going to have a little more relaxed feel because you did the best you could to prepare for the situation,” she said.

For O’Walk, she says taking the classes was a no-brainer.

“Well, you’re going to be taking care of a human. I mean, you should know how to take care of a human properly, right, a newborn little baby,” she said. “So I think it’s super important to know how to feed them, how to keep them safe, alive.”

Click here for more information on how to sign up for local maternity classes and support groups.

Local 10 viewers can see all of our Mom to Mom stories by clicking here.

Tras firmar el proyecto de ley 1471 de la Cámara de Representantes en Tampa, DeSantis lanzó bolígrafos al público después de la ceremonia.

“Esperen que seamos muy firmes y contundentes en la forma en que abordamos a estos grupos”, dijo DeSantis.

Una de las organizaciones que ha llamado la atención es el Council on American-Islamic Relations, al que DeSantis busca designar como grupo terrorista.

Wilfredo Ruiz, director de comunicaciones de CAIR Florida, afirmó que la ley plantea serias preocupaciones constitucionales.

“Hoy es un día oscuro para la Constitución de Florida y la Constitución de Estados Unidos”, dijo.

Omar Saleh, abogado de CAIR Florida, también criticó la medida, señalando que infringe las libertades civiles.

“Florida no es el estado libre que dice ser. Especialmente cuando se observan leyes como esta. Es una tontería”, dijo Saleh.

Representantes de CAIR señalaron que la ley podría tener implicaciones más amplias, incluyendo permitir la expulsión de estudiantes universitarios por acciones como abogar por los palestinos.

“El gobierno no está de acuerdo con ello, por lo que están tratando de silenciarlo de manera inconstitucional”, añadió Saleh.

También argumentaron que la ley apunta injustamente a los musulmanes, señalando que la idea de que buscan imponer la ley Sharia es engañosa.

Saleh indicó que la Constitución de Estados Unidos ya protege contra el establecimiento de una religión, incluyendo cualquier intento de imponer normas religiosas.

“La ley Sharia no puede imponerse y nadie está tratando de imponerla”, dijo.

Saleh agregó que la ley envía un mensaje preocupante.

“Cuando se presenta de esta manera, hay un mensaje claro, al menos de estos legisladores, de que los musulmanes de Florida no son bienvenidos en el estado”, afirmó.

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After signing House Bill 1471 in Tampa, DeSantis tossed pens into the crowd after the ceremony.

“Expect us to be very jealous and robust in how we approach dealing with these groups,” DeSantis said.

One of the organizations that has drawn attention is the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which DeSantis is actively moving to designate as a terrorist group.

Wilfredo Ruiz, communications director for CAIR Florida, said the law raises serious constitutional concerns.

“Today is a dark day for the Florida Constitution and the United States Constitution,” he said.

Omar Saleh, an attorney with CAIR Florida, also criticized the measure, saying it infringes on civil liberties.

“Florida is not the free state that it says it is. Especially when you look at laws like this. It’s baloney,” Saleh said.

CAIR representatives said the law could have broader implications, including allowing students to be expelled from universities for actions such as advocating for Palestinians.

“The government doesn’t agree with it, thus they’re trying to shut it down unconstitutionally,” Saleh added.

They also argued the law unfairly targets Muslims, saying the idea that Muslims are attempting to impose Sharia law is misleading.

Saleh said the U.S. Constitution already protects against the establishment of religion, including any attempt to impose religious rule.

“Shariah law can’t be imposed and no one is trying to impose it,” he said.

Saleh also added that the law sends a concerning message.

“When it’s being presented like this, there’s a clear message at least from these lawmakers that Florida Muslims are not welcome in Florida,” he said.

There is a civil case in Maryland where he has been challenging the Department of Homeland Security's attempts to deport him to a series of African countries. There is also a criminal case in Tennessee, where the government accuses him of human smuggling. He has pleaded not guilty and asked that the case be dismissed, claiming it was only brought to punish him.

Here is a timeline of key events:

Arrival: around 2011

Abrego Garcia flees El Salvador for the U.S. as a teenager.

Arrest: March 28, 2019

Abrego Garcia is arrested outside a Maryland hardware store. Police accuse him of being a gang member and turn him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Immigration court: Oct. 10, 2019

A Maryland immigration judge rules that Abrego Garcia cannot be deported to El Salvador, where a gang has threatened his family. He is given a work permit and placed under federal supervision.

Detained by ICE: March 12, 2025

Abrego Garcia is detained by ICE in Baltimore while driving home with his 5-year-old son.

Deportation: March 15, 2025

Abrego Garcia is mistakenly deported to El Salvador and held in a notoriously brutal prison.

Supreme Court: April 10, 2025

The U.S. Supreme Court says the Trump administration must work to bring Abrego Garcia back.

Criminal charges: June 6, 2025

Abrego Garcia is returned to the U.S. and charged with human smuggling, based on a Tennessee traffic stop from 2022.

Attempts at second deportation: July 23, 2025—present

ICE announces plans to remove him to a series of African countries, but is blocked by an injunction from a Maryland federal judge.

Released from jail: August 22, 2025

Abrego Garcia leaves the Tennessee jail, where he has been since June, to return to his family in Maryland and await trial. Within minutes of his release, ICE sends notice that they intend to deport him to Uganda.

In immigration custody: Aug. 25, 2025

Abrego Garcia reports to an immigration office in Baltimore and is taken into custody.

Judge orders release: Dec. 11, 2025

A federal judge in Maryland orders ICE to immediately release Abrego Garcia.

No immigration detention: Feb. 17, 2026

A Maryland federal judge rules ICE cannot re-detain Abrego Garcia.

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Miami Beach police said they responded to the Citizen Hotel, located at 1200 Lincoln Road, at approximately 2:52 a.m. after receiving reports of a man who said he was going to jump from the hotel’s sixth-floor roof.

Arriving officers said they found the man on the roof, pacing back and forth along the edge of the building.

Several hours passed before hostage negotiators were able to de-escalate the situation and safely bring the man off the roof.

Police said investigators found suicide notes in the man’s hotel room, and that during their negotiations, the man said he wanted to speak to his deceased father, indicating the death as a contributing factor to the incident.

The man was evaluated by first responders at the scene before being taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center for additional medical treatment, police said.

La policía indicó que respondió al Citizen Hotel, ubicado en el 1200 de Lincoln Road, aproximadamente a las 2:52 a.m., tras recibir reportes de un hombre que decía que iba a saltar desde el techo del sexto piso del hotel.

Los agentes que llegaron al lugar dijeron que encontraron al hombre en el techo, caminando de un lado a otro cerca del borde del edificio.

Pasaron varias horas antes de que negociadores de crisis lograran desescalar la situación y poner al hombre a salvo fuera del techo.

La policía informó que los investigadores encontraron notas suicidas en la habitación del hotel del hombre y que, durante las negociaciones, él expresó que quería hablar con su padre fallecido, lo que indica que esa pérdida fue un factor en el incidente.

El hombre fue evaluado por los equipos de emergencia en el lugar antes de ser trasladado al Mount Sinai Medical Center para recibir tratamiento médico adicional, según la policía.

U.S. District Judge David Joseph, who sits in Lafayette, Louisiana, ruled against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who asked that U.S. Food and Drug Administration rules that allow mifepristone to be dispensed through the mail be paused while a challenge to those 2023 regulations moves through the courts.

He granted the government’s request to put the case on hold for now, though he warned that the pause would not be indefinite — and that he could side with Louisiana later.

Murrill said in a statement that she would ask an appeals court to throw out the federal rules, noting that the judge “concluded that Louisiana suffers irreparable harm every day” the current rules are in effect.

In his opinion, Joseph, who was nominated to the bench by President Donald Trump, said that he would follow an FDA study of the drug that is in the works. He also told the agency to update him on the status of its investigation within six months.

“Should the agency fail to complete its review and make any necessary revisions” to the rules “within a reasonable time frame, the Court’s analysis – and the weight accorded to these factors – will inevitably change,” he wrote.

He also said that he believes the plaintiffs are “likely to succeed on the merits.”

Murrill contends that allowing the prescriptions to be filled by mail undermines the abortion ban in Louisiana, one of 13 states that now bar it at all stages of pregnancy. Republican state officials elsewhere have made similar court challenges in other districts.

Groups that advocate for abortion rights also stressed that Tuesday's ruling isn't a final one.

“From the courts to the Trump administration to state legislatures across the country, mifepristone and abortion access are very much still under attack,” Planned Parenthood Federation of America President and CEO Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement.

Mifepristone, usually taken in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, has moved to the center of legal fights over abortion access since the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed states to ban abortion.

In 2024, the nation’s top court refused to block filling prescriptions for mifepristone by mail. That case was different because it was brought by anti-abortion doctors, who the court said did not have legal standing to challenge the rules.

While conservative states have moved to ban or restrict abortion, liberal states have moved to protect access. Eight now have laws that seek to protect providers who prescribe abortion pills by telehealth and have them mailed into states with bans.

One study found that by the end of 2024, one-fourth of abortions were accessed by telehealth — a fivefold increase in two years. Another study found that in 2025, women in states where abortion is banned were more likely to obtain one by getting pills through telehealth than by traveling to other states.

Murrill is pursuing criminal cases against two doctors — one each in California and New York — accused of sending pills to patients in Louisiana. Those states have not been willing to have the doctors extradited to face the charges.

Joining Murrill as a plaintiff is a Louisiana woman who says her boyfriend coerced her into taking mifepristone from a California doctor.

Arguments surrounding coercion, particularly when an abusive partner controls a victim’s reproductive care, became a major theme for the plaintiffs’ legal case. They say without in-person requirements surrounding the abortion pill, intimate partner abuse will only increase. Some anti-domestic abuse advocates pushed back, saying telehealth can be a valuable lifeline for survivors.

President Donald Trump’s administration last year outraged anti-abortion groups when it approved an additional generic version of mifepristone.

A Hawaii judge last year ruled that the FDA violated the law by imposing restrictions on mifepristone, which is also used for miscarriage management.

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Associated Press writers Lindsay Whitehurst, Sara Cline and Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

“I’m like, ‘Hi, John Harbaugh,’" he said with a chuckle. “Most guys will say, hey and give me their name. Some guys don’t give me their name and I'm like, ‘Dude, I’m not really sure who you are.’”

Harbaugh knows who Dexter Lawrence is but did not get the chance to say hello Tuesday. The three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle was one of three players not present, following word that Lawrence had asked for a trade.

Attendance is voluntary at this stage, and Harbaugh cited good conversations with agent Joel Segal while acknowledging he was not surprised by Lawrence's absence. Still, though, Harbaugh estimated “the prospects are going to be high” for Lawrence to stick around.

“Speaking for the Giants, we want Dexter here. I believe Dexter wants to be here. That’s a good formula,” Harbaugh said on a video call with reporters. “But there’s business involved. It’s a business proposition. We know it’s pro football. These things happen every year pretty much on every team.”

Harbaugh spent the past 18 season with the Baltimore Ravens, coached them to a Super Bowl, and three years ago dealt with a trade request from quarterback Lamar Jackson, which got resolved. Familiarity helped that situation, though Harbaugh said this also calls for a patient approach.

"It’s going to work out," Harbaugh said. “It’s high-level business, high-level football. I’m sure it will be handled in a real high-level way like that. I’m not worried about it.”

Lawrence, 28, has two years left on his contract, set to earn $20 million and $19.5 million, respectively. He's coming off a tumultuous 17 games in which he finished with a career-low 31 tackles and a half-sack.

Offensive coordinator Matt Nagy called New York's front the best he and the Kansas City Chiefs saw last season, and Lawrence is a significant part of that, even if the stats are not there.

"He’s a beast," Nagy said. “He’s been doing it a while and a lot of respect for him. I just know that when we played him last year, we had to know where he was on every play.”

Defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson reached out after getting the job on Harbaugh's new staff to open a line of communication and sensed Lawrence was in a good place.

“Hopefully everything works out in our favor, but, hey, I love Dexter and we have a good relationship,” Wilson said. “For me personally, and from an organization standpoint, we understand the value of Dex. We love him, and we understand the business side, as well.”

Cornerback Paulson Adebo also did not attend

Cornerback Paulson Adebo made it two defensive starters not in attendance for the start of the spring program, Harbaugh said, adding he was not sure of the reason.

“It's his right,” Harbaugh said. “Guys come or not come according to their choosing: voluntary time of year.”

Harbaugh said the third player who did not take part was defensive tackle Sam Roberts, who had a procedure that did not allow him to travel to the practice facility in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo have different injury return timelines

Top receiver Malik Nabers is coming off a torn ACL in his right knee from a home game on Sept. 28, and running back Cam Skattebo is working back from a dislocated right ankle and additional damage incurred Oct. 26 at Philadelphia.

Each player was at the facility, Harbaugh said, with Skattebo ahead of Nabers, who is expected back either during training camp or closer to the season.

“It wouldn’t be fair for me to give you days or dates,” Harbaugh said. “I have a vague idea. It’s not that important today.”

Kayvon Thibodeaux remains with the Giants

After edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux's name surfaced in trade buzz in recent weeks, Harbaugh said “everybody's tradeable.” But Thibodeaux was in attendance and has not been traded yet, if he is at all.

“He’s a great player,” Harbaugh said. “I’m excited about him. I was fired up to see him today. He looks great, he’s in great shape. I’m thinking about him on the field, getting him plugged into our defense and getting him rolling.”

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

President Donald Trump's latest threat over the Iran war hit a new extreme Tuesday as he warned, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” if Iran failed to make a deal that includes reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The Republican president's comments were swiftly met with condemnation from Democrats, some “Make America Great Again” supporters who have since broken with Trump, and the first American pope. Some fellow Republicans suggested his comments were a negotiating tactic.

It followed his threats in recent days that he would be “blasting Iran into oblivion” and “back to the Stone Ages!!!” He said he would blow up bridges and civilian power plants, which experts in military law said could constitute a war crime. And on Easter morning, he wrote on his social media account: “Open the F——-in’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell.”

Just over an hour before his 8 p.m. deadline, Trump announced he was pulling back from his threats of widespread strikes, subject to Iran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it had accepted a two-week ceasefire in the war.

But Trump’s intensifying warnings of widespread and seemingly indiscriminate destruction were a sea change from his January pledge to the people of Iran that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY” after a brutal crackdown on protests. They were the antithesis of the peacemaking image he spent much of the last year trying to cultivate as he sought a Nobel Peace Prize.

And, most urgently, they raised questions about whether the president was threatening actions that could be considered war crimes, whether he is considering using a nuclear weapon or whether it is all bluster.

The president’s extraordinary threat to wipe out Iran's “civilization” Tuesday morning came as the conflict with Iran reached a precipice. Iran rejected the Americans’ latest ceasefire proposal, and the Middle Eastern country’s president said 14 million people, including himself, have volunteered to fight. Meanwhile, there were international calls for restraint, and officials involved in diplomatic efforts said talks were ongoing.

Experts said that Trump's threats to blow up bridges and power plants could constitute a war crime depending on whether the power plants were legitimate military targets, whether any attacks were proportional compared with what Iran has done and whether civilian casualties were minimized.

Trump on Monday defended his profane language, saying he used it only to make a point, and said he’s “not at all” concerned that his threats could amount to a war crime.

In response to the criticism Trump’s comments received, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement: “As President Trump has said, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing. The President will always stand with innocent civilians while annihilating the terrorists responsible for threatening our country and the entire world with a nuclear weapon. Greater destruction can be avoided if the regime understands the seriousness of this moment and makes a deal with the United States.”

Trump's comments drew condemnation and hopes that it was bluster

Sen. Todd Young, an Indiana Republican and a Marine Corps veteran, said that what Trump is “clearly trying to accomplish” is to “bring this whole effort to a close and that’s the best way to preserve lives and property and reduce suffering.”

“The president clearly, to me, wants to increase the amount of leverage he has immediately so that we can bring this conflict to a close and avoid further bloodshed or suffering from the Iranians, from the Americans or from any other people.”

Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican and a stalwart Trump ally, said Monday before the president's annihilation warning that he hoped Trump's threats to bomb power plants and bridges were bombast.

“I am hoping and praying that President Trump is, this really is bluster. I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure. I do not want to see that,” Johnson said on a podcast. “We are not at war with the Iranian people. We are trying to liberate them.”

Democratic leaders in the House said in a joint statement that Trump's “statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience.” Their Senate counterparts said it was “a betrayal of the values this nation was founded on, and a moral failure.”

Pope Leo XIV said any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law and called the president’s comments “truly unacceptable.”

Former Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once a stalwart MAGA supporter who has since turned critic of the president, suggested invoking the 25th Amendment, under which the vice president and a majority of Cabinet members declare a president unfit for office and remove him.

“Not a single bomb has dropped on America. We cannot kill an entire civilization. This is evil and madness,” she wrote on X.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican who often breaks with the president, called Trump's latest threat “an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250 years.”

Trump's history of inflammatory threats

Roseanne McManus, a professor of political science at Penn State University whose research has focused on international security and how countries signal their intentions in ongoing or potential conflict, said presidential threats of force traditionally had some restraint and subtlety.

But Trump, dating back to his first term, has broken with those norms, she said. That was most notable when he warned North Korea in 2017 that it would see “fire and fury like the world has never seen” if it made more threats against the U.S., raising fears of a nuclear escalation. He later said he and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “fell in love,” and the threats largely stopped.

Since returning to the White House last year, he has made more incendiary threats and moves.

Last summer, he joined Israel in striking Iran's nuclear sites, a move that came before a self-imposed timeline for action ran out. Earlier this year, he launched a brazen strike that captured Venezuela's authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro, and brought him to the U.S. for trial.

He has also suggested using military force to take control of Greenland and has said he believes he’ll have “the honor of taking Cuba” soon, but he has so far not followed through on those threats.

Trump has referred to his unpredictability as an asset, McManus said, and has seemed to lean into the “Madman Theory,” attributed to former President Richard Nixon, that aims to deter adversaries by convincing them he’s unpredictable enough to carry out an extreme action.

His actions over the last year, along with increasingly frequent over-the-top threats in recent days to Iran, seem to show that “he’s been leaning into the strategy to a greater extent in his second term.”

“I think the fact that Trump is willing to shatter these norms with his rhetoric could suggest that he is not restrained by the same sorts of things that would restrain a normal leader,” she said.

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Associated Press writers Steven Sloan and Stephen Groves in Washington and Nicole Winfield in Rome contributed to this report.

The Salvadoran national’s case has become a focal point in the immigration debate after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last year. Since his return, he has been fighting a second deportation to a series of African countries proposed by Homeland Security officials.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, of Maryland, previously barred U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting him or detaining him. She has written that the agency has no viable plan to actually deport Abrego Garcia, referring in February to "one empty threat after another to remove him to countries in Africa with no real chance of success.”

Abrego Garcia has argued that if he is going to be deported, it should be to Costa Rica, which previously agreed to accept him. But Todd Lyons, the acting head of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, said in a March memo that deporting Abrego Garcia to Costa Rica would be “prejudicial to the United States.” Abrego Garcia should be sent to Liberia because the U.S. has spent government resources and political capital negotiating with the West African nation to accept third-country nationals, Lyons wrote.

At a Tuesday hearing in Xinis' court, Ernesto Molina, director of the Department of Justice's Office of Immigration Litigation, suggested that Abrego Garcia could “remove himself” to Costa Rica.

Xinis pointed out that the DOJ is prosecuting him in Tennessee on human smuggling charges. She called it a “fantasy” to say that he can remove himself anywhere while the criminal case is pending. Xinis set a schedule for a briefing on the matter and scheduled a new hearing for April 28.

Abrego Garcia, 30, has an American wife and child and has lived in Maryland for years, but he immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager. In 2019, an immigration judge ruled that he could not be deported to El Salvador because he faced danger there from a gang that had threatened his family. By mistake, he was deported there anyway in last year.

Facing public pressure and a court order, President Donald Trump’s administration brought him back in June, but only after securing an indictment charging him with human smuggling in Tennessee. He has pleaded not guilty and asked the judge to dismiss that case.

The 18th trip might be even better.

This must feel like a victory lap for McIlroy, who has been at Augusta National all weekend with an eye on hosting the Masters Club dinner on Tuesday night. And then he can move on to that small matter of trying to become only the fourth player to win back-to-back at the Masters.

What's the rush?

“I think for the past 17 years I just could not wait for the tournament to start,” McIlroy said Tuesday. “And this year, I wouldn't care if the tournament never started.”

That brought laughter, including his own. He met with the media at Augusta National — a preview of his Prime Video documentary was played before he walked in — for the first time since he won last year and began his news conference by asking, “What are we going to talk about next year?”

He said the goal posts have moved, but he's still kicking.

“It's completely different,” McIlroy said. “I feel so much more relaxed. I know that I’m going to be coming back here for a lot of years, going to enjoy the perks that the champions get here. It doesn’t make me any less motivated to go out there and play well and try to win the tournament.”

He doesn't expect it to be any easier than a wild Sunday afternoon, 18 holes that in some respects resembled his 18 years on tour.

That's true for everyone in the 91-man field. There was a chill in the air Tuesday morning that now gives way to a forecast for hot, dry weather. That can be Augusta National at its toughest, no matter how pretty it looks with the azalea and dogwood blooms.

“If it's firm and fast, the greens are going to be even more difficult to hit than they already are,” Bryson DeChambeau said.

Scottie Scheffler knows the drill as defending champion, having won in 2022 and 2024. Scheffler prefers a routine — disrupted slightly now with a newborn son in tow.

“Defending can always be difficult, but I think that’s mostly just the odds of winning a tournament in back-to-back years,” Scheffler said. “I think that’s just extremely challenging, especially when you look at these major championships.”

Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02) are the only players to win in consecutive years at the Masters.

“I think everything's new when you’re a first-time defending (champion) here,” Scheffler said. “You host the dinner — that's a big deal. There’s certain things that go on that maybe would make it a touch more difficult, but I wouldn’t say it’s anything too substantial.”

For McIlroy, it's everything so new that's making this so enjoyable.

He never bothered to spend much time upstairs in the clubhouse during the Masters, where a room is dedicated to the co-founders and to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a proud member at Augusta National. McIlroy loves golf history.

“I knew the week of the tournament that the clubhouse is for participants and their families, but I still felt like I had to earn the right to be there a little more often,” he said.

McIlroy recalled one potentially awkward moment last year when he and Justin Rose, whom he would beat in a playoff, were going to have dinner in the clubhouse on Tuesday night. He drove down Magnolia Lane toward the clubhouse right as the past champions were on the balcony for cocktail hour before their dinner.

“I'm like, ‘I don’t want to valet, get out, they’re going to see me and it’s going to be weird.’ So I had this really awkward moment with it all last year,” McIlroy said. “Yeah, thankfully that was the last time that I needed to do that.”

He has prepared remarks for a dinner of past champions, and a menu that is among the more exquisite for this occasion, particularly the wine. One of the side dishes is “Irish Champ," creamy mashed potatoes with green onions, butter and milk.

“People keep asking me, ‘Why didn’t you go more Irish?' And I said, ‘Because I want to enjoy the dinner as well,’” McIlroy said.

More laughter. There was a lot of that Tuesday, different from past years when he heard the same questions — When are you going to win the Masters? — and didn't have great answers. Now he has the ultimate response: He wore his green jacket to his news conference.

What's next?

McIlroy has said he wants to win as many majors as possible — Harry Vardon with seven has the most of any European player; McIlroy has five — and at prestigious venues, such as St. Andrews next year for the British Open.

“There's still a lot that I want to do,” he said. “I think what I’ve realized is if you can just really find enjoyment in the journey, that’s the big thing. Because honestly, I felt like the career Grand Slam was my destination, and I got there, and then I realized it wasn’t the destination.”

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

“You brought it all year, every home game,” he said, resting his hand on top of the trophy. “You guys were there every step of the way.”

May and his players stood atop the Junge Family Champions Center, a multipurpose event space between Michigan Stadium and the arena, and overlooked a crowd of maize and blue.

Michigan held off UConn 69-63 in Monday night's title game, an effort powered by its all-transfer starting lineup. Point guard Elliot Cadeau, named the Final Four's most outstanding player, led Michigan with 19 points. Morez Johnson Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Wolverines' leading scorer, Yaxel Lendeborg, had 13 points and two rebounds.

“You guys are amazing,” Lendeborg told the crowd before leading a rendition of Michigan's fight song. “You made this season very, very special for me. ... Go Blue, baby!"

Michigan's offense made history in the NCAA Tournament as the first team to score 90-plus points in five consecutive games, but it was the Wolverines' defense that paved the way on Monday night. Michigan held UConn to 31% shooting from the field and 27% shooting from the 3-point line.

Michigan finished the season a unanimous No. 1 in the final AP Top 25 released Tuesday.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and ABC said Tuesday that the 99th Oscars will be held on March 14, 2027, and the 100th on March 5, 2028.

They will be the last ceremonies broadcast on its longtime network home before the show moves to YouTube in 2029, and the last two held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The film academy just recently announced that the show would also have a new physical location at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles as part of a 10-year agreement with AEG. ABC and the film academy will continue to air the show at its earlier time of 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific.

The 98th Oscars last month saw a 9% dip in ratings after several years of gains. Conan O'Brien returned to host the show which saw “One Battle After Another” take best picture and director, Michael B. Jordan win best actor, for “Sinners,” and Jessie Buckley pick up best actress, for “Hamnet.”

The detention of 22-year-old Annie Ramos, the Honduran born-wife of a U.S. Army staff sergeant preparing to deploy, prompted public backlash from critics of the Trump administration's mass deportation campaign who warned it demoralized troops during an ongoing war.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Ramos’ mother-in-law, Jen Rickling, confirmed her release to The Associated Press. The New York Times first reported Ramos' release.

Ramos, who married Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank in March, had been detained by federal immigration agents while attempting to register at his base to receive military benefits and ultimately obtain a green card. She had lived in the country since she was less than 2 years old. DHS said Ramos had been ordered removed by a federal immigration judge in 2005 after her family had failed to appear for a hearing.

Ramos and her husband say she has been attempting to gain legal status, including by applying for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in 2020 though her application remained stalled amid legal battles to eliminate the program.

“All I have ever wanted is to live with dignity in the country I have called home since I was a baby,” Ramos said in a statement to the AP after her release. “I want to finish my degree, continue my education, and serve my community — just as my husband serves our country with honor.”

A spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona, said that Kelly had called DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin regarding Ramos’ detention. Blank has family in Arizona.

“I’m happy Annie is back with her husband and family where she belongs,” Kelly said in a statement. “They never should have gone through this painful process, but far too many families like theirs are because of this administration.”

DHS told the AP that Ramos had been released with a GPS monitor “while she undergoes further removal proceedings.”

“She will receive full due process,” DHS said.

The Trump administration has scrapped policies of immigration enforcement leniency toward the family members of military personnel and veterans, even as the military has promoted the protection of U.S. soldiers' family members from deportation as a recruiting incentive.

Ramos said she plans to continue studying biochemistry and focusing on enjoying married life with her husband.

“As Matthew continues preparing for his long career in the military, my focus now is on securing my status, continuing my studies, and building our life together,” Ramos said. “We want to create a home, a future, and a family. This experience has been incredibly difficult, but it has also reminded me of the power of faith, love, and community. I am hopeful for what comes next.”

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Associated Press reporter Juan Lozano contributed reporting from Houston.

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

“I battled the last 10 holes," Woodland revealed Tuesday, “thinking people were trying to kill me.”

That's not intended to be a joke. The exact opposite, in fact: a powerful admission of Woodland's mental health struggles, and one he hopes will help others dealing with trauma, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder in their own lives.

The inner turmoil that Woodland feels even at Augusta National, one of the most bucolic places in the world, has its roots in a scan that uncovered a lesion on his brain that had been causing him unfounded fears of dying. In September 2023, he wrote letters to his wife and kids in the event something went wrong, then had surgery to remove as much of it as possible.

The procedure involved cutting a baseball-sized hole from the side of his head, but it proved to be successful. Woodland was back on the course in January 2024, slowly working his way back into form, making enough cuts to keep him motivated.

The following year, he finished second at the Houston Open — the same tournament he would win last month, when Woodland got through his Friday bout of hypervigilance and closed with a 3-under 67 on Sunday for a five-shot win over Nicolai Hojgaard.

Few knew that Woodland was still struggling, though. He had become crippled by PTSD to the point that he would rush to bathrooms to break down in tears, and it always felt as if people were out to get him; one symptom of PTSD is a heightened state of sensory sensitivity, which causes the nervous system to continually stay in an on-guard state.

“I talked to (PGA) Tour security that night,” Woodland said of that Friday at the Houston Open, "and I told them what I was going through, and every time I looked up on the weekend, my security team was behind me. Any time I got startled on the weekend, I turn around — last year I didn't talk to Tour security. I fought this on my own. It was awful.

“Turning around and knowing I'm safe, having somebody there with me? It's the only reason I won two weeks ago.”

Well, not quite the only reason.

Woodland's ball speed was 196 mph on one tee shot, a good indication that the strength that helped carry him to the 2019 U.S. Open championship had returned. His approach play was sublime and his short game even better on the way to finishing at 21 under, giving Woodland his first win since his only major championship and the fifth victory of his career.

“We live in a world, as men and especially as an athlete, that you put your head down and you fight through it. I’ve done it my whole life,” Woodland said. “This is honestly one battle that I’m not able to do on my own. I tried, and it wasn’t working.”

So, Woodland got some help. And it has helped him immeasurably.

Never one to think about himself, Woodland quickly realized that his struggles might help somebody else, too. That is why he went public with his PTSD diagnosis in an interview with the Golf Channel, and why he was so forthcoming Tuesday at the Masters.

“The world we live in, speaking about something you would call a weakness is hard,” he said, "but speaking about it and how I feel afterwards made me a lot stronger. I didn’t know that releasing this battle was going to make me stronger, and it’s done that. I feel a lot stronger now than I did three weeks ago, I can tell you that. No matter how hard it is out here, I know I have someone I can talk to that I can have security. My team have been amazing in helping me, but I’ve turned a weakness into a strength.

“I wouldn’t even say it as a weakness, but I think that’s the stigma out there. But I feel a lot stronger after I came out for sure.”

This week will be another test for Woodland, perhaps an even tougher one. More people are sure to trail him around Augusta National after his win in Houston, and the proximity of the patrons to the players — especially on the tees — can be a matter of a few feet.

The PGA Tour has worked with the Masters to provide the security Woodland needs to feel safe.

“There’s probably not a safer golf tournament in the world, so I’m happy for that, but it’s still a battle in my head if I’m safe or not,” he said. “I don’t have control when this thing hits me, and it’s tough. It can be a fan. It can be a walking score (board holder). It can be a camera guy running by me. Just any startlement from behind me can trigger this pretty quickly. Knowing where that security is is a constant reminder that I’m safe.”

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

Emerging from the Lightning locker room before playing at Buffalo on Monday night, Cooper shook his head in mock dismay upon seeing the larger than usual crowd of reporters awaiting his arrival.

“Ugh. Why are there so many people here?” Cooper asked with a wink. “It’s Game 77 folks, not Game 83.”

Point taken from a two-time Stanley Cup-winner overseeing a team that’s already clinched its 12th playoff berth over his 13-year tenure in Tampa Bay.

As much as Cooper can appreciate the importance of a late-season outing between two budding Atlantic Division rivals jockeying for playoff positioning, it doesn’t match the ramped-up intensity that follows an 82-game regular season.

“It’s Game 77. I think both teams accomplished their goals for the year in regard to the regular season,” he said, before the Lightning’s 4-2 loss. “It’s just I don’t put a ton of stock into it. The stock was made of making the final eight (in the Eastern Conference), and we did that.”

Tell that to the upstart Sabres and their revitalized fanbase celebrating a team finally snapping an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought.

It’s no different in Montreal, where the young and talented Canadiens are continuing the franchise’s upward trajectory in securing back-to-back playoff berths for just the second time in 11 years.

Upstarts shake up Atlantic hierarchy

Entering Tuesday, the Lightning and Sabres were tied for the division lead with 102 points. Montreal sat only two points back in a season the Atlantic’s hierarchy — save for the Lightning — has been turned upside down.

While the Bruins are in contention and Ottawa and Detroit battling for wild-card seeds, the two-time defending Cup champion Florida Panthers have already been eliminated. So has Toronto, with the Maple Leafs in upheaval after missing the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

Keith Pelley, CEO of the Maple Leafs’ parent corporation, said as much of the shifting landscape in discussing his reasons for firing GM Brad Treliving last week.

“We definitely didn’t see the train coming which was the Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens,” Pelley said. “Buffalo and Montreal have shown that they’re young, energetic teams who are gonna be here for a long time.”

That’s the hope in Buffalo, where the Sabres are on a 36-9-4 run that’s vaulted them from last place in East in early December.

“You’ve got to take a lot of pride in the fact you made the playoffs in a year where this division and this conference was so incredibly tough,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said.

And unlike Cooper, Ruff is relishing this moment in the second year of his second stint in Buffalo.

Buzz returns to Buffalo

He’s captivated by the electricity the team has generated after its 17th consecutive sellout on Monday, and 22nd of the season. The fans were fully on board in booing the Lightning from the pregame warmup to chanting “We want Hagel!” in the third period.

Hagel has emerged as Public Enemy No. 1 in Buffalo after the Lightning forward jumped captain Rasmus Dahlin from behind in the Sabres electrifying 8-7 win a month ago.

“Everybody’s into it,” Ruff said. “I think our fans have been waiting for this for a while, so it’s good to see.”

Lightning forward Brayden Point was measured in assessing the loss to Buffalo.

“This game definitely had more meaning than some of them. And it’s disappointing not to get the result we wanted,” Point said. “It wasn’t playoff Game 1, so there’s still time to learn from it, but hopefully we learn pretty quick.”

In Montreal, the Canadiens had won eight straight before losing to New Jersey on Sunday, and host the Lightning on Thursday.

Lightning remain competitive

Cooper has enjoyed seeing the competitive shift that's taken place in the division, while reassured the Lightning have stayed in the mix.

“Buffalo has a heck of a team. And I’d like to think we’re not too shabby ourselves,” Cooper said. “There’s been waves of different teams that have made the playoffs in our division, and we’ve found a way to be able to do it.”

Come playoff time, Cooper is holding the Lightning to a higher standard no matter where they finish, noting Tampa Bay hasn’t won a playoff series since failing to three-peat as Cup champions in 2022.

“There’s potentially new teams sitting around the table but it shouldn’t change anything in our mindset,” Cooper said. “We need to look after our business here to keep moving forward because haven’t been really satisfied with the fact that we’ve been bounced the last three years.”

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Sin embargo, tras varios minutos de discusión, enfrentamientos verbales y una votación para permitir que la ley se aprobara de urgencia nacional, poco más de 30 diputados —de los 90 que había en el pleno— votaron a favor, por lo que la propuesta fue denegada.

El actual rector Walter Ramiro Mazariegos Biolis fue sancionado en 2023 por el gobierno de Estados Unidos por socavar las instituciones democráticas al aceptar el cargo tras un cuestionado proceso electoral.

En 2022, cuando se realizaban dichas elecciones, Mazariegos junto a otras autoridades universitarias bloquearon el acceso a algunos electores y permitieron que sólo quienes estaban a su favor entraran al recinto y votaran, lo que le garantizó el triunfo.

Los diputados que presentaron el proyecto de ley denunciaron que para la actual elección de autoridades, que se realizará el miércoles, el Consejo Superior Universitario —afín a Mazariegos e integrado por representantes estudiantiles, docentes, profesionales y decanos— acreditó a los electores que votarán por su reelección y dejó afuera a la oposición.

El lunes, Mazariegos cerró la USAC, a la que a diario acuden miles de estudiantes, por trabajos de mantenimiento. El martes, hombres con pasamontañas y palos vigilaban las puertas desde dentro de la universidad impidiendo el acceso de estudiantes y docentes.

Mientras estudiantes intentaban ingresar al recinto universitario, los encapuchados les tiraban bombas y gases lacrimógenos desde adentro, ante la mirada pasiva de la policía, lo que causó varios heridos.

El presidente Bernardo Arévalo dijo que es respetuoso de la autonomía universitaria, pero que apoya a la comunidad universitaria en su lucha por elecciones legales y legítimas.

La Constitución establece que la USAC, con más de 300 años de antigüedad, es autónoma, recibe un 5% del presupuesto anual de la nación y no puede ser intervenida.

Organismos internacionales han expresado inquietud por la situación de la USAC. El 28 de marzo la misión especial para el fortalecimiento de la democracia en Guatemala de la Organización de los Estados Americanos (OEA) dijo que estaba preocupada por la falta de renovación del Consejo Superior Universitario y la negativa a acreditar electores.

“Cualquier exclusión arbitraria, selectiva o insuficiente... así como cualquier decisión que altere la composición del universo electoral llamado a votar podría comprometer seriamente la legitimidad del proceso de elección del rector”, dijo la misión de la OEA.

La USAC es una de las instituciones que este año renuevan autoridades, entre ellas la Corte de Constitucionalidad y la Fiscalía General.

Here's a short breakdown of some of the issues at play.

Could this raise war crimes questions?

In his news conference on Monday, Trump threatened to blow up every bridge and power plant in Iran, an action that would be so far-reaching that some experts in military law said it could constitute a war crime. The issue could turn on whether the power plants were legitimate military targets, whether the attacks were proportional compared with what Iran has done and whether civilian casualties were minimized.

Trump’s threat did not seem to account for the harm to civilians, prompting Democrats in Congress, some U.N. officials and scholars in military law to say such strikes would violate international law.

The president’s eventual actions often fall short of his all-encompassing rhetoric in the moment, but his warnings about the power plants and bridges were unambiguous both on Sunday and Monday as he set a deadline of Tuesday night for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said Monday that he’s “not at all” concerned about committing war crimes as he continues to threaten destruction. He also warned that every power plant will be “burning, exploding and never to be used again.”

He followed up Tuesday morning with this threat on Truth Social: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.” Trump pulled back on that threat Tuesday night, and Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it had accepted a two-week ceasefire.

Last month, shortly after the war started, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there would be “no stupid rules of engagement, no nation building quagmire, no democracy building exercise, no politically correct wars. We fight to win and we don’t waste time or lives.”

What the U.N. and experts say about Trump's words

A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday warned that attacking such infrastructure is banned under international law.

“Even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective,” Stephane Dujarric said, an attack would still be prohibited if it risks “excessive incidental civilian harm.”

Rachel VanLandingham, a Southwestern Law School professor who served as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Air Force, said civilians are likely to die if power is cut to hospitals and water treatment plans. “What Trump is saying is, ‘We don’t care about precision, we don’t care about impact on civilians, we’re just going to take out all of Iranian power generating capacity,’” the retired lieutenant colonel said.

Shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint in the Persian Gulf through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows, has been all but halted, sending oil prices soaring and roiling the stock market.

Under the U.N. Charter, nations are only permitted to use force against another nation if it has been authorized by the Security Council or in self-defense, said Marieke de Hoon, an associate professor of international criminal law at the University of Amsterdam.

What Trump is threatening to attack

As the conflict has entered its second month, Trump has escalated his warnings to bomb Iran’s infrastructure, including Kharg Island, central to Iran’s oil industry, and desalination plants that provide drinking water.

In a Truth Social post on March 30, Trump warned that the U.S. would obliterate “all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched.’”

On Easter Sunday, Trump threatened in an expletive-laden post that Iran will face “Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one,” while adding that “you’ll be living in Hell” unless the strait reopens.

“This strikes me as clearly a threat of unlawful action,” said Michael Schmitt, a professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval War College and an international law professor at the University of Reading in Britain.

A power facility can be attacked under the laws of armed conflict if it provides electricity to a military base in addition to civilians, Schmitt said. But the strike must not “cause disproportionate harm to the civilian population, and you’ve done everything to minimize that harm.”

Harm does not include inconvenience or fear, said Schmitt, who has taught military commanders. But it does mean severe mental suffering, physical injury or illness.

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Associated Press journalists Ben Finley, Lindsay Whitehurst, Gary Fields and Mike Corder contributed to this report.

While the trip focused on emergency management, Mullin also weighed in on immigration enforcement, a centerpiece policy of the Trump administration, which his department also oversees. He suggested he might halt customs processing at airports serving cities whose local governments resist the administration's immigration policies, a move that would align with his predecessor's hardline approach.

At his confirmation hearing last month, Mullin tried to project a softer tone on immigration enforcement, after a backlash over high-profile operations and the deaths of two Americans at the hands of federal officers. Mullin also signaled a different approach to the Federal Emergency Management Agency following criticism of Noem's policies.

At a roundtable discussion Tuesday, Mullin said FEMA was focused on catching up on past disaster work and clearing a backlog of needs that stacked up during his predecessor's tenure ahead of the Atlantic hurricane season, which begins June 1.

“Disasters are happening constantly,” Mullin said, adding that he would brief President Donald Trump Tuesday on the 22 still pending major disaster declaration requests from states and tribes across the U.S. “We’re trying to push this stuff forward as fast as possible."

Mullin also said he “may have identified” a candidate for permanent administrator of FEMA, which is on its third temporary leader since Trump took office, but declined to name them.

Asked if eliminating FEMA — which Trump has threatened to do — was still on the table, Mullin said “reforming FEMA would be a better term.”

Mullin's visit comes less than a week after he ended Noem's directive that all DHS expenditures over $100,000 be personally approved by the secretary's office, a rule that critics said bottlenecked FEMA reimbursements and compromised disaster response and recovery.

Mullin threatens to remove CBP officers from some airports

While Mullin has already made strides on disaster response, he has yet to set forth a clear vision for immigration enforcement, although he is expected to align with the president’s vision. That was apparent in his comments about removing Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in so-called “sanctuary cities.”

“If they’re not enforcing immigration laws, then why would I be processing immigration in their city?” Mullin said, adding that the idea was still under consideration. He suggested he would raise the idea in his briefing to Trump.

Mullin gave no further details. But withdrawing CBP officers from airports could disrupt international travel and trade. CBP officers check all incoming travelers into the country as well as the billions of dollars of trade that enters through land crossings and airports.

The Trump administration has already threatened to withdraw funding to Democratic cities and states that it says do not cooperate with immigration enforcement.

North Carolina is still hard-hit

Few disaster-hit areas experienced the impacts of FEMA's recent tumult as acutely as North Carolina, where about $1.6 billion in FEMA public assistance dollars has been obligated so far and where roughly 2,000 projects are still in some stage of FEMA approval, according to a letter North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein sent Mullin after his swearing in.

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis excoriated Noem for delays in reimbursements to his state just days before her firing, telling her at a Senate hearing she had "failed” at FEMA.

Mullin said at the roundtable that Trump had told him he wanted North Carolina to be his first stop and had told Mullin “people in North Carolina love me.”

North Carolina carries outsize political significance this year. Tillis, one of the state’s Republican senators, is retiring, raising Democratic hopes of a pickup this fall. The race is sure to attract hundreds of millions in campaign spending and pits Democrat Roy Cooper, the state’s former governor, against Michael Whatley, the former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Helene, a 350-mile-wide (560 kilometers) hurricane, ravaged multiple southeastern states in September 2024.

The storm caused 108 deaths in North Carolina and $60 billion in damages. It destroyed homes, businesses and utility infrastructure. Entire communities were cut off, prompting helicopter rescues after roads and bridges washed away.

Hurricane damage is still visible, with cars and remnants of homes washed up on banks, remains of knocked-out bridges and piles of thick trees and branches that rushed down the river when it swelled to a torrent of water.

Misinformation shrouded FEMA's response to Hurricane Helene

Rep. Chuck Edwards, a Republican representing some of the impacted areas who lost one of his own businesses in the storm, said Tuesday he also grew frustrated with what he called FEMA’s “bureaucracy” and the difficulties local communities faced in receiving payments.

“Still plenty of bureaucracy there,” said Edwards, who praised Mullin’s removal of the $100,000 rule.

FEMA’s presence in North Carolina had a tense start as distrust grew among some impacted residents, fueled in part by then-candidate Trump’s own misinformation about the Biden administration and FEMA’s response in the swing state.

Edwards found himself debunking FEMA-related misinformation shortly after the storm, issuing a statement to his constituents that FEMA was not diverting donations to the border or seizing property, among other claims.

After an armed man was arrested in Lake Lure for making threats toward FEMA workers, the agency temporarily suspended door-to-door home visits in the affected areas.

Stein, a Democrat, welcomed Mullin's visit. “It is encouraging that Secretary Mullin is getting down to business,” he told The Associated Press in a statement Tuesday.

On Monday, FEMA approved $26 million in buyouts of damaged and destroyed North Carolina homes, saying in a statement that Mullin encouraged the agency to “redouble its efforts” to help survivors.

Mullin’s remarks drew a sharp contrast from his predecessor Noem, who repeatedly called for FEMA to be eliminated “as it exists today." Trump floated the idea of eliminating FEMA altogether on a North Carolina visit just days into his second term, calling the agency a “very big disappointment.”

Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to push more responsibility for disasters down to states, and a presidentially appointed FEMA Review Council is expected to soon release a report recommending sweeping reforms of how and to what extent the federal government supports disaster-impacted communities.

While most FEMA staff are still being paid during the record-long partial government shutdown, many offices were ordered to slow or stop work shortly after the shutdown began on Feb. 14.

Meanwhile, the agency's Disaster Relief Fund is running low, with about $3.6 billion remaining. The DHS appropriations bill would replenish the fund with over $26 billion.

———

This version corrects that Mullin said Trump told him “people in North Carolina love me,” not that Trump “wanted North Carolina to love" him.

Gabriela Aoun Angueira reported from San Diego, California.

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The 24-year-old Lil Tjay, whose real name is Tione Jayden Merritt, has not been charged in the shooting and denies any involvement, which happened outside of the building’s valet area.

Lil Tjay denied any fight between him and the 34-year-old Offset, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus.

“I don’t do no damn fightin‘,” Lil Tjay told media outlets as he walked out of the Fort Lauderdale jail.

He gave an expletive-laden account of what he said happened.

“‘That n---- shot me.’ ‘That n---- shot me.’ ‘That n---- is a rat.’ ‘Cap n----,’” Lil Tjay said. “Weirdos. Y’all gettin’ a good a-- interview.”

According to an arrest report by Seminole tribal police, Lil Tjay, of the Bronx, New York, “directed members of his party to start a fight” with Offset and his group.

The report states that Lil Tjay exited a vehicle, pointed at Offset, and his group began fighting with Offset. Lil Tjay, police said, “had his phone out, recording members of his group” attacking Offset.

At some point, police said “one of the males associated with (Lil Tjay) pulled a firearm and discharged it, wounding one of the individuals.”

Two people were taken into custody.

Offset boasts a whopping 23.8 million followers on social media with more than 17 million Spotify listeners monthly. He was married to well known rap artist Cardi B.

A representative for Offset confirmed he is in stable condition and is being closely monitored at a hospital.

“Did he put his hands on you?” Local 10 News reporter Bridgette Matter asked Lil Tjay, referring to Offset.

“Hell naw,“ Lil Tjay replied. ”How many times I gotta tell you that ain’t nobody touch me?”

Local 10 News has requested Lil Tjay’s arrest report and has asked more questions of Offset’s representative.

Lil Tjay, de 24 años y cuyo nombre real es Tione Jayden Merritt, no ha sido acusado en la balacera y niega cualquier implicación, la cual ocurrió afuera del área de valet del edificio.

Lil Tjay negó que hubiera una pelea entre él y Offset, de 34 años, cuyo nombre real es Kiari Kendrell Cephus.

“Yo no ando peleando para nada”, dijo Lil Tjay a medios mientras salía de la cárcel en Fort Lauderdale.

Ofreció un relato con lenguaje explícito sobre lo que, según él, ocurrió.

“‘Ese tipo me disparó’. ‘Ese tipo me disparó’. ‘Ese tipo es un soplón’. ‘Mentira’, dijo Lil Tjay. “Raros. Están obteniendo una muy buena entrevista”.

Según un informe de arresto de la policía tribal Seminole, Lil Tjay, del Bronx, Nueva York, “dirigió a miembros de su grupo para iniciar una pelea” con Offset y su equipo.

El informe indica que Lil Tjay salió de un vehículo, señaló a Offset y su grupo comenzó a pelear con él. La policía dijo que Lil Tjay “tenía su teléfono en la mano, grabando a miembros de su grupo” mientras atacaban a Offset.

En algún momento, según la policía, “uno de los hombres asociados con (Lil Tjay) sacó un arma de fuego y la disparó, hiriendo a una de las personas”.

Dos personas fueron detenidas.

Offset cuenta con 23.8 millones de seguidores en redes sociales y más de 17 millones de oyentes mensuales en Spotify. Estuvo casado con la reconocida rapera Cardi B.

Un representante de Offset confirmó que se encuentra en condición estable y bajo observación en un hospital.

“¿Él te puso las manos encima?”, preguntó la reportera de Local 10 News Bridgette Matter a Lil Tjay, en referencia a Offset.

“Para nada”, respondió Lil Tjay. “¿Cuántas veces tengo que decirles que nadie me tocó?”

Local 10 News solicitó el informe de arresto de Lil Tjay y ha realizado más preguntas al representante de Offset.

Erick Valencia Salazar formed the Jalisco New Generation Cartel with Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, the drug lord known as “El Mencho" who was killed by the Mexican army in February.

Valencia Salazar, 49, of Santa Clara, California, faces a mandatory-minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison after pleading guilty in Washington, D.C., to one count of conspiring to distribute cocaine for U.S. importation. Chief Judge James Boasberg is scheduled to sentence him on July 31.

Valencia Salazar was a member of the Milenio Cartel before he and Oseguera Cervantes founded the Jalisco cartel, which is known by its Spanish-language acronym CJNG. Hundreds of CJNG members reported to Valencia Salazar, whose duties included recruitment and obtaining information about cartel rivals, prosecutors said.

Valencia Salazar, also known as “El 85,” formed his own cartel, La Nueva Plaza, after parting ways with "El Mencho," who led the CJNG until his death.

A. Tysen Duva, the assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s criminal division, said the CJNG has inflicted “immeasurable damage” on the U.S.

“Valencia Salazar was also responsible for furthering the rampant violence in Mexico, at the expense of people’s lives and the safety of communities, that helped destabilize the region and allow crime to flourish,” Duva said in a statement.

A grand jury indicted Valencia Salazar on the conspiracy charge in 2018. In February 2025, Mexican authorities sent him to the U.S. as part of an initial group of 29 drug lords.

Last year, President Donald Trump's administration designated the CJNG and other cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

Valencia Salazar was arrested twice in Mexico. The first time was in 2012, when he was detained by the military in the municipality of Zapopan, near Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco.

Five years later, he was released from prison by order of a judge who cited alleged procedural flaws. In 2022, the Army recaptured him in the town of Tapalpa, the same place where “El Mencho” was captured and killed.

The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Valencia Salazar's arrest or conviction.

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Associated Press writer Fabiola Sanchez in Mexico City contributed to this report.

“I did not play here. I’m not from Carolina,” he said Tuesday evening during his introductory news conference at the Dean Smith Center. “But I think they’re ready to embrace somebody new. A new vision to try to get this program back to where we all want it to be.”

The Tar Heels hired the NBA championship-winning coach Tuesday, signing him to a six-year deal worth $50 million in base compensation.

Malone replaces Hubert Davis, who was fired on March 24 after five seasons as the successor to retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams.

The 54-year-old Malone spent 12 seasons as a head coach in the NBA, including a 10-year run in Denver. He led the Nuggets to the 2023 title behind three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic.

The Nuggets fired Malone last spring with less than a week left in that regular season. Almost a year later, Malone took over a blue-blood program with six national titles, a record 21 appearances in the Final Four and alums including Michael Jordan, James Worthy Vince Carter and Atlantic Coast Conference career scoring leader Tyler Hansbrough.

Malone said 10 to 12 former UNC players visited him in his arena office in the few hours after he arrived earlier Tuesday from Colorado.

“I think family is important,” he said. “It’s something we talked a lot about in Denver. I think it’s even more important in the college landscape because you’re talking about young men coming to your program.”

Malone said he rebuffed overtures from UNC — and then regretted it — early in the search process. Executive associate athletic director Steve Newmark, who’ll become the AD this summer, visited Malone’s Colorado home Sunday and persuaded him to accept the position.

“Coach Malone was the first coach we called and the first coach we talked to,” Newmark said. “And we ended in the right place.”

Malone said he realized that a coaching job like North Carolina becomes available only so often. Davis’ firing opened one of the top jobs in college basketball for only the fourth time since the late Hall of Famer Dean Smith’s retirement after 36 seasons in October 1997.

The job had stayed in the “Carolina Family” ever since. Longtime assistant Bill Guthridge replaced Smith, followed by former UNC player Matt Doherty, former Smith assistant Williams and then Davis, who played under Smith and worked on Williams’ staff.

“I have a chance to be a part of something special — the history, the tradition,” Malone said.

UNC also broke with tradition in December 2024 when it brought in a championship-winning pro coach to lead its football program, hiring Bill Belichick, who went 4-8 in his first season.

Malone’s six-year deal starts at $7.5 million in base compensation and rises to $9 million by the 2031-32 season. Malone can also earn incentives worth up to nearly $1.5 annually, while he has a buyout that starts at $8 million through April 1 and drops to $6.5 million in 2028 and $5 million in 2029 as it continues to decline over the life of the deal.

Additionally, the agreement requires a $4 million salary pool for assistant coaches and support staff, as well as for the school to commit no less than $6.75 million of its revenue-share allotment to men’s basketball.

Malone has never been a college head coach and has spent most of his career in the NBA. His primary connection to UNC athletics is the presence of daughter Bridget on the Tar Heels’ volleyball team. He said he attended multiple basketball practices — with Davis even asking him to speak to the team at least once — during his visits to Chapel Hill during the past season.

After 24 seasons in the NBA, he’ll face some challenges. One that he mentioned: adapting to games played with halves instead of quarters.

Soon to be part of the Tobacco Road rivalries, he’s determined to lead the Tar Heels back to the top.

“I want to add to that rivalry (with Duke),” Malone said. “I want to win. I didn’t come here to be second best. I didn’t come here to lose in the first round of the ACC Tournament.”

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AP Basketball Writer Aaron Beard in Indianapolis contributed to this report.

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If it becomes law, the bill would force social media platforms to install age‑verification systems, provide parental control tools and require companies to rapidly respond to content deemed harmful. It’s unclear how long the parliament debate will last.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s government says the proposal aims to mitigate the online risks to children’s safety and privacy.

“Protecting our children from all kinds of risks, threats and harmful content is our top priority,” Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas, Turkey's minister for family and social services, said earlier this year.

The main opposition party — Republican People's Party or CHP — has criticized the proposal, saying children should be protected “not with bans but with rights-based policies.”

Under the draft proposal, digital platforms — such as YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and others — would have to block children under 15 from opening accounts and introduce parental controls that would manage children's access.

Online game companies will also be required to appoint a representative in Turkey to ensure they abide by the new regulations. Potential penalties include internet bandwidth reductions and fines imposed by Turkey’s communications watchdog.

The Turkish government has a recent record of restricting online platforms as they have grown as a means of expressing dissent. Online communications were widely restricted during last year’s protests in support of Istanbul’s jailed opposition mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu.

Restrictions on social media access for children under 16 first began in December in Australia, where social media companies revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children.

Last month, Indonesia began implementing a new government regulation banning children younger than 16 from access to digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction.

Some other countries — including Spain, France and the United Kingdom — are also taking or considering measures to restrict children’s access to social media amid growing concern that they are being harmed by exposure to unregulated social media content.

“Nobody has any idea why the attorney general is no longer the attorney general, and I’m the acting attorney general, except for President Trump,” Todd Blanche told reporters when asked at an unrelated news conference if Bondi lost her job because she was not successful in bringing criminal cases against the Republican president's perceived adversaries.

Blanche, the deputy attorney general for the last year, was elevated to the top job on at least an acting basis after Trump replaced Bondi. He insisted Tuesday that he did not feel "pressure" in the job despite Trump's well-publicized desire for retribution, though he also said that the president was entitled to seek investigations against former government officials he believes have wronged him.

“We have thousands of ongoing investigations and prosecutions going on in this country right now. And it is true that some of them involve men, women and entities that the president in the past has had issues with and believes should be investigated. That is his right, and indeed it is his duty to do that," Blanche said.

Blanche demurred when asked if he was interested in being nominated to the role of attorney general.

“If President Trump chooses to keep me as acting,” Blanche said, “that's an honor. If he chooses to nominate me, that's an honor. If he chooses to nominate somebody else and I go back to being the DAG, that’s an honor. If he chooses to nominate somebody else and asks me to go do something else, I will say, ‘Thank you very much. I love you, sir.’ I don't have any goals or aspirations beyond that.”

Blanche used his first news conference in his new role as acting attorney general to herald a redoubled effort in fighting fraud, offering details about a new fraud enforcement division that he said would draw in prosecutors from offices across the country. The Senate last month confirmed a veteran prosecutor and Blanche aide, Colin McDonald, to lead that division.

Las autoridades informaron que una persona murió en el lugar y dos bomberos resultaron heridos con quemaduras de primer y segundo grado.

La explosión registrada cerca de las 4:00 de la tarde del lunes alcanzó a la estructura de metal del puente, por lo cual el martes un equipo de expertos del Ministerio de Obras Públicas y del Canal de Panamá realizó inspecciones técnicas. Las imágenes de cámaras de seguridad captaron el momento de la explosión, seguido por la propagación de las llamas en el área debajo del puente.

“No tenemos confirmación de otras personas heridas. Dos bomberos y una persona, que lamentablemente falleció en el sitio y se cree que es empleado de la empresa”, dijo Víctor Raúl Álvarez, director del Cuerpo de Bomberos de Panamá.

Añadió que la investigación se encuentra en una etapa inicial y que aún no se ha determinado la causa de la explosión.

Ingenieros advirtieron que el incendio pudo haber afectado la estructura del puente, que fue inaugurado el 12 de octubre de 1962.

El tránsito por el puente estuvo suspendió hasta el martes por la tarde mientras se realizaban las inspecciones. El Ministerio de Obras Públicas ordenó posteriormente su reapertura vehicular, aunque restringió el paso a camiones pesados y autobuses grandes.

“El Puente de las Américas es una estructura de más de 60 años. Debido a los efectos del fuego, si la estructura metálica fue sometida a temperaturas excesivamente altas, podría haber sufrido daños”, explicó Edwin Lewis, ingeniero del Ministerio de Obras Públicas.

Solo hay dos puentes de acceso a la capital desde las provincias del centro y occidente en los que transitan más de 50.000 vehículos diariamente, según cifras de la Autoridad de Tránsito.

It was the first moonship-to-spaceship radio linkup ever. NASA's Apollo crews had no off-the-planet company back in the 1960s and 1970s, the last time humanity set sail for deep space.

"We have been waiting for this like you can’t imagine,” Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman called out.

For Christina Koch on Artemis II and Jessica Meir aboard the space station, it marked a joyous space reunion despite being 230,000 miles (370,000 kilometers) apart. The two teamed up for the world's first all-female spacewalk in 2019 outside the orbiting lab.

Koch told her “astro-sister” that she'd hoped to meet up with her again in space “but I never thought it would be like this — it's amazing.”

“I'm so happy that we are back in space together,” Meir replied, “even if we are a few miles apart.”

Houston's Mission Control arranged the cosmic chitchat between the four lunar travelers and the space station's three NASA and one French residents.

Koch described being awe-struck by not just the beauty of Earth, “but how much blackness there was around it.”

“It just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive,” she told the space station crew. “The specialness and preciousness of that really is emphasized” when viewing the home planet from the moon.

By late Tuesday afternoon, the Artemis II astronauts had beamed back more than 50 gigabytes' worth of pictures and other data from the previous day's lunar rendezvous, which set a new distance record for humanity. The highlight: an Earthset photo reminiscent of Apollo 8's Earthrise shot from 1968.

"While they are inspirational and, I think, allow all of us to really feel a little bit of what they were feeling, there's also a lot of science hidden inside of those images," said Mission Control's lead lunar scientist Kelsey Young. “The conversations and the science lessons learned are just beginning."

During a debriefing with Young, the astronauts recounted how they spotted a cascade of pinpricks of light on the lunar surface from impacting cosmic debris. The flashes lasted mere milliseconds and coincided by chance with Monday evening's total solar eclipse.

Young said it was too soon to know whether the crew witnessed an actual meteor shower or more random, run-of-the-mill micrometeoroid hits. Either way, there were “audible screams of delight” in the science operations center, she said.

Koch described being awe-struck by not just the beauty of Earth, “but how much blackness there was around it.”

“It just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive,” she told the space station crew. “The specialness and preciousness of that really is emphasized” when viewing the home planet from the moon.

The first lunar explorers since Apollo 17 in 1972, Wiseman and his crew are aiming for a splashdown off the San Diego coast on Friday to wrap up the nearly 10-day test flight. The recovery ship USS John P. Murtha left port Tuesday for the target zone.

It sets the stage for next year's Artemis III, a lunar lander docking demo in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV will follow in 2028 with two astronauts attempting to land near the lunar south pole.

As for the Orion capsule’s pesky potty, Mission Control assured the astronauts that no maintenance was required Tuesday. The toilet has been on-and-off limits to the crew ever since last week’s launch, prompting them to rely on a backup bag-and-funnel system for urinating.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told the crew following the lunar flyby Monday night: “We definitely have to fix some of the plumbing” ahead of the next Artemis mission. Engineers suspect a clogged filter in the overboard flushing system.

Aside from the toilet and other relatively minor matters, the mission has gone well, Isaacman noted at a news conference Tuesday, “but I'll breathe easier when we get through reentry and everybody's under chutes and in the water.”

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Staley released a statement on South Carolina's X account on Tuesday in which she expressed her respect for Auriemma and said the two have spoken since South Carolina’s 62-48 victory on Friday night. The season ended with UCLA's runaway 79-51 win over South Carolina in Sunday's national championship game.

“With the college women’s basketball season behind us, it’s time to move forward and close the chapter on how our semifinal game with UConn ended,” Staley wrote in her statement. "I spoke with Geno and I want to be clear — I have a great deal of respect for him and what he’s meant to the game. One moment doesn’t define a career and it doesn’t change the impact he’s had on growing women’s basketball.

“The standard at UConn is what it is because of him, and that’s something this game has benefited from. So I’m asking everyone to turn the page. Let’s refocus on what matters most, continuing to elevate our game, creating opportunities and pushing it forward. That’s always been my mission, and it’s not changing.”

Staley's statement followed Auriemma's apology on Saturday after he went over to Staley in the final seconds of Friday night's game and appeared to chastise her. Coaches from both teams had to separate them. When the game finally ended, Auriemma walked off the court to the locker room without going back to shake hands with anyone from South Carolina.

Auriemma said in a statement on Saturday that there was no excuse for how he handled the end of the game against South Carolina. Tuesday night he released a statement saying he had spoken to Staley, her staff and team, and again expressed his apologies.

“I apologized to Dawn, her staff and her team,” Auriemma said. "I’ve lost more games in the Final Four than any coach in history. But Friday I lost something more important. I lost myself.

"Those who know me know I have nothing but respect and admiration for the game and the coaches who coach it. Dawn and her team deserved to win, and they deserved better from me.

"Women’s basketball deserved better. My university, my athletes, my former players and our fans deserved better.

“Dawn and I have agreed to move on, and we hope the focus will shift back to the growth in women’s basketball. The game deserves it.”

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Tehran residents rushed Tuesday to stock up on bottled water and charge cellphones, flashlights and portable power banks as the hours ticked down to Trump's latest ultimatum for a deal that includes Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on power plants and bridges. Despite the threats and risks to his health, the 56-year-old employee at Tehran's subway authority said he's no worse off than other Iranians who've been living under attack for more than five weeks.

“I am worried, but I am more worried about my fellow citizens,” Hashemi said, lying on his bed at Tajrish Martyrs Hospital for the treatment. “Whatever happens, we will stand until the end.”

As Trump stressed that his deadline — 8 p.m. in Washington — was final, some Iranians said they were terrified. Others expressed resignation. And some, like Hashemi, said they'd be prepared to defend their country.

“I will be ready to pick up a gun and start a fight against the enemy,” he said.

The Associated Press has been granted permission by the Iranian government to send an additional team into the country for a brief reporting trip. AP already operates in Iran. The visiting team must be accompanied by a media assistant from a government-affiliated company. AP retains full editorial control of its content.

For many Iranians, power is now the No. 1 concern

Tehran, like other parts of the country, has been shaken by almost daily airstrikes by the United States and Israel since Feb. 28. Iranians’ main concern quickly became electricity as Trump's deadline grew closer.

“When there is no electricity, there will be no water, no hygiene, nothing,” said Mahan Qayoumi, 23, who works at an artisan shop, where he said business would stop under a power outage. He brought emergency lights to his apartment to prepare, noting that “all aspects of life” would be affected.

A young designer in central Tehran, speaking on condition of anonymity for her safety, said her parents left at the beginning of the war, but she stayed behind to take care of her cat, Maya. Now, because of Trump's threats, she said she plans to drive north — which has largely been spared heavy strikes — with Maya and join her family.

“If there is no electricity, there is no water," she told AP on the messaging app Telegram, noting Tehran's low water pressure and electric water pumps. “You can’t cook, either.”

The streets of sprawling Tehran, overlooked by snow-capped mountains, have seen less traffic over the past several weeks, with many residents leaving to seek safer areas. Schools and many state institutions remain closed.

But even as some residents frantically prepared, stocking up on water and canned foods, life in one of north Tehran’s largest covered markets seemed almost normal Tuesday. People went on with business as usual, fresh bread was made at bakeries, and Iranian sweets such as gaz and sohan were prepared.

“We are living our normal lives," said Said Motazavi, 58, who owns a home appliances shop. Motazavi said Iranians have a lot of experience preparing for and living with conflict, referring to the 1980-88 Iraq-Iran war and the 12-day war with Israel last year.

At Tajrish Martyrs Hospital, the director told AP that a generator can keep much of the medical facility functioning if needed. He said the hospital has enough fuel to power it, as well as ample medicine and supplies for six months.

“I do not see any problem,” Dr. Masoud Moslemifard said, adding that the hospital has been prioritizing operations for those wounded in the war and postponing nonurgent surgeries.

Tighter security and still a lack of internet in Iran

In the streets of Tehran, security was tighter than usual Tuesday, with checkpoints in different parts of the capital. At major intersections, jeeps with heavy machine guns mounted on top were deployed.

Iran’s internet remains largely shut off, throttling news even as panic spread over Trump's warnings.

A 26-year-old Pilates instructor told AP on condition of anonymity for her safety via Telegram that she's been unable to prepare for possible attacks. She called this week the “worst atmosphere” since the war began.

“Honestly, we’ve kind of lost it at this point," she said, describing how she's not left home for the last few days and she and her family refuse to leave Tehran. "Whatever is going to happen, let it happen. We are dying bit by bit.”

One resident told AP that if the U.S. follows through on its threat, the people of Iran — not the government — will be the victims.

“By attacking infrastructure, the Islamic Republic will not be destroyed, only we will be destroyed,” the woman, a teacher in her 20s, told AP via a message on Telegram, on condition of anonymity for her safety.

She fears the attacks will spread chaos. “If we don’t have the internet," she said, "and if we don’t have electricity, water, and gas, we’re really going back to the Stone Age, as Trump said."

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Associated Press reporters Amir-Hussein Radjy in Cairo and Sahar Ameri in Berlin contributed.

The Wolverines (37-3) claimed all 57 votes in Tuesday's poll in the third year the AP has released its final rankings after the completion of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan beat UConn 69-63 in Indianapolis on Monday night to complete the winningest season in program history, along with winning its first NCAA title since 1989 and the Big Ten's first since 2000.

Michigan spent a week at No. 1 in mid-February and didn't rank lower than fourth after November in its second season under Dusty May.

Yaxel Lendeborg, an AP first-team All-American, had said before the Final Four that this could go down as the best team in program history, including the famed “Fab Five” freshman teams that reached the NCAA title game in 1992 and 1993. Standing amid the confetti on the court after Monday night’s win, Lendeborg figured this year’s group had done enough to earn that distinction.

“I think we are, man,” said Lendeborg, who battled through ankle and knee injuries suffered in the win against Arizona in the national semifinals. “I’m waiting for the Fab Five to give us the approval. But if they do, then I’ll let it be said that we’re the best team ever.”

The top tier

UConn (34-6) jumped five spots to No. 2 after its March Madness run, including an incredible comeback from 19 down to stun Duke in the Elite Eight and keep alive its chances for a third national title in four seasons. Arizona was third, followed by Duke, which held the No. 1 ranking before March Madness and was the tournament's top overall seed before a loss to UConn in the Elite Eight.

Illinois was next, climbing eight spots to No. 5 after the program's first trip to the Final Four since 2005. That marked the second time that a team went from being ranked outside the top 10 to cracking the top five after a Final Four run, the other being Alabama jumping 16 spots to No. 3 to end the 2024 season.

Purdue, Houston, Iowa State, Florida and St. John's rounded out the top 10.

Climbing to final position

Tennessee finished at No. 12 after reaching the Elite Eight for the third straight year. The Volunteers' postseason push vaulted them 11 spots, making them the biggest climber from the March 16 poll before the NCAA Tournament.

In all, nine teams ranked from the previous poll moved up in the season's final rankings.

Last slide

Virginia had the poll's biggest tumble, falling eight spots to No. 17 after falling in the second round to the Volunteers as a 3-seed.

No. 18 Gonzaga and No. 25 Wisconsin both fell six spots after failing to make the second weekend. The Cavaliers, Zags and Badgers were among 11 ranked teams from March 16 to tumble while still remaining inside the final poll.

In and out

Iowa and Texas both jumped into the poll after being unranked heading into March Madness. The Hawkeyes finished the season ranked No. 15 after reaching the Elite Eight in a run that included a second-round upset of top-seeded Florida.

Iowa's jump marked the third time a team that was unranked going into the NCAAs hopped into the top 15 in the post-tournament AP poll. The other two came in 2024, with N.C. State sitting at No. 10 after its improbable Final Four run and Clemson at No. 14 after reaching the Elite Eight.

The 22nd-ranked Longhorns entered the poll after going from the First Four to the Sweet 16.

Iowa and Texas replaced North Carolina (No. 21) and St. Mary's (No. 22) from the previous poll.

Conference watch

The Big Ten dominated this year's tournament, first by getting a league-record six teams into the Sweet 16 then tying the tournament's overall record with four teams in the Elite Eight before ultimately sending Michigan and Illinois to Indianapolis. The league finished with a national-best seven teams in the final AP Top 25 of the season.

The Southeastern Conference was next with six ranked teams, followed by the Big 12 with five, the Atlantic Coast Conference with four and the Big East with two. The West Coast Conference with Gonzaga was the only league from outside the power conferences to have a Top 25 team.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

The team will host the fifth annual Jackie Robinson Classic, presented by Nike, on April 10, featuring a matchup between Miami Senior High and Booker T. Washington.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

A Marlins news release states that the game will give student-athletes a major league-style experience, complete with player introductions, walk-up music and in-game entertainment. Players will also receive custom Marlins shirts with Robinson’s No. 42 and one of his nine core values.

The event is free and open to the public.

The Marlins will continue the celebration on April 17 when they take on the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:15 p.m. Players and coaches will wear No. 42 in honor of Robinson, while the organization highlights his impact both on and off the field.

Student-athletes from both schools will take part in pregame activities alongside The Player Alliance, which will host an educational initiative and provide equipment for local youth. Participants will also be part of an on-field ceremony that includes the national anthem.

The April 17 game marks the start of a six-game homestand for the Marlins, beginning with a three-game series against the Brewers, followed by three games against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Los cortes se producían principalmente en carreteras y puentes que unen la provincia de Buenos Aires con el sur y oeste de la capital argentina y eran protagonizados por combativos grupos de izquierda como la Unión de Trabajadores y Trabajadoras de la Economía Popular (UTEP), el Polo Obrero y Libres del Sur.

La protesta se enmarca en el rechazo a la decisión oficial de eliminar el programa “Volver al Trabajo” que implicaba una paga mensual de 78.000 pesos (unos 55 dólares) a cambio de tareas como limpieza de calles o asistencia a personas que consumen drogas.

El programa será sustituido por un esquema por el cual los beneficiarios recibirán bonos digitales que sólo podrán ser utilizados para inscribirse en cursos de formación profesional.

Alejandro Gramajo, secretario general de la UTEP, dijo a periodistas que la decisión del gobierno no tiene un gran impacto en términos fiscales pero sí “en el bolsillo de la gente... porque implicaba tener un margen de planificación para más de 900.000 familias”.

Las política de ajuste que Milei ha implementado en Argentina desde fines de 2023 para terminar con el déficit fiscal ha conllevado la desaparición de distintos subsidios, así como el congelamiento del presupuesto para distintos sectores como la universidad y salud públicas.

El gobierno se ha declarado en contra del sistema de asistencia social que estuvo vigente durante décadas en Argentina y ha acusado a las organizaciones sociales que gestionaban los programas de maniobras corruptas para quedarse con parte de la ayuda.

Leer en español

The discussion focused on the rise of Florida and Texas as major financial hubs, and the role of the Texas Stock Exchange.

Inside the museum, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and fellow Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined business leaders and federal officials, including the chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, to talk about economic growth across the region.

They described what they called the “Boom Belt,” which is a stretch from Florida to Texas, as one of the fastest-growing economic regions in the country, driven by job creation and an influx of younger workers.

“If you look at the two most generations of the workforce that employees are looking for, its Gen Z and millennials,” said Abbott. “And those two categories of workers are relocating to the ‘Boom Belt’ states more than any other region across the country.”

Leaders at the event also encouraged companies and investors to look to Boom Belt states for future growth, saying the region is becoming a powerhouse for business and financial markets.