That’s because candidate Shlomo Danzinger and Jewish advocacy groups filed an emergency lawsuit to delay the runoff election to later in April because of a conflict with the Passover holiday.

Danzinger, who was Surfside’s first Orthodox Jewish mayor, is seeking a return to office. He lost his 2024 re-election bid to Mayor Charles Burkett and now faces Tina Paul, the town’s vice mayor.

Nearly half the town’s population is Jewish.

“You’re looking at about 20 to 50% of the voters who were having their voting rights impaired by having this runoff election tomorrow,” attorney Joshua Kligler argued.

Town representatives and the county elections supervisor agreed that accommodations should be made for voters, but questioned the 11th-hour timing of the lawsuit.

“Passover was established 3000 years ago when the Jews were released from Egypt,” Oren Rosenthal, an attorney for the county elections supervisor, said in court, “The date of the runoff election was capable of being known for 30 years.”

Judge Lourdes Simon pointed out that changing an existing election date could disenfranchise additional voters who may not be able to vote on a new date.

“As a general rule, I would agree that courts do not engage in enjoining or changing an election during a period of time, especially on the eve of an election, because of the risk of confusion to voters,” she said.

Simon ultimately agreed to a compromise to keep in-person voting on Tuesday, but to extend the mail-in ballot period until April 28.

“This will ensure enough time for people to order receive and cast their ballots,” she said.

Danzinger was pleased with the decision.

“I think she found the right balance and ensured that people would not be disenfranchised from participating in this upcoming election,” he said.

All mail-in ballots have to be received by the county elections office in Doral by April 28. Residents unable to mail the ballots in time can drop their ballots off there.

Democratic Reps. Pramila Jayapal of Washington and Jonathan Jackson of Illinois met with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez and members of Parliament during a five-day trip that ended Sunday.

Díaz-Canel wrote on X Monday that upon meeting with Jayapal and Jackson, he “denounced the criminal damage caused by the #blockade, particularly the consequences of the energy embargo imposed by the current U.S. administration and its threats of even more aggressive actions.”

Díaz-Canel added: “I reiterated our government’s willingness to engage in serious and responsible bilateral dialogue and find solutions to our existing differences.”

Both the U.S. and Cuba have acknowledged recently that talks are ongoing at the highest level, but no details have been disclosed.

Jayapal told reporters she believes that recent steps taken by Cuba, such as opening the economy to certain investments by Cuban Americans living abroad; the recent announcement that more than 2,000 prisoners would be pardoned; and the arrival of an FBI team to collaborate in the investigation of a fatal shooting involving a U.S.-flagged boat, “indicate that the moment is here for us to have a real negotiation between the two countries and to reverse the failed U.S. policy of decades, a Cold War remnant that no longer serves the American people or the Cuban people.”

Cuba’s government has released the pardoned prisoners who were accused of a variety of crimes, although none so far appear to be political prisoners.

In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on any country that would sell or provide oil to Cuba, although he made an exception for a Russian ship that reached the island last week with 730,000 barrels of crude oil. It was the first petroleum shipment in three months to dock in Cuba, which produces only 40% of the oil it needs.

“This is cruel collective punishment — effectively an economic bombing of the infrastructure of the country — that has produced permanent damage. It must stop immediately,” Jayapal and Jackson said in a statement released Sunday.

Critical oil shipments from Venezuela were halted after the U.S. attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its then-leader, Nicolás Maduro.

Cubans already suffering from five years of economic crisis have acutely felt the impact of the fuel shortage: national blackouts, gasoline shortages and rationing, lack of public transport, cuts in working hours, paralyzed hospitals and surgeries, and suspension of flights, among other things.

Russia has promised a second delivery of petroleum, although it’s not clear when it might arrive. Experts have said that the first shipment could produce about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to feed Cuba’s daily demand for nine or 10 days.

Jayapal said that while such shipments are critical, they are only temporary solutions: “We need a longer, permanent solution for the Cuban people and the American people.”

Meanwhile, Jackson compared the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s coast to the oil blockade in Cuba, adding that the island “is the most sanctioned part of Earth.”

“Our government is fighting to keep the Strait of Hormuz open so there is a free flow of oil around the world. We want, for humanitarian reasons, a free flow of oil, fuel, and energy in our own hemisphere,” he said.

Jackson and Jayapal said they would prepare a report and continue to work on initiatives proposed by fellow members of the U.S. House of Representatives to lift sanctions against Cuba to alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

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

The Rays were back in their domed stadium after playing the 2025 season across the bay in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field — the spring training home of the New York Yankees — because Hurricane Milton destroyed the Trop’s roof and caused extensive damage.

A sellout crowd of 25,114 welcomed the Rays home.

Shane McClanahan, making his first start at the Trop since July 22, 2023, allowed two runs and one hit in four innings. He struck out five and walked four.

McClanahan returned to the mound last week for the first time after a series of injuries forced him to miss two full seasons. The lefty underwent his second Tommy John surgery in August 2023 and then missed the entire 2025 season due to an inflamed nerve in his left triceps.

Kevin Kelly (1-1) pitched a perfect fifth to earn the win and Bryan Baker finished for his first save, yielding Matt Shaw's solo shot in the ninth.

Mullins lined a 3-2 changeup into the seats in right field to tie it at 2 in the bottom of the second inning against Jameson Taillon (0-1).

Taylor Walls then drove a double to left-center, and scored when shortstop Dansby Swanson made a throwing error on Yandy Diaz’s infield single.

Caminero blasted a solo shot to left, extending Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-2 in the third.

Michael Busch’s sacrifice fly in the sixth cut it to 4-3.

Aranda connected off Phil Maton in the seventh to put the Rays up 6-3.

Nico Hoerner’s two-run single with two outs in the second inning gave the Cubs a 2-0 lead.

Taillon allowed four runs — three earned — and seven hits in six innings.

Up next

RHP Javier Assad makes his season debut for the Cubs against Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (0-0, 1.80) on Tuesday night. Assad, who has a 3.43 ERA across four seasons, is taking Matthew Boyd's spot in the rotation. Boyd was placed on the 15-day injured list with a a left biceps strain.

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

Authorities took Kevin Six, 41, of Akron, Ohio, into custody on Friday at Port Everglades.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies said the 15-year-old victim and Six were sharing a room on the cruise, when the teen found “his friend’s phone in a concealed area.”

The victim told investigators that on Tuesday, he told Six he was about to take a shower and asked if he needed to use the bathroom first.

Six said yes and went into the bathroom, and then when the victim went in to shower, he noticed Six’s backpack inside, and Six’s cellphone camera “sticking out of his backpack in the direction of the shower,” according to an arrest form.

When the victim took out the phone and watched the video, deputies said it showed Six setting up the phone to record in the direction of the shower, knowing the victim was about to remove his clothes and bathe.

Deputies said the victim recorded the video on his phone and then told his grandmother, who said they should alert cruise security.

Authorities said Six and the victim were both placed in isolation until the ship docked at Port Everglades on Friday. A BSO report doesn’t identify the name of the ship.

Six refused to speak to investigators once the ship returned, and he was subsequently charged with video voyeurism on a child less than 16 years old.

He was granted a bond of $50,000 and was not listed among Broward County inmates as of Monday afternoon.

Jason Miller said his surveillance camera recorded the cruelty on Sunday at Don Eisele Park. Peter Carey was walking his dog when he witnessed it.

“As I got closer, I saw kittens running into the bushes, and then I knew they had dumped these kittens in the park,” Carey said.

Carey found four out of the five kittens and took them home.

“She must have had to pass a veterinarian clinic, a pet store, the shelter, to dump the cats out,” Carey said. “You left your house. Why wouldn’t you just take them to the right place?”

Carey said he has found homes for two out of the four. Police officers are investigating.

“I wouldn’t call myself a hero,” Carey said. “You see these little kittens in need and your heart goes out to them.”

Carey asked anyone who may be interested in adopting the two kittens to call him at 407-310-2406 or Brenda at 786-353-8415.

Related story: South Florida cat owner claims records show evidence of vet hospital’s malpractice

The Shell station at 41st Street and Royal Palm Avenue in Miami Beach was the first to break the $5 barrier, with a price tag of $5.39 per gallon on the first Monday in April.

According to gas buddy, the average price at the pump in Miami has risen .23 cents over the last week alone.

The high cost is causing some drivers to do what they can to save money.

Carlos Perez told Local 10 News’ Brett Knese he stopped driving for Uber temporarily because the price of gas makes the work no longer worth it.

“My son also does Uber too and it’s very expensive and the price goes up, but the Uber pays the same so it’s bad,” he said.

Experts say prices will likely continue to trend upwards until the Strait of Hormuz reopens.

It happened on Thursday evening after they were found in the Intracoastal Waterway near Hallandale Beach.

In the video, a rescue crew member is heard asking the woman if she went in the water because of her dog.

Crews ultimately used different types of ladders and floating devices during the rescue.

“I guess she jumped in because the dog was trying to come out,” said witness Dimitry Shaposhnikov. “It was low tide, so at that point for her to even get to somewhere was almost impossible. I didn’t even see a ladder or anything to come up, so she was stuck.”

Afterwards, the dog was seen wagging its tail while near its owner back on dry land.

No injuries were reported.

I am tracking a cold front that is on the move. As this front tracks south, it is going to bring a ton of moisture that could fuel showers and storms and prompt flooding concerns across our region. While we are not expecting it to rain continuously every hour on Tuesday, burst of heavy rainfall could be embedded in thunderstorms in the morning and late afternoon. Temperatures will peak in the lower 80s.

While 2-5 inches of widespread rain will be possible, isolated higher rainfall totals cannot be ruled out by Thursday. Expect drier conditions by the weekend.

Wigawa Putu Janu, 36, of Jembrana, Indonesia, is now facing a sexual battery charge in South Florida. According to BSO, he worked aboard the Celebrity Xcel.

A BSO arrest report states that Putu Janu had been drinking with the victim, who described him as a “friend,” after their shift last Tuesday. Deputies said “she remembers taking two shots of bourbon before losing all memory for the rest of the night.”

According to the report, the woman said she woke up naked in Putu Janu’s bed and, in the bathroom, saw that she was bleeding and saw marks on her shoulder and back. BSO Detective Kyle Schnakenberg wrote that she gathered her belongings and reported what happened to her supervisor.

“I reviewed video footage of the incident, which shows the victim falling to the ground, appearing completely intoxicated, unable to walk or stand on her own,” Schnakenberg wrote. “Video continues to show the offender attempting to lift the victim off the floor, then holding the victim up, who was stumbling into the walls while they walked to his cabin.”

Deputies took Putu Janu into custody after the ship returned to South Florida on Sunday. A statement by Putu Janu was redacted from the report.

He was arrested on a sexual battery charge and a Broward County judge ordered him held without bond in court Monday.

Local 10 News has contacted Celebrity Cruises seeking comment on the arrest.

Kwartler Darcy said she was forced to allow Robert to be euthanized. She said she recently found new evidence of malpractice.

“I can’t even believe this is happening right before my statute of limitations is running out,” Kwartler Darcy said. “I have proof!”

Related story: ‘It was murder!’: South Florida woman claims vet gave cat dog blood in botched transfusion

Kwartler Darcy requested Robert’s records from the Leader Animal Specialty Hospital.

“It actually said on the form that they were in no way responsible for anything that happened to Robert,” Kwartler Darcy said. “I couldn’t believe it. That was when I decided, ‘Now you have a war.’”

Kwartler Darcy hired Lisa Washington, a claims consultant, to expedite a financial settlement.

“You don’t expect to get it in black and white like that,” Washington said about the evidence. “You just don’t expect it.”

Washington said records show the vet tech was panicking, and she stopped the transfusion because Robert was getting dog blood.

Shortly before 11:30 p.m. on April 16, 2024, the hospital contacted a veterinarian to report that Robert had received a dog blood transfusion, according to the record shared with Local 10 News.

Washington said she sent a demand letter on Jan. 15.

“Those are medical records, and may I add, they were the portion of the medical records that were not sent when she initially asked for her medical records two years ago, so let’s make that clear,” Washington said. “And, it’s illegal to not divulge all medical records.”

Robert had cancer and was undergoing chemotherapy. The Leader Animal Specialty Hospital released a statement: “His condition was the result of an end-stage terminal illness and infection and ... no treatment would have changed the outcome.”

The hospital claimed that a representative of the hospital was in touch with Kwartler-Darcy’s attorney, but she hasn’t hired an attorney.

Kwartler-Darcy and John Darcy said they want to raise awareness.

“Rather than even get money, it’s more important that I expose this because I have been haunted,” Kwartler-Darcy said. “Feeling like it’s my fault that I brought Robert there and this happened to him, because I was just trying to continue to save him, and I know that if he got the right blood, we would have had more time with him.”

Related story: Who tossed kittens like trash in Wilton Manors? 2 need homes

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According to the FWC, the incident happened at about 7 p.m. Saturday near Miami Marine Stadium.

Officers said the 21-year-old woman was swimming when she was struck by a personal watercraft being operated by Andy Vences, 34, of Los Banos, California.

Officers said Vences fled the scene without first trying to help the victim or calling 911.

Video and witnesses, however, were able to help identify Vences as the operator of the personal watercraft to officers, authorities said.

“There is no excuse for leaving the scene of an accident,” Miami-Dade County Area Captain Rafael Almagro said in a statement. “I am pleased our officers were able to quickly apprehend the subject so that he can be held accountable.”

The victim’s condition has not yet been released.

Vences was arrested Saturday evening on a charge of leaving the scene of a vessel accident involving injury without reporting it.

In court, Vences’ attorney argued that he wanted to get back to his business, which records show is a boxing gym

His social media account shows he’s a retired pro boxer with 30 fights under his belt.

Vences was booked at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center after his arrest, but was no longer appearing in the online jail database Monday morning.

His attorney did not respond to a request for comment from Local 10 News.

FWC officers encourage anyone who witnesses a boating violation to report it by calling the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) or submitting a tip online at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert.

Official documents show a judge granted a motion to dismiss the charges against Carlton Tedford.

In his motion to dismiss, Tedford said that he was licensed to sell tickets through StubHub and Vivid Seats.

The detective in the case also testified that he did not verify whether Tedford was actually licensed to sell the tickets on behalf of those companies.

In the same testimony, the detective also stated he did not witness Tedford re-selling wristbands that were taken off of other patrons.

The judge ultimately agreed with those claims, dismissing the charges against Tedford, records show.

You can review the dismissal documents below:

An annual program called Operation Green Light returns to Miami-Dade starting Monday, running for a limited time.

The program is designed to help people reinstate their driver’s licenses by making it easier and cheaper to pay off outstanding debts.

During the program, the county will waive collection fees on overdue traffic tickets, parking fines and court cases.

Those fees can add up to about 30% of the overall balance, so drivers could see a good amount of their total balance wiped out.

Many suspensions in Miami-Dade are tied to unpaid traffic fines or toll violations, not dangerous driving.

When the program last ran in September 2023, the county says drivers saved nearly $300,000 in collection fees.

Officials say the goal is to help people who are struggling financially get back on their feet.

County Clerk of Courts Juan Fernandez-Barquin emphasized that the program can only help those whose licenses have been suspended because of citations that have been sent to collections.

He said the program can’t help those whose license was suspended for other reasons, like excessive points, not having insurance or not paying child support.

For more information on Operation Green Light, visit the clerk’s website. It runs through April 19.

Necessity so that he can start playing closer to home again.

One of the early and polarizing defectors to LIV Golf a few years ago, the 2018 Masters champion made the similarly difficult decision to leave the lucrative, Saudi-backed tour earlier this year and return to the PGA Tour. But under the terms of his reinstatement, Reed cannot play in its events until after Aug. 25, which means most of this season will be spent on the European tour.

Where he already has won twice ahead of his return to Augusta National this week.

“Everyone kind of gets to be a creature of habit, and wants to eat what they're comfortable with and go," Reed said after a practice round Monday, “but I like checking out all the local places and really experiencing the culture."

Pimento cheese sandwich, anyone?

The truth is as much as Reed enjoyed playing in Dubai and Qatar, where he packed wins around a playoff loss in Bahrain — 1,200 miles (7,500 km) from home, wife Justine and their two kids — there are few things Reed loves more than walking among the Georgia pines.

It's not exactly home; that's The Woodlands, Texas. But it sure feels like it.

Reed played college golf down the road at Georgia, and he recalls practice rounds spent at Augusta Country Club, where certain holes offer a teasing glimpse through the trees of the par-5 13th hole of its much more famous neighbor.

“There's just something so special about this place, the traditions behind it, and then on top of it, it's the one major that stays in the same place,” Reed said. “All the way back from when I played my first time ever here, even when we played in November that one (COVID) year, and any time I’ve come back and played it, it’s always in perfect shape. It’s one of those golf courses that you can’t hit just one golf shot. You have to play golf kind of old-school way. You have to hit shots, different shapes, different flights.”

Indeed, the Masters has been one of the few constants on Reed's ever-changing global calendar.

When he resigned from the PGA Tour, Reed effectively said farewell to familiar, high-profile places like Pebble Beach and Bay Hill for LIV events in far-flung corners of the world. But his status as a former Masters champion meant that, despite the deep rift that once appeared to threaten the game itself, Reed was always welcomed back to Augusta National.

He tied for fourth a few years ago. He was third last year.

"I feel like it’s the best test of golf we play all year round," Reed said. “For a guy that’s played just about everywhere in the world — just about — it’s one of those places that I say, hands down, it’s the best test of golf and best golf course I’ve ever played.”

Reed acknowledged Monday that LIV had presented him with a contract earlier this year to remain one of its biggest stars. But when he talked with his family, “I felt like the best decision for us was to come back and join the PGA Tour.”

Even when he left, Reed said, he always considered the PGA Tour to be the best barometer of golf greatness.

“I’ve played now every tour. I’ve played on every single one of them,” Reed said. "That’s the place that I feel like is best for us to go and compete against the top guys year in and year out, week in and week out, but at the same time, to be able to spend more time closer to home makes it a lot easier to spend time with the kids.

“My daughter is now 11. My little man's 8. It seems like time has flown," the 35-year-old Reed said. "I definitely want to watch them grow up and be home a little bit more, yet still at the same time to play against the best guys.”

Reed will be able to do that this week. And again on a weekly basis soon enough. But until his PGA Tour return this fall, Reed is building out a DP World Tour schedule that includes a few weeks spent on the road followed by a few spent at home.

It's a work-life balance that seems to work at this point in his life.

“You not only sharpen your game, but you get a lot of family time," Reed said. “Those travels overseas, it’s going to be a lot this year, but at the same time, I can’t wait to obviously go out there and compete, but at the same time, come home and see the family.”

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

According to Pompano Beach Fire Rescue officials, a man who was about 50 years old died Sunday night after being pulled from the ocean near 10 N. Pompano Beach Blvd.

Officials said the victim was unconscious when he was pulled from the water by lifeguards.

Lifeguards performed CPR on the man until Fire Rescue arrived and transported him to Broward Health North, where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile in Hollywood, a total of 20 rescues involving 33 people were made by Ocean Rescue over the weekend, a spokesperson for Hollywood Fire Rescue and Beach Safety said.

According to the spokesperson, Ocean Rescue personnel stayed at the beach until 7:30 p.m. Sunday to keep beachgoers safe.

On Sunday, red flag warnings lined South Florida beaches.

“I see some people swimming ... I don’t know how,” Bohdan Bavaluk, who lives on Hollywood Beach, said Monday.

After a rough weekend at beaches across South Florida, conditions were improving Monday. But the water is still keeping some beachgoers on edge.

“It’s crazy,” one beachgoer said. “I think people need to think twice before they go in the water or not, because it looks really dangerous.”

On Sunday, red “danger rip current” flags lined the shore as the National Weather Service issued a rip current risk from Jacksonville to Miami.

“It’s nice to know that we know the conditions of the water before we get in. It only makes me hesitant because of my daughter,” Penelope Kassaris, who is visiting from New York, said.

Kari Fraser, who is visiting from Ohio, said the conditions stood out Sunday after she returned from a cruise.

“It was not nearly this rough where we were, out in Aruba,” Fraser said.

Lifeguards kept a close watch, warning swimmers throughout the day.

“We’ve been getting yelled at by the lifeguards all day so they’re clearly on it,” Matt Mandela, who is visiting from New Jersey, said.

While conditions are improving Monday, many are still keeping a close eye on the water.

Melvin Benn, the managing director at Festival Republic, shared a statement on Monday backing his company's decision to book Ye.

“Forgiveness and giving people a second chance are becoming a lost virtue in this ever-increasing divisive world,” he wrote. "I would ask people to reflect on their instant comments of disgust at the likelihood of him performing (as was mine) and offer some forgiveness and hope to him as I have decided to do.”

Ye, who changed his name in 2021, is booked to perform in front of around 150,000 revelers over the course of the festival’s three nights, July 10 - 12.

The rapper has drawn widespread condemnation in recent years for antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler. Last year, he released a song called “Heil Hitler” and advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website. The 48-year-old apologized this past January for his antisemitic remarks in a letter, published as a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal. He said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into “a four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”

Wireless sponsors Pepsi, Rockstar Energy and Diageo have pulled out of the festival since Ye was announced as the headliner, although lead sponsor Pepsi didn't offer a reason. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the booking “deeply concerning.”

“Ye’s music is played on commercial radio stations in this country. It is available via live streams and downloads in this country without comment or vitriol from anyone and he has a legal right to come into the country and to perform in this country,” Benn's statement said.

“We are not giving him a platform to extol opinion of whatever nature, only to perform the songs that are currently played on the radio stations in our country and the streaming platforms in our country and listened to and enjoyed by millions,” the statement continued.

Last week, Ye held two concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, marking his first major U.S. performances in nearly five years. There, fans appeared to separate his personal beliefs and public statements from his music — and were ready to forgive after his January apology letter.

“I don’t really bring into politics or the way someone’s personal opinion are. I’m into the music artistry," said Yovani Contreras, one fan in attendance. "Like, I just, to me, Ye is always gonna be Ye. Kanye is always gonna be Kanye.”

A representative for Ye didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment Monday.

Witnesses told police officers that the driver of a beige Nissan Altima ran over a victim and dragged a bicycle on Sunday afternoon in the area of Southwest 139 Avenue and 266 Street, records showed.

Dwayne White later admitted to Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies that he ran over the victim with his Nissan Altima, according to the deputies’ arrest report.

“The victim threw a brick at his vehicle’s windshield, causing damage,” White, of Homestead, told deputies, according to the arrest report.

Deputies found the victim “on the swale ... bleeding from the mouth and breathing, but in pain,” according to the M-DSO deputies’ arrest report.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel flew the victim, whose condition was critical, to the Jackson South Medical Center, according to deputies.

Miami-Dade corrections booked White at 1:20 a.m. on Monday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.

White faced charges of attempted premeditated murder with a weapon and leaving the scene of a crash with serious bodily injury, records show.

A judge bond court judge denied him bail and ordered him to stay away from the victim. White also has a warrant out for a probation violation.

According to court records, White, a convicted felon, was sentenced to probation from May 15, 2023, to May 14 after a cocaine trafficking conviction.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge David H. Young presided over the case, and he was set to preside over the new case.

Las tormentas y las fuertes precipitaciones comenzaron en todo Afganistán hace unos 12 días y afectaron a la mayoría de las 34 provincias del país. Tan sólo en las últimas 24 horas, 11 personas murieron y seis resultaron heridas, indicó la Autoridad de Gestión de Desastres. Se reportó la desaparición de siete personas en incidentes separados; se cree que todas fueron arrastradas por las crecidas.

En total, las inundaciones, los deslizamientos de tierra y los rayos han causado 110 muertos y 160 heridos en los últimos 12 días, señaló la autoridad, mientras que 958 viviendas han quedado completamente destruidas y otras 4.155 han sufrido daños parciales.

El Ministerio de Defensa informó el lunes que utilizó un helicóptero para evacuar a dos personas y ponerlas a salvo después de que quedaran varadas por las aguas en la provincia occidental de Herat.

Más de 325 kilómetros (200 millas) de carreteras han sido destruidos, mientras que negocios, tierras agrícolas, canales de riego y pozos de agua dulce también han resultado dañados, lo que afecta a 6.122 familias, indicó la autoridad. Agregó que las cifras son preliminares.

Las autoridades emitieron alertas meteorológicas para el martes para casi todo el país, y advirtieron a la población que se mantenga alejada de ríos y zonas propensas a inundaciones.

También este año, fuertes nevadas e inundaciones repentinas dejaron decenas de muertos en diversas partes del país.

Dos autopistas principales han permanecido cerradas durante días debido a deslizamientos de tierra e inundaciones, lo que ha obligado a los viajeros a tomar rutas largas y sinuosas para llegar a sus destinos. La autopista de Kabul a Jalalabad —la principal vía que conecta la capital con la frontera con Pakistán y las provincias afganas del este— está cerrada desde el jueves pasado, mientras que la carretera que sale de Jalalabad, la principal ciudad del este de Afganistán, y se dirige hacia el noreste a las provincias de Kunar y Nuristán está cerrada desde el domingo debido a la caída de rocas.

La nieve y las lluvias intensas suelen provocar inundaciones repentinas que matan a decenas, o incluso a cientos, de personas en Afganistán. En 2024, más de 300 personas murieron en inundaciones repentinas de primavera.

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La periodista de The Associated Press Elena Becatoros, en Kabul, Afganistán, contribuyó a este despacho. ___

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

The video — from a city-owned security camera — captured part of the incident in which federal officers chased a Venezuelan man to his residence. Another Venezuelan man who lives there was shot during the confrontation. Federal authorities in February dropped all charges against the two immigrants and opened a criminal investigation into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about what had happened.

The city released the video after the New York Times, which obtained a copy earlier, reported that the footage raised questions about why it took weeks for the federal government's case against the two men to collapse. The Times reported that federal investigators had access to the video within hours of the Jan. 14 shooting, but did not watch it until nearly three weeks after they had charged the two men.

“The video makes it crystal clear that, just like in other situations during Operation Metro Surge, the federal government’s account of what happened simply does not match the facts,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement.

Federal authorities initially accused Alfredo Alejandro Aljorna and Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis of beating an ICE officer with a broom handle and a snow shovel during the incident. The officer fired a single shot from his handgun, striking Sosa-Celis in his right thigh. Protesters quickly flocked to the scene and clashed with other officers, who were wearing gas masks and helmets.

The city provided no narrative on what the video depicts except to say that it was “related” to the shooting. A statement added, “The City has no additional information and will not be making further comments at this time.”

The video, shot from a distance in the dark, appears to show a person standing with a snow shovel outside the house, near the street, then retreating toward the house and tossing the shovel into the yard. This happens as a person being chased by another person runs up from the street, falls on the sidewalk, gets up, and keeps heading toward the house.

The three appear to scuffle near the front steps for about 10 seconds. The exact moment when Sosa-Celis is shot isn’t clear. A car with flashing lights pulls up, and another person walks up.

The camera actively panned over to view the street where the incident happened before any vehicles arrived, indicating that someone may have been manually controlling it in real time.

The cases against Aljorna and Sosa-Celis were dropped after a highly unusual motion from the chief federal prosecutor for Minnesota, U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen, who said “newly discovered evidence” was “materially inconsistent with the allegations” that were made in the criminal complaint and with evidence presented at a hearing at their preliminary hearing. He said dismissal with prejudice, which meant the charges couldn't be refiled, “would serve the interests of justice.”

Rosen and other federal prosecutors involved in the case, as well as the Department of Justice, did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Monday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not mention the video in a statement, but reaffirmed its earlier statement that two officers involved appeared to have given untruthful testimony under oath, and that they were immediately placed on administrative leave pending completion of an internal investigation. Their names were not made public.

“Lying under oath is a serious federal offense. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is actively investigating these false statements,” the ICE statement said. “Upon conclusion of the investigation, the officers may face termination of employment, as well as potential criminal prosecution.”

The statement did not elaborate on the status of their case.

Aljorna's attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Sosa-Celis' attorney, Robin Wolpert, said, “The video is evidence in ongoing state and federal investigations so I can't comment."

Both men are free while they seek legal status. They were ordered released even before the criminal charges were dropped, but ICE took them back into custody for alleged immigration violations before releasing them, again under court order.

State and county prosecutors have been frustrated by the refusal of federal authorities to share information on the incident, as well as the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers. They sued the Trump administratio n late last month for access to evidence they say they need to independently investigate the three shootings.

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office declined to comment on the video, citing the active investigation.

Florida authorities determined Woods was impaired March 27 when his Land Rover struck a trailer and flipped on its side on a residential street. They found two painkiller pills in his pocket. Woods was arrested and briefly jailed for refusing to submit to a urine test.

“He's just a human being like everyone else and we have struggles,” Day said. "It's unfortunate. The only thing that I don't understand is that it's a little bit selfish of him to drive and put other people in harm's way, as well.

“But when you're the player that he was and how strong-willed he is, he thinks he can do almost anything,” Day said. “And that's probably why he's driving and a little bit under the influence.”

This is the second straight year Woods has missed the Masters, under entirely different circumstances. He had ruptured his Achilles tendon in March of 2025 and didn't even make it to the Masters Club dinner for champions.

Woods entered a plea of not guilty last week, and then sought — and was granted — a motion to seek treatment outside the country.

“He was my hero — he's my hero,” said Day, the Australian who reached No. 1 in the world a decade ago. “The reason why I play golf is because of this tournament and Tiger. It’s hard to see him go through what he’s going through, and especially under the microscope. It must be hard to be who he is and have everything, everyone look on, kind of down on him.

“Some people want him to fail. Some people obviously want him to succeed,” Day said. “It’s really difficult for me to go through that and watch him, and I know that he’s getting the help now, which is good. I’m just hoping he comes out on the other side and is better.”

Woods is a five-time champion at the Masters, the last one in 2019 to complete a most remarkable comeback in golf. In the 14 years between winning green jackets, he had reconstructive knee surgery (2008) and four back surgeries (2014-17), and one arrest for taking what he said was a bad mix of painkillers when he was found asleep behind the wheel of his running car (2017).

Since winning his last Masters, his right leg and ankle were crushed in 2021 when his SUV going about 85 mph ran over a median and tumbled down a hill on a coastal road in Los Angeles. He also had surgery on the Achilles tendon and a seventh back surgery last year.

Nick Faldo was particularly critical of Woods in an interview with Britain's Daily Telegraph last week when he said, “There are two sides to this right now. There’s one side that’s like ... let’s care for Tiger. And then there has got to be a responsibility and an accountability side as well.”

“Forget about golf. We are not meant to be on the streets with two pills in our pocket,” Faldo said. "The bottom line is that I really think that this is a serious issue and something should be done that is a little bit more serious than waving him off to a tropical island and saying, 'Welcome back,’ in three or four months or whatever it might be.”

Phil Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion who was a runner-up in 2023 at age 52, also is skipping the Masters as he deals with a family health matter at home. It's the first time since 1994 neither Woods nor Mickelson was at Augusta National for the first major of the year.

Mickelson is with LIV Golf and plays on a big stage only four times a year at the majors. Jacob Bridgeman, one of the 22 newcomers to the Masters, didn't know Mickelson wasn't playing and is young enough in golf to have only played two majors with him last year.

Woods is a huge part of the Masters, not only from the records he shattered in 1997 at age 21 but recently with his work on a short course during the refurbishing of a municipal course in town known as “The Patch.” He also is opening a TGR Learning Lab in Augusta.

“He’s such a legend in this game, somebody I looked up to,” Harris English said. “Watching him win around this place in ’97 is kind of the reason I started getting into golf. I know he’s going to get through this. He has a big fight ahead of him. He’s a fighter. That’s what he does.”

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

The decision removes the federal obligations for the schools to keep up measures such as faculty training on abiding by a student’s preferred name and pronouns and allowing students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

One of the school systems, Delaware Valley School District in rural eastern Pennsylvania, received notice of the change from the Trump administration in February and has since voted to roll back its antidiscrimination protections for transgender students.

The other affected districts are Cape Henlopen School District in Delaware, Fife School District in Washington, and La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, Sacramento City Unified and Taft College in California.

Under the Biden and Obama administrations, the department interpreted Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education, to include protections for transgender and gay students.

The Trump administration has penalized schools that have made efforts to accommodate students based on their gender identity. It has filed lawsuits in California and Minnesota over state policies permitting transgender students to participate in interscholastic sports, and opened civil rights investigations into schools and universities over their policies on transgender students.

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said the action reflects the administration’s efforts to keep transgender students from participating in girls’ and women’s sports teams and accessing shared locker rooms.

“Today, the Trump Administration is removing the unnecessary and unlawful burdens that prior Administrations imposed on schools in its relentless pursuit of a radical transgender agenda,” she said in a written statement.

Rescinding civil rights agreements is an unusual step, but one the Trump administration has taken before on education issues. Last year, the Education Department terminated one agreement involving books removed from a school library in Georgia, and another targeting harsh discipline and unequal education opportunities for Native students in the Rapid City Area School District in South Dakota.

The rescission of the agreements would mean a step back from protecting vulnerable students in schools, said Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at the National Women’s Law Center.

“This is part of the Trump administration’s assault on education and assault on those who are most vulnerable to experiencing discrimination and harassment, including trans students,” Patel said. “They’ve made their intention very clear in wanting to erase protections for trans people.”

Under a settlement the Delaware Valley School District reached with the Obama administration, the district was required to shield transgender students from discrimination and to permit students to use bathrooms that aligned with their gender identity.

In February, the Trump administration sent the district a letter saying it was rescinding the settlement. The administration went further, requiring the district to roll back antidiscrimination protections for transgender students.

The school board voted in late March to change its transgender student policies to abide by the Trump administration’s demands.

Since the day he returned to the White House more than a year ago, Trump and his administration have aimed at the rights of transgender people in several ways — and not just in schools.

He has tried to end participation of transgender women and girls in women’s and girls' sports competitions and has sued states that don’t comply. He’s also blocked transgender and nonbinary people from choosing the sex markers on passports. His administration has also tried to stop those under 19 from receiving gender-affirming medical care. ___

Associated Press writers Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco, Moriah Balingit in Washington and Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

___

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

Karl Jordan Jr. wasn't automatically let go because he still faces drug charges unrelated to the pioneering DJ's 2002 death. For now, Jordan remains behind bars while prosecutors decide this week whether to appeal the bond decision. If they don't, he'll go free as soon as his bond paperwork is in order.

“There's a real chance, Mr. Jordan, that you may be released in the very near term,” U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall said. If that happens, she added, “I wish you luck. And you will stay out of trouble.”

Jordan quietly agreed as more than a dozen of his relatives and supporters looked on from the audience. Some have attended nearly six years of court dates in his case and 17 agreed to cosign his bond. Jordan’s loved ones also agreed to put up Southern properties worth a total of $525,000. If released, he will be under electronic monitoring.

His lawyers declined to comment after court.

Jam Master Jay, born Jason Mizell, was fatally shot in his New York City recording studio in 2002. As the DJ in Run-DMC, he helped rap reach music's mainstream with 1980s hits including “It’s Tricky” and a remake of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way.” He later mentored up-and-comers including a young 50 Cent.

After the case went cold for years, Jordan and Ronald Washington were arrested in 2020. Washington, now 61; and Jordan, 42, denied the charges.

A jury convicted the men in 2024, after hearing eyewitness testimony that Jordan shot Mizell while Washington blocked the door. But in December 2025, DeArcy Hall unraveled Jordan’s conviction and acquitted him, while upholding the verdict against Washington.

Her reasoning centered on whether prosecutors had proven that the killing was narcotics-related, a requirement of the federal murder charge in this case. Witnesses testified that after Run-DMC’s heyday, Mizell dabbled in cocaine deals to pay his bills and was providing drug-trade opportunities to Jordan and Washington — the DJ's godson and old friend, respectively.

The judge concluded that the jury heard sufficient evidence that Washington was bitter at Mizell about the collapse of a planned drug transaction in Baltimore. But there wasn't such proof, “just conjecture," that Jordan had the same animus, DeArcy Hall wrote.

Prosecutors are appealing her decision to acquit Jordan of Mizell's killing.

Jordan's attorneys argued that he ought to get bond while that appeal and the outstanding drug and weapons charges play out.

Jordan, whose girlfriend is a city jail official, “is not a danger to the community. But his continued detention is a danger to Mr. Jordan," lawyer John Diaz said at a March 13 hearing. Jordan was stabbed and seriously wounded in Brooklyn’s troubled federal jail last year; other inmates were charged with assaulting him.

Prosecutors deplored the stabbing but urged the judge to continue detaining Jordan, maintaining that he remained a flight risk.

DeArcy Hall concluded Monday that Jordan's bond package outweighed concerns that he might flee. But she told him, “At the end of the day, sir, bond is about you giving me your word.”

“Yeah, I'm aware of that,” he replied.

Turning toward the audience, she sought to make sure his family also got the message that Jordan needs to comply with bond conditions.

“You all know I do not play,” the judge warned. “We all understood, folks?”

A collective “yes, your honor” rose from the audience.

Meanwhile, prosecutors are in plea talks with a third man charged in Mizell's killing, prosecutors and his lawyers told the judge in a March 12 letter. The third man, Jay Bryant, was indicted in 2023 after his DNA was found on a hat at the shooting scene. He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors claimed that Bryant slipped into the studio building and opened a back door for Jordan and Washington, having met them through a mutual acquaintance. Jordan's lawyers have argued that the case against Bryant raised doubts about the now-dismissed allegations against Jordan.

On Sunday, three polls by Datum International, Ipsos Peru, ​and the Peruvian Market Research Company placed Keiko Fujimori as the frontrunner.

There are nearly three dozen candidates. Fujimori, 50, whose father, former President Alberto Fujimori, who died on Sept. 11, 2024, is among the right-wing candidates who promise to reduce crime rates.

The first-round vote is on April 12. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the top two will advance to a runoff on June 7.

Peruvians living in Florida are able to register and vote. Peru’s consul general in Coral Gables is David Adalberto Vergara Pilares, at 1401 Ponce de León Boulevard. For more information, e-mail informacion@consulado-peru.com or call 786-347-2500.

The law, criticized by free speech advocates, allows a top official at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to designate a group as a domestic or foreign terrorist organization, with the governor and three other members of the Florida Cabinet approving or rejecting the designation. Besides the governor, the Cabinet is made up of the state attorney general, the chief financial officer and the agriculture commissioner, all of whom are elected separately.

Once designated a terrorist organization, a group can be dissolved and it can no longer receive any state funding through school districts or state agencies. Universities also would have to report the status of expelled students attending on visas to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“So this will help the state of Florida protect you. It’ll help us protect your tax dollars,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Tampa. “It’ll help us protect things that should not be happening in the United States of America, but certainly shouldn’t be happening in the free state of Florida.”

DeSantis last December designated the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Muslim Brotherhoods as foreign terrorist organizations. A federal judge last month temporarily blocked the enforcement of DeSantis’ executive order.

PEN America, a free speech advocacy group, said the new law has vague language that could restrict education programs deemed to be “promoting” terrorism and that it could target student protesters who criticize Florida officials.

The new law “could chill education at every level,” said William Johnson, PEN America’s Florida director. “The implications are fraught.”

Beltrán will become the ninth player in franchise history to have his number retired. Previously, Tom Seaver (41), Mike Piazza (31), Jerry Koosman (36), Keith Hernandez (17), Willie Mays (24), Dwight Gooden (16), Darryl Strawberry (18) and David Wright (5) had their numbers retired.

The Mets also have retired the numbers of former managers Gil Hodges (14) and Casey Stengel (37) and all major league teams have retired No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson.

Mets outfielder Tyrone Taylor, who currently wears No. 15, will change his number to 28.

Beltrán was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame earlier this year. He announced he would wear a Mets cap on his plaque. The Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be on July 26.

Beltrán was hired as the New York Mets’ manager on Nov. 1, 2019, then fired on Jan. 16, 2020, without having managed a game. New York announced its decision three days after he was the only Astros player mentioned by name in a report by Major League Baseball regarding the team’s illicit use of electronics to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series championship — his final season.

He was hired by the Mets as a special assistant to the general manager in February 2023. He continues to work as a special assistant to president of baseball operations David Stearns.

Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen released a statement on Monday praising Beltrán as “one of the greatest offensive players in team history, combining power and speed with elite defense.”

Beltrán said having his number retired and entering the team's hall of fame is "the highest possible tribute, and I truly feel blessed. The Mets hold a special place in my heart. This summer will be incredibly meaningful, from my induction into the baseball Hall of Fame to this Mets hall of fame honor, with the cherry on top being my number retirement. I’m deeply grateful.”

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

The president described the scale of the operation undertaken by the U.S. to rescue the second airman from the downed aircraft — which included 155 aircraft.

More specifically, it included four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft, among others, Trump said.

Much of it was an effort to throw off the Iranians, who were also looking for the missing crew member, the president said.

“We were bringing them all over and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump said. “We wanted to have them think he was in a different location.”

Trump says downed officer rushed to get away from the crash site

Trump says the downed weapons officer followed his training to get as far away from the crash site as possible.

When a plane crashes in hostile territory, “they all head right to that site, you want to be as far away as you can,” Trump said.

Trump says the officer was “bleeding profusely” but was able climb mountainous terrain and contact U.S. forces to communicate his location. Rescuers mobilized a massive response that included subterfuge to confuse the Iranians about where they were looking.

Trump says 21 aircraft came to help rescue airmen who crashed in Iran

Trump said 21 aircraft were deployed to help with the search and rescue in the first wave, flying for hours under “very, very heavy enemy fire.” He said the U.S. has one helicopter with many bullets in it.

Trump threatens to jail journalist who first reported on downed airman

Trump threatened to jail the journalist who first reported that U.S. forces were searching for the F-15 weapons officer shot down in Iran, if they don’t reveal their sources.

“The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say, and that doesn’t last long,” Trump said.

Trump didn’t name the journalist or news organization. He said the leak tipped off the Iranians, endangering the officer and his rescuers. He called the leaker “a sick person.”

U.S. forces rescued the pilot within hours of the F-15E Strike Eagle going down late Thursday, surging helicopters, midair refuelers and fighter aircraft deep into Iran after confirming his location, Trump said in a valedictory news conference at the White House, describing the military operation in an unusual level of detail.

The second aviator aboard the aircraft — the weapons systems officer — was rescued nearly two days later.

Trump boasted of the military resources surged and coordination across U.S. agencies to pull off the daring mission to recover the troops in enemy territory, describing the shootdown of the jet by Iran as “a lucky hit” after claiming in a national address last week to have “beaten and completely decimated Iran.”

Another jet is downed in the rescue for the F-15 pilot

The search and rescue operation began in daylight over Iran, with helicopters and other aircraft flying low for seven hours, “at times facing very, very heavy enemy fire,” Trump said.

An A-10 Warthog, which was the attack aircraft primarily responsible for keeping in contact with the downed F-15 pilot on the ground, was hit by enemy fire while engaging Iranian forces, said Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The A-10 was “not landable,” Caine told reporters, but the pilot continued fighting before flying to a friendly country and ejecting. He was quickly rescued and is doing fine.

After rescuing the F-15 pilot, HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopters were “engaged by every single person in Iran who had a small-arms weapon, and one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, took several hits,” he said. The crew members received minor injuries and were going to be OK, Caine said.

The rescue of the fighter jet pilot, who was flying under the call sign Dude-44 Alpha, occurred before the Iranians could marshal a comprehensive search of their own, but finding and bringing home the weapon systems officer was an even more complicated endeavor.

An anchor on a channel affiliated with Iranian state television had been urging residents in the mountainous region of southwest Iran where the fighter jet went down to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did.

The weapon systems officer, who rode in the backseat of the F-15 under the call sign Dude-44 Bravo, was injured but followed his training to get as far from the crash site as possible.

Second airman climbs into the mountains to hide out

“Bleeding profusely,” in Trump's telling, the aviator managed to climb mountainous terrain and call for help Saturday using “a very sophisticated beeper-type apparatus.”

When a plane crashes in hostile territory, “they all head right to that site, you want to be as far away as you can,” Trump said.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the spy agency used “exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service” possesses to locate the aviator. At the same time, the CIA mounted a deception operation to mislead Iranians who also were trying to find him.

Ratcliffe said the search and rescue operation was “comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

The CIA declined to respond to questions Monday about the kind of technology used to find the airman, but Trump colored in some details.

He said intelligence officials noticed something moving in the dead of night, in the mountains where they were surveilling. Trump said officials kept a camera on the moving object for 45 minutes and when it was no longer moving, they thought maybe they had it wrong.

But “it was the head of a human being,” the president said. “And then all of a sudden, 45 minutes later, he moved a lot, stood up, and they said, ‘We have him.’”

He added, “And that was really at the beginning of something incredible.”

Protected by an “air armada” of drones, strike aircraft and more, rescuers moved in on Sunday. Cargo planes flew in three small helicopters and assembled them near the patch of mountains where the missing airman was concealing himself inside a cave or crevice.

But when it came time to leave, the cargo planes were too weighed down by equipment and personnel to take off from the sandy terrain. The downed airman and his rescue team were picked up by three “lighter, faster aircraft” and the equipment on the ground was blown up to keep it out of Iranian hands, Trump said.

US makes several efforts to throw off Iranian forces

Many of the dozens of aircraft that were part of the operation were there for deception, Trump said.

“We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump said. “We wanted to have them think he was in a different location.”

Back in Washington, national security officials coordinated on a call, keeping the phone line open for nearly two days straight.

“From the moment our pilots went down, our mission was unblinking," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. “The call never dropped. The meeting never stopped, the planning never ceased.”

As Trump detailed the operation, his penchant for boasting and flair for dramatic imagery bumped up against some of his aides' instinct to protect military and intelligence secrets. At one point, Trump turned to Caine, his top military adviser, and asked, “How many men did you send altogether, approximately, for the operation?”

Caine equivocated, responding, “Uhhh, I’d love to keep that a secret, Mr. President.”

“OK, well, we are," Trump continued. "But I will tell you — the number, I’ll keep it a secret, but it was hundreds.”

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Cooper reported from Phoenix, and Amiri from New York. Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.

About three months later, police said “OG” ― whose actual name is Curtis Wayne Griffin ― was arrested in the Lone Star State in an attempted sexual battery case.

Authorities brought Griffin, 46, of Mansfield, Texas, to Miami-Dade County on Thursday to face sexual battery and false imprisonment charges.

Police said the attack happened on the morning of Dec. 28. Investigators said the victim was socializing the lobby at the Camden Brickell Apartments, located at 50 SW 10th St., when Griffin, a stranger, walked up to her. He is identified in an arrest report as “another resident‚" but it doesn’t make clear whether he was living in Miami on any sort of permanent basis at the time.

Authorities said Griffin began talking to the woman, introducing himself as “OG.” They said he eventually asked her to go to the pool with him and she agreed.

At the pool, police said Griffin’s demeanor changed. They said he began pressing her for sex and asked “if she has ever been with a ‘gangster’ and told her he was going to ‘drill her.’”

Investigators said after she declined his advances, Griffin told her she needed to “be compliant” and “became more aggressive.” They said he “grabbed her wrist and ordered her to look around.”

According to the report, when she looked around, she noticed the building security guard wasn’t there. Police said Griffin repeatedly told her that “no one was around, no one could see them, no one could hear them and that no one would ever know.”

Eventually, Griffin exposed himself to the woman, asked her for oral sex and after she declined, told her, in part, “I am going to drill you so hard. You need to be with a gangster,” the report states.

Authorities said he stuck his penis in the victim’s face, then tried to take her clothes off and grabbed her buttocks.

Details about the Texas case that led to Griffin’s arrest remain unclear.

A local police blotter report indicated that the Mansfield Police Department arrested a Curtis Wayne Griffin on Feb. 6 “for sexual battery,” though it’s wasn’t immediately clear whether it was the same suspect.

The blotter lists the incident location as occurring on the same block of the same road listed as Griffin’s address in the Miami police report, however.

The Miami police report additionally lists Griffin as being taken into custody in Texas on an “attempted sexual battery case” on March 22.

Local 10 News has contacted Texas authorities seeking additional information.

Meanwhile, back in South Florida, court records show Griffin is also facing a separate attempted sexual battery case stemming from a Miami police warrant issued on Feb. 4.

Details about that case weren’t immediately available on Monday afternoon, but records show Griffin posted a $21,000 combined bond for both cases and he no longer appeared in the Miami-Dade inmate database.

The Mets announced Monday that scheduled night games against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday and Wednesday have been changed to afternoon games because of expected cold and windy conditions.

The Mets scheduled the first pitch for each game for 4:10 p.m. ET. The games had been set for 7:10 p.m. starts.

Tuesday’s game between the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Guardians has been moved up five hours to a 1:10 p.m. ET first pitch. The change was made because temperatures are expected to be below freezing at night.

The time change was also made to avoid a backlog in the schedule or another doubleheader early in the season. Kansas City had a twinbill against Milwaukee on Saturday after Friday’s game was postponed, while Cleveland is coming off a doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs on Sunday when Saturday’s game was rained out.

Meanwhile, the White Sox moved up the first pitch for Tuesday's game against the Baltimore Orioles from 6:40 p.m. CT to 2:10 p.m. because of expected cold temperatures.

The Mets said in appreciation for the fans' “understanding, commitment and flexibility” the team was offering a limited number of complimentary tickets to each game.

The Mets said the complimentary tickets to the afternoon games will be offered on a first-come, first-served bases. Fans can log onto Mets.com/Tickets and enter code THANKYOU to claim up to four tickets for each game.

Additionally, the Mets are offering vouchers to a future game to fans who have already purchased tickets for the Tuesday or Wednesday games. The vouchers will be good for home regular-season games scheduled for Monday through Thursday.

All tickets for the previously scheduled night games will be valid for the afternoon games.

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

Despite an intense search involving thousands of law enforcement officers and volunteers, there has been no sign of the 84-year-old mother of three since she was reported missing Feb. 1. Her children, including the NBC host, have made heartbreaking video pleas for help, but to no avail.

Here is a timeline of events:

Saturday, Jan. 31

5:32 p.m. — Nancy Guthrie takes an Uber to her family’s home for dinner.

9:48 p.m. — Guthrie is dropped off at her Tucson-area home by a family member. The garage door opens and closes minutes later.

Sunday, Feb. 1

1:47 a.m. — The doorbell camera is disconnected.

2:12 a.m. — The camera’s software detects movement. Investigators initially said there was no video available since Guthrie didn’t have an active monitoring subscription. But digital forensics experts kept working to find images in backend software that might have been lost, corrupted or inaccessible.

2:28 a.m. — Her pacemaker app disconnects from her phone.

11:56 a.m. — Her family checks on her after learning she didn't attend church. Moments later, they call 911 to report her missing.

12:15 p.m. — Investigators arrive and launch a search operation, including the use of drones and dogs.

Monday, Feb. 2

Authorities say they believe Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will.

KOLD-TV says it received an email Monday night that appears to be a ransom note. It includes a demand for money with a deadline set for 5 p.m. Thursday and a second one for Monday, investigators say.

Tuesday, Feb. 3

A person familiar with the investigation tells The Associated Press that investigators found signs of forced entry at Nancy Guthrie’s home.

President Donald Trump tells reporters the situation is “terrible.”

Wednesday, Feb. 4

After allowing Guthrie's family back on her property earlier in the week, authorities return for a “follow-up investigation.”

That evening, Savannah Guthrie posts video on social media in which she tells her mother’s kidnapper that her family is ready to talk but wants proof she is alive.

Thursday, Feb. 5

Officials reveal that DNA testing determined that blood found on the home's front porch was Nancy Guthrie's.

The FBI offers a $50,000 reward for information about Guthrie’s whereabouts.

Friday, Feb. 6

Tucson TV station KOLD receives an email tied to the Guthrie case. The station didn't disclose it's contents and forwarded the message to federal investigators.

Investigators return to Guthrie’s neighborhood to gather more evidence.

Saturday, Feb. 7

Savannah Guthrie post another social media video aimed at her mother’s potential abductors.

“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said. “This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

Monday, Feb. 9

Savannah Guthrie posts another video, saying her family is at an “hour of desperation” and believes her mom is still alive. She asks for prayers and for people to report anything they might see or hear to law enforcement.

An FBI spokesperson says the agency was not aware of ongoing communication between Nancy Guthrie’s family and the possible kidnappers, despite a deadline set for Monday evening.

Later, in a March interview, Savannah Guthrie clarifies that some of the purported ransom notes were fake, but that she believes the two that she and her siblings responded to were real.

Tuesday, Feb. 10

The FBI says it managed to recover doorbell camera video of what it describes as an armed person tampering with a camera at Nancy Guthrie’s front door.

Video shows the person wearing a backpack and balaclava who tries to cover a camera near the front door with their gloved hand before ripping out a plant from the yard to block the camera’s view.

Following the FBI’s announcement, Savannah Guthrie posts images of the apparent kidnapper on Instagram. She writes: “We believe she is still alive. Bring her home,” and includes phone numbers for the FBI and sheriff.

Later, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department says a person was detained for questioning during a traffic stop south of Tucson. The man is released. He tells reporters that he made deliveries in the Tucson area.

The sheriff’s department also says it searched a location in Rio Rico, a city south of Tucson, with the help of the FBI.

Wednesday, Feb. 11

Authorities confirm that the man detained a day earlier was released but do not say what led them to stop him.

FBI agents and sheriff’s deputies knock on doors and search the desert terrain in the neighborhoods surrounding the homes of Nancy Guthrie and her oldest daughter, Annie Guthrie, whom she had visited hours before disappearing.

Thursday, Feb. 12

Investigators ask residents in a 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) radius of Nancy Guthrie’s home to share any camera footage and report any suspicious activity they noticed in the month before she disappeared.

The FBI later doubles the reward, to $100,000, for information that would lead to Nancy Guthrie or an arrest and conviction.

It also describes the person seen in the video from Guthrie’s porch the night she went missing as a male with an average build and about 5-foot, 9-inches (175 centimeters) tall. In the video, the FBI says he is wearing a black, 25-liter “Ozark Trail Hiker Pack” backpack.

Sunday, March 22

Savannah Guthrie posts a family statement on Instagram urging the public to think back to Jan. 31 — when her mom was last seen — and Feb. 1, as well as the evening of Jan. 11.

“Please consult camera footage, journal notes, text messages, observations, or conversations that in retrospect may hold significance. No detail is too small,” the statement says.

The family also acknowledges that Nancy Guthrie might not be alive.

Monday, March 26

The “Today” show airs the first television interviews with Savannah Guthrie since her mothers disappearance.

“We are in agony,” she tells NBC News colleague Hoda Kotb, saying she wakes up every night thinking about what her mother went through.

She also shares new investigation details, including that her mom's home's back doors were found propped open and her phone and purse were found inside.

Monday, April 6

Savannah Guthrie returns to the “Today” show, which she has co-hosted since 2012.

“Here we go, ready or not,” Guthrie says as it opens. “Let’s do the news.”

After running through a series of headlines, Guthrie says “we are so glad that you started our week with us and it’s good to be home.” Her co-host, Craig Melvin, says “It’s good to have you back at home.”

The Bulls gutted their roster before the trade deadline. But Karnisovas and Eversley won't be around for the next phase of a revamp.

Chicago was 224-254 during their tenure. The Bulls entered Monday sitting in 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 29-49 and missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf said in a statement that Karnisovas and Eversley “led with a deep commitment to the Chicago Bulls” and that the change is “about positioning our team for sustained success moving ahead.”

“I want our fans to know that I hear you and understand your frustration," Reinsdorf said. "I feel it as well. I know this will take time, and I am fully committed to getting this right. At the Chicago Bulls, our focus remains on building a team that can compete at the highest level and ultimately contend for championships. We are committed to taking the necessary steps to move the Bulls forward in a way that makes our fans proud.”

The Bulls tore up their roster leading up to the trade deadline in February, dealing Nikola Vucevic to Boston, Kevin Huerter to Detroit, Coby White to Charlotte and Chicago product Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota in an effort to shake up a franchise mired in mediocrity. They hung on to Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey with the idea of building around those two. The Bulls have the salary-cap room to make some big moves this offseason.

“Being in the middle is what we don’t want to do,” Karnisovas said at the time. “I think we’ve seen that for the past four years and we want to change that.”

That's mostly where the franchise has been since Karnisovas was hired out of Denver's front office in April 2020. The Bulls brought in Eversley from Philadelphia a few weeks later and hired coach Billy Donovan that September. Donovan's future is uncertain.

The Bulls' lone playoff appearance during Karnisovas and Eversley's tenure came during the 2021-22 season, when they finished sixth in the Eastern Conference at 46-36 and got knocked out by Milwaukee in the first round. The Bulls lost point guard Lonzo Ball to a knee injury during that season, and he missed the next two years.

Chicago's most recent All-Star was DeMar DeRozan in 2023. The lack of a franchise cornerstone player was glaring, and Karnisovas' reluctance to launch into a major rebuild was a big source of frustration among Bulls fans. Rather than give the team the best shot at winning the lottery, he stressed patience and not skipping steps.

That changed this year when Karnisovas made seven trades before the deadline. The Bulls mostly loaded up on second-round draft picks and didn't get any first-rounders in return.

Among the players they acquired were Jaden Ivey from Detroit, hoping the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NBA draft could regain the form he showed before knee surgery. But the Bulls waived him last week following anti-LGBTQ+ comments about religion he made in videos posted on his Instagram account.

Ivey had been sidelined since Feb. 11 and appeared in just four games for Chicago. His contract was set to expire at the end of the season.

Donovan, meanwhile, got a contract extension last offseason. But he could seek another NBA coaching job or return to the college game if he doesn’t remain in Chicago.

Donovan has a 467-411 record in 11 seasons as an NBA head coach. He was arguably the top candidate on the market when the Bulls hired him in September 2020 to replace the fired Jim Boylen following a five-year run in Oklahoma City. He led the Thunder to a 243-157 record and playoff appearances each season while working with stars such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Chris Paul.

Donovan previously coached for 19 seasons at the University of Florida and won back-to-back NCAA titles. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September.

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

The nation's second-leading scorer is one of more than 1,100 Division I women's basketball players who entered the portal after it opened just after midnight, according to an Associated Press review of the portal.

In January, the NCAA approved moving the portal's opening to the day after the national championship game for a 15-day window. It didn't take long for players to enter.

The portal used to be open after the second round of the NCAA Tournament for 30 days until the change this year. Last year there were 1,570 Division I women's basketball players in the portal in the entire time it was open.

President Donald Trump signed an order last week intended to stabilize college sports that included limiting athletes to one transfer, with another available once they get a four-year degree.

With revenue sharing and name, image and likeness deals, players have been able to make more money while playing college sports. Financial incentives is one of the top reasons players change schools.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said at the NCAA Tournament's Sacramento Regional last month that money is now one of the top questions in conversations with transfers and high school players.

“How much is it going to cost us? That’s the conversation. You’ve got to lead with that,” Staley said. “Because you don’t really want to waste your time. You either are going to have enough to pay players, or you don’t. And you move on.”

Iowa State wasn't the only school hit hard by the transfer portal. Tennessee already has five of its players in the portal: Talaysia Cooper, Kaniya Boyd, Alyssa Lathan, Lauren Hurst and Jaida Civil.

Civil was part of coach Kim Caldwell’s highly ranked recruiting class for 2025. Other Lady Vols freshmen Mia and Mya Pauldo announced their intent to enter the portal last week on social media.

Miami and Georgia each have eight players in the portal. The Lady Bulldogs made a coaching change over the weekend. Stanford has four players in the portal, including star Nunu Agara.

UCLA coach Cori Close said she was going to be very active in the portal after winning the national championship Sunday. She needs to replace the six seniors who scored all the Bruins' points in the Final Four and title games.

She said, smiling: “transfer portal just got easier.”

There were nearly 900 players combined from Division II and III in the portal already as well by Monday afternoon.

Last season the portal allowed movement among many top stars, including Ta'Niya Latson from Florida State to South Carolina; Olivia Miles from Notre Dame to TCU, MiLaysia Fulwiley from South Carolina to LSU and Cotie McMahon from Ohio State to Mississippi.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because discussions were not being made public.

Lawrence has played his first seven NFL seasons with the Giants since they selected him with the 17th pick in the 2019 draft out of Clemson.

Now 28, he still has two years left on his contract, set to earn $20 million and $19.5 million in each of the next two seasons.

Coming off a dislocated left elbow from a game on Thanksgiving in 2024, Lawrence started all 17 games last season. He finished with a career-low 31 tackles and a half-sack for a defense that ranked 30th out of 32 teams in the league.

Lawrence has 341 tackles and 30 1/2 sacks in 109 regular-season games in the league. He made 12 more tackles in two playoff games.

The Giants began spring workouts Tuesday under new coach John Harbaugh, who along with general manager Joe Schoen hired Dennard Wilson as the team's defensive coordinator. They have the fifth pick in the upcoming draft after going 4-13.

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

New York put the four-time All-Star on the 10-day injured list Monday, a move retroactive to Saturday. The Mets said the typical timeframe for a return to play for this type of injury is about two to three weeks.

Infielder Ronny Mauricio was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse.

Soto, 27, is in the second season of a record $765 million, 15-year contract. He is hitting .355 with one homer and five RBIs in eight games after batting .263 with 43 homers, 105 RBIs, 38 stolen bases, 127 walks and a .921 OPS in his first season with the Mets.

Soto was hurt Friday night trying to run from first to third during the Mets’ 10-3 win at San Francisco.

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

The overall success rate in the Automated Ball-Strike System was 55.2% (299 of 542), with fielding teams winning 59.7% of challenges (175 of 293), including 60.4% by catchers (169 of 280).

“I like it a little more. I was pretty staunch against it, which I still may be to some degree,” New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

There were just 13 challenges by pitchers, who won six. Batters were successful on 49.8% (124 of 249).

“I think it’s fun. It’s its own game inside the game, almost," Tampa Bay catcher Hunter Feduccia said.

Success rate was up from 49.5% last year at Triple-A, where defense won 53.7% and batters 49.5%

Detroit won the highest percentage of calls at 75% (15 of 20) while Arizona was at 71%, and Baltimore and Cincinnati both 67%.

Minnesota called for the most challenges with 32, winning 20 for a 63% success rate. Texas had the fewest, winning 4 of 10.

Cleveland was the least successful at 32%, with Washington at 38% and St. Louis and Texas at 40%

Detroit catchers were 8-0, with seven wins by Dingler.

ABS' impact could be seen when Atlanta played at Arizona last Thursday. The Braves were ahead 2-1 when the Diamondbacks' Ryne Nelson threw a 3-2 curveball on the upper, outside corner to Ozzie Albies that was called a strike by Malachi Moore. Albies challenged and headed toward first even before ABS showed the pitch missed the strike zone by 1.1 inches. The walk started an eight-run rally in a 17-2 romp.

“In some of these games, it’s had a more of a swinging effect on outcomes of at-bats and how things change than maybe even you thought,” Miami manager Clayton McCullough said.

Logan O’Hoppe of the Los Angeles Angels had the most victories, successful on 10 of 12. The Marlins’ Agustín Ramírez won 7 of 9 and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Will Smith 8 of 11.

Seattle’s Cal Raleigh won 4 of 9 and the Athletics’ Shea Langeliers 3 of 9.

Among batters, Mark Vientos of the New York Mets and Iván Herrera both went 3-0. Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels was 3-1 along with Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber and Tampa Bay's Jake Fraley.

Colorado's Hunter Goodman and Washington's Luis García Jr. were both 0 for 3.

Boone said Yankees staff and players daily review challenges made and opportunities missed.

Players still are getting used to ABS. Washington's Jorbit Vivas tapped his helmet signaling for an appeal on March 31 when the Nationals already had exhausted their two challenges.

Among umpires, Mike Estabrook had 11 of 12 calls overturned (91.7%), Andy Fletcher had 15 of 17 (88.2%), Ron Kulpa and Paul Clemons each 7 of 9 (77.8%) and Chris Segal 10 of 13 (76.9%), according to taptochallenge.com.

Will Little had just 1 of 10 calls reversed while Erich Bacchus was perfect with no overturned calls in five challenges. Others with low overturn rates with at least five challenges included Emil Jiménez (1 of 5), Jordan Baker (2 of 8), Ryan Additon and Nick Mahrley (both 2 of 7) and David Rackley (3 of 10).

Offense at record low

Offense again lagged through the first 139 games of the 2,430-game season.

The .234 big league batting average is down from .239 through 12 days last year (including the two games in Japan), when it finished at .245. The average usually increases as the weather warms. The full-season low of .237 was set in 1968.

Runs per game averaged 8.8, up from 8.7, and stolen bases dropped to 1.4 per game from 1.6

Fastball velocity at record high

Average fastball velocity is 94.6 mph, up from 94.1 mph through the first full week last year. The final figure increased in each of the last five seasons to a record 94.5 mph in 2025. It was 91.9 mph when MLB first started tracking in 2008.

“I wish I was facing the same pitching as I did my rookie year back when guys were throwing 88-mile-an-hour sinkers over the plate," said 33-year-old Cleveland catcher Austin Hedges. “That pitch doesn’t exist anymore.”

Game time

The average time of a nine-inning game is 2 hours, 43 minutes, up from 2:37 at this point last year, when it finished at 2:38.

Pitch clock violations averaged 0.17 per game, down from 0.22 through 139 games last year.

Attendance

MLB's average crowd of 31,725 through 138 dates was up 1.5% over 31,255 for the same period last year.

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AP Sports Writers Dan Gelston and Steve Megargee, and AP freelance writer Tom Withers contributed to this report.

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

En una carta manuscrita fechada el 31 de marzo y que su equipo hizo pública el lunes en X, Arce denunció que desde los primeros días de su detención sufrió una “violación de sus derechos personales y constitucionales” por parte del gobierno de su sucesor, Rodrigo Paz. Dijo haber sido víctima de “tortura psicológica" y “vulneración al debido proceso, a la presunción de inocencia y a la defensa, así como a las garantías de imparcialidad y seguridad jurídica”.

El expresidente fue detenido en diciembre pasado, un mes después de haber concluido su mandato, por supuesta corrupción y enfrenta cargos por presuntos incumplimiento de deberes y conducta antieconómica en relación con un millonario desfalco de fondos públicos en el Fondo Indígena durante su gestión como ministro de Economía entre 2006 y 2017, durante la presidencia de Evo Morales (2006-2019).

“Todos los recursos presentados por mi defensa han sido rechazados, incluyendo una petición para realizarme exámenes con el cardiólogo, poniendo en riesgo mi salud”, dijo el exmandatario.

Autoridades del gobierno no se han pronunciado sobre la carta.

Arce terminó peleado con Morales, su mentor político, y el partido izquierdista de ambos que gobernó por casi 20 años fue el gran derrotado en las elecciones de noviembre pasado que fueron ganadas por el actual mandatario de centro derecha.

Arce denunció que en los primeros días de detención fue recluido “en una celda que carecía de condiciones mínimas de habitabilidad”. Dijo que permanentemente le toman “fotos y filmaciones” en el patio del penal mientras hace deportes o recibe visitas, lo que en su criterio constituye “una tortura psicológica". “Yo no he robado, no he mentido, no he matado. Lo que están haciendo es una venganza. Exijo respeto al libre proceso, sin presiones políticas ni instrucciones del gobierno”, dijo.

Marcelo Arce, hijo de Arce, también está preso en otro penal acusado de enriquecimiento ilícito. El gobierno impulsa una investigación a la familia del exmandatario y a otros funcionarios del anterior gobierno por supuesta corrupción.

Paz dijo antes que la gestión del partido izquierdista de Morales y Arce hundió al país en la corrupción. “Por 20 años hemos tenido un Estado capturado por la corrupción; no es una persecución, varios de los responsables ya están en la cárcel para responder ante la justicia”, dijo el lunes en mandatario al presentar reformas internas destinada a transparentar las compras estatales.

Broward sheriff’s deputies responded last month after calls “regarding an intoxicated male subject described as shirtless, bald and with tattoos all over his body, who was yelling at and making threats towards patrons.”

Deputies located the man, and according to an arrest affidavit, the suspect repeatedly got into a deputy’s personal space and said, “You want to shoot me, you want to shoot me.”

The deputy said the man appeared to be highly intoxicated.

There was a struggle and the deputy said he was able to take Theodore Ray Blount, 39, to the ground.

The deputy said Blount continued to struggle as he was being put in the back of a patrol unit, and that he “continued yelling, kicking, and striking his head against the interior cage and door.”

Blount was booked into the Broward jail and charged with several crimes, including assault with threat to do violence and battery on an officer or firefighter.

But rather than lay low while out on bail, police say the 26-year-old came back for more shades ― and upped the ante considerably.

Investigators said the one-man crime wave centered on Solstice Sunglasses at 805 Lincoln Road.

Rather than walk into the store during business hours and steal two pairs of shades, Manzaneraz-Juarez went to the store at around 2:30 a.m. on March 26, shattered the glass window with a metal pipe, crawled under the door frame and “selected” about 20 pairs of sunglasses from the display before leaving, according to a report from the Miami Beach Police Department.

Cops said the heist totaled in upwards of $12,000 worth of shades. But they said he wasn’t finished.

Investigators said a Lincoln Road ambassador flagged down officers at around 8:30 Saturday morning to let them know that Solstice’s front door was ― again ― “completely shattered.”

The MBPD report states that surveillance video from around 5 a.m. showed Manzaneraz-Juarez coming back for more, using a pole to shatter the front door, this time taking about 33 pairs worth about $19,000 in the span of around a minute before crawling back out.

Police said they put out a wanted flyer for Manzaneraz-Juarez, who is homeless, and an officer identified him. On Saturday, police said they arrested him for breach of the peace on the beach near 16th Street.

When they searched his backpack, they said they found about two dozen pairs of sunglasses “with the tags and anti-theft security devices attached.”

Manzaneraz-Juarez is now facing six more felony charges, including burglary.

As of Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles native remained in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a bond of more than $40,000. It came with an added requirement that he’ll have to prove that any bail money comes from a legitimate source.

“Fue una reunión muy productiva…Unidos mostramos que tenemos una fuerza incomparable”, expresó Kast en una rueda de prensa tras ser recibido por Milei en la Casa Rosada de Buenos Aires, en la que fue su primera visita de Estado desde que asumió el pasado 11 de marzo.

La llegada de Kast al poder marcó el giro más pronunciado hacia la derecha en Chile desde el regreso de la democracia en 1990 y confirma una tendencia regional que tiene al anarcocapitalista Milei como uno de sus precursores.

Minería, fronteras y crimen organizado

Kast consideró que Argentina y Chile atraviesan “un momento histórico para lograr una mayor integración por temas de turismo, comercio, inversión y minería”.

En este último punto, Kast se mostró especialmente interesado en el potencial minero del vecino país en momentos en que Milei impulsa un cambio de paradigma para limitar las protecciones ambientales y atraer inversiones al sector.

“Argentina está tomando un ritmo importante y nosotros podemos colaborar en temas de conocimiento, logísticos…nos interesa mucho la integración de todo tipo de producción minera que pueda tener Argentina”, detalló el mandatario de Chile, una potencia minera a nivel global.

Milei y Kast también se comprometieron a mejorar la infraestructura de los múltiples pasos fronterizos entre ambas naciones sobre la cordillera de los Andes para terminar con horas de demora en la circulación de turistas y transportistas.

Ambos gobiernos van a estrechar la cooperación en materia de seguridad para combatir la inmigración irregular, el narcotráfico y el crimen organizado. “Son un enemigo que no respeta leyes y tiene muchos recursos…tenemos que buscar una alianza entre distintos países”, evaluó Kast. “En Argentina se han dado muestras claras del combate al crimen organizado. No tiene solución real si no hacemos lo mismo en Chile, en Bolivia y en otros países”.

Caso Apablaza

Kast destacó que “contamos con toda la colaboración del gobierno argentino”, para capturar y extraditar al exguerrillero Galvarino Apablaza, a quien la justicia chilena busca desde hace décadas por el asesinato del senador Jaime Guzmán en 1991.

Apablaza, señalado como autor intelectual del crimen, se fugó a la Argentina y en 2010 recibió el estatus de refugiado político. Una corte argentina de apelaciones revocó este beneficio en febrero y desde entonces se desconoce el paradero de quien fuera líder Frente Patriótico Manuel Rodríguez (FPMR).

El gobierno de Milei ofrece una recompensa equivalente a 14.000 dólares por su paradero.

Kast, quien tenía un estrecho vínculo con el senador asesinado, manifestó que “en Chile hay justicia y va a tener un juicio justo y una condena que corresponda”.

During a ceremony, Diaz Balart handed two big U.S. Treasury checks at the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office headquarters on Monday in Doral.

“This department is always at the forefront of technology,” Diaz-Balart said.

One check was for $4.2 million in equipment, and the other was for $1.05 million for a mobile command center.

“We have some really big things coming to Miami-Dade,” Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said.

The FIFA World Cup will have five matches in June and four in July in Miami-Dade County.

Related links

• Diaz Balart’s office
• Trump signs H.R. 6938 into law

More FIFA stories

• FIFA raises top ticket price for World Cup final to $10,990 during glitch-hampered sales reopening
• FIFA launches volunteer center ahead of World Cup 2026
• White House appointee explains FIFA World Cup preparations in Miami-Dade

La naturalista Alison Josyln exploraba Shark Valley esta semana cuando vio a Cecile salir del pantano para tomar el sol.

Fue un poco más difícil para la cocodrilo americana hembra hacer su gran aparición, ya que los niveles de agua están muy bajos en este momento.

Josyln dice que Cecile es una gran atracción en Shark Valley y que lleva el nombre de un niño que una vez visitó el parque nacional.

Se cree que Cecile tiene unos 18 años y ha sido vista en Shark Valley y sus alrededores durante los últimos 10 años.

Leer en español

Naturalist Alison Josyln was exploring Shark Valley this week, when she spotted Cecile emerge from the swamp to get some sun.

It was a bit harder for the female American crocodile to make her grand entrance, because water levels are so low at the moment.

Joslyn says Cecile is a star attraction at Shark Valley, and is named after a child who once visited the national park.

Cecile is believed to be about 18 years old and has been seen in and around Shark Valley for the last 10 years.

Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said in an interview with The Associated Press that her general preference is for the Fed keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged “for quite some time."

And she also said the Fed might have to cut its rate if higher gas prices caused the economy to slow and unemployment to rise. But if inflation remained elevated, a rate hike could be needed, she said.

“I can foresee scenarios where we would need to reduce rates ... if the labor market deteriorates significantly,” Hammack said. "Or I could see where we might need to raise rates if inflation stays persistently above our target.”

Hammack's comments suggest a growing concern among at least some policymakers that inflation, which was elevated before the Iran war, may require rate hikes to tame further. Rate increases by the Fed would be a sharp shift from late last year, when the central bank cut its key rate three times. Rate hikes could lift borrowing costs for consumers and businesses, including for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards.

Other Fed officials have recently opened the door to rate hikes, including Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed. And minutes of the Fed's meeting in late January said that several of the 19 officials on the rate-setting committee supported altering the post-meeting statement to reflect the possibility of “upward adjustments” to rates.

A rate hike would almost certainly prompt President Donald Trump to lash out at the Fed, which he has harshly criticized for not cutting rates further. He has called for the central bank's key rate to be lowered to 1%, down from its current level of about 3.6%.

The government will update two inflation measures this week, though only one will likely reflect the impact of the jump in gas prices since the Iran war began Feb. 28. Gas prices averaged $4.12 a gallon nationwide Monday, according to AAA, up 80 cents from a month earlier.

On Friday, the government will issue the March inflation report, providing a first read on the impact of higher gas and energy prices. Economists forecast that annual inflation will worsen significantly, jumping to 3.1% from 2.4% in February, according to a survey by data provider FactSet. On a monthly basis, they expect consumer prices rose 0.8% in March from February, which would be the biggest increase in almost four years.

The Commerce Department will report the Fed's preferred inflation gauge for February on Thursday, though that won't incorporate any impact from the Iran conflict.

Hammack said that the Cleveland Fed's own estimates show inflation could reach 3.5% in April, which would be the highest since 2024. Inflation spiked to 9.1% in June 2022 before slowly declining.

“Inflation has been running above our target for more than five years now,” Hammack said, and a further increase would mean it is “moving in the wrong direction, away from our 2% objective.”

The Federal Reserve is required by Congress to seek low inflation and maximum employment, and higher gas prices could threaten both those mandates, creating a challenging situation for Fed officials.

Consumers may react to higher gas prices by cutting back on their spending elsewhere in the economy, Hammack said, which could lead to weaker growth and layoffs, which the Fed would need to respond to with rate cuts.

How the war impacts the economy will depend on how long it lasts and how high it lifts gas prices and other costs, Hammack said. Now in its sixth week, the conflict has already lasted longer than she expected when the Fed last met March 17-18, Hammack said.

Hammack said rising gas prices stemming from the Iran war are “the No. 1 thing” she hears about from people in her district, which covers Ohio and parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

“We know that causes a lot of pain personally, as it eats up a bigger and bigger share of people’s paychecks. So it’s important for us to stay focused on it,” she added.

Dimon described inflation as the potential “skunk at the party” this year, cautioning that turmoil in oil and commodity markets could ripple through the economy, affecting everything from gasoline prices to manufacturing costs. He also warned that sustained inflation could force the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates higher for longer, posing risks to the broader economy and financial system.

“Given our complex global supply chains, countries are experiencing disruptions in shipbuilding, food and farming, among others,” Dimon wrote. “The outcome of current geopolitical events may very well be the defining factor in how the future global economic order unfolds — then again, it may not.”

Dimon has long used his annual letters to weigh in on major economic and policy issues. Past letters have focused on topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic, political upheaval in the United States, the global financial crisis and trade tensions.

Despite the risks, Dimon struck a generally optimistic tone.

“Despite the unsettling landscape, the U.S. economy continues to be resilient, with consumers still earning and spending (though with some recent weakening) and businesses still healthy,” he wrote.

While acknowledging the geopolitical context of the conflict, Dimon pointed to broader risks tied to instability in the region.

“We should not turn a blind eye to the role the current regime in Iran has played in fostering terrorism and killing thousands of people, including Americans and many of its own citizens, over many years,” he wrote.

Según funcionarios de Pompano Beach Fire Rescue, un hombre de aproximadamente 50 años murió el domingo por la noche tras ser sacado del océano cerca de 10 N. Pompano Beach Blvd.

Los funcionarios dijeron que la víctima estaba inconsciente cuando los salvavidas la sacaron del agua.

Los salvavidas le practicaron RCP al hombre hasta que llegó Fire Rescue, que lo trasladó al Broward Health North, donde fue declarado muerto.

Mientras tanto, en Hollywood, Ocean Rescue realizó un total de 20 rescates que involucraron a 33 personas durante el fin de semana, dijo un portavoz de Hollywood Fire Rescue and Beach Safety.

Según el portavoz, el personal de Ocean Rescue permaneció en la playa hasta las 7:30 p.m. del domingo para mantener seguros a los bañistas.

El domingo, banderas rojas de advertencia se alineaban en las playas del sur de Florida.

“Veo a algunas personas nadando... no sé cómo pueden”, dijo el lunes Bohdan Bavaluk, residente de Hollywood Beach.

Tras un fin de semana difícil en las playas del sur de Florida, las condiciones mejoraban el lunes. Sin embargo, el mar seguía poniendo nerviosos a algunos bañistas.

“Está loco”, dijo un bañista. “Creo que la gente necesita pensarlo dos veces antes de meterse al agua, porque se ve realmente peligroso.”

El domingo, banderas rojas de “peligro por corrientes de resaca” se alineaban en la orilla mientras el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional emitía una alerta de corrientes de resaca desde Jacksonville hasta Miami.

“Es bueno saber las condiciones del agua antes de entrar. Solo me hace dudar por mi hija”, dijo Penelope Kassaris, quien visita desde Nueva York.

Kari Fraser, de visita desde Ohio, dijo que las condiciones del domingo la sorprendieron tras regresar de un crucero.

“No estaba ni cerca de tan agitado donde estuvimos, en Aruba”, dijo Fraser.

Los salvavidas estuvieron muy atentos, advirtiendo a los nadadores durante todo el día.

“Los salvavidas nos han estado regañando todo el día, así que claramente están encima de la situación”, dijo Matt Mandela, de visita desde Nueva Jersey.

Aunque las condiciones mejoran el lunes, muchos siguen vigilando de cerca el agua.

Se trata de Peking One, ubicado en 16229 SW 88th Street, en el Kendall Park Plaza sobre North Kendall Drive.

Entre las violaciones documentadas por los inspectores figuran excrementos de roedores en el interior de un enfriador, en estantes de almacenamiento y detrás del calentador de agua; excrementos de cucarachas sobre recipientes de plástico; insectos voladores vivos; y cucarachas muertas en el piso del baño de empleados.

Los problemas de manejo de alimentos también fueron graves: se encontró pollo crudo almacenado sobre fideos cocidos y sobre carne de res cruda, alimentos a temperaturas inseguras, y huevos sin refrigerar sobre una mesa de preparación. Además, un empleado fue observado tosiendo y tocando utensilios limpios sin lavarse las manos.

Las condiciones físicas del local no eran mejores: pisos con acumulación pesada de grasa, paredes sucias, plomería en mal estado, tuberías con fugas, baños sin papel higiénico ni jabón, y falta de iluminación adecuada en la cocina.

Lo más alarmante: cuando los inspectores regresaron al día siguiente, 66 de las 70 violaciones seguían sin corregirse, incluyendo los excrementos de roedores y cucarachas, el pollo mal almacenado y el empleado con tos manipulando alimentos.

En Surfside, el restaurante La Vita e Bella, en 9485 Harding Ave., también fue clausurado el mismo día tras una inspección basada en una queja. Los inspectores encontraron cinco cucarachas vivas en la cocina y el área del mostrador, además de salmón descongelándose de forma inadecuada y ausencia de un gerente certificado en manejo de alimentos. Al día siguiente, los inspectores contaron ocho cucarachas vivas adicionales y siete muertas en la cocina.

Ningún restaurante en el condado de Broward ni en los Cayos de Florida fue clausurado la semana pasada. Todos los establecimientos mencionados fueron autorizados a reabrir tras una limpieza ordenada y una reinspección.

No se esperan condiciones severas generalizadas, pero algunas tormentas podrían volverse breve y puntualmente fuertes o severas con ráfagas de viento intensas y fuertes lluvias.

Existe una amenaza de nivel bajo —Nivel 1 de 4— de inundaciones el martes y el miércoles. Esto aplica principalmente para inundaciones urbanas localizadas: incidentes aislados en áreas de la ciudad que se encuentran en zonas bajas o tienen un drenaje deficiente.

LUNES

Las áreas metropolitanas de la Costa Este deberían permanecer en su mayoría secas durante la tarde del lunes, salvo algunos aguaceros aislados. Estaremos pendientes de cómo se desarrolla un grupo de tormentas sobre los Everglades el lunes por la noche y la madrugada.

MARTES

Los modelos indican que este grupo de tormentas eventualmente se desplazará hacia el este y se centrará sobre el corredor de la I-95 en la madrugada del martes (aproximadamente entre las 4 a.m. y las 8 a.m.). Esto podría generar problemas durante el trayecto matutino. Tras esta ronda de tormentas del martes por la mañana, habrá algunas pausas en la lluvia alrededor del mediodía.

La luz solar adicional y el calentamiento recargarán la atmósfera para otra ronda de tormentas el martes por la tarde y la noche (aproximadamente entre las 2 p.m. y las 8 p.m.). Estas serán tormentas dispersas y aisladas, por lo que será difícil precisar los horarios para comunidades específicas hasta que comiencen a desarrollarse.

MIÉRCOLES

Se espera una pausa general en las lluvias desde la madrugada del martes hasta la primera mitad del día del miércoles, aunque siempre será posible algún aguacero breve. Luego, otra ronda de fuertes aguaceros y tormentas eléctricas es probable a partir de la media tarde del miércoles y hasta un par de horas después del atardecer (aproximadamente entre la 1 p.m. y las 8 p.m., con una variación de más o menos una hora).

Lea aquí el reporte del clima de Weather Authority (en inglés).

Según un informe de arresto, el incidente ocurrió el 26 de febrero en la cuadra 12300 de Southwest 283rd Street, y la sospechosa, Keisha Dotson Dardy, fue arrestada el jueves pasado.

Los agentes dijeron que Dardy y la víctima son ex novias que han tenido una relación intermitente durante varios años.

Según los agentes, en la noche del 26 de febrero, las dos mujeres tuvieron una “acalorada disputa” después de que Dardy acusó a la víctima de haberse comido el último chocolate de hongos.

El informe de arresto indica que la discusión verbal escaló rápidamente cuando Dardy sacó un cuchillo y “realizó un movimiento de apuñalamiento hacia la víctima, causándole una lesión”.

Los agentes dijeron que la víctima sufrió una laceración en el lado izquierdo de la cabeza a causa del ataque y fue trasladada por Miami-Dade Fire Rescue al Jackson South Medical Center.

Las autoridades dijeron que Dardy huyó de la escena después de que se llamara al 911.

Según el informe, Dardy fue arrestada inicialmente el jueves por cargos no relacionados, pero ahora enfrenta cargos de agresión agravada con arma.

Un agente señaló en el informe de arresto que Dardy estaba “muy intoxicada y era errática” al momento de su arresto.

Hasta el lunes por la mañana, Dardy se encontraba detenida en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Los registros carcelarios en línea muestran que también enfrenta un cargo de violencia doméstica en un caso separado y está detenida sin fianza por una orden de violación de libertad condicional relacionada con interferencia con la custodia de un menor y contribución a la delincuencia juvenil.

Los agentes dijeron que la Escuela Católica St. Kevin, ubicada en 4001 SW 127th Ave., contrató a Nestor Olivares en septiembre de 2024 para instalar 13 estructuras de techo de aluminio.

Sin embargo, un informe de arresto del MDSO indica que Olivares, de 50 años, “no cumplió con los términos del acuerdo, dejando de proveer los materiales pactados o realizar el trabajo según lo establecido”.

Además, los agentes dijeron que ni siquiera tenía licencia.

Las autoridades dijeron que en febrero de 2026, Olivares le prometió a la escuela un reembolso total para el 25 de febrero, pero nunca pagó. También le entregó a la iglesia documentos bancarios falsos alegando haber iniciado una transferencia bancaria.

Los agentes arrestaron a Olivares en su casa en Southwest 126th Avenue, a aproximadamente media milla de la iglesia en la zona de Tamiami del condado, el sábado.

Enfrenta cargos de hurto mayor en primer grado, falsificación de documentos y una violación de ordenanza del condado por ejercer contratación sin licencia.

Hasta el lunes, el ciudadano venezolano permanecía en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $30,150. Los registros muestran que deberá demostrar que el dinero de la fianza proviene de una fuente legítima antes de que las autoridades lo pongan en libertad.

La misma iglesia fue noticia el pasado noviembre tras el arresto de un sacerdote por una presunta disputa relacionada con un “cartel de contenido político”. Sin embargo, su caso ya no aparece en los registros judiciales de Miami-Dade.

El tiroteo ocurrió poco después de las 10:45 a.m. en el área de Northwest 25th Avenue y 38th Street.

Un video del Sky 10 mostró a oficiales de policía y cinta de la escena del crimen en la zona industrial.

Según Miami Fire Rescue, los paramédicos trasladaron a la víctima al Centro de Trauma Ryder del JMH en “condición grave pero estable”.

La oficial Kiara Delva, portavoz del Departamento de Policía de Miami, dijo que los investigadores estaban analizando “las circunstancias que rodearon el tiroteo” al filo de las 11 a.m.

Atlanta also receives the right to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.

The 6-foot-3 Reese averaged 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds in her two seasons with Chicago, earning All-Star honors each year while finishing as the runner-up for rookie of the year in 2024.

"Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” general manager Dan Padover said in a statement released by the Dream. “She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision. This is an exciting moment for our organization and our fans.”

Reese, 23, was the No. 7 overall pick by Chicago in the 2024 WNBA draft after leading LSU to the 2023 national championship.

The trade comes after Reese expressed frustrations late in last season's 10-34 finish for the Sky. She told the Chicago Tribune that she “might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me” if the team didn't improve its outlook. She later apologized to the team for the comments.

“I’m not settling for the same ... we did this year,” Reese told the newspaper. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me. I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason.

“So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”

The Sky suspended Reese for half of a game for comments deemed “detrimental to the team.” The team listed her as dealing with a back injury for its final three games, raising speculation about her long-term future in Chicago.

"This trade is designed to achieve roster balance and represents a great opportunity for all parties,” Chicago general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement released by the Sky.

“Angel has achieved many record-breaking milestones in her first two years in the WNBA and has been a competitive force for the Sky. We are thankful for her many important contributions to this league and this game, and we know she will continue to have a big impact on the court and beyond. We wish Angel all the best in her next chapter.”

Reese averaged 14.7 points last season and led the WNBA with 12.6 rebounds per game. She joins an Atlanta roster that boasts other established stars and flourished under the leadership of coach Karl Smesko.

Allisha Gray finished fourth in the MVP voting last season. Rhyne Howard became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 300 career 3-pointers. Naz Hillmon was named Sixth Player of the Year and Brionna Jones was an All-Star.

“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”

Atlanta set a franchise record with 30 wins in 2025. Smesko said Reese will add elite skills.

“Angel’s ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor is elite,” Smesko said. “Her energy, toughness and instincts will thrive in our system, and we’re excited to integrate her into the style of play we are constructing here in Atlanta.”

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

The shooting happened just after 10:45 a.m. in the area of Northwest 25th Avenue and 38th Street.

Video from Sky 10 showed police officers and crime scene tape in the industrial area.

According to Miami Fire Rescue, medics took the victim to JMH’s Ryder Trauma Center in “serious but stable condition.”

Officer Kiara Delva, a spokesperson for the Miami Police Department, said investigators are looking into “the circumstances surrounding the shooting” as of around 11 a.m.

Widespread severe weather is not expected, but a few storms may briefly become strong or severe with high wind gusts and heavy downpours.

There is a low-end threat — Level 1 out of 4 — for flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday. This is mostly for localized urban flooding — isolated incidents in city areas that are low-lying in elevation or have poor drainage.

MONDAY

The East Coast metros should stay mostly dry through Monday afternoon, aside from a few pop-up showers. We will be watching later to see how a cluster of thunderstorms develops over the Everglades Monday evening and overnight.

TUESDAY

Models are signaling that this cluster of storms will eventually migrate eastward and be centered over the I-95 corridor early Tuesday morning (roughly 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.) This could cause some morning commute issues. After this round of storms Tuesday morning, there will be some breaks in the rain around midday.

Additional sunshine and heating will refuel the atmosphere for another round of storms Tuesday afternoon/evening (around 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.) These will be pop-up storms and scattered, so it will be difficult to pinpoint the timing for specific communities until they begin developing.

WEDNESDAY

We should see a general break in the rain late Tuesday night through the first half of the day Wednesday, but a brief shower will still be possible at any given time. Then, another round of heavy showers and thunderstorms is likely mid-afternoon Wednesday until a couple hours after sunset (around 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., +/- an hour).

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

The Bruins were a unanimous choice from the 31-member national media panel, ending the season as the top choice for the first time in school history. Their first No. 1 ranking came after they also beat South Carolina in November 2024.

The Gamecocks were second behind the Bruins with Final Four participants UConn and Texas third and fourth, respectively. The Huskies, who have finished in the top 10 of the final poll for 33 straight years, had been the No. 1 team all season until Monday. They had been unbeaten until a loss to South Carolina on Friday.

No. 5 Duke, No. 6 TCU and No. 7 Michigan, which all reached the Elite Eight, followed the Longhorns. LSU was eighth and Notre Dame ninth. The Fighting Irish made the biggest leap in the poll, climbing 13 spots after reaching the regional final with an upset of Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16.. The Commodores were 10th.

Celebrating history

The Bruins are one of only three teams that were in both the first women’s basketball poll 50 years ago and the final Top 25 this season. Maryland and Baylor are the other two. The Terrapins ended the season ranked 20th and the Bears were 23rd.

Ranked Cavaliers

No. 19 Virginia earned its first ranking since 2011 after reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time in 26 years. They also became the first team that played in the First Four to reach the regional semifinals.

Even with their success, the Cavaliers made a coaching change over the weekend, firing Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. The Cavaliers had been a mainstay in the poll until dropping out on Nov. 10, 2011.

Conference supremecy

The SEC and the Big Ten each had eight teams in the final Top 25 of the season. The ACC had five and The Big 12 three. The Big East had one.

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Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

For the Wolverines to go down as one of college basketball's best ever, they'll have to do it one more time by taking down a UConn program seeking its third national title in four seasons.

The teams meet Monday night in the NCAA championship game, bringing down the curtain on a March Madness full of surprises and fun — and highlighted by two finalists that have been shooting for history in their own distinct ways.

At Michigan, a roster freshly constructed out of last year's transfer portal, has become the first team to score 90-plus points in five straight tournament games in the same season. On the other end, 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara leads a defense that amassed eight or more blocks in the first four games of the tournament — the first time that's happened since blocks became an official stat in the 1980s.

The Wolverines (36-3) had only three swats against Arizona, but that was a 91-73 win in a game that was supposed to be the best of the tournament but turned into something else. Michigan is trying to become the fifth team to win six tournament games by a dozen or more. The last two: the UConn title teams in 2023 and '24.

“We have a team that we think is elite,” coach Dusty May said. “But we also know that means nothing. You still have to do all the things that got you to this point, and you have to weather storms. You have to handle success.”

No program has done that better over the past four years than UConn (34-5) — a feat made more impressive by the landscape it must navigate.

Coach Dan Hurley has used the transfer portal in a more targeted way than Michigan — for instance, he nabbed Tarris Reed Jr. from the Wolverines but also has a UConn lifer in Alex Karaban — to keep the program near the top in an era of quick change.

“We want to have a lot of continuity,” Hurley said. “Our culture is unique. It’s specific. It takes a certain type of player to play for me.”

UConn comes into the game as a 6 1/2-point underdog, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, the third straight game the oddsmakers have picked the Huskies to lose. Bad bet, so far. Braylon Mullins produced the moment of the tournament so far with his 3-pointer to cap UConn's 19-point comeback against Duke to get the Huskies to the Final Four.

If they defy the odds again, they'll become the first program to win three titles in four years since the UCLA dynasty of the 1960s and '70s.

“The last thing we’re thinking about now, as we prepare for one of these teams, is dynasty,” Hurley said after the Illinois win. “We’re gonna go watch this one and go through the preparation and focus on just ... trying to — whoever we play — try to win the game.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

According to an arrest report, the incident happened Feb. 26 in the 12300 block of Southwest 283^rd Street, and the suspect, Keisha Dotson Dardy, was arrested last Thursday.

Deputies said Dardy and the victim are ex-girlfriends who have dated on and off for several years.

According to deputies, on the night of Feb. 26, the two women got into a “heated dispute” after Dardy accused the victim of eating the last mushroom chocolate.

The arrest report states that the verbal altercation quickly escalated when Dardy pulled out a knife and “made a stabbing motion towards the victim, causing her injury.”

Deputies said the victim sustained a laceration to the left side of her head from the attack and was transported by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to Jackson South Medical Center.

Authorities said Dardy fled the scene after 911 was called.

According to the report, Dardy was initially arrested Thursday on unrelated charges, but now faces charges of aggravated battery with a weapon.

A deputy noted in the arrest report that Dardy was “highly intoxicated and erratic” at the time of her arrest.

As of Monday morning, Dardy was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Online jail records show she also faces a charge of battery/domestic violence in a separate case and is being held without bond on a probation warrant for interference with custody and contributing to the delinquency of a child.

You might be a fighter against book bans, like Valerie Byrd Fort at the University of South Carolina; or a mentor for graduate students researching biomedicine, like Joanne Doucette at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, or transform a dark basement into a gathering space for families, like Mary Anne Russo at the Hubbard Public Library in Ohio.

They are among 10 recipients of the I Love My Librarian Award, which comes with a $5,000 cash prize and a $750 stipend for the American Library Association's annual convention, held this year in Chicago from June 25-29. The winners were selected from a pool of more than 1,300 submissions by library patrons who explain how a “librarian made a difference in your life or gone above and beyond to serve your community.”

“We recognize the remarkable contributions these 10 librarians make for our communities, for learning, for our health and for the public good,” ALA President Sam Helmick said in a statement Monday. “These librarians are people who power possibility in our neighborhoods, our schools, and our places of higher learning. Their leadership, creativity, and innovation strengthen the communities they serve, and we are proud to honor them.”

Other winners include Tracy Fitzmaurice from Jackson County, North Carolina, praised by the ALA as a “transformative leader for rural libraries”; Deb Sica of the Alameda County Library, in Fremont, California, a champion of diversity and intellectual freedom; Zachary Stier, who has worked for years on literacy projects at the Ericson Public Library, in Boone, Iowa; and Christine Szeluga of New Jersey's Cranford High School, where she secured grants for a podcast studio and history archive.

Also cited were Mahasin Ameen, whose initiatives at Indiana University cover everything from health literacy to information literacy; Mia Gittlen, who transformed the shuttered library at California's Milpitas High School; and Jenny Cox of South Carolina's Georgetown Middle School who worked to boost funding for thousands of new books.

The awards, established in 2008, are presented by the ALA, the New York Public Library and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

According to an end of service announcement published on the tech giant's U.S. support website, Samsung Messages will be discontinued in July. Impacted owners of Samsung smartphones and other gadgets are being asked to switch to Google Messages in the meantime, “to maintain a consistent messaging experience on Android.”

All Samsung Galaxy phones run on Google's Android operating system. To switch to Google Messages, Samsung's website gives users instructions to download the app from the Play Store, if not already on their phone, and set it as the default. Some people may also receive an in-app notification to guide them through the process.

Samsung says switching to Google Messages will give users access to updates like the latest artificial intelligence features from Google's Gemini — which includes an experimental feature called “Remix” to generate images during conversations and AI-powered reply suggestions — and the ability to share higher quality photos between Android and Apple iOS devices through RCS-enabled messages.

Users of older Android operating systems (dating back to Android 11 or older) will not be impacted by the end of Samsung Messages, the company noted. To check what Android OS you have on a Samsung device, open the settings app, click on “software information” and scroll to “Android version.”

Meanwhile, owners of Samsung's latest Galaxy 26 lineup and other newer phones cannot download the Samsung Messages app from the Galaxy Store today.

All devices will no longer be able to download Samsung Messages after it's officially discontinued in July, the company noted. Samsung said users can check their app for the exact date for when service will go offline.

Beyond the U.S., Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for further information about whether its guidance for Samsung Messages was the same globally.

Deputies said St. Kevin Catholic School, located at 4001 SW 127th Ave., contracted with Nestor Olivares in September 2024 to install 13 aluminum roof structures.

But an MDSO arrest report states that Olivares, 50, “failed to fulfill the terms of the agreement, neglecting to provide the agreed-upon materials or perform the work as outlined.”

On top of that, deputies said he didn’t even have a license.

Authorities said in February 2026, Olivares promised the school a full refund by Feb. 25, but never paid up. They said he also gave the church false bank paperwork claiming he had initiated a wire transfer.

Deputies arrested Olivares at his home on Southwest 126th Avenue, about a half-mile from the church in the county’s Tamiami area, on Saturday.

He faces charges of first-degree grand theft and forgery and a county ordinance violation of contracting without a license.

As of Monday, the Venezuelan national remained in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $30,150 bond. Records show he’ll have to prove that any bond money came from a legitimate source before authorities will let him out of jail.

The same church made headlines last November after deputies arrested a priest after an alleged dispute over a “politically-inclined poster.” But his case no longer appears in Miami-Dade court records.

Last Sunday, the Mexican army killed Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes “El Mencho”, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CNGJ) sparking several days of violence. Cartel members burned cars and blocked roads in nearly a dozen Mexican states.

“I had an excellent conversation earlier today with Mexico president, Claudia Sheinbaum,” Infantino said. “I reiterated our full confidence in the host country and look forward to it staging all scheduled matches there at what will be the most inclusive and the greatest FIFA World Cup ever.”

Mexico is set to host 13 World Cup matches, four of them in the western city of Guadalajara, in the Jalisco state, the central hub for the Jalisco cartel.

“I spoke by phone with FIFA President Gianni Infantino; we continue working as usual to successfully host the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Sheinbaum posted on X. “We reaffirm our confidence in the country.”

Sheinbaum has vowed this week there was “no risk” for visitors, but on Thursday the World Cup diving event set to be held in a Guadalajara suburb next week was canceled over security concerns.

Earlier in the week the Portuguese soccer federation said it was “closely monitoring the delicate situation” ahead of a friendly match against Mexico’s national team in Mexico City.

Infantino said earlier this week in Colombia that he was convinced that “everything will go as smoothly as possible.”

Besides the four World Cup matches, the western city of Guadalajara is scheduled to host an international playoff in late March. New Caledonia will play Jamaica and the winner will face Congo for a spot in the tournament.

The president of the Jamaica Football Federation, Michael Ricketts, said this week that his organization is closely monitoring the situation in Mexico ahead of the Reggae Boyz’ scheduled international matches next month.

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

Surveillance video showed Dionisio Oliva trying to break into a woman’s home on March 21 and March 29 along Southwest 126 Court, near 211 Street, records show.

Before the first burglary, Oliva claimed he wanted to take possession of a scooter that was at the woman’s house, according to M-DSO deputies.

“Tked the defendant to leave, and when she turned around to shut the door, the defendant attempted to gain entry to the residence,” a deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.

Oliva left the house with the scooter, but not before throwing rocks at the woman’s house, according to M-DSO deputies’ arrest report.

“One of the rocks shattered the glass and landed on her kitchen floor,” a M-DSO deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.

Oliva returned to the woman’s home on March 29 armed with a machete to try to break “the door handle,” according to the arrest report.

Deputies arrested Oliva at 7:50 p.m. on April 3 at his home in the area of Southwest 112 Place and 222 Street, according to the arrest report.

Oliva faced three charges: Two counts of armed attempted burglary and shooting or throwing a deadly missile.

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

Vinícius spoke Monday, less than a week after Yamal criticized the chants by Spanish fans in Spain’s friendly against Egypt last Tuesday. Yamal, who is Muslim, said the chants were disrespectful and intolerable.

Vinícius, a Brazil international, has been often subjected to racist taunts while playing in Europe and is vocal about the fight against racism. He said “it's always complicated” to talk about the subject but “these things happen a lot.”

“Hopefully we can continue with this fight,” he said. “It's important that Lamine speaks about it. It could help others. We are famous, we have money, we can balance these things better, but the poor people and the Blacks who are everywhere, they surely struggle more than we do. So we have to stick together, those who have a stronger voice, the players …”

In a Champions League match last month in Lisbon, Vinícius accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of calling him a monkey after the Brazil forward celebrated in front of the home fans when he scored for Madrid. Benfica fans insulted Vinícius from the stands.

“I'm not saying that Spain or Germany or Portugal are racist countries, but there are racists in these countries, and in Brazil and other countries as well,” Vinícius said. “But if we keep fighting together, I think future players and people in general won't have to go through this again.”

Vinícius spoke on the eve of the first leg between Madrid and Bayern Munich in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

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

According to an arrest report, Kimani Kirk Simons, of Miramar, was arrested Friday afternoon after the Miami Gardens Police Department’s Stolen Vehicle Unit was notified that a vehicle fled from Miramar police.

The arrest report, however, does not state whether the Lamborghini was stolen nor does it state why police were initially trying to conduct a traffic stop.   

According to the report, the SUV, which had a New Jersey tag, fled south from Palm Avenue and Miramar Parkway before making an “aggressive U-turn” from the southbound lane to continue northbound from Northwest 187th Street and 47th Avenue.

A Miami Gardens police officer then activated their vehicle’s lights and sirens, but Simons refused to stop, authorities said.

Police said Simons was traveling at a high rate of speed and ran a red light before eventually crashing into another vehicle in the area of Northwest 199^th Street and 37^th Avenue.

According to the report, Simons and his passenger bailed out of the SUV, but Simons was detained a short distance away.

He was arrested on charges of aggravated fleeing/eluding police, leaving the scene of a crash without serious injury, resisting an officer without violence and reckless driving causing damage to property or a person.

The Lamborghini was towed from the scene.

As of Monday morning, Simons was no longer appearing in the online jail database.

The News Media Guild, the union that represents AP journalists, said more than 120 of the staff members it represents received buyout offers on Monday.

The news organization is becoming more focused on visual journalism and developing new revenue sources, particularly through companies investing in artificial intelligence, to cope with the economic collapse of many legacy news outlets. Once the lion’s share of AP’s revenue, big newspaper companies now account for 10% of its income.

“We’re not a newspaper company and we haven’t been for quite some time,” Julie Pace, executive editor and senior vice president of the AP, said in an interview.

Despite changes – the company has doubled the number of video journalists it employs in the United States since 2022 – remnants of a staffing structure built largely to provide stories to newspapers and broadcasters in individual states have remained.

That has its roots well back in American history; the AP was started in the mid-19th century by New York newspapers looking to share the costs of reporting outside their immediate territory.

Exact numbers of staff reduction unclear

The number of AP journalists who will lose jobs is murky, in part intentionally. The AP does not say how many journalists it employs, though it has a large international presence as well as its U.S. staff. Pace said the AP's goal is to reduce its global staff by less than 5%.

Since buyouts are being offered now to only U.S. journalists, it stands to reason that the cut among that workforce will be more than 5%. Whether there are layoffs depends on how many people take the offer, Pace said.

“The AP employs hundreds of talented journalists who are willing and able to adjust to the changing media landscape,” the union said in a statement. “However, the company refuses to offer them appropriate training and tools. Instead, AP continues to get rid of experienced staff and flirt with artificial intelligence — ignoring the opportunity to differentiate AP news stories as ones that are and always will be created by human journalists.”

The union said AP ignored a request last week to bargain over artificial intelligence. The news outlet had no immediate comment on that claim, or the union's estimate of how many people were offered buyouts. It's not clear whether the buyout offers were concluded by Monday afternoon.

Over the past four years, the AP’s revenue from newspapers has declined by 25%. Gannett and McClatchy, two of the largest traditional newspaper publishers, dropped AP in 2024.

In recent days, the company learned that Lee Enterprises — publishers of newspapers like The Buffalo News, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Richmond Times-Dispatch — is seeking an early exit from a contract due to expire at the end of 2026.

Pace said the buyout plan was in the works before learning about Lee Enterprises. “We made a decision earlier this year that we needed to be bolder in this transformation,” she said.

An even higher focus on the day’s biggest stories

Besides the transition to more video capabilities, the AP is deploying rapid-response teams where staff members, no matter their geographic base, contribute to the day’s big stories, she said. The AP is putting more journalists on beats to break news on topics of known customer interest. But it is committed to maintaining a presence in all 50 states.

“The AP is not in trouble,” Pace said. “We’re making these changes from a position of strength but we’re doing so now to recognize our changing customer base.”

Those customers now are dominated by broadcast, digital and technology companies, an illustration of where people are getting news. The AP has seen 200% growth in revenue from technology companies over the last four years, said Kristin Heitmann, senior vice president and chief revenue officer.

The AP was among the first news outlets to make a deal with an AI company, agreeing in 2023 to lease part of its text archive to OpenAI as it built out its capabilities. The AP launched on Snowflake Marketplace last year to license data directly to enterprises building their own system. It has launched AP Intelligence, a division designed to sell data to financial and advertising sectors, for example.

Google contracted with AP last year to deliver news through the Gemini chatbot, the tech giant’s first deal with a news publisher.

“If you can think of a large technology company,” Heitmann said, “they are a customer of ours.”

Predictions markets now part of the picture for AP

Last month, the AP agreed to sell U.S. elections data to Kalshi, the world’s largest predictions market.

AP’s long tradition in counting and analyzing elections data is another growth area; the company saw a 30% increase in customers between the 2020 and 2024 cycles. It got an additional boost last year when ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN signed on to the service.

The company, traditionally a wholesaler of news to other companies, has also seen growing interest in its direct-to-consumer product, apnews.com, which provides revenue through advertising and donations.

The new business frontiers do not indicate a weakening in the AP’s standards of providing fast, accurate, non-biased news, leaders said. “If anything, it makes it more important that we retain these values as we make the transition,” Pace said.

The AP is trying new forms of fact-checking, including use of video, and more often putting its journalists in public to explain how they got particular stories, she said.

“I think that authenticity, and the fact that you can associate a real person who is often quite experienced and quite deep on their beats … it builds more credibility,” she said. “We’re really trying to embrace that because I do think it’s vital when there is so much misinformation out there.”

Trump posted late Sunday on his social media platform Truth Social that he has known Hilton for years and called the conservative commentator “a truly fine man” who could turn around a state beset with notoriously high taxes. California, Trump wrote, “has gone to hell.”

“With Federal help, and a Great Governor, like Steve Hilton, California can be better than ever before!” Trump added.

The endorsement — coming about a month before mail ballots go to voters in advance of the June 2 primary — will help Hilton coalesce conservative support in a race with no clear leader. However, Trump is widely unpopular in heavily Democratic California outside his conservative base and Trump's backing would become a liability if Hilton faces a Democrat in the November election.

With a large field, Democrats have been fearful that a quirk in the state's unusual “top two” primary system could allow only two Republicans to reach the November general election ballot — Hilton and GOP rival Chad Bianco, the Riverside County sheriff. Trump's decision — a strong signal to undecided conservative voters — will make that outcome less likely by helping Hilton lure additional support.

Democratic consultant Paul Mitchell called Trump's decision “the safe bet” for Republicans. Rather than cling to a long shot hope that both Republicans reach the November ballot — or risk that both Hilton and Bianco fall short — Trump's blessing should consolidate support behind Hilton and allow him to emerge from a large primary field and reach November.

“Having a Republican on the top of the ticket is essential" to drive turnout in critical down-ballot races, with control of the U.S. House in play," Mitchell added. In an unpredictable, wide-open race, the smart play for the GOP is to “get one Republican on the ballot.”

There are more than 50 candidates on the ballot — including eight established Democrats and along with Hilton and Bianco, the two leading Republicans. An all-GOP general election is possible in California, which puts all candidates on one primary ballot and only the top two vote-getters advance to November, regardless of party.

Polling in early February by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found the field had broken into two distinct groups, with Bianco, Hilton and three Democrats — U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, former Rep. Katie Porter and billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer — in close competition, with other candidates trailing.

In a statement, Hilton thanked Trump for his support and promised to grow jobs and bring down the state's punishing cost of living. “Together we can turn things around,” Hilton said.

Republicans have not won a statewide election in California in two decades. Registered Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in the state by nearly 2-to-1.

Los representantes demócratas Pramila Jayapal, por Washington, y Jonathan Jackson, por Illinois, se entrevistaron con el presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel, el canciller Bruno Rodríguez y miembros del Parlamento de la isla. También fueron a hospitales y hablaron con religiosos locales, informaron durante un encuentro con un reducido grupo de periodistas el fin de semana.

A su vez mantuvieron encuentros con disidentes como Manuel Cuesta Murúa, líder de el Consejo para la Transición Democrática, uno de los grupos opositores más importantes en la isla, confirmó The Associated Press con el activista. La visita se inició el miércoles y terminó el domingo.

“Pudimos constatar de primera mano los efectos exactos de nuestra política y de lo que consideramos un bloqueo ilegal al suministro energético de esta isla”, expresó Jayapal.

“Queremos asegurarnos de que nuestra política exterior en Estados Unidos no sea ajena a nuestros propios valores. Por ello, estamos aquí para ejercer nuestra labor de supervisión y para escuchar a la gente”, agregó Jackson. “Esta es, en la actualidad, la región más sancionada del planeta".

El presidente Donald Trump impuso en enero un cerco energético a la isla luego de su ataque a Venezuela –un aliado estratégico de Cuba—, lo que obligó a países como México y Rusia a cortar sus envíos de petróleo Cuba.

La semana pasada y por primera vez en el año el buque ruso Anatoly Kolodkin llegó a la isla con 730.000 barriles de crudo luego de que Trump no impidiera su paso. La isla apenas produce el 40% del combustible que consume.

Las consecuencias de la falta de combustible se hicieron sentir rápidamente en la población, que ya sufría un lustro de crisis económica: apagones nacionales, desabastecimiento de gasolina y racionamiento, ausencia de transporte público, recortes en las jornadas laborales, hospitales y cirugías paralizadas y suspensión de vuelos, entre otros.

El congresista Jackson dijo que se alegraba de que Trump no se interpusiera en el paso del petrolero Anatoly Kolodkin permitiendo un “alivio” a la tensa situación.

La Habana y Washington reconocieron en las semanas pasadas que hubo contactos al más alto nivel, pero no trascendieron los detalles.

Consultada sobre su alcance, la congresista Jayapal indicó que esos acercamientos son incipientes.

“Ha habido diálogo o al menos, creo que los inicios de un diálogo”, expresó Jayapal. “No creo que se alcanzara la etapa de negociación de la que se nos habló, pero sí creo que existe el deseo de asegurar que haya una negociación real, que se produzca una discusión y negociación”.

El lunes la cuenta en X del presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel publicó fotos del encuentro con los legisladores y aseguró que habían hablado sobre el impacto de las sanciones estadounidenses y las “amenazas de acciones aun más agresivas” por parte de Trump.

“Reiteré la voluntad de nuestro gobierno para sostener un diálogo bilateral serio y responsable y encontrar soluciones a las diferencias existentes”, escribió Díaz-Canel.

Los legisladores indicaron que a su regreso harán un informe y continuarán trabajando en las iniciativas de otros colegas en la Cámara de Representantes para levantar la sanciones a la isla.

“O bien ayudamos a estas personas a permanecer en sus hogares y a llevar una vida sana y normal, o bien se producirá una migración masiva hacia Estados Unidos. Lo que la gente no hará es quedarse aquí simplemente a sufrir y morir”, dijo Jackson.

The incident occurred just before 2:45 a.m. Saturday in the area of Northwest 135^th Street and 47^th Avenue.

According to an arrest report, Yovany Izquierdo, 53, who was not involved in the fatal crash, was driving a red pickup truck west on Northwest 135^th Street when he failed to stop and crashed into the right side of the deputy’s vehicle.

The deputy said she made contact with Izquierdo, of Miami, and noticed that he had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and his breath smelled of an alcoholic beverage.

According to the report, another deputy then responded to the scene and Izquierdo agreed to perform a field sobriety test, which he failed.

He was then placed under arrest.

Deputies said while sitting inside the backseat of an MDSO vehicle, Izquierdo agreed to provide two breath samples, which showed he had a breath-alcohol level of .245 and .251, well above Florida’s legal limit of 0.08.

Izquierdo faces charges of DUI and DUI involving damage to property or a person.

MDSO confirmed that the deputy involved in the incident sustained minor injuries and was treated at the scene.

As of Monday morning, Izquierdo was no longer appearing in the online jail database.

It’s Peking One on North Kendall Drive.

Inspectors documented everything from rodent droppings and roach activity to unsafe food handling and filthy conditions, a combination that is simply unacceptable for any establishment serving the public.

What’s even more troubling, when inspectors returned the very next day, many of those same violations were still there, showing a failure to fix serious problems immediately.

Below is a list of places ordered shut last week and their violations.

No restaurants in Broward County or the Florida Keys were ordered shut down last week.

All of the places mentioned were allowed to re-open following an ordered cleanup and re-inspection.

**PEKING ONE

KENDALL PARK PLAZA

16229 SW 88TH STREET (NORTH KENDALL DRIVE)

WEST KENDALL

ORDERED SHUT 3/30

70 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 40 rodent droppings inside an empty walk in cooler used as single services items storage inside kitchen area. Observed approximately 15 rodent droppings behind water heater in back storage area. Observed approximately 8 rodent droppings on dry storage shelf in back dry storage area.”

“Roach excrement and/or droppings present. Observed approximately 30 roach droppings on top of a plastic container inside the empty walk in cooler.”

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed one flying insect in the air inside personal employee restroom.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed dead roach on the floor inside employee restroom.”

“Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed raw chicken stored over cooked noodles inside walk in cooler.”

“Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. Observed raw chicken stored over raw beef inside walk in cooler.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed sprouts (57F - Cold Holding) chicken (45F - Cold Holding); breaded chicken (44F - Cold Holding) raw chicken (43F - Cold Holding) at the reach in cooler located across the cook line.”

“Shell eggs not stored at an ambient air temperature of 45 degrees Fahrenheit or less. Observed several raw shelled eggs on top of prep table at ambient air temperature.”

“Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food. Observed non food grade bags used to store frozen shrimp and pork inside white chest freezer near front counter.”

“Employee coughed, sneezed, used a handkerchief or disposable tissue then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed male employee coughing and immediately touching clean utensils at the cook line.”

“Container of medicine improperly stored. Observed prescription medicine bottles stored on shelf above prep table in kitchen.”

“Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Observed sanitizing solution stored next to single service articles.”

“Wiping cloth sanitizer solution exceeds the maximum concentration allowed. Observed chlorine sanitizer solution at 200+PPM in sanitizer bucket. Operator add more water. Finale reading: Sanitizer Bucket (Chlorine 100ppm) Corrected On-Site.”

“Equipment in poor repair. Observed reach in cooler in disrepair across from cook line.” Repeat Violation

“Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. Observed heavy grease accumulation on all reach-in freezer gaskets and soiled shelving throughout the walk-in cooler.” Repeat Violation

“Employee experiencing persistent sneezing, coughing, runny nose, or discharge from eyes working with food, clean equipment or utensils, and/or unwrapped single-service items. Observed male employee working at cook line with persistent coughing preparing food.”

“Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation.”

“Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items.”

“Food stored on floor. Observed bag of sugar stored on floor.”

“Stored food not covered. Observed container with wontons not covered inside chest freezer at kitchen entrance.”

“Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Observed several working containers with oils and seasonings with no labels.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed hood filters at the cook line soiled. Observed reach in cooler gaskets located across the cook line soiled.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed several food containers at the prep station soiled.”

“Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Observed white cutting board at prep table with cut marks and no longer cleanable.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed heavy accumulation of grease and grime on floors throughout the kitchen, including underneath the fryer, behind the chest reach in freezer, and along floor surfaces throughout the cooking area.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed wall behind cook line soiled. Observed wall next to cook line soiled.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed several ceiling vents soiled in kitchen and back prep area.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed kitchen ceiling tiles with water damage.”

“Ceiling tile missing. Observed ceiling tile on top of hand wash sink at kitchen entrance.”

“Ceiling not smooth, nonabsorbent and easily cleanable in food preparation, food storage, or ware washing areas.”

“Building components, attachments or fixtures in poor repair. Observed hood system at the cook line in disrepair.”

“Plumbing system in disrepair. Observed hand sink pipe is broken in dish area. Observed pipes underneath three compartment sink in disrepair.”

“Water leaking from pipe and/or faucet/handle. Observed pipe inside walk in cooler ventilation system leaking water.”

“Light not functioning. Observed lights in kitchen area not working properly.”

“Fifty (50) foot-candles of light not provided at a food working surface or where safety is a factor. Observed lack of adequate lighting in the kitchen area, inoperative/ burned-out light bulbs in the hood.”

“Bathroom facility not clean. Observed soiled employees bathroom inside kitchen area. Observed public bathroom not clean.”

“Bathroom facility in disrepair. Observed personal employee restroom in complete disrepair.”

“Bathroom door left open other than during cleaning or maintenance. Observed public restroom door left open.”

“Bathroom located inside establishment not completely enclosed with tight-fitting, self-closing doors. Observed personal employee restroom not self closing.”

“Bathroom waste receptacle not constructed of easily cleanable material. Observed public unisex bathroom waste receptacle unclean able.”

“Covered waste receptacle not provided in women’s bathroom. Observed public unisex restroom with uncovered waste receptacle.”

“Toilet/urinal not flushing/functioning properly. Observed employee restroom in back kitchen area not functioning properly.”

“Objectionable odors in bathroom or other areas of the establishment. Observed personal employee restroom with strong objectionable odor.”

“No soap provided at handwash sink. Observed no soap at hand wash station next to three compartment sink.”

“No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. Observed no paper towels at hand wash sink near three compartment sink.”

“No chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at three-compartment ware washing machine or wiping cloths. Observed no chlorine test kit for three compartment sink.”

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed aluminum scrunch inside hand wash sink.”

“Lack of toilet tissue at each toilet. Observed no toilet paper in employee restroom.”

“Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment.”

“Cleaned and sanitized equipment or utensils not properly stored. Observed clean utensils stored next to soiled utensils in back storage area.”

“Cloth used as a food-contact surface. Observed cloth used to cover food at the cook line.”

“Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Observed plastic bowl with no handle inside bin of salt.”

“Reuse of single-service or single-use articles. Observed single use cans being reused to store other sauces.”

“Single-service articles improperly stored. Observed single service articles store next to chemicals near dry storage area.”

“In-use knife/knives stored in cracks between pieces of equipment. Observed knifes stored between two reach in coolers.”

“In-use tongs stored on equipment door handle between uses. Observed a set of tongs stored on oven door handle.”

“Ice buildup in reach-in freezer and/or walk-in freezer. Observed ice buildup at both chest reach in freezer in establishment.”

“Reach-in cooler shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Observed reach-in cooler shelves with rust across wok stations.”

“Walk-in cooler/freezer shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Observed shelves with rust located inside walk in cooler.”

“Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside. Observed aluminum scrunch gap at screen exit door.”

“Screen in door torn/in poor repair. Observed back door screen in disrepair.”

“Hole in or other damage to wall. Observed damage to wall near back hand wash sink.”

“Cove molding at floor/wall juncture broken/missing. Observed missing cove molding at hand wash sink located at kitchen entrance.”

“Cardboard used on floor as anti-slip measure not replaced every day or when heavily soiled, whichever comes first. Observed soiled cardboard inside walk in cooler.”

“Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed. Observed current license not displayed. Observed license from October 1, 2025 posted on wall.”

“No waste receptacle installed at handwash sink provided with disposable towels located at right kitchen entrance.”

“No container installed for catching grease from hood drip tray. Observed no hood drip container at the cook line.”

“No Heimlich maneuver/choking sign posted.”

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 3/21

66 VIOLATIONS STILL EXISTED:

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Approximately 6 rodent droppings on the floor under cook line, 5 rodent droppings on the floor inside walk in cooler used as dry food storage, 6 rodent droppings on shelves above and behind food preparation counter and steam table.”

“Roach excrement and/or droppings present. Approximately 10 or more roach excrement on shelves behind steam table.”

“Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed raw chicken stored over cooked noodles inside walk in cooler.”

“Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. Observed raw chicken stored over raw beef inside walk in cooler.”

“Nonfood-grade bags used in direct contact with food. Observed nonfood grade bags used to store frozen shrimp and pork inside white chest freezer near front counter.”

“Employee coughed, sneezed, used a handkerchief or disposable tissue then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed male employee coughing and immediately touching clean utensils at the cook line.”

“Container of medicine improperly stored. Observed prescription medicine bottles stored on shelf above prep table in kitchen.”

“Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Observed sanitizing solution stored next to single service articles.”

“Wiping cloth sanitizer solution exceeds the maximum concentration allowed. Observed chlorine sanitizer solution at 200+PPM in sanitizer bucket. Operator add more water. Finale reading: Sanitizer Bucket (Chlorine 100ppm).”

“Equipment in poor repair. Observed reach in cooler in disrepair across from cook line.” Repeat Violation

“Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. Observed heavy grease accumulation on all reach-in freezer gaskets and soiled shelving throughout the walk-in cooler.” Repeat Violation

“Employee experiencing persistent sneezing, coughing, runny nose, or discharge from eyes working with food, clean equipment or utensils, and/or unwrapped single-service items. Observed male employee working at cook line with persistent coughing preparing food.”

“Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items.”

“Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation.”

“Food stored on floor. Observed bag of sugar stored on floor.”

“Stored food not covered. Observed container with wontons not covered inside chest freezer at kitchen entrance.”

“Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Observed several working containers with oils and seasonings with no labels.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed hood filters at the cook line soiled. Observed reach in cooler gaskets located across the cook line soiled.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed several food containers at the prep station soiled.”

“Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Observed white cutting board at prep table with cut marks and no longer cleanable.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed heavy accumulation of grease and grime on floors throughout the kitchen, including underneath the fryer, behind the chest reach in freezer, and along floor surfaces throughout the cooking area.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed wall behind cook line soiled. Observed wall next to cook line soiled.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed several ceiling vents soiled in kitchen and back prep area.”

“Plumbing system in disrepair. Observed pipes underneath three compartment sink in disrepair.”

“Water leaking from pipe and/or faucet/handle. Observed pipe inside walk in cooler ventilation system leaking water.”

“Light not functioning. Observed lights in kitchen area not working properly.”

“Fifty (50) foot-candles of light not provided at a food working surface or where safety is a factor. Observed lack of adequate lighting in the kitchen area, inoperative/ burned-out light bulbs in the hood.”

“Bathroom facility not clean. Observed soiled employees bathroom inside kitchen area. Observed public bathroom not clean.”

“Bathroom facility in disrepair. Observed personal employee restroom in complete disrepair.”

“Bathroom door left open other than during cleaning or maintenance. Observed public restroom door left open.”

“Bathroom located inside establishment not completely enclosed with tight-fitting, self-closing doors. Observed personal employee restroom not self-closing.”

“Bathroom waste receptacle not constructed of easily cleanable material. Observed public unisex bathroom waste receptacle unclean able.”

“Covered waste receptacle not provided in women’s bathroom. Observed public unisex restroom with uncovered waste receptacle.”

“Toilet/urinal not flushing/functioning properly. Observed employee restroom in back kitchen area not functioning properly.”

“Objectionable odors in bathroom or other areas of the establishment. Observed personal employee restroom with strong objectionable odor.”

“No soap provided at handwash sink. Observed no soap at hand wash station next to three compartment sink.”

“No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. Observed no paper towels at hand wash sink near three compartment sink.”

“No chemical test kit provided when using sanitizer at three-compartment ware washing machine or wiping cloths. Observed no chlorine test kit for three compartment sink.”

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed aluminum scrunch inside hand wash sink.”

“Lack of toilet tissue at each toilet. Observed no toilet paper in employee restroom.”

“Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment.”

**LA VITA E BELLA

9485 HARDING AVE.

SURFSIDE

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 3/30

7 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 2 live roaches on crawling on the floor in restroom near back storage area, observed 2 live roaches crawling under coffee machine at front counter inside the kitchen area, observed 1 live roach crawling on hand wash sink at front counter inside the kitchen.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 1 dead roach on the floor in front of restroom near dry storage area, 2 dead roaches on the floor in restroom behind garbage can.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food thawed in an improper manner. Observed 2 packs of salmon thawing submerged in water.”

“Employee with no hair restraint while engaging in food preparation. Observed employees engaged in food preparation with no hair restraint.”

“No currently certified food service manager on duty with four or more employees engaged in food preparation/handling.”

“Manager or person in charge lacking proof of food manager certification.”

“No proof of required state approved employee training provided for any employees.”

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 3/31

“Observed 1 live roach crawling on wall above hand wash sink in kitchen, 1 live roach crawling on coffee station counter inside kitchen, 2 live roaches crawling near register at front counter of kitchen, 1 live roach crawling on wall near fire extinguisher at entrance of kitchen, 1 live roach crawling on ceiling vent in storage room near restroom, 1 live roach crawling on the floor in front of restroom near storage room, 1 live roach crawling on floor near 3 compartment sink on cook line, 1 live roach crawling on prep table at cook line.”

“Observed 4 dead roaches in hand wash sink in kitchen, 3 dead roaches on coffee station in kitchen.”

Prodded by the Trump administration, the justices threw out an appellate ruling upholding Bannon’s conviction for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol.

The move frees a trial judge to act on the Republican administration’s pending request to dismiss Bannon’s conviction and indictment “in the interests of justice.”

The dismissal would be largely symbolic. Bannon served a four-month prison term after a jury convicted him of contempt of Congress in 2022. A federal appeals court in Washington had upheld the conviction.

The justices also issued a similar order in the case of former Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, who was pardoned by Trump last year.

Sittenfeld had served 16 months in federal prison after a jury convicted him of bribery and attempted extortion in 2022. The high court order allows a lower court to consider dismissing his indictment.

The Justice Department brought the case against Bannon during Democrat Joe Biden’s presidency, but it changed course after Trump took office again last year.

Bannon had initially argued that his testimony was protected by Trump’s claim of executive privilege. But the House panel and the Justice Department contended such a claim was dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with the then-president in the run-up to the Capitol riot.

Bannon separately has pleaded guilty in a New York state court to defrauding donors to a private effort to build a wall on the U.S. southern border, as part of a plea deal that allowed him to avoid jail time. That conviction is unaffected by the Supreme Court action.

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According to FHP, the crash was reported at about 4:25 a.m. in the northbound lanes of the highway near Mile Marker 12.

Troopers said a Suzuki motorcycle collided with a red Nissan sedan.

The motorcyclist, identified only as an adult male, was ejected from his motorcycle and fell into the roadway, troopers said.

Authorities said he was pronounced dead at the scene.

All northbound lanes on the Turnpike were closed in the area with traffic being diverted onto Southwest 216^th Street. All lanes reopened just before 9:30 a.m.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the 1600 block of North Dixie Highway in Pompano Beach at about 2 a.m. Sunday after receiving reports of a body in the roadway.

Upon arrival, deputies found a man who had been shot. The man, identified as Rayon Sanchez, 40, of Pompano Beach, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.

BSO’s Homicide and Crime Scene units were called to investigate.

The 1600 block of North Dixie Highway was shut down for around four hours overnight, but the roadway has since reopened.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

Según la FWC, el incidente ocurrió alrededor de las 7 p.m. del sábado cerca del Miami Marine Stadium.

Los oficiales dijeron que la mujer de 21 años nadaba cuando fue golpeada por una moto acuática operada por Andy Vences.

Los oficiales dijeron que Vences huyó de la escena sin intentar ayudar a la víctima ni llamar al 911.

Sin embargo, videos y testigos pudieron ayudar a identificar a Vences como el operador de la moto acuática, dijeron las autoridades.

“No hay excusa para abandonar la escena de un accidente”, dijo el capitán del área de Miami-Dade, Rafael Almagro, en un comunicado. “Me complace que nuestros oficiales hayan podido aprehender rápidamente al sujeto para que pueda rendir cuentas.”

El estado de salud de la víctima aún no ha sido dado a conocer.

Vences fue arrestado el sábado por la noche bajo el cargo de abandonar la escena de un accidente de embarcación con lesiones sin reportarlo.

Vences fue registrado en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight tras su arresto, pero el lunes por la mañana ya no aparecía en la base de datos de reclusos en línea.

Los oficiales de la FWC animan a cualquier persona que sea testigo de una infracción náutica a reportarla llamando a la Línea de Alerta de Vida Silvestre de la FWC al 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922) o enviando un reporte en línea en MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert.

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Around 6:55 a.m., BSO deputies and fire rescue personnel responded to a medical call inside the Palm Garage at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

When they arrived, they found firefighter/paramedic Steven Lepselter unresponsive on the ground. He was transported to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Lepselter, 54, was ending his fire watch at the airport and preparing to head to his regular shift in Weston when he was found unresponsive in the parking garage.

He served Broward County for more than 19 years. He began his fire rescue career with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services in January 2007.

During his career, he worked in multiple specialized divisions, including the Airport, Seaport, Hazardous Materials, Air Rescue and the Training Division.

Lepselter’s cause of death has not yet been released.

“This loss of Firefighter/Paramedic Lepselter is deeply felt across our entire organization. Moments like this affect each of us in different ways. Throughout his career, he exemplified the values of BSO, consistently putting the needs of the community and his fellow team members above all else. He will be remembered not only for his commitment to the mission, but also for the lasting impact he had on those who had the privilege of working alongside him.”

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony

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It happened just before 7 a.m. at Oriental Rug Care, located at 3027 NW 12th Terrace in Oakland Park.

Video obtained by Local 10 News shows smoke coming from the vehicle after the collision.

In the video, someone gets out of the passenger side of the vehicle before pulling out what appears to be the driver.

Another video from inside the business’ break room shows a refrigerator busting open and flying across the room.

Business owner Hassan Ashwas said he received a call from police early Sunday morning, and they were stunned by what they saw in the surveillance footage.

“We looked at our video camera from the house and it showed an accident and cops,” he said.

The business cleans and repairs rugs for customers and wholesalers.

“We wash it here, we put it outside to dry in the sun and we hang it,” said Ashwas.

The area of the business where the rug cleaning happens wasn’t affected, but their garage door and front door were heavily damaged.

“There’s a little bit of structural damage,” said Ashwas. “Our front entrance is right here. It’s destroyed. The window here. And our garage door is bent. We can’t even open it.”

Ashwas worked throughout the afternoon to secure the building and board up the front, but he says they remain open for business.

A police investigation into the cause of the crash remains open.

Stephen Lepselter, un veterano empleado del BSO, bombero y paramédico, falleció el domingo por la mañana.

Las autoridades dijeron que sufrió una emergencia médica mientras estaba de servicio.

En una publicación en redes sociales, las autoridades dijeron que Lepselter aportó una pasión incomparable a su trabajo.

Llevaba trabajando para el condado desde 2007.

Según el portavoz, el personal de Ocean Rescue permaneció en la playa hasta las 7:30 p.m. del domingo para mantener seguros a los bañistas.

El domingo, banderas rojas de advertencia se alineaban en las playas del sur de Florida, y con razón.

“Es bastante poderosa, sin duda”, dijo Ethan Jacobson, visitante de la playa. “Si te adentras un poco, definitivamente te empujan con mucha facilidad.”

El peligro de corrientes de resaca a lo largo de la costa ha puesto en alerta a los visitantes de la playa.

“No soy nadador, así que me quedo cerca de la orilla”, dijo Ken Harris.

En varios momentos, se podía escuchar a los salvavidas hacer sonar sus silbatos para llamar la atención de los bañistas que se alejaban demasiado hacia el agua.

“Definitivamente hay que estar atento”, dijo Jacobson. “No puedes meterte ahí a ciegas. Las cosas malas pueden pasar rápido.”

El viernes, funcionarios de Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue dijeron que realizaron más de 50 rescates acuáticos y trasladaron a dos personas al hospital.

El domingo por la mañana, banderas rojas de advertencia se alineaban a lo largo de la playa, y con razón.

“Es bastante poderosa, sin duda”, dijo Ethan Jacobson, visitante de la playa. “Si te adentras un poco, definitivamente te empujan con mucha facilidad.”

El peligro de corrientes de resaca a lo largo de la costa ha puesto en alerta a los visitantes de la playa.

“No soy nadador, así que me quedo cerca de la orilla”, dijo Ken Harris.

En varios momentos, se podía escuchar a los salvavidas hacer sonar sus silbatos para llamar la atención de los bañistas que se alejaban demasiado hacia el agua.

“Definitivamente hay que estar atento”, dijo Jacobson. “No puedes meterte ahí a ciegas. Las cosas malas pueden pasar rápido.”

El viernes, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue informó que realizó más de 50 rescates acuáticos y trasladó al menos a dos personas al hospital.

Según FLFR, los salvavidas advirtieron a personas en áreas peligrosas más de mil veces.

Quienes desean disfrutar del océano dicen que quizás tomar el sol y construir castillos de arena es una mejor idea este fin de semana.

“Las banderas, les prestamos atención”, dijo Harris. “Lo entiendo, todos quieren divertirse, pero es algo serio.”

Según el FHP, el accidente fue reportado aproximadamente a las 4:25 a.m. en los carriles en dirección norte de la autopista, cerca de la Milla 12.

Los troopers dijeron que una motocicleta Suzuki colisionó con un sedán Nissan de color rojo.

El motociclista, identificado únicamente como un hombre adulto, fue proyectado de su moto y cayó sobre la calzada, dijeron los troopers.

Las autoridades dijeron que fue declarado muerto en la escena.

Todos los carriles en dirección norte del Turnpike están cerrados en el área y el tráfico está siendo desviado hacia Southwest 216th Street.

That all changed when he was 13. A family friend and babysitter came over to his house in Newton, Massachusetts and handed him a binder filled with accessible instructions for building a Middle Eastern palace. The instructions, written in braille, allowed him to complete the set without having to rely on the brightly colored pictures that typically come with Lego sets.

“This was the first time that I was able to build a Lego set on my own,” Shifrin said at his home, surrounded by sets he has built including a Statue of Liberty figurine and NASA's Apollo Saturn V rocket. “It was truly an amazing experience because I was completely in control of the whole building process. I knew where the pieces went and I was able to learn about the world around me.”

Inspired to reach more blind Lego builders

After Shifrin's babysitter died, he wanted to honor her memory. So he set about fine-tuning the instructions the two had posted online to reach other blind builders.

Three years ago, Shifrin launched Bricks for the Blind. The 28-year-old now works with a team of 30 sighted writers and blind testers. His website makes the downloadable instructions available for free to anyone who's blind or visually impaired. They can either print the step-by-step instructions in braille, use braille computers or turn to screen readers, which are software applications that convert the text into speech.

The instructions allow a blind person to build on their own, but Shifrin's website also says a sighted person might be needed to sort Lego bricks. Otherwise, the blind builder could turn to one of several apps that identify bricks using artificial intelligence.

So far, the nonprofit has created instructions for more than 540 Lego sets, ranging from a 100-piece car to a 4,000-piece bridge. About 3,000 builders have used their instructions across the United States and as far away as Australia.

Shifrin also approached the Denmark-based Lego Group in 2017 about making their products more accessible, which inspired the company to create audio and braille instructions for a growing number of Lego sets. That launched in 2019.

Separately, the company also introduced Lego Braille Bricks in 2020, which are available in French, English and Spanish, and feature studs on the bricks that correspond to letters, numbers and symbols. It also has introduced several characters in their sets with vision loss.

Blind parents, children and their families find connection

Shifrin, who also is an actor, composer and opera singer, said he has gotten messages from many people who couldn't build Lego until now.

He's heard from grandparents who are blind and say they're now able to build with their grandkids. “We couldn’t build with our kids. They didn’t want our help, but now we can teach our grandkids about Lego,’” Shifrin said. “Or blind parents who say, ‘My kids are sighted, they don’t want my help, but it’s amazing to really understand what all this hype about Lego is about because now I can build on my own

Daniel Millan, who lost his sight in 2024, turned to Bricks for the Blind after a tumor crushed his optic nerves. The 31-year-old master's student from San Diego, who's studying to be an assisted technology instructor, first completed a Lego ornament set. Then on his anniversary, he completed a Lego rose set with his wife.

“Being able to do it independently, it’s freedom,” he said, adding that his sudden vision loss left him wondering about what he wouldn't be able to do again.

But after building Lego sets, he soon learned that “It’s not about what I can’t do anymore. It’s more about what I can do,” he said.

Building with their children

For Natalie Charbonneau, who is blind, the instructions have allowed her to complete sets without relying on her sighted husband. It's also allowed her to have fun with her 5-year-old son — and build many fire trucks and other vehicles.

“If he has questions, I have the ability to check his work or to follow along instead of saying, ’You have to wait for your dad' or ‘You have to ask your dad.’ It’s something that I can now do with him as well, which is empowering,” she said. Charbonneau, a tester for Bricks for the Blind, is a doctoral student who lives in Bellingham, Washington.

Teri Turgeon, the education director for community programs at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts — where Shifrin went as a baby — said the accessible instructions allow blind children to experience the same pleasure as their sighted peers. It also helps them visualize a wider world and develop “fine motor and tactile skills.”

“He’s created a space around innovation and accessibility that was otherwise not there prior and he’s done so with a toy that children play with every day,” she said.

In the founder's Lego room

Back at his house, Shifrin helped fellow blind builder Minh Ha to build a go-kart. Ha grabbed Lego bricks and elements from two bowls and began to first put together a driver figurine.

“It’s just legs, torso, head, helmet. You’ve built this before. It’s a piece of cake. I believe in you,” Shifrin told her.

“Awesome,” she said with a smile. “All right, I’m gonna put the helmet on the head. And then … put the legs on the body.”

She reflected on a journey that began two years ago when she built a lotus flower.

“A lot of blind people have been left out of this cultural and kind of childhood phenomenon of being able to build Lego, play with Lego,” Ha said. “There is something incredibly satisfying and also relaxing to be able to put together these very intricate, very beautiful and architecturally complex builds.”

But on the 12-hour drive south to the capital, Tehran, daily life continued, with only occasional signs of the ongoing war, including a Shiite religious center that officials say was damaged by a recent airstrike.

Associated Press reporters made the journey on Saturday after crossing into Iran from Turkey. They gained a glimpse of the country at the center of a regional war that has jolted the world economy and shows no sign of ending five weeks after Khamenei was killed in the opening U.S. and Israeli salvo.

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.

A religious center damaged by an airstrike

The first major sign of the war's destruction came in the northwestern city of Zanjan, about six hours' drive from the border.

Iranian officials say an airstrike hit a religious community center, known as a husseiniyah, killing two people and destroying a clinic and a library. Other parts of the compound, some of which is centuries old, suffered damage, including its golden dome.

When asked about the strike, the Israeli military said it had hit “a military headquarters,” and that it tries to avoid harming civilian facilities, without elaborating.

“It has hurt me a lot and distressed me a lot,” said Somayeh Shojaei, a local resident who has attended religious and cultural events at the center. “With these airstrikes, (the U.S. and Israel) are showing their malicious intent to the whole world,” she said.

The strike killed the library's caretaker and a volunteer with the Iranian Red Crescent first responders, according to Jaafar Mohammadi, the provincial director of cultural and Islamic guidance.

He said poor people had received free treatment at the clinic and students had made use of the library that housed more than 35,000 books, including antique manuscripts.

He said he did not know why the complex was targeted.

“Iran wanted to negotiate for peace with (U.S. President Donald) Trump, but Trump responded with war,” Mohammadi said. “He started the war, but we will definitely be the victorious side.”

Life goes on in much of Iran despite fear and uncertainty

The U.S. and Israel have carried out thousands of strikes across the country, and Trump has threatened to bomb Iran “ back to the Stone Ages, where they belong.” Over the weekend, he reiterated a Monday deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for oil and gas.

Iran's surviving leaders have remained defiant and in control, rejecting what they say are unreasonable U.S. peace proposals. Israel has given no indication it plans to let up on its strikes, and has called on Iranians to overthrow their leaders.

Even as the war generates global turmoil — and fear and anxiety within Iran — daily life goes on.

In city after city on the road to Tehran, AP reporters saw normal traffic, businesses open and people walking the streets. A restaurant served Iranian delicacies like grilled lamb and rice, barley soup and saffron drinks as R.E.M.'s “Losing my religion” played on loudspeakers.

Many women could be seen going about their day without wearing the theocracy's mandatory head covering, the enforcement of which has eased in recent years.

The team passed through two checkpoints on the approach to Tehran without being stopped.

Destroyed government buildings and police stations in Tehran

The city was eerily quiet after midnight. There had been heavy airstrikes on the mountains overlooking the capital the previous night.

Tehran is on the front lines, having seen wave after wave of strikes that the U.S. and Israel say are aimed at the military and internal security forces. Authorities in Iran say over 1,900 people have been killed. It's unclear how many were soldiers or civilians.

The AP reporters saw several government buildings and police stations that had been destroyed. They passed a number of checkpoints operated by plainclothes Basij, an internal security force, and uniformed members of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

They were stopped once and asked to open the car and show press cards before being waved onward.

Fuel is heavily subsidized, such that a gallon (4 liters) of gasoline costs around 15 U.S. cents. But people are only allowed to purchase around 5 gallons (20 liters) at a time. There were no signs of gas lines.

Back in Zanjan, Mohamoud Maasoumi, a retired soldier, said the conflict with the U.S. — “the world's arrogance” — goes back to a 1953 CIA-backed coup that is seared into the minds of many Iranians. He expressed hope that Iran's leaders would defend the country.

“The enemy sees that we are not ever succumbing,” he said.

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Associated Press writer Sam Metz in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed.

Eventually, it was picked up by women, who took over Pilates for years.

But as our “Fresh Face” of the week explains, there’s a comeback stretching into South Florida.

The founder of Nofar Method has been a Pilates instructor for nearly two decades, and she recently opened a studio in Miami Beach.

“Really before I end up with school, I was so sure I would be a doctor... My dream was to work in the ER,” Nofar Hagag said.

But that’s not what life had in store for her.

Nofar was a great swimmer and played water polo in college.

It took her all the way from Israel to New York.

“I was a student-athlete and I got injured so many times during my career as an athlete, so Pilates actually helped me to find a balance between recovery between the season,” Nofar explained.

Pilates was actually created for recovery and healing through movement.

In the early 1900’s, a man named Joseph Pilates treated injured soldiers during World War I by using springs attached to hospital beds.

That mission is one Nofar still carries today, and one she built her entire method around.

“I love my clients,” she said. “They teach me to create those exercises because of all the issues they have.”

You might think most of those people she helps are women, but think again.

“The men really had a misconception about the benefit of Pilates,” she said.

But through Nofar Method, more men are stepping into the studio, and she says they’re there to stay.

“The nature of Nofar Method is athletic, unlike the classical Pilates, so the movement we are doing there – they speak more to the men’s body because they feel the change to the body,” Nofar said.

So far, she says her studio has seen a 40-percent increase in men from 2025 to 2026, and she believes that number will keep on climbing.

But for Nofar, it’s not about who you are, it’s about how you move.

“A 70-year-old person, a 20-year-old, a pregnant person, two guys that they want me to kill them and look for a challenge, how you can find exercise that make everyone in all levels happy and make everyone feel successful and want to come back?” she said. “It took me 10 years.”

So we had to ask, what would you say to someone who’s never tried Pilates before?

“Give me just one shot and I will change your life,” Nofar said.

Nofar says business is booming, and because of that, she’s expanding with a new studio location coming to Bay Harbor Islands.

For more information on how to join a class, click here.

On Sunday morning, red flag warnings lined the beach, and for good reason.

“It’s pretty powerful for sure,” said beachgoer Ethan Jacobson. “If you get out there a little bit, you definitely get pushed around pretty easily.”

The rip current danger along the coast has put beach visitors on notice.

“I’m not a swimmer so I stay close to shore,” said Ken Harris.

At times, lifeguards could be heard blowing their whistles to get the attention of swimmers who strayed too far into the water.

“Definitely gotta be aware,” said Jacobson. “You can’t go out there just blindly. Bad things can happen quick.”

On Friday, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said they performed over 50 water rescues, sending at least two people to the hospital.

According to FLFR, lifeguards warned people about dangerous areas over 1,000 times.

Those looking to enjoy the ocean say maybe tanning and building a sand castle is a better idea this weekend.

“The flags, we pay attention,” said Harris. “I get it, everybody wants to have a good time, but it’s serious stuff.”

According to Sweetwater police, officers were doing a sweep of Dolphin Mall after being notified of the threat.

After what officers called a “cursory search,” the mall was deemed safe and reopened to employees and patrons just before 11 a.m.

Sweetwater police said they will “continue to remain vigilant and maintain a high-visibility presence in the area” in order to provide an additional layer of public safety.

Additionally, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office released a statement Sunday afternoon, emphasizing that making false threats is not a prank, it’s a crime. The statement read, in part:

“These actions place innocent people, first responders, and entire communities at risk by diverting emergency resources from real emergencies. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office takes these incidents seriously and will investigate and pursue charges against those responsible.”

The contests are among the notable highlights of Wisconsin’s spring election, where races for judicial, municipal, educational and other traditionally nonpartisan offices will be decided beyond the din of the more explicitly partisan November elections.

In the race for the high court, state Appeals Court judges Chris Taylor and Maria Lazar are running to replace retiring Justice Rebecca Bradley from the court’s conservative bloc. Taylor is a former Democratic state representative who has endorsements from the court’s four sitting liberal justices. Lazar served as assistant state attorney general under former Republican Gov. Scott Walker. She is endorsed by conservative Justice Annette Ziegler, who announced in March she will not seek a third term in 2027.

This year’s contest has not generated the same level of attention as recent Wisconsin Supreme Court races, since the ideological balance of the bench is not at stake. But the winner will be a part of a panel that could be at the center of a political firestorm if there are any disputes related to either the 2028 presidential election or the next round of congressional redistricting in the early 2030s. Justices are elected to 10-year terms.

Liberals are looking for their fourth consecutive state Supreme Court victory. Liberal justices gained a 4-3 majority on the court in 2023 for the first time in 15 years after Justice Janet Protasiewicz won a seat previously held by a conservative. In 2025, Justice Susan Crawford joined the court and preserved the liberal majority after a campaign where Elon Musk and groups associated with him spent millions in support of a conservative candidate.

In any statewide election in Wisconsin, Democrats tend to win by large margins in the populous counties of Milwaukee and Dane (home to Madison), while Republicans win by wide margins in the smaller, more rural counties that stretch across most of the state. Republican candidates also tend to rely on strong showings in the “WOW” counties — Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington in suburban Milwaukee — which help counter Democratic advantages in urban areas. Victory is determined by how big those margins are in the respective party strongholds, as well as which side can win over the more competitive swing areas.

In the 2024 presidential election, then-Vice President Kamala Harris won Milwaukee County with 68% of the vote and Dane County with 75%, while narrowly losing statewide. In comparison, Protasiewicz and Crawford in their successful state Supreme Court races received 73% and 75% of the vote in Milwaukee County and 82% of the vote in Dane County. They both won statewide with double-digit margins of victory.

Protasiewicz and Crawford each also won more than 10 swing counties that voted for Trump in 2024, most notably in Brown County, home to Green Bay, which Trump carried in all three of his White House campaigns.

In the race for Waukesha mayor, Common Council President Alicia Halvensleben and state Rep. Scott Allen are running to replace Mayor Shawn Reilly, who is not seeking a fourth term. Allen has been one of the most conservative Republicans in the Legislature since his election in 2014. Halvensleben is the preferred candidate of the Waukesha County Democratic Party.

Reilly is an independent who left the Republican Party after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. He has endorsed Halvensleben.

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Recounts are not automatic in Wisconsin, but a trailing candidate may request one if the winning vote margin is less than a percentage point. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. local time, which is 9 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in the races for state Supreme Court and Waukesha mayor.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter in Wisconsin may participate in the spring election.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

As of April 1, there were about 3.6 million active registered voters in Wisconsin out of about 4.5 million eligible voting-age adults. Voters in the state do not register by party.

Nearly 2.4 million votes were cast in the 2025 spring election for state Supreme Court, which was about 62% of registered voters. About 29% of voters cast their ballots before election day.

As of Friday, nearly 281,000 ballots had already been cast.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2025 spring election, the AP first reported results in the race for state Supreme Court at 9:09 p.m. ET, or nine minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 2:12 a.m. ET with about 99% of total votes counted. The race was called at 10:16 p.m. ET.

When are early and absentee votes released?

In previous Wisconsin elections, counties varied in terms of when and how they released results from early and absentee voting. In the 2024 general election, roughly a third of the counties released all or most of their early and absentee voting results in the first vote update, while the rest released them throughout the night along with results from in-person Election Day voting.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 210 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

The tensions played a prominent role during last year's elections in Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia, and now they're sweeping through Arizona and Alabama, where once-sleepy contests are becoming political brawls.

Even national groups like Turning Point Action — better known for its role mobilizing young conservatives behind President Donald Trump — are getting involved by knocking on doors and texting campaign messages. The organization wants to curb environmentalists' influence over the Phoenix-area Salt River Project, the largest public utility in the country, in a Tuesday election.

The skirmishes are a preview for more campaigns later this year, when at least a half-dozen states will hold elections for utility regulators. That includes Georgia, where a second-straight hotly contested campaign is anticipated.

The burst of attention is dragging the behind-the-scenes politics of elected utility commissioners — long dominated by power brokers or monopolistic companies, critics say — into an intensely national debate over how to power artificial intelligence without driving up electricity costs.

"And that means suddenly there’s all this pressure,” said Dave Pomerantz of the Energy and Policy Institute, which pushes utilities to keep rates low and use renewable energy sources.

Arizona race draws massive players

In Tuesday's election that will determine control of Salt River Project, more than three times as many people requested early ballots than two years ago. Yard signs pepper street corners and ratepayers — they must own land to vote — are getting text messages, fliers and door-knockers.

The utility has already been under pressure to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels like coal and natural gas that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases. But now campaign organizations are converging on the race as the fast-growing Phoenix area becomes a destination for data centers and semiconductor factories. The utility projects that it will need to double its power capacity within a decade.

Two rival slates are vying for the board's majority. One is backed by Turning Point Action, which wants to stop “radical environmentalists.” The other is supported by the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which is opposing “oil-loving candidates.” Also involved are local chapters of progressive groups, energy interests, construction firms and data center developers.

“If they want to just overnight switch us to solar, there’s a reliability issue, there’s a cost issue there, and we just can’t keep up," said Jimmy Lindblom, a construction executive who formed the business-backed Arizonans for Responsible Growth. “We’d have blackouts. And so these things are really important to the growth of Arizona.”

Turning Point Action is putting its muscle behind the Arizonans for Responsible Growth slate. They're also using the election to build momentum ahead of this year's midterms in the battleground state.

The slate running as the “clean energy” team said Salt River Project's current majority is too eager to hook up to natural gas, raise rates and embrace data centers. They also said the board is too dismissive of clean energy technologies to meet spiking demand and offers no incentives to install solar panels.

“It’s insane, especially now,” said Randy Miller, a clean energy advocate on SRP's board.

About a dozen supporters gathered around picnic tables last week at a park in Tempe, arriving as the sun set to canvass for voters who had requested ballots but not returned them. After a brief pep talk, they fanned out.

Some voters were bothered by Turning Point's involvement.

“Very, very, very troublesome,” said Laura Kajfez, a 66-year-old retiree from Tempe. “We don’t need that intervention in our local politics. We have enough problems as it is."

In the last two elections, an average of 7,500 ballots were turned in. As of Thursday, with five days of voting remaining, turnout had already topped 22,000, according to SRP.

Campaigning for the Salt River Project board is a complex puzzle. The utility has more than 2 million power and water customers and is governed by byzantine rules. Votes for most positions are weighted by acreage, so large landowners carry outsized sway.

Rising bills fuels push to reshape Alabama commission

In the heavily Republican state of Alabama, anxiety over rising power bills is spilling into the statehouse and onto the campaign trail, fueling a push to reshape the Alabama Public Service Commission. Alabama has some of the highest power rates in the South, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

State lawmakers this week voted to overhaul the commission, effectively shifting more authority to the governor. Supporters described it as a way to address affordability. But it comes ahead of this year's elections, which some candidates are seeking to make a referendum on electricity prices — similar to how Georgia Democrats won blowout victories in two races for their state's commission in 2025.

Former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, who is a Democratic candidate for Alabama governor, called the bill a “first-rate con job” on voters.

“Republicans in the Alabama Legislature want to completely revamp the PSC because all of the sudden after two wins in Georgia, they realize that maybe the people don't like what's going on with the PSC,” Jones said on social media.

The legislation, which was signed by Gov. Kay Ivey, will expand the three-member commission to seven elected members. The four new members will be initially appointed by the governor. In addition, utilities will be forbidden from raising retail base rates until 2029.

Republican legislative leaders said the bill was a significant step forward for consumer protection.

“The Alabama Legislature passed HB475 to put a freeze on electric rates and to give the people of Alabama broader representation on the Public Service Commission," Ivey said. House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter and Senate President Pro Tem Garlan Gudger said in a joint statement that lawmakers “stood united to reform how utilities are regulated and demand an unprecedented amount of accountability for consumers across the state.”

Two of the current three seats on the commission are up for election this year, and Republican incumbents face both primary challengers and Democratic opponents running on the message of affordability.

Democrats are pointing to Georgia’s election as a model for how the party can be successful, even in a GOP-dominated state like Alabama.

“What happened in Georgia could happen in Alabama,” said Tabitha Isner, vice chair of the Alabama Democratic Party. “That’s why the alarm bells are going off and so much money is being poured into maintaining the status quo.”

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Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pa., and Chandler from Montgomery, Ala.

Tuesday’s special congressional runoff marks the second time in less than a month that voters in Georgia’s 14th Congressional District cast ballots for their representative in Washington. None of the 17 contenders in a March 10 special election received a majority of the vote, triggering Tuesday’s contest between the top two vote-getters.

The outcome will almost immediately affect the fragile balance of power in the closely divided U.S. House, where Republicans cling to a 217-214 majority. An additional seat is held by a former Republican who became an independent in March, while twoseats remain vacant.

Democrat Shawn Harris received the most votes in the Georgia special election, where all candidates ran on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. Harris edged Republican Clay Fuller by about 2 percentage points, aided in part by the fact that the district’s sizable Republican vote was split among a dozen Republican candidates.

Harris is a retired Army brigadier general who lost to Greene in the 2024 general election. Fuller is a district attorney who has Trump’s endorsement. Both are also seeking their parties’ nominations for a full term in the May 19 primary ahead of the November midterm elections.

The district has a history of heavily favoring Republican candidates in general elections. Trump carried the district in 2024 with 68% of the vote. The 37% Harris received in March was slightly better than the roughly 36% of the vote he notched in his head-to-head matchup with Greene in 2024.

Harris modestly improved his vote share in nine of the district’s 10 counties since 2024. He also outperformed former Vice President Kamala Harris' 2024 presidential vote share in all 10 counties. But to win the seat, he needs to far surpass the overall mid-30% range that Democrats have received in the district in recent general elections.

His best performances in the special election were in Cobb and Paulding counties, two metro Atlanta counties that are the two most populous in the northwest Georgia district. But Greene still carried every county in the election that year.

Harris, who did not face major Democratic opposition in the special election, raised a total of $6.4 million for his campaign, compared to about $1.3 million for Fuller. As of March 18, Harris had about $745,000 in the bank, while Fuller had about $53,000.

Trump’s endorsement should be a boost for Fuller, considering the president outperformed Greene districtwide. But turnout in special elections is typically much lower than in presidential elections, and turnout for runoffs tends to be even lower.

Elsewhere in Georgia on Tuesday, runoffs will also be held in state Senate District 53 and state House District 94. Republicans control both chambers of the General Assembly, and the outcome of the two special runoffs will not threaten their majorities.

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

There is no automatic recount provision in Georgia, but a losing candidate may request a recount if the margin is less than or equal to 0.5% of the total vote. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is eligible for a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in the special runoff elections for the 14th Congressional District, state Senate District 53 and state House District 94.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter may participate in the special runoff election in their district, regardless of whether they voted in the March 10 special election.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

As of Friday, there were about 571,000 total registered voters in the 14th Congressional District, including about 524,000 active voters. Georgia voters do not register by party.

About 116,000 votes were cast in the March 10 U.S. House special election, roughly 52% of which was cast before Election Day.

Nearly 47,000 ballots had already been cast in the U.S. House special runoff election as of Friday.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the March 10 special election, the AP first reported results in the 14th Congressional District at 7:05 p.m. ET, or five minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was from Paulding County at 9:51 p.m. ET with about 99.9% of total votes counted.

When are early and absentee votes released?

All 10 counties in the 14th Congressional District tend to release some or all of their absentee voting results in the first vote update of the night. Four counties, including the two largest, Paulding and Cobb, also tend to include all of their results from early voting in the first vote update. Since the 2020 election, Democrats have been more likely to cast their votes early or by mail. In jurisdictions that release mail and early vote results at the start of the night, this could result in the Democratic candidate taking an initial lead in the vote count until votes from in-person Election Day ballots are tallied.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 210 days until this seat is up again in the 2026 midterm elections.

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At the same time, winds will strengthen out of the northeast, becoming breezy Tuesday before turning windy Wednesday.

Rainfall totals could reach 4 to 6 inches across Broward County, 2 to 4 inches across Miami-Dade, and up to 1 inch across the Florida Keys through Friday.

The six-hour flyby is the highlight of NASA’s first return to the moon since the Apollo era with three Americans and one Canadian — a step toward landing boot prints near the moon’s south pole in just two years.

First came a prize — and bragging rights — for Artemis II.

Less than an hour before kicking off the fly-around and intense lunar observations, the four astronauts surpassed the distance record of 248,655 miles (400,171 kilometers) set by Apollo 13 in April 1970.

They kept going, hurtling ever farther from Earth. Before it was all over, Mission Control expected Artemis II to beat the old record by more than 4,100 miles (6,600 kilometers).

“It is blowing my mind what you can see with the naked eye from the moon right now. It is just unbelievable,” Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen radioed ahead of the flyby. He challenged "this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long-lived.”

Moments after breaking Apollo 13's record, the astronauts asked permission to name two fresh lunar craters already observed. They proposed Integrity, their capsule's name, and Carroll in honor of commander Reid Wiseman's wife who died of cancer in 2020. Wiseman wept as Hansen put in the request to Mission Control, and all four astronauts embraced in tears.

“Such a majestic view out here,” Wiseman radioed once he regained his composure and started picture-taking. The astronauts called down that they managed to capture the moon and Earth in the same shot, and provided a running commentary to scientists back in Houston on what they were seeing.

Some peaks were so bright, pilot Victor Glover noted, that they looked as though they were covered in snow. Besides photographing the scenes with high-powered Nikon cameras, the astronauts also pulled out their iPhones for some impromptu shots.

Wiseman, Glover, Hansen and Christina Koch started the momentous day with the voice of Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell, who recorded a wake-up message just two months before his death last August. “Welcome to my old neighborhood,” said Lovell, who also flew on Apollo 8, humanity's first lunar visit. “It's a historic day and I know how busy you'll be, but don't forget to enjoy the view.”

They took up with them the Apollo 8 silk patch that accompanied Lovell to the moon, and showed it off as the crucial flyby approached. “It's just a real honor to have that on board with us,” said Wiseman. “Let's go have a great day.”

Artemis II is using the same maneuver that Apollo 13 did after its “Houston, we’ve had a problem” oxygen tank explosion wiped out any hope of a moon landing.

Known as a free-return lunar trajectory, this no-stopping-to-land route takes advantage of Earth and the moon’s gravity, reducing the need for fuel. It’s a celestial figure-eight that will put the astronauts on course for home, once they emerge from behind the moon Monday evening.

The Artemis II astronauts were on track to pass as close as 4,066 miles (6,543 kilometers) to the moon, as their Orion capsule whips past it, hangs a U-turn and then heads back toward Earth. It will take them four days to get back, with a splashdown in the Pacific concluding their test flight on Friday.

Their expected speed at closest approach to the moon: 3,139 mph (5,052 kph).

Wiseman and his crew spent years studying lunar geography to prepare for the big event, adding solar eclipses to their repertoire during the past few weeks. By launching last Wednesday, they ensured themselves of a total solar eclipse from their vantage point behind the moon, courtesy of the cosmos.

Topping their science target list: Orientale Basin, a sprawling impact basin with three concentric rings, the outermost of which stretches nearly 600 miles (950 kilometers) across.

Other sightseeing goals: the Apollo 12 and 14 landing sites from 1969 and 1971, respectively, as well as fringes of the south polar region, the preferred locale for future touchdowns. Farther afield, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Saturn — not to mention Earth — will be visible.

Their moon mentor, NASA geologist Kelsey Young, expects thousands of pictures.

“People all over the world connect with the moon. This is something that every single person on this planet can understand and connect with,” she said on the eve of the flyby, wearing eclipse earrings.

Artemis II is NASA’s first astronaut moonshot since Apollo 17 in 1972. It sets the stage for next year’s Artemis III, which will see another Orion crew practice docking with lunar landers in orbit around Earth. The culminating moon landing by two astronauts near the moon’s south pole will follow on Artemis IV in 2028.

While Artemis II may be taking Apollo 13’s path, it’s most reminiscent of Apollo 8 and humanity’s first lunar visitors who orbited the moon on Christmas Eve 1968 and read from the Book of Genesis.

Glover said flying to the moon during Christianity’s Holy Week brought home for him “the beauty of creation.” Earth is an oasis amid “a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe” where humanity exists as one, he observed over the weekend.

“This is an opportunity for us to remember where we are, who we are, and that we are the same thing and that we’ve got to get through this together,” Glover said, clasping hands with his crewmates.

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

The nighttime attack on Odesa heavily damaged an apartment block, killing the women and a 2-year-old child, officials said. Rescuers working under floodlights pulled four people from the rubble.

Eleven people were hospitalized, including a pregnant woman and two children — the youngest less than a year old, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

Russia has pounded civilian areas of Ukraine since it invaded its neighbor just over four years ago, killing more than 15,000 people, according to the United Nations.

Over the past week, Russia has launched at Ukraine more than 2,800 attack drones, nearly 1,350 powerful glide bombs and more than 40 missiles of various types, according to Zelenskyy.

In the southern city of Kherson, Russian shelling killed an elderly woman and three other women, 86, 79 and 44, were hospitalized, according to Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the regional military administration. The injured women sustained shrapnel wounds, concussion, blast injuries and head trauma, he said.

Seven people were injured by Russian drones and shelling in the southern city of Nikopol, leaving a 62-year-old in critical condition as the strikes damaged a multistory building and a pharmacy.

Drones also hit Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, injuring three people, according to regional military administration head Oleh Sinehubov.

Russia has taken aim at Ukraine’s power grid, and overnight barrages hit energy infrastructure in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, Zelenskyy said.

More than 300,000 households were without electricity in northern Chernihiv after distribution facilities were damaged in the attacks, according to the regional power utility.

Zelenskyy expressed concern in a weekend interview with The Associated Press that the war in the Middle East is draining stockpiles of weapons that Ukraine needs to defend itself, especially American-made Patriot air defense systems that can stop missiles.

Zelenskyy said Monday that the country’s partners “need to strengthen air defense together so that the interception rate of drones and missiles continues to increase.”

With U.S.-led peace efforts stalled, Zelenskyy added: “Russia has no intention of stopping” its invasion.

Ukraine has fought back by developing its own long-range drones, which now reach targets some 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) inside Russia.

Ukraine has used them recently to hammer Russian oil facilities as Moscow looks to boost its exports after the Trump administration gave it a temporary waiver from sanctions to ease supply constraints. Kyiv officials complain that Russia will use the additional revenue on new weapons to hit Ukraine harder.

The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian drones struck the Novorossiysk oil terminal, one of Russia’s largest Black Sea ports, overnight. The attack damaged a pipeline, loading and unloading berths, and set fire to four tanks holding petroleum products.

The strike damaged assets belonging to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium run by U.S. and Kazakhstani companies, it said.

Eight people, including two children, were injured in the Novorossiysk attack that damaged six apartment buildings and two private houses, according to Krasnodar Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev.

Last week, Ukraine’s drones struck oil facilities in the Gulf of Finland, in northwest Russia.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 50 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Ukraine’s armed forces claimed they hit a Russian Black Sea frigate, the Admiral Makarov, and a drilling rig.

Russian officials did not immediately comment on the claim.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Yang forma parte de una generación de trabajadores que impulsó el crecimiento de China extrayendo carbón de minas subterráneas en Datong, una ciudad conocida como la capital del carbón de China en la provincia norteña de Shanxi. Ahora, mientras China prioriza la energía renovable por encima del carbón, Yang se ha adelantado al cambio al que sus compañeros de trabajo se ven obligados a enfrentarse.

Ahora dirige un restaurante que vende brochetas de cordero a los turistas que visitan las Grutas de Yungang, unas cuevas de importancia histórica del siglo VI que albergan tallas budistas y atraen a millones de visitantes al año.

Si fuera un país, la provincia de Shanxi sería el mayor productor de carbón del mundo. Sus aproximadamente 800.000 mineros extrajeron 1.300 millones de toneladas en 2025, o casi un tercio del carbón de China. Unos pocos millones de personas más trabajan en empleos que dependen indirectamente del carbón, desde la logística hasta los restaurantes. La provincia asistirá un cambio crucial en un momento en el que China incorpora energía renovable tan rápido que el año pasado cubrió casi todo el crecimiento de la demanda nacional de electricidad, y el aumento del turismo es un objetivo importante.

Los expertos dicen que es vital asegurarse de que los trabajadores del carbón no se queden atrás, una preocupación para muchos.

“No se siente como si estuviera entrando dinero en esta industria”, comentó Zhou Hongfei, un minero de carbón.

Evolución de una ciudad carbonífera

Como es típico de las empresas estatales de China, la compañía carbonífera construyó la aldea de Yang justo al lado de la mina —llamada la N.º 9— en la que trabajarían sus residentes. El lugar prosperaba con miles de trabajadores y sus familias, con una escuela, una guardería y un centro deportivo. Una línea ferroviaria elevada pasa por allí para transportar carbón al resto del país.

Hoy en día, la mina N.º 9 es en su mayor parte un museo, aunque todavía se trabaja una sección. La escuela está vacía, con las rejas cerradas. Muchos de los bloques de apartamentos de poca altura están solo parcialmente ocupados, a menudo no por mineros sino por personas atraídas por la vivienda barata.

Yang recuerda años prósperos antes de que las aldeas de los alrededores fueran desmanteladas.

“Había mucha gente, especialmente durante el Año Nuevo”, relató. “Había multitudes en todas partes. Ahora las escenas bulliciosas se han ido, y también esa sensación”.

Quienes se quedaron atrás, como Yang, han intentado sacar provecho de los visitantes a las Grutas de Yungang. El día en que reporteros de The Associated Press visitaron el lugar, un minero de carbón jubilado caminaba por la calle entablando conversaciones con la esperanza de llevar clientes a su local de fideos. En su mayoría, personas mayores caminaban por la calle, disfrutando del sol.

Pasarse al turismo es difícil

Yang está en la minoría de trabajadores que ha logrado hacer la transición.

Hay muchos “que no saben qué hacer, que dicen que no tienen las habilidades adecuadas para nadie más. Lo único que saben es ser mineros de carbón, o la alternativa más fácil para ellos es volver a la agricultura”, explicó Tom Wang, oriundo de Shanxi, activista ambiental y fundador de People of Asia for Climate Solutions.

Zhou, de 36 años, contó que pensó en cambiarse al turismo, pero no sabía cómo. Y le preocupa mantener a su esposa y a su hija de 8 años.

“Poder realmente establecer contacto y luego pasarse a una nueva industria es muy difícil, y la verdad es que no me atrevo”, manifestó. “Si dejas esta industria, no sabes si va a funcionar. ¿Puedo adaptarme? ¿Y si esto termina siendo una carga para mi familia?”.

Los salarios mineros suben y bajan con la demanda. Antes de que Yang se jubilara hace ocho años, ganaba hasta 10.000 renminbi (unos 1.450 dólares) en un buen mes. Dijo que ahora gana más con su restaurante.

La provincia intenta desarrollar varias industrias alternativas, desde invertir en proyectos de conversión de carbón a hidrógeno hasta promover su “youmai” nativo, un tipo de avena que los locales usan para hacer un tipo especial de fideos.

Pero la principal apuesta de Shanxi y su mayor éxito para la vida después del carbón ha sido el turismo. Hang Kan, quien dirige el Instituto de Investigación de Yungang que supervisa las grutas y es representante en la Asamblea Popular Nacional, pidió el año pasado acelerar el desarrollo de la industria cultural y turística hasta convertirla en “un pilar estratégico” que “promueva el bienestar de la gente” en Shanxi.

Sus declaraciones se produjeron después de que el exitoso videojuego Black Myth: Wukong, en el que el personaje principal visita las grutas y muchos sitios cercanos, provocara un aumento de visitantes. La cifra saltó a 4,5 millones en 2024, frente a 3 millones el año anterior, según medios estatales.

Yan Jiali, guía turística en la región, dijo que ese auge ha generado un interés creciente por empleos como el suyo, que requiere aprobar un examen gubernamental para obtener la licencia.

“Hasta las amigas de mi mamá venían a preguntarme sobre presentarse a este examen”, contó.

Wang, el activista, espera que las industrias de alta tecnología que ahora son la prioridad nacional ayuden a la transición de Shanxi al aportar empleos. Al fin y al cabo, señaló, el carbón de la provincia impulsó la transformación de China en una potencia económica.

“¿Y si DeepSeek llega a Shanxi y dice: OK, vamos a iniciar aquí un centro de datos? ¿Y si Baidu llega a Shanxi?”, planteó, en referencia a empresas tecnológicas chinas.

El carbón sigue siendo importante

Pocos creen que Shanxi pueda dejar atrás por completo las minas de carbón. Los expertos ven el carbón como una red de seguridad crítica para las necesidades de seguridad de China, y la guerra con Irán ha vuelto a poner de relieve lo vulnerables que son las cadenas de suministro energético a las interrupciones.

El gobierno recientemente rechazó poner un tope a cuánto carbón puede usarse, dando marcha atrás a su compromiso de reducir gradualmente el consumo de carbón, según analistas del Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

“La confianza no ha crecido hasta el punto de que puedan depender por completo de la energía renovable”, afirmó Qi Qin, analista de CREA.

De hecho, China ha seguido ampliando las centrales eléctricas de carbón a una escala masiva, incorporando 78 gigavatios en 2025, más de lo que India incorporó en toda una década. Un gigavatio puede abastecer de electricidad a unos 320.000 hogares chinos durante un año.

Incluso si la demanda no cae, los trabajadores también deben preocuparse de que sus minas se agoten. Algunas de las minas más antiguas de Datong están cerca del final de su vida útil. Cuando eso ocurre, los trabajadores pueden ser reasignados a otras minas que pueden estar lejos y pagar menos.

Otro trabajador de una mina de carbón, Xu, ha tomado un segundo empleo como conductor de una aplicación de transporte, y pasa unas 5 horas al día al volante después de que termina su jornada principal. Xu —quien se negó a dar su nombre completo por temor a represalias de la mina estatal— dijo que dudaba que los beneficios de las industrias que reemplacen al carbón se distribuyan de manera uniforme, ya sea el turismo o la energía renovable.

“Esta industria del turismo, ¿cómo entro ahí?”, preguntó. “Para Datong, quienes pueden disfrutar de los beneficios de este auge turístico son sobre todo los grandes hoteles y quizá algunos restaurantes, locales de fideos, pero ¿qué cree que puede obtener la gente común?”.

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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.

“They know,” Tocchet said. “They see the standings.”

The standings in the Eastern Conference look a lot different than they did in late March. For one thing, Tocchet's Flyers have crashed the party and are in a playoff spot for the first time since Jan. 12.

Way ahead of them, the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens have solidified their positions, while the Detroit Red Wings have dropped from what was once a comfortable lead to the outside looking in. Things went so sideways for the New York Islanders that they fired coach Patrick Roy, and the Washington Capitals look to be running out of time to give Alex Ovechkin possibly one more postseason appearance at age 40.

"It’s just frustrating," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said after an 8-1 loss at the New York Rangers. “It’s frustrating because we fought as hard as we have to get back into this spot where we’re within striking distance.”

Race turns upside down

Before play began on March 26, only four points separated the Canadiens (88), Columbus Blue Jackets (87), Penguins and Bruins (86), Ottawa Senators and Islanders (86) and Red Wings (84). With the Flyers all the way back at 80, it looked like seven teams vying for five spots.

Montreal reeled off six consecutive victories and clinched Sunday before its eight-game winning streak that began March 21 came to an end at night. Pittsburgh won five of seven, and Boston went 4-2-1 to erase any doubt of postseason hockey in those markets this spring.

“With where the league’s at, our division, there’s pressure every night on every team,” said Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, who's on the verge of being the franchise's first 50-goal scorer since 1990. "That’s what makes this thing so fun. It’s just the guys in this group, in this room that are pushing each other and the staff that we have is unreal. We’re just going to keep this thing going.”

Philadelphia beating the Bruins in overtime Sunday on top prospect Porter Martone's first NHL goal leapfrogged the Flyers over the Islanders into third place in the Metropolitan Division. Long before Martone arrived following the completion of his college season at Michigan State, the Flyers were 13th out of 16 teams in the East out of the Olympic break and have since won 14 of 21 games to burst into contention.

“These past 10 or so games, they’ve been playoff games and we’ve been playing the right way,” forward Noah Cates said. "It’s been the simple things, the little things that just kind of get us over the hump and in the win column.”

Red Wings and Blue Jackets are falling

Detroit led the Atlantic Division and was tied for the most points in the East on Jan. 15. The cushion ahead of the conference's ninth-placed team was 12 points.

After falling behind by three goals, rallying to tie it and losing 5-4 in regulation to Minnesota on Sunday, the Red Wings have gone 8-9-3 since that point and sit two points out with five games left to play.

“Obviously, we would have loved to be in a playoff spot, but that’s not the case,” forward Lucas Raymond said after a dud of a 4-1 loss at the Rangers on Saturday. “We’ve got a great opportunity here. We’ve got these games left here to really do something special with this team. The faith is high in here. We have a lot of faith in ourselves, in our team, so it’s just about going out there and getting it done.”

Raymond and his teammates have failed to score in the first period in 43 of 77 games, the most in the league.

“I wish I had the answer,” coach Todd McLellan said. “We can get out of the gate quicker: don’t dip our toe in the water.”

Columbus made a coaching change from Dean Evason to Rick Bowness in mid-January and won 19 of 27 games to surge to second in the division. The Blue Jackets have lost seven in a row since.

Islanders and Capitals running out of gas

Since March 18 when it looked like they'd cruise into the playoffs in Matthew Schaefer's magical rookie year, the Islanders have lost seven of 10 games, including four in a row. First-year general manager Mathieu Darche dismissed Roy and hired Peter DeBoer on Sunday with four games left, hoping the new-coach bump could get his team in.

The Capitals are not contemplating any such change with Carbery, the reigning Jack Adams Award winner who should see them through the post-Ovechkin transition, whenever that is. Veteran defenseman John Carlson and depth center Nic Dowd got traded at the deadline with a youth movement afoot, but going 8-3-2 from March 9 through Saturday made the playoffs seem possible.

Getting blown out by the already-eliminated Rangers unearthed some of the defensive issues Carbery thought were there for the past dozen games or so that were covered up by strong goaltending, outscoring the problems and getting lucky. Washington needs a lot of that, plus some help, now three points out with four games remaining.

“It’s tough we put ourselves in this spot,” forward Aliaksei Protas said. “But those big games, I feel like they can really show who we are as a team and where we’re at as a team.”

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AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

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

Three sloppy basketball games later, it feels like another missed opportunity. Much like last year's lopsided title game. The sport is on the rise but the last two Final Fours have featured blowouts, long-distance shooting struggles and point-blank misses.

That's not to take anything away from UCLA, which understandably thought Sunday's result was beautiful after beating South Carolina 79-51 for its first NCAA tournament title and first overall since an AIAW championship in 1978.

“I want to grow the game so bad, I felt guilty walking off the floor because it was not pretty in any way, shape or form,” UCLA coach Cori Close acknowledged Friday after her team’s 51-44 win over Texas in the semifinals wasn’t very easy on the eyes.

In that game, Texas All-America selection Madison Booker, one of game's best mid-range shooters, was 3 of 23 from the field, missing 17 straight shots at one point.

“The reality is, too, it’s really all about toughness at this point and finding a way to make a winning play,” Close added, "even if it’s a winning play you wouldn’t have predicted or chosen.”

The UCLA-Texas game wasn’t the only one that wasn’t aesthetically pleasing. South Carolina beat previously undefeated UConn 62-48 in the first semifinal game, holding the Huskies to just 31.1% shooting and a season low in points.

The lasting memory from this year's Final Four likely won't be a basketball moment. UConn coach Geno Auriemma angrily confronted South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, leading to a tense moment between two of the game's top coaches.

The clunky basketball continued into the final.

UCLA — led by Final Four MOP Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez — played well. South Carolina did not. The Gamecocks shot just 29% from the field and made only 2 of 15 3-point attempts.

The lack of execution the past two years was somewhat surprising, considering the pedigree of the four programs. UConn, South Carolina, Texas and UCLA are accustomed to the bright lights and were all back in the Final Four for a second straight season.

“Sometimes in this moment things happen,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “We came out of a timeout on two different occasions and people are in the wrong place. So sometimes it happens like that.”

Double-digit outcomes happen often in women's title games. Over the last 20 years, only six women's championship games have been decided by single digits — the last one was in 2021, Stanford beat Arizona 54-53.

One factor for the elite teams is that often the don't face much competition in the NCAA Tournament until the final weekend. Through the first two weeks, UConn won its tournament games by an average of 32.5 points while Texas (35.5), South Carolina (40.3) and UCLA (27) also cruised with huge margins of victory.

Once the elite teams have to face each other, the contrast in talent can be shocking.

“You could tell. Shots were short,” Staley said after the title game loss. “I thought we didn’t really do a good job at making extra passes, like the things we were doing probably worked for other teams, but other teams didn’t have a (Betts). You have to navigate differently.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

So the 6-foot-11, 265-pound St. Louis native stayed in the transfer portal, found a school willing to give him a fresh start and a coach committed to helping him turn raw talent into real productivity.

On Monday, two years after giving up a starting job at Michigan to become a backup for a UConn team seeking a third straight national title, Reed's journey will complete his college career against the university he called home for his first two college seasons in the championship game.

“We're just chopping it up and talking a little bit, but like I said it's the national championship on the line,” Reed said Sunday, referring to the two former Michigan teammates still on the Wolverines' roster. “It's not personal. We know it's just competing for the best outcome of our team."

The era of college players facing former teams in March Madness is becoming more routine in a college sports world where players often use their freedom to transfer to find more NIL money and more playing time with coaches and systems that better their natural skills.

Forward Nimari Burnett, Reed's former teammate at Michigan, logged 17 minutes in a Sweet 16 matchup against his former team, Alabama. And Illinois guard Kylan Boswell could have faced his former team, Arizona, Monday night — if Saturday's semifinal results had been reversed.

The reasons for finding new schools vary, and in Reed's case it was all about opportunity.

“Tarris had heard that Vlad (Goldin) was probably going to be coming with us,” May said, explaining Reed's decision. "So he came in, and I talked to his parents, and I talked to everyone around him and he basically said, ‘Coach, I know Vlad is coming with you. Do you think you can make that work?’ I said, ‘Tarris, you both are really good; it won’t be easy. We haven’t played like that before. But I’m very confident that because of both your skill sets and talent we can figure it out.’”

Then Danny Wolf decided to transfer to Michigan and suddenly Reed felt he was out of a job.

Goldin and Wolf are, in fact, no longer at Michigan either, replaced by newcomers such as Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg and 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara.

Yet Reed, a two-time all-state selection in Missouri thought he'd found the perfect landing spot at UConn.

While his 2024-25 stats improved slightly from his final season at Michigan — 9.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in 35 games as a backup on an NCAA Tournament team compared with 9.0 points and 7.2 rebounds as a full-time starter on an 8-24 squad. — the transition didn't always go smoothly.

Hurley acknowledged their relationship was sometimes strained because of his demands. Still, Reed tried to epitomize the rugged, gritty nature of the Huskies culture on the court, though behind the scenes Reed sometimes struggled.

“There were days where, after that season, I’m in my room just crying, ‘What the heck do I do?’ I’m writing in my journal, and I’m trying to think, ‘Do I stay? Do I go?’ When I started writing in my journal, it was obvious I had to stay at UConn," said the Big East's 2024-25 Sixth Man Award winner. “Coach was coaching me so hard that there was a point where we were about to split ways after the season, after my junior year,”

Instead, Reed returned stronger both physically and emotionally, more committed to proving he was the right fit in Storrs, and his final college season couldn't have gone any better.

He blossomed into a first team all-Big East selection, teamed up with the likes of Alex Karaban and Braylon Mullins to lead the Huskies (34-5) to their third national championship game in four years. A win Monday night would give UConn its seventh title — all since 1999.

In tourney play, nobody has fared better. Reed registered 31 points and 27 rebounds, both career highs, in an 82-71 first-round win over Furman. He was named the East Region's Most Outstanding Player after averaging 21.7 points and 13.5 rebounds in four wins and then he added 17 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday's 71-62 victory over Illinois.

Even his relationship with Hurley changed.

“It’s really improved since he’s been on a tear. Now we’re best friends,” Hurley said Sunday with a laugh. “But I’ve been saying that, go back six weeks, go back two months, go back three months, our season is going to be determined by what Tarris Reed does, which Tarris Reed we get, does the light switch go on for Tarris Reed.”

Burnett, for one, couldn't be happier to see Reed excel.

“He’s always been just a happy person, someone who is always joyful of the moment and just a joyful teammate even during that time, that year where things weren’t as happy (at Michigan), he brought joy,” Burnett said. “He brought enthusiasm. He’s just a great person, and we also have similar beliefs and faith. So I have a good connection with him."

If Burnett wasn't playing Reed on Monday, Burnett might even be cheering for his friend.

But this a game that goes beyond friendship. The winner will forever be called a national champion forever, and the runner-up will likely be relegated to the history books.

Regardless of the outcome, Reed insists he'll have no regrets helping UConn finish what he started at Michigan.

"I started my career at Michigan and now I’m about to play them in my final game of college basketball. I never would have thought that would happen in a million years,” he said. “It's the national championship game, so I feel like they’re going to be coming at my neck, we’re going to be coming at their neck, so it’s going to be a great, fun bloodbath and just a competitive game.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

They lose their top six players to graduation after putting on one of the most dominant performances in championship history to win their first NCAA title and second overall, routing South Carolina by 28 points Sunday.

But with the transfer portal open now, the UCLA coach can build a new team quickly. Close has said that the school will be very active, looking to add five players.

“Transfer portal just got easier,” Close said smiling.

Challenging the Bruins will be the runner-up Gamecocks and coach Dawn Staley. They look to get over the loss and reach a seventh consecutive Final Four next season and win a fourth national championship. With young stars Joyce Edwards and Agot Makeer returning along with a strong complementary crew they will be one of the favorites for the title when the Final Four moves to Columbus, Ohio.

Joining them should be other Final Four participants UConn and Texas, who have two of the best players in the country with Sarah Strong and Madison Booker. Each will have to replace a key player with Azzi Fudd for UConn and Rori Harmon for Texas gone to the WNBA.

After the four Final Four teams, it could be interesting to see who the women's basketball powers will be in 2027.

So much can change through the transfer portal. Over the past few years so many big name players have changed their schools by entering it. TCU, which reached the Elite Eight the last two seasons has added a half dozen players each of the past two years.

Michigan and Duke also reached the regional final this year and each has potentially a strong nucleus of players coming back.

A few teams have already been hit hard by the portal with many players announcing on social media they were transferring.

Iowa State has lost most of its top players, including the nation's second-leading scorer in Audi Crooks.

Stanford and Tennessee, which had been two of the women's basketball staples in the sport over the past 40 years have been hit hard already with so many of their players announcing on social media that they will enter the portal.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Shohei Ohtani hadn't driven in a run until Friday, then homered in that game and again Sunday. He and Aaron Judge each have three straight multihit games.

Judge hasn't needed to carry the Yankees, who are 7-2. They had allowed a paltry 15 runs on the season before a 7-6 loss to Miami on Sunday. Cam Schlittler has made two scoreless starts and New York ran wild against the Marlins — with even Giancarlo Stanton stealing a base.

It wasn't a great first week for the Dodgers' quartet of sluggers — Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman — but then they broke out in a big way as Los Angeles posted 31 runs in three games at Washington. The Dodgers are 7-2 with Andy Pages off to a 16-for-34 start at the plate, so they can afford to be patient with their stars.

That includes Betts, who went on the injured list with an oblique strain.

Los Angeles now heads to Toronto for a three-game series — the first meeting between the teams since the Dodgers beat the Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series in Canada last year.

Battling Bucs

On the topic of teams succeeding while waiting for stars to get untracked, Pittsburgh swept three straight from Baltimore to improve to 6-3. The Pirates have won five straight, although Paul Skenes has allowed six runs in 5 2/3 innings through his first two starts.

They haven't needed much from top prospect Konnor Griffin either. The infielder is 1 for 9 since being called up, but he has yet to play in a loss. The Pirates have 10 of their next 13 games at home, with Skenes expected to take the mound Tuesday when they host San Diego.

Trivia time

When is the last time the NCAA men's basketball champion and baseball's World Series champion came from the same state in a given year?

Performance of the week

Jo Adell went 1 for 3 at the plate Saturday, but it's what he did defensively that made a real impact. The Angels' outfielder made three home run-robbing catches to help Los Angeles to a 1-0 win over Seattle.

Adell made spectacular catch while crashing into the seats when J.P. Crawford led off the ninth with a drive to right. Adell also denied Cal Raleigh what would have been the catcher's first homer of the season.

Comeback of the week

Arizona trailed Detroit by four Tuesday night before scoring six times in the bottom of the eighth to win 7-5. The Tigers had a win probability of 96.4% after seven, according to Baseball Savant.

Corbin Carroll hit a bases-loaded double that scored two runs, and Jose Fernandez added a three-run homer. It was the second home run of the game for Fernandez, who was making his major league debut.

Trivia answer

In 1973, UCLA won the national title and the Oakland Athletics won the World Series. That pairing also won in 1972.

There was a recent near-miss in 2021 when Baylor won the NCAA Tournament and the Houston Astros lost to the Atlanta Braves in the World Series. The only way this double can happen this year is if Michigan wins in basketball and the Tigers prevail in baseball.

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

Speaking to reporters at the White House, the president refused to say whether any civilian targets would be off-limits.

Iran on Monday rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and said it wants a permanent end to the conflict.

“We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press.

Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks on Iran on Monday, killing more than 25 people. Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors.

Here is the latest:

US special forces were on the ground in Iran as part of rescue mission

The special operators were part of the teams sent in to retrieve the pilot and weapon systems officer of a downed fighter jet, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military operation.

During a briefing Monday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “Our special operators, pilots and support crews performed with near perfection under fire,” but he stopped short of confirming that U.S. troops set foot on Iranian soil.

Hegseth and Trump have said they haven’t ruled out boots on the ground but also repeatedly argued that the conflict was limited in scope.

Hegseth has lambasted previous presidents who oversaw the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, insisting that the Iran war “is different. It’s laser-focused.”

— Konstantin Toropin

Shooting by Israel-backed group at a shelter in Gaza is followed by an Israeli strike, killing 8

An Israel-backed armed group in Gaza kidnapped children from a school-turned-shelter on Monday, according to a witness, after which Israel launched an airstrike on the site, health authorities said.

The Israeli military had no response when reached for comment.

An anti-Hamas Palestinian group called Abu Nusseirah posted on social media that they killed five Hamas fighters at the shelter in Maghazi.

An elderly displaced woman sheltering at the school told the AP that dozens of men stormed the site, clashed with people there and forced kids — including girls — into vehicles. Speaking anonymously for fear of reprisals, she said her son was killed in the fighting.

Bodies were taken to al-Aqsa hospital, where health officials said some had been killed in an Israeli airstrike on the school after the clashes. AP footage showed dozens of mourners gathered at the morgue.

Many displaced Palestinians say they fear the Iran war has overshadowed Gaza’s dire humanitarian situation.

3 US troops injured during fighter jet shootdown and rescue

Those injured were the weapon systems officer from the U.S. Air Force F-15E fighter jet that was shot down in Iran late last week as well as two aircrewmen from a helicopter that took fire during the initial rescue for the pilot from the downed jet.

That’s according to a U.S. official, who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military operation.

After rescuing the pilot, the HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopters were “engaged by every single person in Iran who had a small arms weapon, and one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, took several hits,” said Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

At the same White House briefing, Trump said the jet’s downed weapons officer was “bleeding profusely” but still able climb mountainous terrain and communicate his location.

— Konstantin Toropin

A 12-hour drive through Iran offers glimpses of destruction, defiance and daily life

A black banner hangs over a border crossing and portraits of Iran’s killed supreme leader stare down, promising vengeance against the United States and Israel.

But on the 12-hour drive south to the capital, Tehran, daily life continues, with only occasional signs of the ongoing war, including a Shiite religious center that officials say was damaged by a recent airstrike.

Associated Press reporters made the journey on Saturday after crossing into Iran from Turkey. They gained a glimpse of the country at the center of a regional war that has jolted the world economy and shows no sign of ending.

▶ Read more

US stocks drift higher ahead of Trump’s deadline to bomb Iranian power plants

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%.

Like stock indexes, oil prices seesawed through the day amid continued uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran and how long it will slow the global flow of crude oil.

Treasury yields held relatively steady in the bond market.

▶ Read more

The US and Egypt are pushing Israel not to strike the main Lebanon-Syria border crossing, official says

That’s according to Lebanon’s General Security chief, Hassan Choucair, who said those “ongoing contacts” by Washington and Cairo aim to protect and reopen the Masnaa border crossing.

It’s been closed since Saturday after Israel warned it could be targeted over alleged weapons smuggling by the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Officials in Lebanon and Syria deny that claim, saying vehicles are thoroughly inspected.

The crossing’s closure has forced travelers to take a longer northern route. More than 200,000 people have crossed from Lebanon into Syria since the war escalated five weeks ago, many of them fleeing the conflict.

Trump details the rescue of US airmen shot down in Iran

The United States relied on dozens of aircraft, hundreds of personnel, secret CIA technology and a dose of subterfuge to rescue a two-man F-15E fighter jet crew downed deep inside Iran.

Trump and his top defense aides detailed the daring rescue operation in an unusual level of detail during a news conference at the White House on Monday.

The U.S. surged helicopters, midair refuelers and fighter jets deep into Iran to rescue the pilot within hours. But finding and picking up the jet’s weapon systems officer was a more complicated endeavor.

▶ Read more

Israeli TV station counts down to Trump deadline

As reporters spoke on air, Channel 13 TV’s evening newscast showed a large digital clock marking down the hours and minutes until Tuesday night’s deadline.

Trump lashes out at Pacific allies for not assisting in Iran fight

The president continued to grumble about NATO allies’ refusal to get involved in reopening the Strait of Hormuz and their hesitance to assist U.S. offensive operations against Iran.

As he wrapped up his lengthy news conference Monday, he also fumed about the lack of support from Pacific allies.

“You know who else didn’t help us? South Korea didn’t help us,” Trump said. “You know who else didn’t help us? Australia didn’t help us. You know who else didn’t help us? Japan. We’ve got 50,000 soldiers in Japan to protect them from North Korea. We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to protect us from Kim Jong Un, who I get along with very well.”

Trump says it would take 4 hours to destroy Iran’s bridges and power plants

The president described the consequences that Iran would face if it didn’t reach a deal with the U.S. by Trump’s 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline.

“We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night,” Trump said during his Monday news conference.

Power plants in Iran, he continued, would be “burning, exploding and never to be used again.”

Trump refused to say whether any civilian targets would be off limits in the U.S. response.

UN chief warns the US not to strike Iran’s civilian infrastructure

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned the U.S. that attacking civilian infrastructure is banned under international law, his spokesperson said Monday.

“Even if specific civilian infrastructure were to qualify as a military objective,” spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, an attack would still be prohibited if it risks “excessive incidental civilian harm.”

A court would need to decide whether such attacks were war crimes, he said.

Trump dismisses that his threatened attacks on Iran’s infrastructure would be war crimes

Trump says he’s “not at all” concerned about committing war crimes as he continues to threaten the destruction of Iran’s bridges and power plants if they don’t meet a Tuesday evening deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“I hope I don’t have to do it,” Trump added.

Israeli military is preparing for weeks of battle against Iran

The military’s chief spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, says the army’s chief has approved battle plans for the next three weeks in the absence of a ceasefire.

“Every day that passes, we hit them more and more. Already we have very good achievements, and we want to reach excellent achievements,” he told a press conference Monday.

Israel’s defense industry to export a $750 million rocket system to Greece

The Israeli and Greek defense ministries signed the four-year export agreement Monday in Athens, said a statement from Israel’s defense ministry.

The Precise & Universal Launching System, is built to launch rockets of different ranges, the statement said.

Israeli defense giant Elbit Systems will supply the rocket launchers and the warheads to Greece. Greek defense industries are expected to produce some parts of the system.

US fighter jet was downed by shoulder-held missile launcher, Trump says

Trump said the F-15E fighter jet that set off a two-day search-and-rescue operation was downed by a shoulder-launched rocket.

Trump described the weapon as a “hand-held shoulder missile — heat-seeking missile.”

The president went on to suggest that the fighter jet was ultimately downed not by the explosion but because of related damage to the aircraft’s engines.

“They shot it and it got sucked in right by the engine,” Trump said.

Trump insists Iranian civilians want the US to keep bombing

Asked why Iranians would want him to follow up on his threat to blow up the country’s infrastructure, Trump says everyday citizens are “willing to suffer ... in order to have freedom.”

“‘Please keep bombing. Do it,’” Trump claimed U.S. officials have heard Iranians say via “intercepts.”

“And these are people that are living where the bombs are exploding,” he said.

US warplane that crashed amid search for downed aviators was hit by enemy fire, general says

A U.S. aircraft that crashed amid the search for the downed airmen was hit by enemy fire while engaging Iranian forces, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday.

Caine, speaking at a briefing at the White House, said that a U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft was “violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a close-in gunfight to keep them away” from the pilot of a downed F-15 fighter jet while also being “primarily responsible for communicating with the downed pilot.”

Caine said that after being hit, “this pilot continued to fight, continued the mission, and then upon exit, flew his aircraft into another country and determined that the airplane was not landable.”

The pilot then decided to eject over friendly territory and, according to Caine, “was quickly and safely recovered, and is doing fine.”

Hegseth describes ‘unblinking’ mission in coordination call

The defense secretary said the coordination call held by national security officials during the daring mission to rescue the U.S. airmen lasted nearly two days straight.

“For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call open for coordination,” Hegseth said, describing the call that was held in a secure facility. “Our mission was unblinking.”

CIA Director John Ratcliffe says top-secret technology led to rescue of downed airman

Speaking at a White House press conference, Ratcliffe said the agency used “exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service” possesses to locate the aviator after the F-15 was shot down in Iran.

At the same time, the CIA mounted a deception operation to mislead the Iranians who were looking.

Ratcliffe said the search and rescue operation was “comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.”

The CIA declined to respond to questions Monday about the kind of technology used to locate the airman.

Hegseth draws parallels between the story of Easter and rescued airman

The Defense secretary, who has frequently infused his leadership of the Pentagon with references to Christianity and the language of his faith, said the airman who evaded capture for more than a day was shot down on Good Friday, “hidden in a cave” on Saturday, and on Easter Sunday, “a pilot reborn, all home and accounted for.”

Hegseth said that when the airman was finally able to activate an emergency transponder, his first transmitted message was: “God is good.”

Trump threatens to jail journalist who first reported on downed airman

Trump threatened to jail the journalist who first reported that U.S. forces were searching for an F-15 weapons officer shot down in Iran, if they don’t reveal their sources.

“The person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn’t say, and that doesn’t last long,” Trump said.

Trump didn’t name the journalist or news organization. He said the leak tipped off the Iranians, endangering the officer and his rescuers. He called the leaker “a sick person.”

Iran’s supreme leader issues a rare public statement

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei expressed condolences over the killing of the Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence chief.

In a written social media post, Khamenei said Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi joined a “steadfast line of warriors and fighters” to sacrifice their lives. Israeli strikes have killed dozens of top Iranian leaders, including Khamenei’s father.

The younger Khamenei has not been seen or spoken in public since he succeeded his father as supreme leader.

Trump offers more details of dramatic airman rescue

The president described the scale of the operation undertaken by the U.S. to rescue the second airman from the downed aircraft.

The operation included 155 aircraft — four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, and 13 rescue aircraft, among others, Trump said.

Much of it was an effort to throw off the Iranians, who were also looking for the missing crew member, the president said.

“We were bringing them all over and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump said. “We wanted to have them think he was in a different location.”

Trump says downed officer rushed to get away from the crash site

Trump says the downed weapons officer followed his training to get as far away from the crash site as possible.

When a plane crashes in hostile territory, “they all head right to that site, you want to be as far away as you can,” Trump said.

Trump says the officer was “bleeding profusely” but was able climb mountainous terrain and contact U.S. forces to communicate his location. Rescuers mobilized a massive response that included subterfuge to confuse the Iranians about where they were looking.

Trump says 21 aircraft came to help rescue airmen who crashed in Iran

The president began describing the rescue efforts from Friday and over the weekend after two airmen ejected and landed alive “deep in enemy territory” in Iran.

Trump said 21 aircraft were deployed to help with the search and rescue in the first wave, flying for hours under “very, very heavy enemy fire.” He said the U.S. has one helicopter with many bullets in it.

Trump news conference begins

He is accompanied by his top national security advisers, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and special envoy Steve Witkoff. Also in attendance are his children, Eric and Tiffany Trump, as well as their spouses.

Declaring that “this was one of our better Easters,” Trump started his news conference by speaking about the dramatic rescue of two U.S. airmen in Iran over the weekend.

Trump, with Easter bunny nearby, talks Iran war

In a surreal scene on the White House lawn with flowers and Easter decor, Trump decided to give reporters an update on the Iran war.

With children waiting nearby, someone in a bunny costume steps away, and soft, cheerful music in the background, the president spoke about the rescue of a missing airman shot down in Iran, defended his expletive-laden threats on social media, and warned that Iran should capitulate or face threats to its bridges and power plants.

Turkey’s president says his country has intensified push to end the war

“We are striving to seize any chance, however small, for hostilities to cease and negotiations to open,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in a televised address following a Cabinet meeting. He did not provide details.

Erdogan, a vocal critic of Israel, again accused the country of undermining all attempts to stop the fighting.

Trump defends his use of vulgar language in a social media post

The president used profanity in a Sunday social media posting warning Iran he was serious about targeting the country’s infrastructure if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline. He ended the short post by saying, “Praise be to Allah.”

Asked by a reporter about his language, Trump responded he used it “only to make my point.”

Trump added about his use of an expletive, “I think you’ve heard it before.”

Trump suggests Kurdish groups have held onto guns meant for Iranian protesters

Trump appeared to confirm that the U.S. had intended to arm Iranian protesters after mass demonstrations against the government broke out throughout Iran in late 2025 and continued early into this year.

Thousands of anti-government protesters were killed during the crackdowns by government forces. Fox News reported on Sunday that Trump had told the network’s Trey Yingst in a telephone interview that Kurdish groups who were supposed to be delivering the U.S.-provided weapons held on to them.

“They were supposed to go to the people so they could fight back against these thugs,” Trump told reporters on Monday about the weapons intended for protesters. “You know what happened? The people that they sent them to kept them because they said, ‘What a beautiful gun. I think I’ll keep it.’ So, I’m very upset with a certain group of people and they’re going to pay a big price for that.”

Trump says he’d prefer to ‘take the oil’

Trump said he’d prefer to use U.S. military power to take control of Iran’s vast oil reserves, but he acknowledged there’s not much appetite for such a move among the American electorate.

“Take the oil because it’s there for the taking,” Trump said. “There’s not a thing they can do about it. Unfortunately, the American people would like to see us come home. If it were up to me, I’d take the oil. I’d keep the oil. I would make plenty of money.”

Trump warns Iran they’re making a mistake by not capitulating

Shortly after state media reported Iran had rejected a ceasefire proposal, Trump offered a new harsh warning to Iran.

“They just don’t want to say ‘uncle,‘” Trump told reporters as he and first lady Melania Trump hosted the White House Easter Egg Roll. “They don’t want to cry as the expression goes ‘uncle,’ but they will. And if they don’t, They’ll have no bridges. They’ll have no power plants. They’ll have no anything.”

He added another ominous warning: “I won’t go further because there are other things that are worse than those two.”

A regional official involved in the ceasefire talks says the efforts haven’t collapsed

“We are still talking to both sides,” he says, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door diplomacy.

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu says petrochemical attack weakens Iran’s Revolutionary Guard

He said Monday’s strike on an Iranian petrochemical facility is part of a systematic campaign aimed at destroying the Guard’s “money machine.”

“We are destroying factories, we are eliminating activists and we continue to eliminate senior figures,” he said in a videotaped statement.

An Iranian university student asks the world: ‘Stop this war’

A resident of Tehran in his early twenties says U.S.-Israeli strikes on civilian infrastructure and Trump’s intensifying threats have “terrified” people.

“Everyone is very anxious and scared that the water, power and gas will be cut,” he said, speaking anonymously for his security.

The student first spoke with The Associated Press on the eve of the war, when he participated in anti-government protests at his Tehran university’s campus. At the time, he described heated disagreements with friends who said they hoped a threatened Israeli-U.S. attack would overthrow the Islamic Republic.

“Those who were supporting the war are no longer supporting it,” he said Monday.

— Amir-Hussein Radjy

Key Federal Reserve official open to possible rate hikes amid gas price spikes

Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, said Monday in an interview with The Associated Press that if inflation remains persistently above the Fed’s 2% target, the central bank should consider lifting its benchmark interest rate.

While Hammack also said the Fed might have to cut its rate if higher gas prices caused the economy to slow and unemployment to rise, a potential rate hike is a noticeable shift for the Fed from before the Iran war, when officials forecast two rate cuts this year. A hike could lift longer-term interest rates for things like mortgages and auto loans.

“My baseline is that we’re on hold for quite some time,” Hammack said, “but I can foresee scenarios where we would need to reduce rates ... if the labor market deteriorates significantly. Or I could see where we might need to raise rates if inflation stays persistently above our target.”

Houthis claim they hit military sites in Israel

The Iran-backed Houthis said they launched a barrage of cruise missiles and drones at several military sites in southern Israel, “successfully achieving its objectives,” according to the group’s military spokesperson.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency says Tehran has rejected the latest ceasefire proposal

The agency said it had has conveyed its response to the U.S. through Pakistan, a key mediator.

“We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Iranian diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press on Monday. “We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again.”

Israel to ramp up production of air defense interceptors

Israel’s ministry of defense said Monday that the country’s defense industries would “significantly increase” production and stockpiling of missile interceptors as the war with Iran stretches on.

In a statement, the ministry said production of missile interceptors for the Arrow system, which defends against long-range ballistic missiles, would be sped up. Arrow has been critical in Israeli air defense during the current war, throughout which Israeli authorities have maintained there’s no shortage of interceptor missiles.

Israel’s military says it struck 3 Tehran airports overnight

The military says the strikes hit dozens of helicopters and aircraft it said belonged to the Iranian Air Force. It said the strikes targeted Bahram airport, Mehrabad airport and Azmayesh airport.

US-Israeli assault brings ‘destruction and bloodshed’ to Iran’s capital, resident says

A resident of central Tehran has described living with “anxiety and fear” as U.S.-Israeli strikes pummel the capital.

“Constantly, there is the sound of bombs, air defenses, drones,” she said, speaking on condition of anonymity for her safety.

At least one strike hit near her home, waking her on Wednesday, she said. Rushing into the neighboring street, she saw it “filled with people in pajamas, some of them wrapped in blankets, some of them crying with fear.”

She also described her anger at the popular satellite channel, Iran International, which is based abroad. She said its coverage had amplified exiled Iranian voices supporting strikes on the Islamic Republic. “Some people thought war might bring good things, but war doesn’t bring anything but destruction and bloodshed.”

Iranian authorities have moved to ban any contact with several Persian-language satellite channels based abroad. Many viewers inside Iran say the frequencies are often disrupted.

— Amir-Hussein Radjy

As each one takes flight, snapping through the air, more than 1,000 spectators cheer and applaud — families, off-duty soldiers, and bat enthusiasts, a few dressed in Goth outfits.

Hundreds of bats, many rescued from war-torn areas in the east of the country, were released late Saturday at one of multiple events around Ukraine planned to coincide with the arrival of spring.

“This is important for us as an organization because these are on a red list of endangered animals. Preserving them is very important,” said Anastasiia Vovk, a volunteer at the Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center, which organized the release.

All 28 bat species in Ukraine are listed as protected animals due to declining populations.

For many attendees, the event offered welcome relief and an excuse for a family outing after a harsh winter marked by subzero temperatures, nightly Russian drone and missile attacks and crippling power cuts.

Late Saturday, children, many wearing bat-themed T-shirts and hats, watched as volunteers fed the animals mealworms with tweezers before letting them go. Some were allowed to wear gloves and handle the bats themselves.

“Life goes on despite the war,” said Oleksii Beliaiev, a 54-year-old Kyiv resident who attended with his family. “The war is the main thing right now, but there has to be something else as well.”

Beliaiev runs a small printing business and spends time volunteering for army projects.

The war has displaced animals as well as people. Buildings destroyed by shelling damage bats’ shelters, and explosions terrify the tiny mammals, experts say.

“In winter, bats hibernate, and if they are disturbed, they can die. They reproduce slowly — one or two offspring per year — so populations recover very slowly,” said Alona Shulenko, who headed Saturday’s release.

“As natural hibernation sites disappear, bats move into cities, into cracks in buildings and balconies. But repairs or destruction of these places can kill entire colonies,” she said.

All Ukrainian bat species are insect-eating and legally protected, while the country lies on an important east European migratory route.

The charity says it has rescued more than 30,000 in total, including 4,000 bats last winter.

“We are all living in wartime, and everyone has their own struggles,” Shulenko said. “But we are doing what we know best. … If we stop what we are doing, thousands of bats will die.”

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Associated Press writers Volodymyr Yurchuk and Dan Bashakov contributed to this report.

“The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said. He suggested that his Tuesday 8 p.m. ET deadline was final, saying he'd already given Iran enough extensions.

The U.S. has told Iran to open the crucial Strait of Hormuz to all shipping traffic or see power plants and bridges wiped out, sparking warnings about possible war crimes.

Israel piled on pressure by attacking a major petrochemical plant and killing the intelligence chief for the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

Tehran with its rejection conveyed its own, 10-point plant to end the fighting through Pakistan, a key mediator, Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency said.

“We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press. He said Iran no longer trusts the Trump administration after the U.S. bombed the Islamic Republic twice during previous rounds of talks.

A regional official involved in talks said efforts had not collapsed. “We are still talking to both sides,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door diplomacy.

And even Trump said negotiations with Iran continued.

Trump says Iranians ‘willing to suffer’ for freedom

Trump has issued ultimatums to Iran before, only to find ways to back off. But he was more explicit this time on plans to follow through.

“Every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o’clock tomorrow night,” he said, and all power plants will be “burning, exploding and never to be used again.”

Asked if he was concerned about accusations of war crimes, Trump responded, “No, not at all." He suggested that Iranians want the U.S. to carry out its threats because it could lead to the end of their current leadership.

Iranian citizens are “willing to suffer," he said, "in order to have freedom.” But there has been no sign of an uprising in Iran as residents shelter from bombardment.

International warnings piled up against expanded strikes. “Any attack on civilian infrastructure is a violation of international law and a very clear one,” United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric later told journalists.

Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators had sent Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a proposal calling for the ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, two Mideast officials told the AP. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.

Iranian and Omani officials also were working on a mechanism for administrating the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped in peacetime. Iran’s grip on it has shaken the world economy.

Tehran has refused to let U.S. and Israeli vessels through after they started the war on Feb. 28.

Iran's new supreme leader makes rare statement

Israel struck a key petrochemical plant in the South Pars natural gas field, saying it was aimed at eliminating a major source of revenue for Iran. The field, the world’s largest, is shared with Qatar and is Iran’s biggest source of domestic energy for its 93 million people.

The strike appeared to be separate from Trump’s threats. An earlier Israeli attack there in March prompted Iran to target energy infrastructure in other Middle East countries, a major escalation.

Israel also killed the head of intelligence for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, according to Iranian state media. And Israel said it killed the leader of the Revolutionary Guard’s undercover unit in its expeditionary Quds Force, Asghar Bakeri.

“We will continue to hunt them down one by one,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said of top Iranian officials.

New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who still has not been seen or heard in public, issued a rare statement expressing condolences over Khademi. Israeli strikes have killed dozens of top Iranian leaders, including Khamenei’s father.

Israel’s military also said it struck three Tehran airports overnight — Bahram, Mehrabad and Azmayesh — hitting dozens of helicopters and aircraft it said belonged to the Iranian Air Force.

A Tehran resident said “constantly there is the sound of bombs, air defenses, drones,” speaking on condition of anonymity for her safety. Another detailed taking sleeping pills to get through nightly bombardments, and said people worry about power, gas and water cuts.

Airstrikes kill more than 25 across Iran

Smoke rose near Tehran’s Azadi Square after an airstrike hit the grounds of the Sharif University of Technology. Multiple countries have sanctioned the university for its work with the military, particularly on Iran’s ballistic missile program.

Authorities and Iranian state media reported at least 29 people killed across the country by strikes.

In Lebanon, where Israel has launched air attacks and a ground invasion that it says target the Iran-linked Hezbollah militia, an airstrike hit an apartment in Ain Saadeh, a predominately Christian town east of Beirut. It killed an official in the Lebanese Forces, a Christian political party strongly opposed to Hezbollah, his wife and another woman.

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

More than 1,400 people have been killed in Lebanon 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.

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Weissert reported from Washington, Magdy from Cairo and Gambrell from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Isabel DeBre in Ain Saadeh, Lebanon, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations, Amir-Hussein Radjy in Cairo and Josh Boak and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this story.

More open conversations about menopause and the period leading up to it — called perimenopause — are happening at the same time that marketing has been supercharged by social media. Women are being confronted by lotions and serums and light masks that promise to rejuvenate their faces and necks, dietary supplements claiming to do everything from boost moods to ease hot flashes and gadgets promising to help with symptoms.

“The marketing has gotten very, very aggressive. It's pervasive," said Dr. Nanette Santoro, an OB-GYN professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz.

Santoro and other physicians say that before spending lots of money on products that make big promises, it's important for women to talk to their doctors about what has actually been proven to help — and what could be harmful.

“It really pays to be very, very, very skeptical,” Santoro said.

A flood of marketing

As menstruation winds down, women's levels of estrogen and progesterone drop. In some women, the symptoms can include hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, vaginal dryness and sleep problems.

Dr. Angela Angel, an OB-GYN with Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, said that in the past, doctors would ask women around the age of 50 during their yearly exam if they were noticing any symptoms. But now, she said, patients are making separate appointments and initiating the conversations.

And at those appointments, she said, many patients tell her they've already tried something. "They’re coming to see me because it’s not effective or because it’s caused some other side effect,” Angel said.

Her hospital has recently started a menopause support group led by doctors and, at the request of participants, an upcoming session will focus on helping women navigate through the marketing onslaught.

Products aimed at women in that stage of life include everything from bracelets and rings claiming to help ease hot flashes to cooling blankets and bedding.

Santoro said her advice to patients is to “balance what you’re going to spend over whether this might help you.”

“If it’s a bracelet that’s going to cost you $20, it’s not a big expenditure. It might provide some improvement," Santoro said. "Things that are not well tested might still work but if you want something that works — come back, I’m not going anywhere and I’ll give you evidence based treatment.”

Santoro said dietary supplements have not been proven in multiple, well-done studies to alleviate hot flashes, but many are low cost with a low potential for harm. She said if a patient wants to try something they see online, it’s important to at least tell their doctor so they can be monitored while taking it — or warned off.

Doctors note that most of the time over-the-counter products like dietary supplements, shampoos or skin care that are advertised for menopausal women aren't different from regular products for that purpose ingredient-wise.

And some products could have side effects.

Advice from doctors

Dr. Monica Christmas, director of the menopause program at the University of Chicago Medicine, said there’s not one symptom everyone gets. Some women get few or none, she said, while others are extremely impacted by a variety of symptoms. What’s most important, she said, is seeking medical help.

Doctors say that hormone therapy prescribed by a doctor can help with symptoms, as can prescriptions for nonhormonal medication. Some women are advised to avoid hormone therapy because they have had certain medical issues.

“Not everybody needs hormone therapy, not everyone is a candidate for hormone therapy, not everybody should be on hormone therapy,” Angel said.

Regular exercise and a healthy diet can help a lot, doctors say. That can help with weight loss, which is associated with reducing hot flashes and night sweats.

And Santoro notes that avoiding alcohol is a good step for someone with hot flashes since it can make them worse.

“Many of the symptoms actually get better over time, so sometimes it really is just a matter of lifestyle modifications and self-care and getting through this most tumultuous time frame,” Christmas said.

For Brandi McGruder, a 49-year-old school librarian from Dallas, it clicked that she was in perimenopause last year when she went out to dinner for her birthday. When she and her friends entered the steakhouse, she was freezing cold. About 20 minutes later, she was burning up.

She said she made an appointment with her doctor, who prescribed an estrogen patch, which helped. McGruder said she’s seen the advertisements for products aimed at women her age, but her first stop was her doctor.

McGruder said that while she doesn’t like the way the symptoms have driven home that she’s getting older, she’s also embracing this time in her life. Her advice: “Laugh. It’s OK. Reach out to others experiencing what you are going through, don’t take it so serious.”

Concerns about skin

There are changes with skin that come both with time as one ages, and during menopause as skin gets less thick because of a loss of collagen and some of the hyaluronic acid that supports skin, said Dr. Melissa Mauskar, a dermatologist and associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Mauskar said using a prescribed retinoid or an over-the-counter retinol can help. Both assist with the production of collagen and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

She said good over-the-counter moisturizers can be found at drugstores. Her advice is to look for ones with ceramides, which help keep skin hydrated.

“But you don’t want to have anything that has too many additive ingredients — just because it’s natural and a botanical does not mean it’s better,” Mauskar said. “A lot of those actually are contact allergens that can make people more sensitive.”

Ingestible collagen is among the products being marketed to women, but she warns that studies are mixed and ingesting it “doesn’t mean that it’s going to make its way to your skin and plump up your face” — even though products claim it will. Light masks, she said, won’t hurt and some studies show they could help, but they won’t make a difference overnight. She said seeing any improvements from them would likely take daily use for many years.

She said sun damage is one of the biggest reasons patients have more wrinkles, so consistent use of sunscreen is a must for all ages.

“I think there's a lot of new fancy things coming out and targeted to perimenopause, menopause patients," Mauskar said, "but sometimes the tried and true things that we at least have the science for I think still are my kind of gold standard for my patients.”