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El Niño’s most prominent mark on the hurricane season is to ratchet up vertical wind shear – the scissor-like wind pattern that lops off the tops of organizing storm seedlings before they can develop into strong hurricanes. The increase in wind shear is highest in the western part of the tropical Atlantic, especially across the Caribbean, which also helps to reduce the number of U.S. landfalls during El Niño years.

Typically, however, it takes a little time for the abnormal warming of the waters in the eastern Pacific – the ocean phenomenon that defines El Niño – to link arms with the atmosphere and change global circulation patterns that ultimately reshape winds over the tropical Atlantic. Since El Niño peaks in the late fall and winter, we usually start to see the atmospheric response by August and September, as the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season hits.

This year, however, it appears we’re seeing that atmospheric feedback to the strengthening El Niño earlier than usual, which could be a result of the record-setting pace of the warming so far in the eastern equatorial Pacific.

Wind shear in the bellwether Caribbean has shot up like a skyscraper since mid-June and is the second highest to start July (second only behind 2015, another strong El Niño year) since satellite records began in 1979.

As we’ve discussed in previous newsletters, by July the wind shear load across the Caribbean becomes one of the most reliable predictors of future seasonal hurricane activity. The more shear we see in the Caribbean in July, generally the less overall tropical activity we should expect in August, September, and October.

It’s still early in the month, but forecast models show no signs of the shear surrendering its Caribbean stronghold. If anything, the shear looks to only increase over the coming weeks, with a bullseye of exceptionally strong wind shear centered squarely over the Caribbean.

If this is any indication, the tropical Atlantic will have some heavy lifting to do to churn out much activity in the months ahead. Of course, in any given week, the winds can relax enough for a hurricane to slip through the cracks (hurricanes are a given every season, even in strong El Niño years), and we’ll want to watch the subtropics a little more closely, especially east of Florida, but overall these trends bode well for a noticeably less active hurricane season.

And as we would expect, forecast models continue to advertise a very sleepy Atlantic, with no signs of life into at least late July.

La huella más notable de El Niño en la temporada de huracanes es el aumento de la cizalladura vertical del viento, el patrón de vientos similar a unas tijeras que corta la parte superior de los sistemas tropicales en formación antes de que puedan convertirse en huracanes intensos. El aumento de la cizalladura del viento es mayor en la parte occidental del Atlántico tropical, especialmente sobre el Caribe, lo que también ayuda a reducir la cantidad de huracanes que tocan tierra en Estados Unidos durante los años de El Niño.

Sin embargo, normalmente toma algo de tiempo para que el calentamiento anormal de las aguas del Pacífico oriental, el fenómeno oceánico que define a El Niño, interactúe con la atmósfera y modifique los patrones de circulación global que, en última instancia, cambian los vientos sobre el Atlántico tropical. Como El Niño alcanza su punto máximo a finales del otoño y durante el invierno, por lo general comenzamos a ver esa respuesta atmosférica en agosto y septiembre, cuando llega el pico de la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico.

Este año, sin embargo, parece que estamos viendo esa respuesta atmosférica al fortalecimiento de El Niño antes de lo habitual, lo que podría ser consecuencia del ritmo récord del calentamiento observado hasta ahora en el Pacífico ecuatorial oriental.

La cizalladura del viento en el Caribe, una región clave para monitorear la temporada, se ha disparado desde mediados de junio y registra el segundo nivel más alto para comienzos de julio desde que iniciaron los registros satelitales en 1979, solo por detrás de 2015, otro año con un fuerte fenómeno de El Niño.

Como hemos explicado en boletines anteriores, para julio la cizalladura del viento sobre el Caribe se convierte en uno de los indicadores más confiables para predecir la actividad de la temporada de huracanes. Cuanta más cizalladura del viento haya en el Caribe durante julio, por lo general menor será la actividad tropical que se espera en agosto, septiembre y octubre.

Aún es temprano en el mes, pero los modelos de pronóstico no muestran señales de que la cizalladura del viento vaya a perder su dominio sobre el Caribe. Por el contrario, todo indica que la cizalladura del viento seguirá aumentando en las próximas semanas, con un área de cizalladura excepcionalmente fuerte centrada sobre el Caribe.

Si esto sirve como indicio, el Atlántico tropical tendrá que superar condiciones muy desfavorables para generar una actividad significativa en los próximos meses. Por supuesto, en cualquier semana los vientos pueden debilitarse lo suficiente como para permitir que un huracán logre desarrollarse (los huracanes son parte de cada temporada, incluso durante años con un fuerte fenómeno de El Niño), y será importante vigilar más de cerca la región subtropical, especialmente al este de Florida. Sin embargo, en términos generales, estas tendencias apuntan a una temporada de huracanes notablemente menos activa.

Como era de esperarse, los modelos de pronóstico siguen mostrando un Atlántico muy tranquilo, sin señales de actividad al menos hasta finales de julio.

Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office on Monday arrested Tyquan Lamar Howard, 25, in connection with the shooting that they say occurred on June 18 in the county’s West Little River neighborhood.

According to Howard’s arrest report, deputies responded just before 1:15 p.m. to a ShotSpotter alert indicating that one round had been fired near Northwest 79th Terrace and Northwest 21st Avenue.

While deputies were en route, dispatchers advised that the victim had reported that someone had fired at his vehicle, the report states.

The victim told investigators he was working as an Uber Eats delivery driver when he saw Howard walking south on Northwest 21st Avenue before turning west onto Northwest 79th Terrace, according to the report.

The report states the driver later received a notification directing him to pick up an order from a nearby Church’s Texas Chicken.

According to the report, after making a U-turn on Northwest 79th Terrace and passing Howard a second time, the driver said he saw Howard reach into his waistband, pull out a gun and fire toward his vehicle as he drove away.

Investigators said the bullet struck the vehicle’s front driver’s-side tire, causing it to rapidly deflate. They said the victim was not injured.

According to the report, surveillance video captured the shooting and showed the suspect fleeing on foot toward his home.

Investigators said they also identified Howard as the person seen entering a nearby gas station after the shooting, matching the description provided by the victim.

Deputies executed a search warrant at Howard’s home on Monday, where they seized clothing, shoes and clear eyeglasses matching those worn by the shooter, along with a gun of the same caliber used in the shooting, the report states.

Authorities said Howard was taken into custody at his home and transported to the MDSO’s Northside District Station where he invoked his right to an attorney.

Jail records show he is facing one count each of premeditated attempted murder and criminal mischief.

As of Tuesday morning, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”

Authorities have not released a possible motive for the shooting.

Personal de Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue y agentes de BSO respondieron después de las 2 p.m. a la intersección de Southwest 56th Avenue y Allen Road, según BSO.

El personal de bomberos y rescate trasladó al menor al Memorial Regional Hospital, según el jefe de batallón de BSFR, Michael B. Kane.

“Lamentablemente, fue declarado fallecido”, escribió Carey Codd, portavoz de BSO, en un comunicado, y añadió que detectives de la unidad de homicidios de tránsito de BSO investigan el caso.

Los agentes indicaron que el conductor permaneció en el lugar de los hechos después de que el niño fuera atropellado en la entrada de una vivienda.

Los familiares identificaron al niño como Wilson Alexander, de 2 años, y añadieron que le llamaban «Junior».

Han creado una página en GoFundMe para ayudar a sufragar los gastos.

La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Carson Merlo, contribuyó a este reporte.

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According to Fort Lauderdale police, the incident was reported at about 7:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of Northwest Fifth Avenue.

Detective Kerri Hagerty said the mother and son were approached from behind by an unknown person who struck both of them with a “blunt object.”

Hagerty said the woman sustained a cut in the back of the head and the boy sustained an abrasion to his face.

Both victims were transported to Broward Health Medical Center. Their injuries were said to be non-life-threatening.

Hagerty said the suspect fled the scene prior to officers arriving.

Anyone with information about the suspect’s identity is asked to call the Fort Lauderdale Police Department or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Según la Policía de Fort Lauderdale, el incidente fue reportado alrededor de las 7:30 a.m. en la cuadra 1000 de Northwest Fifth Avenue.

La detective Kerri Hagerty indicó que la madre y el hijo fueron abordados por detrás por una persona desconocida, que golpeó a ambos con un “objeto contundente”.

Hagerty informó que la mujer sufrió una cortada en la parte posterior de la cabeza y que el menor sufrió una abrasión en el rostro.

Ambas víctimas fueron trasladadas al Broward Health Medical Center. Se informó que sus lesiones no ponen en peligro sus vidas.

Hagerty indicó que el sospechoso huyó del lugar antes de que llegaran los agentes.

Cualquier persona con información sobre la identidad del sospechoso debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale o con Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

The actor and producer is making her Broadway debut starting Tuesday in “Every Brilliant Thing,” one of the more uplifting and joyful plays this summer, even if it delves into the subject of depression.

It's the story of a narrator who compiles a list of the things to prove to his or her depressed mother that life is worth living — like ducklings, spaghetti Bolognese and dancing in public. No. 999,996 is: “Peeling off a sheet of wallpaper in one intact piece.”

“What is incredible when you start doing this is that you really do start to notice things that you never thought of before,” says Ross. “They’re everywhere and that’s why this piece is so beautiful: It changes the way you see the world.”

Ross will convince audience members to join in

Ross steps into the Broadway role originated by Daniel Radcliffe and then held by Mariska Hargitay. It's a solo show, but the audience helps, with some asked to read items from scraps of paper and others pretend to drive a car, craft a sock puppet or act as the narrator's parent.

Ross will be helping select and convince audience members to join her in the show, wandering the aisles to chat as patrons first file in. She'll be looking for kindness — and even some resistance.

“It is a sense of being of service to the material and a little bit of reluctance is actually a special quality in the roles that we need to cast,” she says.

Written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe, “Every Brilliant Thing” allows its narrator to ad-lib and changes some of the brilliant things to fit their background. So “wearing a cape ” for Radcliffe can be turned to “tutus” in Ross' case.

“The list has to feel authentic to them,” says Macmillan. “What they would have found brilliant at different stages of their life, that’s changed from person to person.”

The play gets a rewrite for the new performer and is adjusted according to their age and background — a favorite cereal or cartoon — who they may have had a crush on as a teen and what movies they might have found brilliant along the way.

“They have their own personal reasons for connecting with material, but they are also incredibly funny, open, generous, humble people that we root for,” Macmillan says.

The play runs only 70 minutes, but Ross never takes a break, does crowd work and she's basically been asked to memorize a 40-page monologue during just a three-week rehearsal period.

“It felt like I was swallowing a whale and learning how to digest it through my fingers and through my body and through my voice and through my heart,” she says.

Ross has had Broadway on her bucket list

Ross, who graduated from Brown University and studied acting at The William Esper Studio, started her career auditioning for theater, films and TV. She's become best-known for roles in shows like “black-ish” and “Girlfriends.”

Broadway was always on her bucket list, but she says starring in a play that connects with other people in a hopeful way hits “my sweet spot.”

“It's a story that is about something real that so much of us are struggling with, but yet it is told through the lens of the lifeline of what makes life worth living — just everything that could be on a bucket list for me,” she says.

“Sometimes hope can feel like a daunting idea in the face of feelings and also facts, but I do think that having the ability and the map to reach for other things can balance out those moments in a way that gives you an opening to the next.”

She resisted the temptation of watching Radcliffe or Hargitay in the role: “It’s hard for me once I get somebody else’s performance or idea in my head.”

Asked for one more personal brilliant thing and Ross, one of five children, is quick with an answer: “That moment when you and your siblings glance at each other because you know exactly what’s happening and only the five of us know but nobody else does.”

Festival organizers announced Tuesday that “Being Heumann,” starring Ruth Madeley as Heumann, will make its world premiere on the opening night of the Canadian festival Sept. 10. The festival runs through Sept. 20.

Heumann, who died in 2023, has been called the “mother of the disability rights movement” for her longtime advocacy and for lobbying for what eventually led to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Heumann, who lost the ability to walk at age 2, was also a central figure in the Oscar-nominated 2000 film “Crip Camp.”

“Being Heumann” is Heder's follow-up to the 2021 film “CODA,” which won best picture at the Academy Awards. The win marked a milestone for the deaf community and signaled the first time a streamer, Apple, won Hollywood's top award. Apple is also releasing “Being Heumann.”

“We’re thrilled to open this year’s Festival with Siân Heder’s inspiring follow-up to her Oscar winning ‘CODA,’” Cameron Bailey, chief executive of TIFF, said in a statement. “'Being Heumann' features an electric performance from Ruth Madeley in the story of Judy Heumann, a world-changing advocate for accessibility.”

The festival, one of the premiere launching pads of fall movies, also announced gala world premieres of Susanna White's legal thriller “Prima Facie,” starring Cynthia Erivo, and of Hur Jin-ho's Korean thriller “The Assassin(s).”

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According to police, someone walking across the Sheridan Street bridge spotted the body in the water just before 7:20 a.m. and called police.

Hollywood police confirmed that the Broward Sheriff’s Office assisted in recovering the body from the water.

The victim was identified by officers only as a white man as they are still working to find out who he was.

His cause of death is unknown at this time and police said it’s unclear whether foul play was involved.

Según la Policía, una persona que caminaba por el puente de Sheridan Street vio el cuerpo en el agua poco antes de las 7:20 a.m. y llamó a las autoridades.

La Policía de Hollywood confirmó que la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward colaboró en la recuperación del cuerpo del agua.

Los agentes identificaron a la víctima únicamente como un hombre blanco, mientras continúan los esfuerzos para determinar su identidad.

Por el momento se desconoce la causa de la muerte y la Policía indicó que no está claro si hubo mano criminal.

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According to Sunrise police, the vehicle burglary occurred in the 2900 block of Northwest 60^th Avenue.

Police said a perimeter was established by officers and the suspect abandoned the vehicle, which rolled into a nearby canal.

The suspect, nor any others, ever entered the water, authorities said.

Police confirmed that the suspect was taken into custody.

No other details were immediately released.

Según la Policía de Sunrise, el robo del vehículo ocurrió en la cuadra 2900 de Northwest 60th Av.

La Policía indicó que los agentes establecieron un perímetro y el sospechoso abandonó el vehículo que terminó cayendo a un canal cercano.

Las autoridades informaron que ni el sospechoso ni alguna otra persona cayeron al agua.

La Policía confirmó que el sospechoso fue arrestado.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles.

The lawsuit depicts a coordinated campaign between the U.S. and Iranian governments to identify Iranians in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and pressure them to return to Iran — a marked departure from decades of diplomatic hostility between the two governments and an ongoing war.

Roughly 600 Iranians were put in immigration detention last year, according to public records obtained by the National Iranian American Council. In June, an Iranian woman was among the two dozen migrants the U.S. deported to the Central African Republic — in a marked departure from a decades-long practice by the U.S. of welcoming Iranian dissidents, exiles and others since the 1979 Islamic Revolution forced a large number of Iranians to flee.

The U.S. government is allowed to work with government officials of foreign countries to coordinate deportation logistics. However, federal regulations passed in the late 1990s prohibit the government from sharing information that could reveal that the individual getting deported applied for asylum.

“Congress made these confidentiality protections mandatory precisely because lives depend on them, and no agency and no administration, of either party, may set them aside,” said Ali Rahnama, the interim executive director of Iranian American Legal Defense Fund.

Starting in March 2025, the U.S. State Department arranged monthly meetings with Iranian officials, using the Pakistani embassy as an intermediary, in which U.S. officials shared detailed, sensitive information about detained Iranian immigrants who the U.S. government hoped to deport, lawyers for the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund and the Public Citizen Litigation Group wrote in a complaint.

The information included details about asylum applications filed by people who say they were persecuted for converting to Christianity, for their sexuality or for participating in the Women, Life, Freedom protests against the Iranian government in 2022, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

ICE forced Iranian asylum applicants who had been detained in numerous facilities, mostly southern states, to meet with an Iranian government official who had extensive and specific knowledge about their applications, according to the complaint. The information was shared even after the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran started the Iran war in February 2026.

The lawsuit is seeking to halt sharing information about asylum seekers with the Iranian government and appoint an independent monitor to prevent future disclosures.

“Despite the U.S.’s ongoing war with Iran, the administration seems more committed to mass deportation than protecting human lives,” Michael Kirkpatrick, attorney at Public Citizen Litigation Group said in a statement.

The complaint names the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin and the Department of State as some of the defendants. The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment on Tuesday morning.

The allegations come amid President Donald Trump’s ambitious and aggressive immigration crackdown that involved over 600,000 deportations and causing roughly 1.9 million immigrants to voluntarily leave in 2025 alone, according to an announcement made by DHS.

Iranian officials acknowledged in September 2025 that as many as 400 Iranians could be returned under an agreement with the Trump's administration. That month, the first of three deportation flights brought dozens of Iranians back to Iran. The second deportation flight was in December 2025, and the final recorded deportation flight departed at the end of January 2026, roughly a month before the war on Iran started, and just weeks after the Iranian government killed thousands of citizens as part of a brutal crackdown on protests. The New York Times reported at the time that some of those deported in the flights in September, December and January were asylum seekers.

Robinson, 23, is charged with aggravated murder in Kirk's Sept. 10 assassination on the Utah Valley University campus, for which prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Robinson’s attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence.

Though there were no major revelations on the hearing’s first day, a former Utah Valley University officer testified that he found an apparent “sniper pad” on a rooftop near where Kirk was shot.

Here's the latest:

The defense frequently objected to the introduction of evidence

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester’s attempts were mostly overruled Monday by the judge.

When Nester asked Bagley about finding an empty pistol holster on the ground after the crowd fled, he acknowledged he never took custody of the holster and didn’t know whether it had been fingerprinted.

Utah is an open carry state, meaning people can carry guns openly or conceal them without a permit.

Graf sided with the defense to block the introduction of a compilation of surveillance videos from Utah Valley University because some had been altered to zoom in or had circles drawn around individuals.

Prosecutors said they would try again Tuesday to introduce that video with the alterations removed.

Prosecutors must pass a low bar to advance Robinson to trial

The proceeding resembles a minitrial, but prosecutors need only demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds to believe Robinson killed Kirk and should stand trial. The standard is lower than for a trial, where prosecutors must prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Prosecutors, as a result, should have little trouble advancing their case, said Mark Kouris, a former prosecutor and state judge in Salt Lake City.

“This standard is extremely low, and the chances of them not getting through it are, quite frankly, almost nothing,” said Kouris, now an adjunct professor at the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law.

Robinson’s demeanor in the courtroom

The defendant sat quietly between his attorneys throughout the hearing, looking at the prosecution’s exhibits on a monitor and occasionally taking notes. His wrists were shackled to a chain around his waist.

Kirk and Robinson’s families were in the courtroom Monday

Monday marked the first time Kirk’s parents, Kathryn and Robert, and his widow, Erika, were in the courtroom since the case began. Robinson’s parents also were present, sitting a few rows behind the Kirks.

Prosecutors showed several graphic videos of Kirk’s shooting, including the moment he was shot and security administering first aid, as they made their case.

Kirk’s family briefly walked out of the courtroom twice — when Bagley, the university officer, started testifying about Kirk’s arrival on campus and again when prosecutors introduced the videos. Each time, they returned.

The court will hear a statement from Robinson’s roommate

If prosecutors follow the order of an exhibit list they submitted earlier this year, they will present a video from the Washington County sheriff’s office from Sept. 11 — the day Robinson turned himself in — and recorded testimony from Robinson’s roommate.

Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed in a note left for his roommate, who was also his romantic partner, that read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”

Robinson also reportedly texted his roommate that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred,” prosecutors have said.

Prosecutors have also said they plan to present DNA evidence linking Robinson to the suspected murder weapon, autopsy findings, witness statements and video of Kirk’s killing. In addition, they are expected to argue the shooting endangered others at Kirk’s campus event — an aggravating circumstance that could make the crime punishable by death under Utah law.

What happened during the first day of the hearing?

The court proceedings on Monday produced no major revelations but marked the most significant presentation of evidence to date in the case against Robinson, who is charged with aggravated murder in the assassination of Kirk.

Former Utah Valley University Officer Christopher Bagley testified that he witnessed the shooting while the conservative activist was speaking to a campus crowd of thousands on Sept. 10. Soon after, Bagley went to a nearby gravel rooftop, where it appeared someone had been lying prone with a clear sightline to Kirk’s location, he said.

“It looks like a sniper pad,” Bagley told the court.

More video is expected during the hearing

Prosecutors seeking to convince a Utah judge to put the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk on trial are expected to present more law enforcement video and a recorded statement from the defendant’s roommate as a weeklong preliminary hearing continues Tuesday.

The court proceedings began Monday and so far have produced no major revelations but marked the most significant presentation of evidence to date in the case against defendant Tyler Robinson, 23, who is charged with aggravated murder in the assassination of Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump.

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According to online jail records, the former politician was arrested Thursday night in Daphne, Alabama on charges of possession of dangerous drugs, drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

He has since been released from jail.

Further details surrounding the 46-year-old’s arrest were not immediately released. Local 10 News has requested a copy of his arrest report from the Daphne Police Department.

Gillum, who ran as a Democrat against DeSantis in the 2018 election, previously made headlines in March 2020 after Miami Beach police said they found him at the Mondrian South Beach Hotel in an “inebriated” state with two other men.

According to a police report, officers found three small clear bags inside the hotel room containing suspected crystal meth, although the men were never charged with a crime.

Gillum released a statement after the 2020 incident, saying he was at a wedding the night before the incident and was drinking, but denied taking any methamphetamines.

Gillum also made headlines in 2023 when he was acquitted of lying to the FBI in a corruption case that also involved illegal use of campaign contributions.

He has not publicly released a statement regarding the latest incident in Alabama, as of Tuesday morning.

Según los registros de la cárcel en línea, el ex candidato a gobernador fue arrestado el jueves por la noche en Daphne, Alabama, por cargos de posesión de drogas peligrosas, parafernalia de drogas y posesión de marihuana.

Desde entonces, fue puesto en libertad.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles sobre el arresto del hombre de 46 años. Local 10 News solicitó una copia del informe de arresto al Departamento de Policía de Daphne.

Gillum, quien se postuló como demócrata contra DeSantis en las elecciones de 2018, ya había sido noticia en marzo de 2020 después de que la Policía de Miami Beach informara que lo encontró en el hotel Mondrian South Beach en estado de “ebriedad” junto a otros dos hombres.

Según un informe policial, los agentes encontraron tres pequeñas bolsas transparentes dentro de la habitación del hotel que contenían presunta metanfetamina cristalina, aunque los hombres nunca fueron acusados de ningún delito.

Gillum emitió un comunicado tras el incidente de 2020, en el que afirmó que había asistido a una boda la noche anterior y había estado bebiendo, pero negó haber consumido metanfetamina.

Gillum también fue noticia en 2023 cuando fue absuelto de mentirle al FBI en un caso de corrupción que también involucró el uso ilegal de contribuciones de campaña.

Hasta la mañana del martes, no había publicado un comunicado sobre el más reciente incidente en Alabama.

Sus apartamentos —unos pocos con acceso directo a la marina y cientos en torres de vivienda pública— se alzaban en la misma calle y ofrecían vistas idílicas de playas de arena blanca y aguas cristalinas.

Los dueños de yates y los usuarios del transporte público que compartían esa vía encarnaban la integración social que el gobierno se propuso lograr. Muchos de ellos, que disfrutaban de un día festivo o descansaban en casa el 24 de junio, corrieron la misma suerte cuando el suelo se sacudió con tal violencia que sus viviendas quedaron reducidas a escombros en segundos.

Ahora, unas 17.000 personas que sobrevivieron también comparten la condición poco común de estar sin hogar en Venezuela. Mientras la cifra oficial de muertos supera los 3.500, muchos deben depender del gobierno --que ha sido duramente criticado por su respuesta a la tragedia y que en el pasado ha politizado la vivienda-- para resolver dónde vivirán, si es que tendrán un nuevo hogar.

La vivienda sigue siendo una constante incluso en tiempos de crisis

La vivienda, por lo general, ha sido la primera aspiración de los adultos venezolanos desde la segunda mitad del siglo XX, cuando un auge petrolero permitió al gobierno financiar complejos habitacionales, a los pobres construir chozas de ladrillo y cemento conocidas localmente como “ranchos”, y a los ricos comprar segundas y terceras moradas.

Incluso cuando la economía del país se desmoronó en 2013, la mayoría de los venezolanos aún tenía un techo, ya fuera porque el gobierno, que se autodefine socialista, les asignó una vivienda; porque compraron una con un gran descuento a personas desesperadas por conseguir dinero para migrar; porque levantaron ranchos unos encima de otros; e incluso porque ocuparon casas abandonadas.

Quienes viven en viviendas construidas por el partido gobernante desde hace 27 años —actualmente encabezado por la presidenta interina Delcy Rodríguez— no tienen los títulos de propiedad, pero esas casas les permitieron ahorrar y mantener a familias enteras fuera de las calles.

"Era su hogar, su casa. Era una felicidad enorme cuando le asignaron estas casas aquí", manifestó Carlos Ortega sobre los 12 apartamentos en Caraballeda que a sus familiares les asignaron hace más de una década, tras años de dificultades económicas después de un deslave.

"Imagínese, le dieron su casa después de perderlo todo, pero ahora lo perdieron todo, hasta la vida".

Solo uno de los hermanos de Ortega sobrevivió al colapso de las torres de vivienda pública, mientras que su hijo, que vivía en un apartamento del noveno piso pero estaba trabajando en una tienda de conveniencia cuando ocurrieron los terremotos, sigue desaparecido a más de una semana del desastre. Ortega esperaba encontrarlo en un hospital, un refugio o en alguno de los campamentos de tiendas erigidos en espacios públicos y estacionamientos privados.

No muy lejos de donde hizo una pausa tras retirar escombros que sepultaron a su familia, la gente evaluaba viviendas aplastadas junto a un club náutico y algunos remolcaban motos acuáticas. Allí, a los rescatistas les ofrecían galletas y otros alimentos en una bandeja de plástico mientras permanecían de pie sobre los restos donde la esposa de un general militar esperaba que él y sus hijos fueran encontrados.

Esfuerzos del gobierno para integrar a distintas clases socioeconómicas

Ronal Rodríguez, investigador del Observatorio de Venezuela de la Universidad del Rosario, en Colombia, explicó que los gobiernos venezolanos, incluso antes de la llegada de Hugo Chávez a la presidencia en 1999, habían intentado evitar la segregación socioeconómica construyendo proyectos de vivienda en o cerca de zonas exclusivas. Esa estrategia, señaló, también les daba una ventaja política al diversificar la base de votantes en barrios más acomodados que tienden a votar por la oposición.

Pero las viviendas construidas bajo la "Gran Misión Vivienda" de Chávez, continuada por su sucesor Nicolás Maduro hasta que el ejército de Estados Unidos lo derrocó en enero, tenían una condición: la gente nunca recibía un título de propiedad.

"El chavismo lo que trata es de mantener una dependencia política", dijo Rodríguez sobre el movimiento político de Chávez. "Es decir, si tú en algún momento te me volteas y ya no me apoyas, pues entonces el techo que te he dado te lo quito".

Esto vuelve a estos residentes vulnerables a los caprichos del gobierno, en particular cuando los sobrevivientes han sido explícitos al denunciar la falta de apoyo gubernamental en las labores de búsqueda y rescate.

El gobierno de la presidenta Rodríguez, cuya respuesta a la catástrofe ha sido denunciada por residentes de todos los sectores, aún no ha dado plazos para los esfuerzos de recuperación de vivienda.

La magnitud de los daños todavía no está clara, pero al menos 10.000 estructuras, o cerca de un tercio, resultaron dañadas en Catia La Mar, una ciudad al oeste de Caraballeda también en el estado La Guaira, según imágenes satelitales analizadas por AI for Good Lab de Microsoft. Edificios antiguos, construcciones deficientes y la geografía dejaron a muchos vecindarios de Venezuela vulnerables a terremotos fuertes.

Recoger los pedazos

Benito Mantilla, de 68 años, ahora vive en una tienda instalada en el estacionamiento de una farmacia en Catia La Mar después de que su casa resultara dañada. Su esposa se fue a República Dominicana la semana pasada, pero él decidió quedarse e intentar encontrar trabajo a unos 40 minutos, en la capital, Caracas, ya que los terremotos también dañaron su taller de reparación de autos y el de su hermano.

Otra mujer que también vive en el estacionamiento aún esperaba que el gobierno le diera una vivienda pronto. Su hija, contó, forma parte de los organizadores locales del partido gobernante.

Mientras tanto, Caryudedi González, que compró su propia casa cuando tenía 21 años, esperaba que su vivienda de clase trabajadora —la mitad de la cual se desplomó por un barranco— pudiera repararse de alguna manera.

"En muchos países es muy difícil tener una casa propia y aquí nos esforzamos tanto por tener lo nuestro", expresó González, de 44 años.

__________________________________

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

The case has been winding its way through the courts for years and stems from attempts by conservatives to overturn President Joe Biden's victory in Wisconsin over President Donald Trump in 2020.

Here’s what to know:

A conservative activist brought the case

The case tested the line between protecting personal privacy rights and ensuring that ineligible people can’t vote.

Former travel executive Ron Heuer and a group he leads, the Wisconsin Voter Alliance, brought the lawsuit in 2022 alleging that the number of ineligible voters doesn’t match the count on Wisconsin’s voter registration list. The lawsuit doesn't specify how many people could be affected.

Heuer asked the state Supreme Court to rule that counties must release records filed when a judge determines that someone isn’t competent to vote so that those names can be compared to the voter registration list.

Heuer’s attorney, Erick Kaardal, argued that privacy concerns could be balanced with the public’s right to access government records by redacting identifying or sensitive information on the forms.

But the attorney for Walworth County said those seeking access to the records wanted to cross-check ineligible voters against the names of those registered. They can’t do that, attorney Sam Hall said during oral arguments, without releasing the person’s name and address.

Hall praised the ruling, saying it “protects the privacy of vulnerable individuals while preserving their dignity.”

Kaardal did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

In Wisconsin, a guardianship order is granted by a court giving a person certain legal rights over another who is determined to be unable to make decisions about their life. A court has the power to remove the right to vote from a person under a guardianship order if the person is determined to be unable to understand “the objective of the election process.”

Liberal justices who control Wisconsin Supreme Court reject the cas

e

In the 5-2 ruling on Tuesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court's liberal majority along with conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn ruled that the records are not public as the conservative activist had claimed.

The court took the case after two lower state appeals courts issued divergent rulings. One appeals court, based in Madison, denied access to the records while another appeals court, based in Waukesha, said in 2023 that the records should be made public.

It ordered Walworth County to release them with birth dates and case numbers redacted.

The Supreme Court overturned the appeals court ruling that the records should be made public.

State law is clear that the records being sought are not public and “the Alliance has no right to the records,” Justice Janet Protasiewicz wrote for the majority.

Conservative justices Annette Ziegler and Rebecca Bradley dissented, saying the court adopted “an overbroad and unworkable definition of what records pertain to a finding of incompetency” to include the forms that indicate a person has been found ineligible to vote.

Those forms are not pertinent to the finding of incompetency and are therefore subject to the open records law, Ziegler and Bradley wrote.

The case was one of several targeting the 2020 election

The case was an attempt by those who questioned the outcome of the 2020 presidential race to cast doubt on the integrity of elections in the presidential swing state. Heuer and the WVA filed lawsuits in 13 Wisconsin counties in 2022 seeking guardianship records.

Heuer and the WVA have pushed conspiracy theories about the 2020 election in a failed attempt to overturn Biden’s win in Wisconsin. Heuer was hired as an investigator in the discredited 2020 election probe led by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. The probe found no evidence of fraud or abuse that would have changed the election results.

The WVA also filed two unsuccessful lawsuits that sought to overturn Biden’s win in Wisconsin.

Trump won Wisconsin in 2024 after losing in 2020

Biden defeated Trump by nearly 21,000 votes in Wisconsin in 2020, a result that has withstood independent and partisan audits and reviews, as well as lawsuits and the recounts Trump requested. Trump won Wisconsin in 2024 by about 29,000 votes.

There are no pending lawsuits challenging the results of the 2024 election or calls to investigate the outcome.

The recall affects 10-ounce packages of GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries that were distributed to Publix stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

According to Publix, the recall was initiated by supplier Frutas y Hortalizas del Sur S.A. of San Carlos, Chile, after reports linked the product to illnesses.

The recalled product includes:

• Product: GreenWise Organic IQF Blueberries (Frozen)
• Package size: 10 ounces
• Lot code: 60401
• Best By date: Feb. 9, 2028

Publix said customers should return or discard any affected GreenWise frozen blueberries purchased on or before July 3, 2026. No other lot codes or best-by dates are included in the recall.

According to a news release issued by Publix, there have been 12 confirmed cases of E. coli infections reported between May 11 and June 5, linked to the consumption of the recalled blueberries.

Consumers who have the recalled blueberries should not eat them. Instead, they should throw the product away or return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Anyone with questions about the recall can email Info.foodsafety@comfrut.com or call 336-899-5612.

Here are the key steps to take.

Step 1: Find a qualified attorney

Because your estate plan will likely need to be updated as the years go by, it makes sense to find an attorney who practices in the community where you live.

Start by asking other financial professionals who you work with for recommendations. If you have a specific situation that is likely to affect your estate plan—for example, if you’re a  small-business owner  or if you have a child with a disability —ask for referrals to attorneys well-versed in those areas.

Conduct a basic informational interview with prospective attorneys (it should be free), and ask the following:

1. How long have you been practicing law? 2. How long have you been practicing this type of law? 3. How many estates have you settled? 4. What is the typical asset level for your clients? 5. Do you have experience with situations like mine? (Blended/divorced family, business owner, child with addiction issue, etc.) 6. How do you charge for your services? What is an estimate of the charges for my estate plan? 7. Do you have experience with tax planning? (Particularly important for large estates)

Remember to weigh the intangibles: Do you like this person, and would you be comfortable supplying them with personal information about your finances and family situation?

Step 2: Take stock of your assets

List your assets and their value: investment accounts, life insurance, your home, your share of any businesses you own. Gather current information about any  debts outstanding. Your estate-planning attorney is likely to provide you with a worksheet for this.

Step 3: Identify key individuals

Who do you trust to ensure that your wishes are carried out in case of your death or incapacity? You’ll need individuals to fill the following key roles. Note that the same individual can fulfill more than one role.

8. Executor: A person who gathers your assets and makes sure they are distributed as spelled out in your will. The executor must be detail-oriented and comfortable with numbers. The executor can be a family member or a professional (such as a bank trust officer). 9. Durable (or Financial) Power of Attorney: A document that grants an individual the legal authority to make financial decisions on your behalf if you can’t. This person must understand your wishes about your financial affairs. They should also be detail-oriented and adept with financial matters. 10. Power of Attorney for Healthcare: A document that specifies whom you entrust with making healthcare decisions on your behalf if you can’t. Ideally, this person lives reasonably close and understands your general wishes about healthcare. 11. Guardian: A person who is willing and financially able to look after and/or raise your minor children if you and your partner die. You want your child’s guardian to share your values and views on parenting.

Step 4: Know the key documents you need

At a minimum, ask your attorney to draft:

12. Last Will and Testament: Tells everyone how you would like your assets distributed after you’re gone. 13. Living Will: Tells your loved ones and healthcare providers how you would like to be cared for if you become terminally ill. It usually includes your wishes on the use of life-support equipment. 14. Healthcare Power of Attorney: Gives an individual the power to make healthcare decisions on your behalf. 15. Durable (Financial) Power of Attorney

Step 5: Manage your documents

Once your estate-planning documents are drafted, destroy any older versions. Keep the current ones in a secure place and tell the executor where they are.

Provide copies to your executor, agents for powers of attorney, and the guardian for your children, and discuss your wishes with them.

Step 6: Plan to keep your plan current

One of the biggest estate-planning pitfalls is drafting a plan but not keeping it up to date. Plan to notify your estate-planning attorney, and possibly revise your documents, in these situations:

16. A change in marital or family status (marriage, divorce, birth, adoption) 17. A major change in assets (sale or purchase) 18. A major change in financial status 19. The death or ill health of a beneficiary 20. The death or ill health of the executor, power of attorney, or guardian.

_____

This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.

Christine Benz is director of personal finance and retirement planning for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast. Subscribe to her free weekly newsletter.

Related Links

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https://www.morningstar.com/retirement/5-things-do-now-retire-25-years

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https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/3-big-questions-ask-your-aging-parents

Will Your Retirement Plan Withstand the Death of a Spouse?

https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance/will-your-retirement-plan-withstand-death-spouse

“I have done nothing wrong. I have not broken the law in any way at all. I have not misused public money," Farage, a prominent ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, said in a broadcast statement that did not take questions.

Farage faces questions about undeclared gifts, and a probe by Parliament’s standards watchdog, over a 5 million pound ($6.7 million) gift he received from a Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire. Opposition lawmakers seek another investigation over donations from George Cottrell, an aristocratic crypto-gambling entrepreneur who served a prison sentence for fraud in the U.S.

The probes could have led to Farage being suspended or expelled from Parliament. He will pre-empt that process by triggering an election for his Clacton seat in eastern England.

“The people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions,” he said. “This will be a people versus the establishment by-election.

“I will fight to win.”

Even if Farage wins, the standards inquiry is likely to resume.

Scrutiny of Farage’s finances had spurred speculation about the future of a politician some considered a favorite to be prime minister after the next national election.

Farage’s anti-immigration party has only eight of the 650 lawmakers in the House of Commons but consistently leads opinion polls over the governing Labour Party and the main opposition Conservatives.

Reform UK was the big winner in local and regional elections in May that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the hands of his own Labour Party.

But the party has lost three consecutive special elections that it hoped to win, a possible sign its support may be sagging. The most recent loss was to Labour’s Andy Burnham, who is likely to succeed Starmer as prime minister within weeks.

Losing Farage would be a serious blow to a party whose rise has echoes of Trump’s nationalist, anti-immigration playbook. Farage has capitalized on — critics say stoked — concerns about migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, which he has called an invasion.

Parliamentary standards commissioner Daniel Greenberg is investigating the 5 million pound donation to Farage from Christopher Harborne, a British businessman based in Thailand. Farage says the money was a personal gift that he used to fund security and came before he was elected to the House of Commons.

U.K. rules state that newly elected lawmakers must declare gifts worth more than 300 pounds ($400) they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.

El conservador De la Espriella dijo en la red social X que el proceso se suspenderá de manera “inmediata” con el gobierno “corrupto” que terminará su periodo en un mes y que “con sus decisiones y su conducta, pretende destruir a Colombia”.

El proceso de transición de gobierno o empalme, como se conoce en Colombia, suele ser un trámite formal para recibir a la nueva administración. Sin embargo, el proceso entre Petro y De la Espriella, opuestos políticamente, ha estado rodeado de cuestionamientos mutuos.

El ministro de Hacienda y coordinador del empalme del gobierno de Petro, Germán Ávila, ordenó a su equipo suspender el proceso como una medida recíproca. Durante una declaración televisada reprochó las declaraciones de Carlos Alfonso Lucio, parte del equipo de De la Espriella, quien dijo en entrevista a un medio local que el nuevo gobierno llevaría ante la justicia los hallazgos del proceso de transición “anti-corrupción”.

“El empalme no es una investigación penal, no es un juicio”, aseguró Ávila, quien anunció una denuncia penal contra Lucio. “No tenemos absolutamente nada que ocultar”.

De la Espriella aseguró que en las próximas horas explicará las razones por las que decidió suspender la transición de gobierno y las medidas que adoptará.

La víspera Petro fue explícito en no reconocer la legitimidad de De la Espriella al asegurar que “no ganó las elecciones” en el reñido balotaje del 21 de junio contra el progresista Iván Cepeda, su aliado político, pese a que el Consejo Nacional Electoral declaró ganador a De la Espriella.

Insistió en X en que se gestó un presunto fraude electoral porque los software usados en el escrutinio “utilizaron algoritmos que variaron la votación sustancialmente a favor de Abelardo”.

El día del balotaje Petro aseguró que reconocería los resultados del escrutinio, el cual realizan jueces y luego avala la autoridad electoral. Sin embargo, no lo hizo expresamente y lo que siguieron fueron declaraciones sujetas a interpretación, como un comunicado en el que dijo que haría la “transición democrática del gobierno” y acataría “las decisiones de los jueces”.

El procurador general Gregorio Eljach ha dicho a la prensa que los cuestionamientos del mandatario sobre los resultados de la elección no tienen incidencia jurídica, por lo que De la Espriella tomará posesión del cargo el 7 de agosto.

Una misión de observadores de la Unión Europea subrayó tras el balotaje la transparencia y eficiencia del proceso de recuento de votos. El Centro Carter indicó que el sistema de gestión de resultados fue “confiable, transparente y plenamente trazable”.

Varias zonas del este de la provincia de Hubei fueron golpeadas por tormentas eléctricas la noche del lunes y el mal tiempo afectaba a 14.600 personas, informó la agencia oficial de noticias Xinhua. Más de 330 personas resultaron heridas y una estaba desaparecida, mientras que más de 20 viviendas se derrumbaron y otras más de 4.800 sufrieron daños, indicó.

Un inusual tornado EF2 barrió la ciudad de Huanggang, donde varios edificios resultaron dañados. Una empresa de logística y un complejo de almacenes fueron duramente afectados; varios camiones fueron levantados y desplazados por vientos hasta de 30 metros (98 pies), reportó Xinhua.

Un video publicado por Shanghai Daily en X parecía mostrar a algunas personas en la planta baja de un edificio gritando mientras los fuertes vientos abrían a la fuerza las puertas de vidrio, haciendo añicos una de ellas.

Los tornados suelen registrarse en provincias del sur y costeras como Guangdong y Jiangsu, según China Weather News, que depende de la Administración Meteorológica de China.

Son poco frecuentes en la provincia de Hubei y múltiples factores, incluidos los remanentes de la tormenta tropical Maysak, contribuyeron a los que golpearon la región la noche del lunes, declaró el experto meteorológico Wang Xiaoling al periódico Hubei Daily.

En el sur de China, funcionarios informaron que cuatro personas habían muerto en la ciudad de Hengzhou y otras ocho estaban desaparecidas, mientras lluvias récord asociadas a Maysak provocaban inundaciones generalizadas en la región de Guangxi, reportó Xinhua.

Más de 53.000 personas han sido evacuadas en Hengzhou, y otras 8.000 fueron evacuadas en el condado de Binyang, señaló Xinhua.

Guangxi emitió una alerta roja, el nivel más alto, por inundaciones el martes. Los niveles de los ríos subieron hasta 7,5 metros (24 pies) por encima de los niveles de advertencia, según Xinhua.

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

The blackout in the country of nearly 10 million people was reported by the state-run Electric Union, which said on X that the cause is under investigation. The Ministry of Energy and Mines wrote on X that it has activated protocols to restore electricity.

Fuel has been running out across Cuba since January, when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to the island, deepening the island’s ongoing economic and financial crisis. Public transportation has largely been halted, and officials have canceled tens of thousands of surgeries.

Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy said microsystems were already operating throughout Cuba a couple of hours after the outage: “Vital services continue to be protected, amidst this complex situation exacerbated by the energy blockade we face.”

Meanwhile, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused the U.S. of trying to “incite social unrest by strangling Cuba’s fuel supply.”

“The actions of electrical workers in the midst of a genocidal energy blockade are heroic,” he wrote on X.

The outage sparked concern across Havana, with 36-year-old Lina May wondering when the power would come back on so she could cook some rice.

“I just told my dad that we have to buy charcoal because otherwise we won’t eat and we’ll starve,” she said.

Richard Valdés, 40, said the outage is just the latest hit of many. “We’re without power again,” he said. “Now we have no water, no gas, nothing until they restore it.”

Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it needs, while the 730,000 barrels of oil delivered by a Russian tanker in late March ran out by the end of April.

The government also has been rationing power with intentional outages that can stretch to more than 24 consecutive hours.

A blackout in mid-May affected the island’s eastern provinces, while a blackout in mid-March struck the entire island.

Like many Cubans, Mario Pedroso, a 33-year-old Havana resident, was resigned about Monday’s total blackout.

“Oil hasn’t come in here for a while, and we have no way to solve the problem,” he said. “We have to resist, as we Cubans say. That’s all.”

___

Associated Press writer Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico contributed.

___

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

The survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research arrives at a moment when a once-consensus foreign policy issue is increasingly polarizing Americans along partisan and generational lines, driven by criticism for Israel’s conduct nearly three years after the outbreak of its latest war with Hamas in Gaza.

About one-third of U.S. adults — including roughly half of Democrats — believe that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war in Gaza, an accusation that’s been leveled by some human rights organizations and vehemently denied by Israel and the U.S. government. About 2 in 10 Americans say Israel has not and the rest, about half, don’t know enough to say.

A similar share, 30%, of Jewish adults say Israel has committed genocide, although about half, 49%, say it has not.

Harold Kalmus, a 69-year-old Democrat from Arden, Delaware who describes himself as Jewish by birth, said he remembers being proud of Israel when he was younger. Not anymore.

“I realize that there is a threat from Hamas. And I realize they’re in a very difficult situation, but what they have done is just an unspeakable horror,” he said of Israel’s military action against the Palestinians. “They’re trying to wipe out a civilization as far as I’m concerned.”

The findings show sharply eroded views of Israel in the U.S., nearly three years after Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which left 1,200 people dead in Israel, mainly civilians, while 251 hostages were taken back to Gaza. More than 73,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilian and militant deaths, including more than 1,000 killed since the beginning of the latest ceasefire. American sympathies had been shifting toward the Palestinians and away from the Israelis since around 2020, according to other polling, but has nose-dived since the latest war in Gaza began.

Many Americans, about 4 in 10, don’t know enough to say whether Israel’s immediate military response to Hamas’ attack or its ongoing military operations were justified. Among those who did have an opinion in each case, most say the initial retaliation was justified — but a majority think its current actions are not.

About three-quarters of Jewish adults said Israel’s initial response was justified, but only about 4 in 10 believe that about its ongoing operations.

Only about one-third of U.S. adults view Israel as an “extremely” or “very” important issue to them personally. But it’s been a searing topic in American politics as the relationship between the two countries remains tense, just four months before high-stakes midterm elections determine the balance of power in Congress for President Donald Trump’s final two years in office. Vice President JD Vance recently criticized Israeli leaders who have expressed frustration with Trump, while vocal critics of Israel recently defeated establishment-backed Democrats in New York and Colorado primaries.

Democrats’ support for Israel drops

The AP-NORC poll reveals a decisive shift within the Democratic Party.

About 58% of Democrats now say the U.S. is “too supportive” of the Israelis, up from 45% in an AP-NORC poll from January 2024 when former President Joe Biden was in office. That includes 51% of Jewish Democrats in the new poll.

Roughly 6 in 10 Democrats, 62%, say the U.S. is “not supportive enough” of the Palestinians, up from 49% in 2024. Younger Democrats — those 45 and younger — are still more likely than older ones to say that the United States is “not supportive enough” of the Palestinians, but older Democrats are catching up to their younger counterparts. About 57% of older Democrats now say the U.S. should do more for the Palestinians, up from 39% two years ago.

Joy Jennik, a 73-year-old Democrat from Brookfield, Wisconsin, said she didn’t have strong opinions about the U.S. relationship with Israel until after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

Now, she believes Israel is guilty of genocide.

“The Gaza Strip, there’s not a lot left of it. Those poor people are barely living,” said Jennik, a retired home economics teacher.

GOP stays behind Israel, but less so among young Republicans

Just a sliver of Republicans, 13%, describe Israel’s actions as genocide, although there is an apparent age gap. About 2 in 10 Republicans under 45 say Israel has committed genocide, while about 1 in 10 Republicans ages 45 and older say the same.

Overall, 60% of Republicans describe the U.S. support for Israel as “about right.” Only about 2 in 10 Republicans say that the United States is “too supportive” of the Israelis, although Republicans under 45 are more likely to say this.

The share of Republicans overall who say the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel has not changed meaningfully since 2024, but the share who say the U.S. is “not supportive enough” has shrunk from 39% to 15%.

Mike Cardona, a 70-year-old Republican from suburban Phoenix, said he’s pleased with the level of support that the U.S. is giving Israel and rejects the notion that Israel has committed genocide.

“I wish they’d gone in harder and better,” Cardona, a retired industrial supply salesperson said of Israel’s military action in Gaza. “Unfortunately, some innocents will be hurt, but Hamas and Hezbollah never took that into consideration when they were killing children and women in Israel.”

Netanyahu is broadly unpopular, while views of Mamdani are split

In interviews, several respondents emphasized that their criticism of Israel was focused on its leaders, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is perceived as closely aligned with Trump after repeated clashes with Democratic presidents.

Overall, only 20% of U.S. adults have a favorable view of the Israeli prime minister, while about twice as many, 38%, have an unfavorable view. About 41% don’t know enough to have an opinion.

Netanyahu is particularly unpopular among Jewish adults: about 6 in 10 view him unfavorably, while about one-third see him positively.

Younger adults, regardless of party, are more likely than older adults to say they don’t have an opinion about Netanyahu. But while older Republicans see Netanyahu more positively than negatively, younger Republicans’ views tilt unfavorably.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has gained prominence as an outspoken critic of Israel, and 27% of U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of the 34-year-old democratic socialist. Another 28% of U.S. adults have an unfavorable opinion, while 44% don’t know enough to say.

Jewish adults, who overwhelmingly identify as Democrats, have a more positive view of Mamdani than of Netanyahu, with 44% viewing the New York City mayor positively, 39% viewing him negatively, and 17% saying they don’t know enough to say.

About half of Democrats overall have a favorable impression of Mamdani and only about 1 in 10 have an unfavorable view of him, while the rest, about 39%, don’t have an opinion.

Meanwhile, the U.S.-Israel relationship is not top of mind for many Americans as they think about the upcoming midterm elections.

For people like Michael Ripka, a 34-year-old stage hand from Casper, Wyoming who typically votes Republican, the economy is by far the most important thing on his mind.

“Everything is mad expensive,” he said. The conflicts in the Middle East, he added, is “100% a very big distraction.”

___

Sanders reported from Washington.

___

The AP-NORC poll of 3,040 adults was conducted June 11-17 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The poll included interviews with 1,022 Jewish adults. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points and the margin of sampling error for Jewish adults is plus or minus 5.0 percentage points.

The Fort Lauderdale institution, located right on the water, is receiving a massive makeover to welcome tourists and residents alike.

Animal activists are furious about animals being taken from the ocean to fill the tank while Fort Lauderdale leaders claim it’s a done deal.

The bulldozers are on the property and phase one of construction is underway, expected to be finished this summer.

There are a total of four phases coming to the $220 million expansion project for the new Fort Lauderdale water district.

Renderings feature a new aquatic center, a waterfront promenade, a restaurant, a museum and the state-of-the-art marine aquarium.

Ana Campos is an animal activist who took part in the 2019 lawsuit against the city when Seaquest was attempting to build an aquarium at the Galleria Mall.

“It’s shocking to learn after the city of Fort Lauderdale was actually sued over an aquarium that they went ahead and they approved an aquarium in a worse location,” she said. “As if the Miami Seaquarium issue wasn’t enough to scare cities away from animal captivity and touch tanks and any types of tanks with animals.”

As the city moves forward with its approved plans from 2023, many are just hearing about the proposed aquarium three years later.

“We have thousands of members in the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida and we never heard about it,” said James Wildman, with the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida.

Playing catchup included watching previous Fort Lauderdale commission meetings.

Rich Waltzer, the Fort Lauderdale Aquarium founder and CEO, spoke at an April 21 commission meeting.

“The aquarium was a dream of mine and it’s actually finally come true,” he said. “I really want to thank Commissioner Herbst for really helping me make this happen.”

Local 10 News reached out to Waltzer to be interviewed for this story, but he refused. Local 10 also reached out to Commissioner John Herbst, a huge proponent to bring the aquarium to life, but he also declined our requests three different times over email.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis agreed to sit down for an interview.

“It sounds really exciting and the commission agreed and that’s why we voted for it,” he said. “We have had exhibits like that already in our science museum. We’ve had it for many, many years, so this is just basically an expansion of that experience, and it’s now going to be done at the aquatic center.”

When looking at the plans, bringing the ocean experience, like corals and animals to human hands, is a big part of this aquarium.

“Touch tanks are a very visceral way of getting information across to people,” aquarium developer John Whitehead said during the April 21 commission meeting. “If I give you a sea star and put it in your hand, you can tell how it moves across the bottom of the ocean.”

Aquarium supporters claim they are building an educational experience, while activists are concerned the animals will be unethically trafficked from our oceans.

“What you’re teaching a child by confining an animal in captivity is that it’s acceptable for humans to do what we like to animals simply for entertainment purposes,” said Wildman.

Added Campos: “Building this is a death sentence, period.”

In the meeting with the developers, examples of corals, crabs and fish were displayed, along with pictures of what appeared to be an endangered bonnethead shark and an endangered spotted eagle ray.

The aquarium is in a mandatory evacuation zone; the mayor said generators will be ready.

Backup power, however, failed at an aquarium during Hurricane Katrina and thousands of marine animals died as a result.

“You know, it’s not an easy life being in the open ocean and a lot of the wildlife get eaten by bigger wildlife, so we’re saving their lives too, let’s keep that in mind,” said Trantalis.

The city owns the property and the operators will be leasing with the expectation to open the new facility in 2028, but the fight is far from over.

“There’s nothing preventing the commission from caring about the welfare of the animals, regardless if it’s a done deal and we’re too late. It’s never too late, as far as I’m concerned, to care about animals,” said Campos.

Added Wildman: “I think with enough pressure, with enough people speaking out, things will change, and so that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

“It cannot stand or survive as it has been,” Emanuel will say at Tel Aviv University on Wednesday, according to remarks obtained by The Associated Press. “To maintain the strength of our ties, we need significant changes and a new direction.”

In an interview ahead of his speech, Emanuel said Israel’s continued military response to Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, has been “reckless and careless in the treatment of Palestinian life — not only the military campaign but using food and medicine as an instrument of your military goals.”

Asked whether Israel had committed genocide, an accusation leveled by some human rights organizations and rejected by the Israeli and U.S. governments, Emanuel said the question should not be considered in isolation without also examining conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan.

“I’m ready to have that discussion,” he said, “but I don’t think it should be politicized, and then dilute the power of what genocide means.”

Taken together, the interview and upcoming speech from a stalwart of Democrats’ centrist wing are another demonstration of how far the party has shifted away from its historic support of Israel almost three years after the war in Gaza began.

About 58% of Democrats say the U.S. is “too supportive” of the Israelis, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, up from 45% in January 2024. Roughly half of Democrats believe that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war with Hamas.

Emanuel's proposals will include sanctions on Israelis who attack Palestinian civilians and property along with companies and banks that support settlements considered illegal by most of the international community. He also wants to end U.S. subsidies to Israel's defense budget, arguing the country “should be able to buy American arms under the same financial terms, the same restrictions, and the same requirements as every other trusted ally that abides by our laws.”

In addition, Emanuel will blame Netanyahu for driving Israel to a “dead end,” emboldened by poor decisions from American leaders.

“For too long, American policy toward Israel operated under the assumption that the best thing Washington could do for Jerusalem was to blindly and silently stand behind your government, without conditions, without demands, and without consequences when we disagreed,” he will say. “That has been our mistake. Unconditional support has produced a prime minister who has presumed that his strategic interests would incur no cost if he ignored America’s concerns.”

There's little precedent for an American with presidential ambitions to travel to another country, much less one as fraught as Israel, to deliver such a stinging rebuke of its political leadership. Centrist figures like Emanuel have been more reluctant than Democrats' progressive base to question longtime U.S. support for Israel in recent years.

How will Netanyahu react?

His remarks could prompt a similarly fiery response from Netanyahu, who famously once called Emanuel, who had ambitions of being the first Jewish speaker of the U.S. House, a “self-hating Jew.” Netanyahu faces his own battle for reelection in October, and the veteran leader may try to use a confrontation with Emanuel for political gain by appearing to stand strong in the face of international criticism.

Emanuel, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Sunday ahead of the Wednesday speech, told the AP that he's intentionally avoiding interactions with Israeli elected officials during his visit to not interfere with the country's upcoming elections. Instead, his agenda includes visiting a hospital that serves Israelis and Palestinians and meeting with the family of an Oct. 7 hostage.

For possible Democratic presidential contenders gauging how to address the fallout from Israel's war in Gaza and Netanyahu's perceived tilt toward the Republican Party, led by President Donald Trump, the speech represents an especially frontal strategy. The war has disrupted political coalitions in both major political parties in the U.S., with younger voters recoiling at Israel's approach to the conflict pressing American leaders to take a tougher stand. The issue has roiled some Democratic congressional primaries this year and could continue to be a dividing line in the contest for the party's presidential nomination in 2028.

Castigating Netanyahu for doing little to advance diplomatic efforts to end the war, Emanuel will note that “support for Israel is plummeting around the world.”

“You’ve lost Europe,” he will say. “Your scientists face exclusion from international research networks. Your artists and academics are shut out of exhibits and conferences.”

Support for Israel has waned

While Netanyahu has forged generally strong ties with Trump and the Republican Party, Israel's support among Democrats has slipped in recent years. But in portraying Israel as increasingly isolated, Emanuel's comments have echoes of recent remarks from Vice President JD Vance, a sign of how criticism of the country is taking hold in both parties. Speaking recently from the White House briefing room as the U.S. worked to close a deal to end the war with Iran, Vance said Trump was “the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.”

For all his tough words, Emanuel, who is Jewish and whose father was born in Jerusalem, will offer notes of sympathy and understanding. He acknowledged the toll of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in which Hamas-led militants launched air and ground strikes on Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. He noted disappointments from previous rounds of peace talks with Palestinian leaders.

“But even while acknowledging that history, the path forward cannot be held hostage to a past defined exclusively by recriminations,” he will say.

He will call the two-state solution “discredited” and instead push for a “23-state solution” that includes Israel, the Palestinians and the 21 other members of the Arab League in a peace deal.

“The 21 Arab nations that have exploited Palestinian rights as a slogan for decades now need to roll up their sleeves and stand up a governing authority capable of accepting the historic Jewish connection to this land,” he will say.

While no prominent Democrat has formally entered the 2028 contest, that could change soon after the November midterms with a field that could ultimately swell into the dozens. Few have been as open about their intentions as Emanuel, a former White House chief of staff, congressman, Chicago mayor and U.S. ambassador who has spent much of the past three decades holding one public office or another. Absent such a post now, he’s gained attention by releasing a string of policy proposals, biking through the early voting state of New Hampshire, appearing on podcasts and stepping up his social media presence.

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Peoples reported from New York.

The security service, also known by its local abbreviation SBU, said an officer serving in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency confessed to killing Berezovska with the help of a former law enforcement officer. He claimed he acted on his own initiative and without informing his superiors, the statement said.

The attack on June 29 reportedly targeted Yermolaiev, who has links to Russia, and his family. Three people were injured, including a child. The incident shocked Monaco, a coastal playground for the rich and famous known for its tax-friendly incentives, royal family and Formula 1 Grand Prix. Its head of state, Prince Albert II, described the blast as “an odious act” and said all public services were mobilized to ensure security.

Interpol had identified 39-year-old Berezovska as the main suspect. The police organization named her in a Red Notice seeking her arrest on charges of attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent and criminal conspiracy.

Interpol on Tuesday said it had no immediate comment and that the Red Notice on its website would remain until Monaco asked for its removal.

The SBU said investigators had focused on the two men after discovering they had repeatedly transferred cryptocurrency and money through bank accounts to Berezovska. During searches, authorities also found what the SBU described as a basement resembling a torture chamber at the former law enforcement officer’s home.

Investigators found Berezovska’s body during a reconstruction of the crime based on one suspect’s testimony. She had gunshot wounds to the head, and investigators recovered spent pistol casings at the scene, the SBU said.

Both men have been detained on suspicion of premeditated murder.

The SBU said it had shared all available information with Monaco’s investigators and was continuing to identify those who ordered and organized the attempted killing in Monaco.

According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred around 4:28 p.m. Monday in the area of U.S. 1 and Sombrero Beach Road in Marathon.

Deputies said they responded to the scene after receiving reports about a woman with a knife harassing a man.

Upon arrival, deputies said the suspect, identified as Jennifer Lynn Secrest, 35, “pulled out the knife and began waving it around while threatening them.”

Deputies said they were eventually able to take away the knife and took Secrest into custody.

She is facing two felony charges of aggravated assault with a weapon, a felony charge of resisting arrest, three misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and a charge of disorderly intoxication.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

It happened Saturday evening near the intersection of Dania Beach Boulevard and Southeast Second Avenue in Dania Beach.

On Sunday, Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Vladimir Mushenko, 38, in connection with the crash.

Video obtained by Local 10 News showed a white BMW convertible going east on Dania Beach Boulevard before losing control near Second Avenue.

The vehicle traveled over the median and struck a Mercedes-Benz that was traveling westbound.

According to an arrest report, a responding deputy smelled an alcoholic beverage on Mushenko’s breath and noticed that he had glassy eyes and appeared disoriented.

Mushenko was transported to Broward Health Medical Center to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

At the hospital, medical staff drew blood from him, which showed he had a blood-alcohol level of .197%

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue officials said one person died at the scene and six others were hospitalized, including four adults and two minors.

One of the victims who was hospitalized has since died, bringing the death toll to two, the report stated.

Authorities have not publicly identified any of the victims.

Mushenko is facing a bevy of charges that includes two counts of DUI causing death, two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of DUI with damage to a person or property.

Fad diets come and go, but the underlying message almost always follows a simple equation. If you consume fewer calories than you burn, the weight will melt away.

In principle, it’s true. And counting calories can be a useful tool for managing weight. But it only works if you know what numbers you’re counting. And what’s been billed as basic math can sometimes look more like Einstein’s theory of relativity.

That’s because a complex web of factors influences how or even if our bodies process calories. And it turns out diet quality is just as important as quantity, and possibly more.

“Different foods have very different effects on the brain, liver, fat cells, muscle function, pancreas and all organs related to metabolism and body weight,” said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University.

Counting calories could burn you

A calorie is the unit of energy used to count what the body can get from carbohydrates, proteins and fats. That sounds simple, but the complexity of counting calories went mainstream recently, when a lawsuit accused the maker of David protein bars of affixing labels that misrepresent how many calories and how much fat the products contain. The lawsuit has since been dropped.

The allegations were based on an analysis of the bars using bomb calorimetry, which measures calories by burning food and calculating the amount of heat released, a method that counts every potential calorie. But our bodies aren’t combustion chambers and don’t treat all calories the same. The company’s numbers, like many food labels, are based only on the calories our bodies can actually use. Technically, both are correct, but only the latter matters for diet.

“You could put sawdust into a bomb calorimeter and you would get basically 4 calories per gram,” said Dr. David Ludwig, an endocrinologist and researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital. “If you’re a termite, yes, you’ll get calories from it. But humans won’t.”

The calorie counts on most nutrition labels reflect the total our bodies are likely to metabolize, not their burn rate. But they still can be misleading. Because of permitted rounding, the tallies can be off by as much as 20%. Additionally, the digestibility of an ingredient, whether and how it is cooked, to what extent it was processed, variations in processing, even quirks in our own DNA — all of these things influence whether and how our bodies use the calories we eat. Even that is just the start of the complications.

Calories are simple. How your body uses them is not

Our bodies determine how to process calories — either burning them or storing them — depending in part on our energy needs. But the quality of the calories matters, too. High-glycemic foods, such as white breads, pastas and sugars, are easily converted to usable energy and trigger our bodies to store calories, Ludwig said.

Foods containing resistant starches, including some beans, whole grains and seeds, resist easy conversion into usable energy and don’t trigger that same storage response. They also are more difficult to process, so we absorb fewer of the total calories contained in them.

“Having a snack of 8 ounces of sugary beverage, 100 calories, should be better for your weight than 1 ounce of nuts at 200 calories, right?” Ludwig said. “That’s the opposite of what actually happens because those 100 calories, even if they’re fewer at that moment, they shift your body toward storing fat and leave you hungrier sooner.”

Which of course triggers you to eat more, well, calories.

Even cooking and ripeness influence the equation. The calories in cooked foods are more easily absorbed than from raw ingredients, while the calories in unripe produce, such as bananas, are less easily absorbed. This means the number of calories you get from eating a medium banana, which is listed at 105 calories, can depend on how ripe it is.

As for processing, including something as simple as grinding a food, can change caloric impact.

“One classic example is that the calories in whole almonds are absorbed substantially less well than the calories in almond butter,” Ludwig said. “Just processing the almonds into almond butter causes a change in how much they will be absorbed.”

Ultra-processed foods introduce another challenge. Diets high in such foods have been found to decrease the number of calories we burn at rest, Mozaffarian said. That means a higher proportion of those calories will stick to your ribs.

Then there’s just plain old variation between people. Genetics lead our bodies to treat calories differently, said Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, a Harvard Medical School obesity specialist. Even something as simple as a bad night’s sleep can change how the body processes calories. So you might absorb more or fewer calories from the same food on different days.

Should you even bother to count calories?

So what’s a weight watcher to do? Calorie counts can be a rough guideline; many people otherwise struggle to make healthy choices or determine appropriate portions, Ludwig said.

But the evidence indicates people should focus on diet quality, not just calorie quantity. Avoid ultra-processed foods, particularly refined starches, and build your diet around whole, minimally processed foods with an emphasis on plant-based ingredients rich in fiber.

“We need to think about calories in a much more sophisticated fashion than the number on the package,” Ludwig said. “The number on the package can do more harm than good by misleading people into thinking that it’s simply an accounting problem.”

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J.M. Hirsch is a food and travel journalist and the former food editor for The Associated Press.

Trump has been critical of NATO's abilities to function without American leadership and power, moving to withdraw U.S. troops from Europe and casting doubt on whether the U.S. would come to the aid of a NATO ally under attack. He remains disappointed at some NATO allies’ refusal to join the Iran war he launched alongside Israel without consulting them.

The two-day summit in Ankara, Turkey, will showcase a series of military projects worth billions of dollars in an attempt to persuade Trump they are making a stronger Europe for a stronger NATO.

The Latest:

NATO official dismisses fears of a Russian attack on alliance members

A senior NATO official speaking on the sidelines of the summit in Ankara Tuesday said that despite some “reckless” actions by Russia, including airspace violations over Poland, Romania and Estonia, he believes the alliance has been successful in deterring Russia from any potential attack on a member country.

“I see absolutely no indications whatsoever that Russia is interested in any sort of conflict with NATO,” the official said.

He said Moscow is overstretched by its war in Ukraine and knows NATO would respond to any attack on a member.

“I would say now that Russia is deterred, but Russia is deterred because of the actions that we are taking,” he said.

Rahm Emanuel will assail Netanyahu in Tel Aviv speech as American politics shift against Israel

While Trump is in Turkey demanding loyalty from NATO allies, a leading Democrat will be in Tel Aviv, directly accusing the president’s military partner of driving Israel into a “dead end.”

Potential presidential candidate Rahm Emanuel plans to denounce Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and call for an end to U.S. subsidies of Israel’s defense budget in a speech Wednesday at Tel Aviv University.

“You’ve lost Europe,” Emanuel will say, according to remarks obtained by The Associated Press. Castigating Netanyahu for doing little to end the Iran war, he’ll note that “support for Israel is plummeting around the world.”

About 58% of Democrats now say the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel, according to a new survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, up from 45% in January 2024. Roughly half of Democrats believe Israel’s government has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war in Gaza, an accusation leveled by some human rights organizations and vehemently denied by Israel and the U.S. government.

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Trump says he thinks Russia-Ukraine war will be settled ‘hopefully soon’

The U.S. leader was asked about his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy scheduled for Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit, and responded by saying he’s had great recent phone conversations with both the Ukrainian president and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“They both want to get it settled now,” he said.

He added later that Erdogan is “helping us get it settled.”

Trump refreshes complaints against European allies

At his bilateral meeting with Erdogan, Trump said he was testing European allies when he asked for their help with the Iran war.

“Italy turned us down and Germany turned us down and France turned us down,” Trump said. “And that’s OK. But, you know, why are we spending hundreds of billions of dollars and they’re not there for us?”

The complaint has been a central point of conflict between Trump and NATO, which he has described as a “paper tiger."

Trump says he has great chemistry with Erdogan

As they sat down for a bilateral meeting, Trump showered praise on Erdogan, saying they have a “very special relationship” that benefits both countries.

Asked about what makes their relationship so strong, Trump said there’s “a chemistry that works between us.”

“Sometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him,” Trump said, gesturing to Erdogan. “Sometimes you don’t get along with the weakest, most pathetic people.”

Trump says he’s going to consider selling F-35 jets to Turkey

The president was asked by a reporter as he met with Erdogan whether he’ll allow the sale of the American fighter jets to Turkey, which had been banned from the program after purchasing Russian missile defense systems.

“It’s certainly something we will consider,” Trump said as he sat with his Turkish counterpart.

He said that “Turkey has been in many ways much more loyal than other countries.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly urged the U.S. not to sell the jets to Turkey, saying it would upset the balance of power in the Middle East.

Trump arrives at Erdogan’s presidential compound

The president was greeted by Erdogan and an honor guard flanking a turquoise carpet. Trump shook hands with Erdogan and patted his shoulder before they walked together toward the guard. The men paused and Trump saluted as the band began playing the Star Spangled Banner, accompanied by cannon fire.

They continued down the carpet toward the presidential compound as a flyover left a trail of red, white and blue in the sky.

Trump was scheduled to have a bilateral meeting with Erdogan, a close ally who helped secure Trump’s presence at the two-day summit.

FIFA praises World Cup referee who Trump claimed was ‘suspect’ after red card for Balogun

FIFA has defended the reputation of World Cup referee Raphael Claus in rare pushback on comments by Trump, who questioned his integrity for sending off Folarin Balogun.

Trump suggested on Monday at the White House, without elaborating, that the 46-year-old Brazilian referee was “a little bit suspect if you check his past.”

Trump set off a furor by successfully intervening with FIFA to ensure the United States forward could play against Belgium despite his red-card penalty. FIFA praised Claus, now working at his second World Cup, in a statement published before the U.S. lost 4-1 Monday night.

“Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated the highest standards of professionalism and integrity,” FIFA said, calling Claus “one of the world’s leading professional referees and a valued member” of its team of World Cup match officials.

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Zelenskyy reiterates call for Ukraine to join NATO

Zelenskyy made a fresh appeal for Ukraine to be allowed to join NATO, saying that his country’s armed forces are highly experienced and resilient would only boost the alliance’s defense capabilities.

“Ukraine belongs in NATO,” Zelenskyy said at a defense industry forum, near where NATO leaders were due to gather later on Tuesday.

Zelenskyy highlighted Ukraine’s adaptability and its ability to strike deep inside Russia, hit oil refineries and other energy targets. He said that Ukraine’s armed forces are “eliminating” on average 30,000 Russian troops every month.

“Do you believe it would be right to live outside NATO, a country and a people with this level of defense capability?” he said.

Trump and Erdogan greet each other with arm squeezes

The Turkish leader was waiting on the blue carpet for Trump as he descended from Air Force One. They shook hands and Trump squeezed Edrogan’s shoulder.

Erdogan was wearing sunglasses as they posed for pictures in the bright sun.

He then tapped and squeezed Trump’s arms, and they walked the carpet together, inspecting the Turkish troops, with Erdogan gently guiding Trump by the arms at times.

They did not make comments to reporters, but Trump could be heard speaking to Erdogan and his wife about the new airplane he’s using as Air Force One.

Ukraine seeks continued funding in war

Another top agenda item is continued support to Ukraine, now in a fifth year of full-scale war with Russia. European allies and Canada are funding most of Ukraine’s needs, including paying for about 90% of the country’s air defenses.

With European countries fearing what Moscow’s territorial ambitions might lie beyond Ukraine, leaders have described Kyiv as a bulwark against Russian advances.

Trump is expected to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday.

The Netherlands announces more and smarter defense spending

The Dutch defense ministry says it is investing together with the United Kingdom in new amphibious transport vessels and with other NATO allies in replacing aging AWACS surveillance planes.

The government announced the plans on the first day of the NATO summit in Ankara to underscore its commitment to ramping up defense spending.

The ministry says the Dutch also are playing a leading role in a European initiative to co-produce and maintain American arms such as Stinger, Amraam, and PAC-3 missiles.

Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgöz-Zegerius says the Netherlands and European allies “are investing much more in strengthening European defense” with extra money “but also by working together smarter.”

Trump arrives in Ankara

Trump arrived in Ankara Tuesday afternoon for the NATO summit, as the transatlantic military alliance was announcing billions in arms deals in an attempt to appease the mercurial U.S. leader.

The U.S. president was expected to head first to the presidential compound of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a close ally to Trump who is hosting this year’s gathering.

Just before Air Force One touched down in Ankara, NATO hosted a defense forum that spotlighted billions of dollars in military projects aimed at demonstrating to Trump that European allies are investing more of their own money in defense.

NATO summits are highly symbolic

The 32 member countries of the world’s biggest military alliance will underline their unshakeable commitment to each other’s security, although the transatlantic bond has rarely seemed shakier. Still, the meeting is being organized around the theme of a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.

Trump insists on loyalty

Trump has repeatedly slammed NATO, arguing the U.S. carries more than its fair share of military spending.

His grievances have been louder since the Iran war, as he has fumed over the fact that some member countries restricted the use of their bases to U.S. forces during the war and have not helped to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Pressed last month on what key U.S. allies could do to get back on his good side, Trump responded, “Just be loyal.”

German leader wants ‘signal of strength and unity’ in Ankara

Chancellor Friedrich Merz stressed before leaving Berlin that his country has doubled its defense spending since 2022.

He said that “we are not making this effort to do anyone a favor; we are making this effort because it is necessary for our defense, for our security.”

Merz said that “Russia remains a serious threat” and is “testing our determination every day.” He added that “it is all the more important that we send a signal of strength and unity in Ankara.”

Merz said: “This summit should send the message that we are building a more European NATO so that NATO can remain trans-Atlantic.”

Kremlin says it will keep a close watch of NATO summit

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow will closely watch the NATO summit in Ankara.

Asked about Ukraine urging its Western allies to deliver air defense assets, Peskov said that Kyiv’s push for more weapons wouldn’t prevent Russia from reaching the goals of what the Kremlin calls its “special military operation.”

Asked about the prospects for reaching a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, Peskov told reporters that “we maintain contact with the Americans via working-level channels, and we hope that their efforts to steer the situation onto a peaceful track will ultimately succeed.”

He reaffirmed that the hostilities could end once Kyiv “demonstrates goodwill and shows a readiness to make those important decisions that need to be made.”

Czech leaders divided over NATO spending

The bitterly divided leaders of the Czech Republic travelled separately to Turkey to attend the NATO summit on Tuesday.

Populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš was flying with his Foreign Minister Petr Macinka and Defense Minister Jaromír Zůna, while President Petr Pavel followed them separately later.

Babiš returned to power after his ANO, or YES, movement won big in an October election, forming a governing coalition whose agenda includes steering the country away from supporting Ukraine.

The country’s budget for this year falls short of a NATO target for defense spending (less than 1.8% of GDP), despite pressure from the United States and repeated complaints from the president.

Before his departure for Ankara on Tuesday, Babiš said the government would meet at least the minimum of 2% next year but no increase.

Unlike the government, Pavel, a retired army general, is a staunch supporter of Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

The government originally refused to include Pavel in the delegation for the summit and did it it only after an intervention from the Constitutional Court.

Anti-NATO protestors detained in Ankara

Turkish police detained more than 20 protestors at a demonstration in central Ankara against the NATO summit.

Officers raised their riots shields to prevent media from filming and photographing the protest by supporters of left-wing political parties.

A legal association said 22 students affiliated with the Turkish Workers’ Party and three lawyers had been detained.

Turkish foreign minister says defense cooperation checks are liability

Hakan Fidan has warned against restrictions on defense industry cooperation among NATO members on the opening day of the alliance’s summit in Ankara.

In a social media post, he said trade barriers “undermine efficiency and slow response,” adding that “these constraints have become strategic liabilities.” The United States and several European countries have imposed restrictions on selling military and dual-use goods to Turkey in recent years.

“European defense initiatives must remain fully inclusive of all NATO Allies,” Fidan said.

NATO unveils billions in arms deals to prove its firepower to Trump

NATO on Tuesday showcased a series of military projects worth billions of dollars in an attempt to persuade President Donald Trump that U.S. allies are converting fresh defense spending into real firepower.

“It’s money well spent,” an energized NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told government ministers and defense industry officials on the sidelines of a summit in Turkey. He was speaking at a defense industry forum billed as NATO’s “big reveal,” to the thrum of techno music and a slick video display.

Trump, who is slated to arrive in Ankara later Tuesday, has branded NATO a “paper tiger” that would cease to function without American arms and leadership.

NATO as an organization does not own any weapons — these are the property of the 32 member countries — but it does have a fleet of 14 AWACS early warning radar surveillance planes that are about 50 years old, along with some newer surveillance drones.

A deal to replace the aging planes was announced Tuesday. Swedish manufacturer Saab will be supplying up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for a 10-nation consortium, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced.

Seven students say they were targeted and disciplined after wearing anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement T-shirts to a school event.

The students say the university is forcing them to record a video about a policy they violated in order to register for classes.

The shirts in question read “ICE OFF FIU.”

“We felt very betrayed by this action,” said student Reinier Luna.

For more than a year, those students said they have expressed concerns to the administration that they say fell on deaf ears.

“The most notable one for the past year and a half was the increasing occupancy of ICE on our campus,” said student and protest organizer Carlton Daley.

In order to get the message across, the students assembled during an event on campus that FIU President Jeanette Nunez was hosting with former MLB baseball star Alex Rodriguez back in March.

At one point, they say, they stood up and revealed their shirts.

“After about a minute or so facing the audience, we then turned around to face the stage where Nunez and A-Rod were having their conversation,” said student Andrew Caro. “Shortly after that, about a minute of just standing, we then peacefully, silently, not disruptively, all left together.”

Added student Kaitlyn Daley: “I was shocked by how little she reacted because she did not flinch -- she kept going.”

The students said nothing happened after they left the event, but then they received an email a month later saying they were responsible for violating Regulation 110 of the FIU Student Conduct and Honor Code, which states: “Failure to comply with a request or directive of a university official.”

“Even the whole time we were standing, there was never an FIU official, officer, absolutely no one came up to any one of us saying that we were causing a disruption,” said Luna.

Last month, a hearing was held and the students were reprimanded.

“All their testimonies kind of went against the evidence that was provided,” said student Caleb Dean.

The students were told they had to record videos about FIU policies they allegedly violated or be forced to have a hold on their accounts, where they won’t be able to sign up for classes or receive a diploma.

“When we are going to make these videos, we are going to express how unconstitutional it is, how it violates our First Amendment (rights),” said Caro.

FIU released a statement to Local 10 News regarding the incident, which read:

“Federal law prohibits the university from disclosing details of students’ academic or disciplinary records. All student conduct cases at FIU are administered, reviewed, and adjudicated in accordance with federal and state laws and university policy and regulation. https://dasa.fiu.edu/all-departments/student-conduct-and-academic-integrity/. Case law and Florida statutes allow public universities like FIU to establish and enforce limitations on the time, place and manner of expressive activities. FIU applies its rules consistently, regardless of viewpoint, to ensure that classes, research, and academic spaces can function without interference or disruption."

Maydel Santana, FIU Associate Vice President, Communications and Media Relations

The island’s government-run electric company announced a “total disconnection of the national electric power system,” of which the cause is under investigation.

The blackout in the country of 10 million comes as fuel has been running out since January.

Cuba has experienced several nationwide blackouts over the past few years as an aging infrastructure has struggled to meet demand.

The Trump administration threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba, but questions remain about whether the mounting pressure from the U.S. will force the regime to allow foreign investment or make any type of deal with the U.S.

Power outages have been a part of life for years on the communist island, where the electric system, composed mainly of aging Soviet-era plants, is in shambles.

The regime has been imposing harsh power cuts across the country, sometimes for more than a day at a time in Havana.

There has been no word yet on a fix for the current blackout.

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“Some people need involuntary commitment,” said Leifman who has been advocating for a new Mental Health Center to treat people suffering from severe mental health illnesses to keep them off the street and out of jail.

“The problem is, community mental health only deals with the immediate crisis,” Leifman said earlier this year. “There is no long-term care after that, and these are chronic illnesses, and the system is so fragmented you can’t even get people to the other parts of the system that they need to maintain recovery.”

Miami-Dade County commissioners voted unanimously in support of the center during a public meeting on Tuesday.

After the vote, Leifman said access can be both voluntary or involuntary.

“You just have to be a high user of these very acute services that consistently cycle through these deep-ended systems of homelessness, incarceration, hospitalization,” Leifman said. “And it doesn’t have to be all, it could be and, or. And, so we have a list. We know who they are.”

Leifman said the top 1,049 are in the list, and 600 of them are in the Homeless Management Information System.

“So they’re both homeless with mental illness, and cycling through jail. They spent 317,000 days in the Dade County Jail over the last five years, these 1,049 people,” Leifman said. “And so we will start with that group and we will get them in recovery. We will gently reintegrate them back to the street. They will not be kicked to the curb, like we’ve done in the past.”

Leifman said the facility will have a full continuum of care under one roof for the most acutely ill.

“We believe by bringing these services to them under one roof, we will break the cycle and we will gently reintegrate them with housing, peer support, treatments, supportive employment opportunities, everything that they need to support,” Leifman said. “There’s systems and pieces around the world that work, but no one has put all of it under one roof.”

Commissioner Raquel Regalado released a statement.

“This is a victory built on compassion, teamwork and common sense,” Regalado said. “For two decades, too many of our neighbors with severe mental illness have cycled through jails instead of getting the treatment they need, at enormous cost to taxpayers.”

Leifman has secured funds, including opioid settlement dollars, to launch a two-year pilot program and a location at 2200 NW 74th Ave., in Miami.

“The building has every service under one roof so that it is seamless,” said Leifman. “There is a crisis stabilization unit, a short-term residential facility, there is housing, there is psychological treatment, primary, dental, there is a courtroom in there so we can have a hearing right there so we don’t break the chain and people get they need the services they need.”

During a Miami-Dade County Intergovernmental and Economic Impact meeting earlier this year, an agenda item sponsored by Regalado didn’t make it out of committee.

“It is very said that it has been deferred without a time certain,” Regalado said after the vote. “We have people who are bipolar and schizophrenic, and they need to be put into a facility like this in order to receive the care. Some ‘want’ to live on the street because of their mental health.

“We have a need, I think the board understands the need, I just don’t think they understand the Center and the work that has been done, this is important to the community,” she added.

Some of the commissioners are concerned about what the long-term costs will be to run the facility with programming partners once the one-time installment of funds is exhausted. Others wanted to learn more about eligibility requirements.

Commissioners decided to defer the item without a time certain date of return. The committee’s Chairwoman Vicki Lopez, of District 5, is calling for a workshop to gather a variety of community stakeholders together before the item comes back.

“And every day that goes by we are not providing the service, and that is really the sad part,” said Regalado, “so I ask that everyone reach out to the commissioners, this should go before the full Board of County Commission, this has no reason to be continue to be stuck in committee, it needs to go to the full board so the full board can have this conversation and vote it up or down once and for all.”

“We are not asking them to allocate one penny at this point,” said Leifman, “I don’t know what the politics are that got involved with this, it is a little frustrating candidly, but I do believe if we do a workshop and we can show the all the dollars, how we got to all of the numbers, they should be quite comfortable getting this project opened.”

Lidija Elezovic, a psychologist and school counselor at Education World Wide, told Local 10 News in a statement that the mental health center “at the county level sends a powerful signal to young people and families that their struggles are being taken seriously.”

“In my work as a school counselor, I see regularly how students who lack access to consistent mental health support fall further behind — not just academically, but socially and emotionally,“ she said. ”Community-based resources like this can genuinely bridge the gap between what schools are able to provide and what many students urgently need. This kind of investment matters enormously for long-term outcomes."

BY THE NUMBERS:

The Homeless Trust tells Local 10 News 25% of its population self-reports having a mental health illness and 10% report having substance use.

Leifman says about two-thirds of Miami-Dade’s jail population suffers from mental health problems.

“Why do you want to keep doing the same thing?” asked Leifman. “It doesn’t make sense to me. This building pays for itself and you know what, if it doesn’t, you can repurpose the building in 2-3 years.”

You can read through the budget breakdown for the center at appendix a of this document by clicking here.

MAYOR’S MARCH 3 MEMO:

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told commissioners in a memo dated March 3 that the “mission of the Center is to divert individuals with severe mental illnesses from the criminal justice system into appropriate mental health treatment, offering both essential clinical care and wraparound services.”

She said the priority population will be individuals “who meet criteria for jail diversion as well as those individuals in need of treatment for co-occurring substance use disorders, such as Opioid Use Disorders. The Center will also accept individuals experiencing homelessness and other clients from the community.”

When it comes to operations plan, Levine Cava said “contracted providers will leverage their existing resources in an in-kind manner to support the Center at no cost to the County.”

Back in 2024 County Commissioners approved a resolution to “negotiate agreements with Village South for the provision of the core behavioral health services and its parent company, WestCare Foundation, Inc.”

Ten years before that, in 2004, the mayor wrote that “voters in Miami-Dade County approved the issuance of $22,100,000.00 in general obligation bonds as part of the Building Better Communities General Obligation Bond (“Bond”) Program to fund Bond Program Project No. 193 - “Mental Health Facility” located at 2200 NW 7th Ave., Miami, Florida in order to fund capital improvements to free up jail space and provide an effective and cost-efficient alternative facility to house the individuals who have mental illnesses as they await a trial date.“

The operating agreements she said provides for a 75-bed capacity initial phase:

• 10 beds for crisis stabilization/detoxification services
• 20 beds for short-term rehabilitation treatment services
• 45 beds for residential level-2 treatment services

“Based on the five-year Master Budget depicting contractual commitments and approximate operational costs,” the mayor wrote. “There remains a program shortfall of approximately $6.1 million in the last two years of the five-year forecast. Accordingly, prior Board approval shall be required to exercise the options to renew the contracts with both WestCare and Advocate Program. This will ensure that funding sources to support those expenses can first be identified and approved by the Board.”

“In some ways they should be chasing us to get it open, not the other way around,” said Leifman. “Because the greatest beneficiary of this project is the county of Miami-Dade County.”

The mayor said it should be only a matter of months now before opening day.

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Chinese state-media and online commentators are questioning if the four-petal flower design in the fashion house’s 130-year-old signature monogram is derived from patterns dating back to ancient China. Some are accusing the company of “monopolizing” traditional Chinese patterns.

A court in the eastern city of Suzhou recently ruled that the logo of the Molly Tea, whose signature drinks are based on jasmine and other floral-based teas, infringed on Louis Vuitton’s trademark monogram. It ordered the tea company to pay 10.3 million yuan ($1.5 million) to the French company, according to local media reports that carried copies or details of what they said was the ruling.

Intellectual property fights between Western and Chinese brands are not uncommon. International brands like American sneaker maker New Balance have taken Chinese firms to local courts and sometimes prevailed in intellectual property and trademark cases.

The judgement has been trending online in China.

The state owned newspaper Beijing Daily said Tuesday in a post on the popular online platform Weibo that the ruling exposed a gap in protections of ancient Chinese heritage and symbols.

“Why did a Chinese enterprise end up paying more than 10 million yuan in damages to a French company for using a design that resonated with the spirit of China’s centuries-old patterns?” it said.

“Chinese netizens accuse LV of attempting to monopolize ancient motifs after lawsuit against tea brand,” said a headline in the Global Times, a state-owned English language newspaper. It asserted there was “widespread frustration” over a foreign brand controlling a design believed to be part of China's cultural heritage.

A photo and caption accompanying the article showed patterns on a Tang Dynasty rosewood “pipa,” a kind of Chinese traditional lute, side-by-side with the Louis Vuitton monogram pattern.

Louis Vuitton is celebrating the 130th anniversary of its monogram designed in 1896, which it has called a “universal symbol of creativity.” The monogram was “inspired by neo-gothic ornamentation and the influence of Japonism,” its parent LVMH's website says.

LVMH and Molly Tea did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Molly Tea, founded in 2021, was still displaying its four-petal flower logo on its official website as of Tuesday. The company told local media it was planning to appeal.

It was the second attack in Damascus in a week and a setback for President Ahmad al-Sharaa as he welcomed the first major Western leader to visit since the ouster of longtime dictator Bashar Assad by insurgent groups in late 2024. Syria’s new rulers have wrestled with outbreaks of violence as they assert control, but the capital had been been largely peaceful.

French President Emmanuel Macron was in the presidential palace when the explosions happened. An official from the Elysee Palace said he was safe and the meeting with al-Sharaa continued, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Macron’s security.

No group immediately claimed responsibility.

“Nothing can smother the aspiration of Syrian women and men to live in a fully sovereign, safe, pluralistic, and united Syria,” Macron said on X hours later. “This morning I met Syria in all its diversity. I saw dignity, courage and determination.”

Later, al-Sharaa and Macron announced they have agreed to reappoint ambassadors after more than a decade, marking a major restoration of diplomatic ties.

“Our meeting marks a historical milestone,” al-Sharaa said. France had closed its embassy in 2012 but symbolically reopened it in early 2025.

Macron, who played a major role in pushing Europe and the United States to drop most sanctions that were imposed on Syria under Assad, was in Syria before heading to Ankara, Turkey, later Tuesday for a NATO summit.

A large plume of smoke was seen at the site of the blast near the Four Seasons Hotel, where Syrian media reported Macron was staying. Footage on social media showed a van and a motorcycle on fire and bloodstains on a busy street near the headquarters of the Tourism Ministry and the Damascus National Museum.

The Interior Ministry in a statement reported by Syrian state media said one bomb had been placed in a garbage bin and the other in a parked car. It said four of the wounded were police officers, and no deaths were immediately reported.

On Thursday, an explosive device detonated in a cafe near the Justice Palace, killing at least 10 people and wounding more than 20.

Syria's government sees Macron's visit and the signing of over a dozen agreements with Paris and large French companies as a major boost for the country's new authorities in their bid to rebuild the country battered by a 14-year uprising-turned-civil war under Assad.

One agreement was to kick off the process of returning some 51 million euros ($58.3 million) in illicit assets that belonged to Rifaat Assad, the late uncle of Assad. Other agreements included rebuilding the destroyed water and electricity infrastructure in the city of Homs, providing technical assistance to Syria's Central Bank as it undergoes financial reforms and bolstering cargo infrastructure at the Damascus airport.

“The outcome of this visit confirms that Syria is steadily moving toward a new phase of international partnerships based on shared interests and mutual respect," a Syrian foreign ministry official told The Associated Press, who said the perpetrators of the attack will be brought to justice. "Attempts to destabilize the country will not alter this trajectory.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The explosions represent a challenge for al-Sharaa, who has pushed to assert full control over Syria, appeal to minorities skeptical of his Islamist-led rule and win the support of Western governments who were concerned about his past leadership of the formerly al-Qaida-linked Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group. His government has promised political and economic reform after decades of autocratic rule.

The conflict in Syria killed nearly half a million people and displaced millions. Infrastructure lies in ruins. While other nations and businesses have made large investment pledges, the country still needs hundreds of billions of dollars to rebuild and lift millions out of poverty.

Before arriving at the presidential palace, Macron met with members of Syrian civil society, though his office did not give details.

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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers John Leicester and Sylvie Corbet in Paris and Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed.

Journalists and civil liberties groups say the vaguely worded law fails to clearly define what information it prohibits and lacks adequate safeguards for the media, warning it could potentially discourage critical reporting about government officials, politicians and large businesses.

The law allows courts to award damages of up to five times the proven losses against news organizations and large social media channels, including YouTube creators, that circulate illegal, false or manipulated information to cause harm or generate profit.

In addition, those who distribute information more than twice after a court has confirmed it to be false or manipulated could be fined up to 1 billion won ($656,000) by the country’s media regulator. Internet companies operating large social media platforms with more than 1 million daily users are required to take measures such as removing content or suspending user accounts when they receive reports of false or fabricated information.

The law was backed by President Lee Jae Myung’s liberal Democratic Party and passed by the National Assembly in December over a boycott by the conservative opposition. The liberals, who unsuccessfully sought to pass similar legislation under previous governments, say the law is necessary to combat fake news and disinformation, which they argue is posing a growing threat to democracy by fueling division and hate speech.

The Journalists Association of Korea said the mere prospect of news organizations repeatedly facing massive damage claims or legal disputes could have an “unavoidable chilling effect.”

“Even if a law’s objective is legitimate, it could erode the foundations of democracy if it’s enforced in a way that discourages the media and ordinary citizens from freely criticizing and scrutinizing those in power,” the group said in a statement.

The Seoul Foreign Correspondents’ Club also expressed concern about the potential impact on the work of the media and the free flow of information.

Concerns about murky online discourse

The push for the law came as Lee expressed concern about South Korea’s online discourse and information environment after then-President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly imposed martial law in 2024. He was later impeached and removed from office. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for rebellion, a ruling that he appealed in February.

Yoon, who faces other criminal cases as well, has promoted unsubstantiated election fraud claims circulated on YouTube to defend his botched power grab and rally conservative supporters against the Democrats. Critics say Yoon’s campaign further polarized the country by injecting falsehoods into already bitter political disputes and making compromise increasingly difficult.

The Korea Media and Communications Commission has downplayed concerns that the law could be used as a tool for state censorship. It would be private operators of online platforms, not the government, deciding whether reported content qualifies as false or manipulated information, and the law exempts reporting conducted in the public interest from damages claims, the commission said last week.

But Kim Hong-yeol, a professor at Seoul’s Duksung Women’s University, said the law could encourage widespread self-censorship and discourage reporting or discussions on sensitive issues. Internet companies could end up acting as online censors, adopting overly aggressive moderation policies to avoid liability and removing legitimate content in the process, Kim wrote in an article for the news website Medius.

While major South Korean internet companies like Naver and Kakao have reportedly been updating their systems for reporting and handling false information in line with guidelines from the Korea Internet Self-Governance Organization, it’s unclear how major foreign platforms, like Google’s YouTube, would comply.

In a statement to The Associated Press, YouTube said it strives to balance its commitment to openness with its responsibility to protect users and will “continue to engage with relevant parties and share our longstanding investments we have in this critical work.” The company did not specify how the South Korean law would affect its policies, but encouraged users to report “potentially violative content” directly on YouTube or through its legal web form.

After the law was passed in December, U.S. Under Secretary of State Sarah B. Rogers criticized it in a post on X, writing that the revised law endangers tech cooperation and that “it’s better to give victims civil remedies than give regulators invasive license for viewpoint-based censorship.”

Le Pen has previously said that campaigning with a bracelet wouldn't be possible. But she now has the option of changing her mind, in light of the verdict that her lawyer described as a partial victory.

“It's a good start,” said the lawyer, Rodolphe Bosselut.

The court ruled that Le Pen had led misuse by her National Rally party of European Parliament funds by paying party staff with money intended for EU parliamentary assistants. She denied any criminal wrongdoing but said the party had made a “mistake.”

The appeals court upheld guilty verdicts for all 11 accused, including Marine Le Pen, other party members and the party itself. However, it scaled back the punishments for her and her co-accused handed down by a lower court last year.

Crucially for her presidential ambitions, it reduced her ban on holding elected office. From five years handed down in March 2025, the ban was cut to 45 months, two-thirds of which are suspended. Because Le Pen has already served 15 months of the ban since last year's first verdict, that potential obstacle to what would be her fourth presidential run is now effectively removed.

The verdict also cut her prison sentence. It was four years, two of which were suspended, last year. Now it's three years, two of which are suspended.

Still, the remaining year of prison time, to be served at home with an electronic bracelet, remains a potential hurdle and it’s not immediately clear whether Le Pen feels she can campaign with that condition.

Le Pen, 57, left the court room without addressing waiting television cameras. But she's expected to share her thoughts later Tuesday, in an evening television interview.

Before the verdict, Le Pen had said that if the court imposes constraints that make campaigning difficult, she might decide not to run. That could include electronic monitoring, she had said.

“If I’m allowed to be a candidate but am effectively prevented from campaigning freely, then you understand that wouldn’t be possible,” Le Pen said in an interview last week.

If she decides that she cannot run with a bracelet, her protege Jordan Bardella would replace her. Bardella, 30, is the current president of the anti-immigration National Rally party that Le Pen previously led.

From the courthouse, Le Pen went the National Rally's headquarters in Paris, where Bardella was seen earlier in the day. The party faces a potentially difficult decision choosing which of the two might be best placed to run in 2027.

Bardella, a European Parliament lawmaker, lacks her experience and it would be his first presidential election campaign. But while Le Pen is a seasoned veteran, the bracelet makes it uncertain how effectively she could campaign. That and her embezzlement conviction would also leave her open to criticism from her potential election opponents.

Chief judge Michèle Agi said in her verdict Tuesday that Le Pen’s party embezzled 2.8 million euros ($3.2 million), by using European Parliament funds to pay its own party employees.

“The facts are serious,” the judge said.

The judge had been expected to spend several hours reading out the full verdict. But instead, the proceedings were over surprisingly quickly, in well under an hour.

The court room, without air conditioning, became uncomfortably hot as the judge spoke, with temperatures in Paris climbing past 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). Table fans provided a slight breeze.

Prosecutors had asked the appeals court to sentence Le Pen to four years in prison, including three suspended, in addition to a ban on holding elected office for five years.

———

Associated Press journalists Nicolas Vaux-Montagny, in Paris, and Samuel Petrequin, in London, contributed to this report.

The yacht owners and public transit riders who shared this road epitomized the social integration that the government set out to accomplish. Many of them enjoying a holiday or resting at home on June 24 met the same fate when the ground shook so violently that their homes flattened in seconds.

Now, about 17,000 who survived also share the uncommon status of being homeless in Venezuela. As the official death toll climbs above 3,500, many must rely on a government that has been excoriated for its response to the tragedy and that has politicized housing in the past to figure out where they will live — if they will have a new home at all.

Housing is still a constant even in times of crisis

Housing has generally been the first aspiration for Venezuelan adults since the second half of the 20th century, when an oil bonanza allowed the government to fund housing complexes, the poor to build brick and cement shacks locally known as “ranchos,” and the rich to buy second and third homes.

Even when the country’s economy came undone in 2013, most Venezuelans still had a roof over their heads, be it by getting one handed out by the country’s self-described socialist government, buying one at a deep discount from people desperate for cash to migrate, building ranchos on top of each other, and even invading abandoned homes.

Those in housing built by the ruling party of 27 years — currently helmed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez — do not hold the deeds to the property, but the homes allowed them to save and keep entire families off the streets.

“It was their home, their house. It was an immense joy when they were assigned these houses here,” Carlos Ortega said of the 12 apartments in Caraballeda that his relatives were assigned to more than a decade ago following years of financial struggles after a mudslide.

“Imagine, they were given a home after losing everything, but now they’ve lost everything, even their lives.”

Only one of Ortega’s siblings survived the collapse of the public housing towers, while his son, who lived in a ninth-floor apartment but was working at a convenience store when the earthquakes struck, is still missing more than a week after the disaster. Ortega hoped he might find him at a hospital, a shelter or one of the tent camps that have taken over public spaces and private parking lots.

Not far from where he took a break from removing the rubble that buried his family, people were assessing flattened homes adjacent to a yacht club and some towed Jet Skis. There, rescuers were being handed cookies and other food on a plastic tray while standing on the rubble where the wife of a military general hoped he and their children would be found.

Government efforts to integrate different socioeconomic classes

Ronal Rodríguez, a researcher at the Venezuela Observatory at Colombia's Universidad del Rosario, explained that Venezuelan governments, even before the arrival of the fiery Hugo Chávez to the presidency in 1999, had tried to prevent socioeconomic segregation by building housing projects in or near areas that were considered exclusive. The strategy, he said, also gave them a political edge by diversifying the voter base in wealthier neighborhoods that tend to vote for the opposition.

But the homes built under Chávez’s “Grand Housing Mission,” which his successor, Nicolás Maduro, continued until the U.S. military deposed him in January, came with a caveat: People never received a deed.

“What Chavismo tries to do is maintain political dependence,” Rodríguez said of Chávez’s political movement. “That is, if at any point you turn against me and stop supporting me, then I’ll take away the roof I’ve given you.”

This makes these residents vulnerable to the whims of the government once again, particularly when survivors have been vocal about the lack of government support in search and rescue efforts.

The government of Rodríguez, whose dismal response to the catastrophe has been decried by residents across the board, has not yet given any timelines for long-term housing recovery efforts.

The extent of damage is still unclear, but at least 10,000 structures, or about one-third, were damaged in Catia La Mar, a city west of Caraballeda also in La Guaira state, based on satellite imagery analyzed by Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab. Older buildings, substandard construction and geography left many neighborhoods in Venezuela vulnerable to strong earthquakes.

Picking up the pieces

Benito Mantilla, 68, now lives in a tent set up in a pharmacy parking lot in Catia La Mar after his privately owned home was damaged. His wife left for the Dominican Republic last week, but he decided to stay and try to find a job about 40 minutes away in the capital, Caracas, as the earthquakes also damaged his and his brother's car repair shop.

Another woman also living in the parking lot was still hoping that the government would give her a home soon. Her daughter, she said, is part of the local organizers for the ruling party.

Meanwhile, Caryudedi González, who bought her own home when she was 21, was hoping that her working-class home, half of which went down a ravine, could somehow be repaired.

“In many countries, it’s very difficult to own a home, and here, we work so hard to have what’s ours,” González, 44, said.

There are still a number of legal hurdles before Turkey could be fully admitted back to the U.S. program, but the removal of the sanctions — issued under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act — would help ease the process for Ankara to regain access to the F-35s, a top goal of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and one that Trump has predicted for some time would occur.

“We’re going to be taking the sanctions off, OK?” Trump said in response to a question during a meeting with Erdogan at the presidential palace in Ankara. He said Cabinet officials were working on the matter. Earlier in the meeting, he said the possibility of selling the F-35s to Turkey is “certainly something we will consider.”

Trump and Erdogan repeatedly underscored their warm relationship as they met soon after the U.S. president arrived in Ankara for the NATO summit. Erdogan greeted the U.S. president with an elaborate welcome ceremony involving cannons, military officials on horseback and jets flying overhead emitting red, white and blue smoke.

“Sometimes you get along with the toughest people, like him,” Trump said, gesturing to Erdogan. The U.S. president repeatedly praised Turkey for its loyalty to the U.S., particularly during the war in Iran.

Trump, who has often upended NATO gatherings with complaints that European allies did not spend enough on defense, had said he would not have attended this year's summit had it not been for his close ties with Erdogan.

‘Moment of great pride’

Earlier in the day, NATO showcased a series of military projects worth billions of dollars — an investment that the alliance's secretary-general, Mark Rutte, called “money well spent.”

An energized Rutte was speaking to government ministers and defense industry officials at a forum billed as NATO’s “big reveal,” to the thrum of techno music and a slick video display.

NATO as an organization does not own any weapons — these are the property of the 32 member countries — but it does have a fleet of 14 AWACS early warning radar surveillance planes that are about 50 years old, along with some newer surveillance drones.

A deal to replace the aging planes was announced Tuesday. Swedish manufacturer Saab will be supplying up to 10 new GlobalEye surveillance aircraft for a 10-nation consortium, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced.

“It’s a moment of great pride,” he said, noting that the twin-engine aircraft would be “made within the alliance for all the alliance.”

Some of the projects will be paid for with funds from a system of cheap loans for defense purposes set up by the European Union, comprising up to $170 billion raised on capital markets.

“We need to ensure that we are translating our economic might into military capabilities, putting the cash to work from defense plans to drones, from money to missiles and interceptors,” Rutte said.

Trump has branded NATO a “paper tiger” that would cease to function without American arms and leadership. At the forum on Tuesday, Michael Duffy, a U.S. undersecretary of defense, said “the reality is that we need production increases across the board.”

“We will be looking to increase our exports to those who are looking to buy our equipment, and we’ll also be looking to partner with the expansion of production capacity here in Europe,” he said.

Defense sales announced

Representatives from 15 nations shook hands and patted shoulders on a vast podium under the NATO logo as they announced a multinational effort to buy air-to-air refueling and transport planes from Airbus.

Then Rutte announced a four-country effort to purchase as many as five new Triton surveillance drones to add to NATO’s small fleet.

“It is genuinely made in NATO, and creating jobs on both sides of the Atlantic,” he said.

Rutte told reporters on the eve of the military alliance’s two-day summit in Turkey that “we will announce tens of billions in new contracts that will provide the crucial kit we need to deter and defend.”

However, at Tuesday's event, no dollar figures were given and the display included some projects long since agreed.

The defense industry splash comes a few weeks after Rutte tried to ease U.S. concerns about military spending at NATO with a new pitch using a chart labeled “The Trump Trillion” — showing $1.2 trillion in spending by European allies and Canada since 2017.

Trump appeared unmoved, saying he was still disappointed at some NATO allies’ refusal to join the Iran war, which he had launched alongside Israel without consulting them.

“We don’t need their money — we don’t need anything,” Trump said. “I just want loyalty.”

Debate over jet sales to Turkey

The summit is being held in Erdogan’s sprawling palace compound in Ankara, and Trump has suggested he would come bearing gifts for the Turkish leader.

Turkey was barred from the F-35 fighter jet program in 2019 after it purchased Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems. When asked about the fate of Turkey's return to the F-35 system, Trump said as he sat next to Erdogan that “it's certainly something we will consider.

Speaking Monday on the morning show “Fox & Friends,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the U.S. not to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, saying that Erdogan “calls openly for the annihilation of Israel.”

Turkey and Israel have acrimonious relations. Erdogan frequently accuses Israel of committing genocide in its war in Gaza, triggered by the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

Netanyahu said selling Turkey F-35s would “upset the power balance in the Middle East, which is ultimately guaranteed by Israeli air superiority and also, I think, by America’s posture in the Middle East.”

Turkey beefed up security and banned protests in Ankara during the summit, but a small group of demonstrators gathered on Tuesday in the capital. They were quickly surrounded by police, and a legal association said 22 students affiliated with the leftist Turkish Workers Party and three lawyers had been detained.

Seeking a stronger Europe for a stronger NATO

The Pentagon wants a reboot and is promoting what it calls “NATO 3.0,” a vision of the alliance in which Europe assumes greater responsibility for its own defense, freeing the U.S. to concentrate on other priorities.

But hiking defense spending means increasing taxes or diverting resources from other priorities. U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey unexpectedly quit last month, saying the British government was not willing to spend at a time of rising threats.

Separately on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a fresh appeal for his country to be allowed to join the alliance, saying its armed forces are highly experienced and resilient would only boost the alliance’s defense capabilities.

He highlighted Ukraine’s adaptability and its ability to strike deep inside Russia, hit oil refineries and other energy targets. He said that Ukraine’s armed forces are “eliminating” on average 30,000 Russian troops every month.

“Frankly we take no pride in this,” Zelenskyy said, noting that the war with Russia — now in its fifth year — is “a war we did not seek but one we are forced to fight.”

Concern is mounting among some northern and central eastern countries that Russia might be preparing a hybrid attack — a combination of conventional warfare with tactics like cyberattacks — on the continent as Russian President Vladimir Putin struggles to secure victory in Ukraine.

___

Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London and Andy Wilks in Istanbul contributed to this report.

El deslizamiento poco antes de las 7 de la mañana sepultó a 33 personas en el municipio de Nanhe, en la ciudad de Longnan de la provincia de Gansu, según la agencia oficial china de noticias Xinhua.

La causa no estaba clara. Fotos y video publicados en línea por la televisora estatal CCTV mostraron tres excavadoras y rescatistas sobre montículos de tierra en un área verde por lo demás densamente boscosa. El cielo parecía soleado y despejado.

Las autoridades reubicaron a los residentes mientras se llevaban a cabo las labores de rescate.

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

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% even though the majority of stocks within the index rose. The drops for stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry dragged the Nasdaq down 0.8%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 133 points, or 0.3%.

The weakness began in Asia, where Samsung Electronics tumbled 6.9% in Seoul. The giant maker of computer chips gave a preliminary look at its performance for the second quarter, and the numbers were strong. Samsung Electronics said it expects to say its operating profit surged roughly 1,800% from a year earlier.

Analysts called the numbers surprisingly good, but they still weren’t enough for investors after its stock came into the day having well more than doubled in the year so far.

On Wall Street, AI stocks have been facing similar pressure in recent weeks on worries that they shot too high and that AI may not produce enough productivity and profits to make all the investments in chips and data centers worth it.

Micron Technology fell 7% and was the heaviest weight on the S&P 500. Nvidia sank 1.5% and was just behind Micron in influence because it’s the largest stock on Wall Street.

In stock markets abroad, South Korea’s Kospi tumbled 4.9% because Samsung Electronics alone makes up more than a quarter of the index.

Other Asian indexes also fell, including a 2.1% drop for Japan’s Nikkei 225 index, while European indexes were mixed.

In the oil market, prices rose after the British military said a tanker traveling in the Strait of Hormuz was struck by a projectile and caught fire.

Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings but did not directly claim the assault.

Brent crude, the international standard, added 1.3% to $72.93.

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AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

It was Kepler’s first home run since returning from an 80-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Kepler was activated by the Diamondbacks on June 25.

The Padres are in freefall, losing nine of their past 10 games and 28 of their last 43.

The teams came into the game with identical 44-45 records. The win moved the Diamondbacks into second place in the NL West, while the Padres dropped to third place.

Diamondbacks starter Brando Pfaadt (2-1) worked five innings, allowing four hits and striking out six.

San Diego starter Walker Buehler (5-5) — whose 18th start of the season is tied for the most on the Padres — got hit hard in his second consecutive loss. He gave up seven runs and seven hits in five innings. In his previous start on July 1 at Wrigley Field versus the Cubs, Buehler allowed nine runs in four innings.

Buehler is the first major league pitcher this season to give up 16 earned runs over two consecutive outings.

With the Diamondbacks leading 3-0 in the third inning, Kepler hit a three-run homer to right field. He drove in a run in his previous at-bat with a single in the first.

Arizona tacked on two more runs on solo homers. Geraldo Perdomo homered in the fourth off Buehler and Nolan Arenado in the sixth off Padres’ reliever Alek Jacob for an 8-0 Diamondbacks lead.

Ryan Thompson pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the Diamondbacks.

Up next

Diamondbacks RHP Zac Gallen (3-8, 6.36) takes the mound in the second game of the four-game set on Tuesday night. The Padres have not announced their starter.

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

Justice Matthew Nicklin rejected the broad inferences the Duke of Sussex relied on to try to show that Associated Newspapers Ltd. engaged in unlawful activities. He said there was a shortage of evidence to support the claims and found there was a possibility that the news stories came from legitimate sources.

“In substance, the claimants’ case invites the Court to conclude that, because the information was private and because Associated cannot positively explain how it was sourced, the article must have been unlawfully sourced,” Nicklin wrote. “That is not a permissible approach.”

The ruling scuttles a bid by Harry and six others, including singer Elton John and actor-model Elizabeth Hurley, which sought substantial damages but could leave them with a large lawyers' bill. Legal costs were estimated at about 40 million pounds ($53.5 million) for years of case preparation and an 11-week trial.

The publisher called it an “overwhelming victory” and a “magnificent vindication" of the Mail's journalism.

“The reputations of our decent and hard-working journalists were terribly impugned, and today they have been exonerated,” Associated said in a statement.

The newspapers had denied the allegations as “preposterous,” insisting the roughly 50 articles at issue were based on lawful sources including friends, royal aides and publicists who offered information to reporters.

The 436-page decision leaves a mixed legacy for Harry's trio of lawsuits accusing tabloid publishers of using unlawful tactics, such as phone hacking, or hiring private detectives to dig up dirt to snoop on his life.

Harry won a judgment in 2023 that condemned the publishers of the Daily Mirror for “widespread and habitual” phone hacking. Last year, Rupert Murdoch’s flagship U.K. tabloid, The Sun, made an unprecedented apology for intruding on his life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.

The verdict, released remotely with no court hearing, coincided with Harry’s visit home to the U.K., which has been dominated by headlines over his latest efforts to repair a rift with his father, King Charles III.

Harry has said his litigation — in which he broke with royal family tradition to seek relief in the courts — was a primary source of his falling out with his father and brother, Prince William.

His grudge with the press runs deep. He blames it for the death of his mother, Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being pursued by paparazzi in Paris, and for attacks on his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, that led the couple to abandon royal life and move to the United States in 2020.

“They continue to come after me, they have made my wife’s life an absolute misery,” he testified as he choked back tears in the witness box during the trial in January.

Attorney David Sherborne said the Daily Mail and its sister publication, Mail on Sunday, used its journalists, freelance reporters and private eyes for “clear, systematic and sustained use of unlawful information gathering” to snoop on his clients.

Defense lawyer Antony White said the case relied on conjecture and inferences when the more likely source of information was “ordinary, legitimate journalism.” He said Harry was “inclined to see unlawful evidence gathering, in particular voicemail interception, everywhere.”

Other claimants in the case were actor Sadie Frost, anti‑racism activist Doreen Lawrence, former politician Simon Hughes and John’s husband, David Furnish.

The Mail trial played out differently than the Mirror case, with more journalists defending their work in court. Some Mail reporters pointed to official mouthpieces, such as a palace spokesperson, and others named their sources to dispute Harry’s assertion that his “social circles were not leaky.”

“They were not all tight-lipped,” Katie Nicholl, a former Mail on Sunday editor, said about Harry’s associates. “I had very good sources in the inner circle.”

The court proceedings began Monday and so far have produced no major revelations but marked the most significant presentation of evidence to date in the case against defendant Tyler Robinson, 23, who is charged with aggravated murder in the assassination of Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump.

Former Utah Valley University Officer Christopher Bagley testified that he witnessed the shooting while the conservative activist was speaking to a campus crowd of thousands on Sept. 10. Soon after, Bagley went to a nearby gravel rooftop, where it appeared someone had been lying prone with a clear sightline to Kirk’s location, he said.

“It looks like a sniper pad,” Bagley told the court.

Robinson has not yet entered a plea, and his attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence. They have, however, sought to get the death penalty taken off the table, so far unsuccessfully.

Court will hear statement from defendant's roommate

If prosecutors follow the order of an exhibit list they submitted earlier this year, they will present a video from the Washington County sheriff’s office from Sept. 11 — the day Robinson turned himself in — and recorded testimony from Robinson’s roommate.

Prosecutors allege Robinson confessed in a note left for his roommate, who was also his romantic partner, that read: “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”

Robinson also reportedly texted his roommate that he targeted Kirk because he “had enough of his hatred,” prosecutors have said.

Prosecutors have also said they plan to present DNA evidence linking Robinson to the suspected murder weapon, autopsy findings, witness statements and video of Kirk’s killing. In addition, they are expected to argue the shooting endangered others at Kirk’s campus event — an aggravating circumstance that could make the crime punishable by death under Utah law.

Kirk's family briefly left the courtroom

Monday marked the first time Kirk’s parents, Kathryn and Robert, and widow, Erika, were in the courtroom since the case began.

Robinson’s parents also were present, sitting a few rows behind the Kirks. Robinson sat quietly between his attorneys throughout the hearing, looking at the prosecution’s exhibits on a monitor and occasionally taking notes. His wrists were shackled to a chain around his waist.

Prosecutors showed several graphic videos of Kirk's shooting, including of the moment he was shot and security administering first aid, as they made their case to state District Judge Tony Graf.

Kirk's family briefly walked out of the courtroom twice — when Bagley started testifying about Charlie Kirk’s arrival on campus and again when prosecutors introduced the videos. Each time, they returned.

Prosecutors have a low bar

The proceeding resembles a minitrial, but prosecutors need only demonstrate that there are reasonable grounds to believe Robinson killed Kirk and should stand trial. The standard is lower than for a trial, where prosecutors must prove guilt “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Prosecutors, as a result, should have little trouble advancing their case, said Mark Kouris, a former prosecutor and state judge in Salt Lake City.

“This standard is extremely low and the chances of them not getting through it are, quite frankly, almost nothing," said Kouris, now an adjunct professor at the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law.

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester repeatedly objected to evidence introduced by prosecutors. She was mostly overruled by the judge.

When she asked Bagley about finding an empty pistol holster on the ground after the crowd fled, he acknowledged he never took custody of the holster and didn’t know whether it had been fingerprinted.

Utah is an open carry state, meaning people can carry guns openly or conceal them without a permit.

Graf sided with the defense to block the introduction of a compilation of surveillance videos from Utah Valley University because some had been altered to zoom in or had circles drawn around individuals. Prosecutors said they would try again Tuesday to introduce that video with the alterations removed.

Erika Kirk says court proceedings are a 'painful reminder'

Before his death, Kirk and the organization he co-founded, Turning Point USA, galvanized the conservative youth vote to help Trump win a second term.

The Republican president has said he hopes Robinson receives the death penalty.

Erika Kirk said during her husband's memorial service that she forgives Robinson.

Ahead of Monday's hearing, she thanked supporters in a statement for their kindness and prayers.

“Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death,” she wrote, “and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children.”

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Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

One traveler breezes through a priority security lane and heads straight to an invite-only lounge for craft cocktails and a chef-prepared meal before boarding early. A flight attendant offering a glass of champagne and a warm hand towel welcomes the passenger to a spacious seat at the front of the plane.

The other traveler stands in a line at every step — security screening, a café selling $16 sandwiches, a crowded gate — then boards with one of the final groups, hoping there’s still room for a carry-on in the overhead bin before folding into a cramped middle seat. After the cabin lights dim, sleep comes in fragments, and a travel pillow does little to ease a stiff neck.

The contrasting journeys are no accident. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest U.S. airlines have pulled out all the stops to court premium passengers who are willing to pay for comfort, convenience and exclusivity. Budget-conscious travelers may notice a widening gap between the back of the plane and up front as the carriers increasingly build their businesses around selling first-class, business-class and premium-economy seats.

“We can’t win by trying to provide the cheapest. We have to be able to win by providing the best," Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said in a recent Fortune podcast interview.

The strategy embraced by Delta and rivals American Airlines and United Airlines marks a notable evolution for an industry that spent decades making air travel more accessible. Now, the nation's largest carriers are reconfiguring aircraft to expand premium seating, designing new fleets with larger premium cabins and investing billions in amenities that extend the top-tier travel treatment beyond their jetliners.

But United CEO Scott Kirby has pushed back on the idea that the industry has become solely focused on chasing big spenders. He said United’s premium investments are part of a broader strategy to boost the experience of every traveler, pointing to initiatives such as seatback entertainment and improvements to the airline’s mobile app.

“We’re investing nose to tail for all customers,” Kirby said last month on financial firm Morgan Stanley’s Exceptional Leaders podcast.

Premium cabins have become airlines’ most valuable real estate

The premium playbook didn’t emerge overnight.

Airlines used to fill empty first-class seats mainly by giving their most loyal frequent flyers free upgrades. Delta rewrote the rules in the early 2010s by using sophisticated pricing tools to offer more of those seats to coach passengers who were willing to pay a little more, said Henry Harteveldt, president of travel advisory firm Atmosphere Research Group.

The strategy unlocked demand airlines hadn’t fully recognized, encouraging more travelers to trade up and laying the groundwork for today’s broader premium push.

“Travelers could and would pay for noticeably more comfort, noticeably better service, noticeably more amenities, if the price was right,” Harteveldt said.

Then came the pandemic. When business travel collapsed and Zoom replaced many corporate trips, airline analysts wondered whether carriers would once again have to lure travelers with cheap fares. Instead, eager leisure travelers proved willing to splurge on premium seats and perks, convincing airlines that demand extended well beyond the traditional business road warrior, Harteveldt said.

That confidence has only grown. Premium demand is now a fixture of quarterly earnings calls, with airline executives regularly touting premium revenue as they compete for higher-spending travelers.

“When you think about what’s different and what’s changed over the last 10 or 15 years, the premium products used to be loss leaders, and now they’re the highest-margin products," former Delta President Glen Hauenstein said last summer. “That’s really the headline.”

Analysts say premium cabins — a category that expanded with the introduction of premium economy seats featuring more legroom and amenities at a fraction of the cost — now generate a disproportionate share of airline revenue compared with the space they take up on commercial aircraft.

On heavily trafficked transatlantic routes, business-class tickets can bring in nearly as much revenue as fares and fees paid by passengers in the much larger economy cabin, according to an analysis by consulting firm McKinsey & Company.

Airlines are competing with chef-designed menus and high-end skin care

The premiumization of air travel has become impossible to miss, even for travelers who only get a glimpse through an airport lounge door or while walking down an airplane aisle.

Delta’s new first-class lounges resemble upscale restaurants, with open kitchens plating dishes such as hamachi crudo, cocktail bars serving made-to-order drinks, soundproof relaxation pods and outdoor decks overlooking the tarmac.

American has refreshed its premium cabin menus with “globally inspired dishes,” like crispy maitake mushroom and fried chicken bao topped with yuzu aioli, in partnership with the James Beard Foundation. The airline also redesigned its newest Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners for long-haul international flights around individual business-class compartments with sliding privacy doors, lie-flat seats longer than a standard twin mattress and amenity kits that might include a celebrity facialist's brand of sheet masks and under-eye patches.

United’s newest business-class cubicles add oversized 27-inch entertainment screens, caviar service, luxury skincare products and multi-course dining on long-haul international services. The airline said its revamped menus “feature flavors and dishes” inspired by cities across its network.

“Marie Antoinette would feel very comfortable on any of the big three airlines these days,” said William J. McGee, senior fellow for aviation at the American Economic Liberties Project. “But instead of saying, ‘Let them eat cake’ in the back of the plane, she would say, ‘Let them eat Biscoffs.’”

Air travel is getting more stratified as fuel costs increase fares

The airlines' pursuit of higher-paying passengers shows no loss of momentum. On board Delta's next-generation Airbus A350-1000 aircraft arriving in 2027, nearly half the cabin will be devoted to premium seating. American has said it plans to expand premium cabins by 50% by the end of the decade.

Yet the new era of luxury in the skies is unfolding alongside a very different reality for other U.S. travelers as broader inflationary pressures have added to the strain on household budgets.

New York-based travel advisor Mary Auteri said more of her clients are “experiencing sticker shock” as fares and add-on fees have gotten more expensive since the Iran war broke out and pushed up the price of jet fuel, one of the largest operating costs for airlines.

A group of friends in their 20s recently asked Auteri to price out flights to the sugar-white sand beaches of Punta Cana, a resort town in the Dominican Republic. After she sent them an itinerary, they said they had found what looked like the same flights on Google Flights for more than $100 less.

But the cheaper fares were basic economy tickets that excluded seat assignments, checked bags and flexibility to change plans. Once those costs were added back in, the trip no longer fit their budget.

Checked-bag fees, seat-selection charges and other add-on costs fall heaviest on economy travelers, McGee said. For wealthier travelers, those fees may amount to little more than an inconvenience. For budget-conscious travelers, they can determine whether a trip happens at all.

“The idea that we’re all created equal? Not in the airlines’ eyes," McGee said. “Not by any means.”

The U.S. played Belgium on Monday in Seattle, with the winner reaching the World Cup quarterfinals.

For the U.S., it would have meant just the second trip to the Round of 8 ever.

Local 10’s Jason Carter was at a big World Cup watch party at Mickey Byrne’s Irish Pub in Hollywood, and his full report can be seen at the top of this page.

The 25-year-old striker, who had three goals in this World Cup, was shown a red card during the U.S. victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, but FIFA lifted his suspension for Monday's match after U.S. President Donald Trump intervened on Balogun's behalf.

FIFA's decision prompted soccer leaders to question the integrity of the World Cup, with European soccer body UEFA saying FIFA “crossed a red line” and Belgium's soccer federation contesting Balogun's eligibility.

“I accepted the decision when I was given the red card, and I accepted the decision when I was told I was allowed to play,” Balogun said. “I didn't have any involvement in the process, and that's not something that has anything to do with me personally.”

Balogun did not score on Monday. He helped set up Malik Tillman's goal in the 31st minute when he was fouled by Belgium defender Brandon Mechele roughly 25 yards outside the Red Devils’ goal.

Tillman scored on the ensuing free kick. Just before the goal, Balogun waved his arms and pumped up the American fans.

The U.S. tried to set up Balogun multiple times. He made use of his speed on several runs but could not get past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. His best chance came in the 82nd minute, when Courtois got in front of a left-footed attempt. Balogun was replaced by Haji Wright in the 92nd minute.

To a suggestion that Balogun wasn’t a major presence on the field, U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams responded: “Was anyone a major presence on the field today?”

“We were happy that we had the opportunity for him to play,” Adams said. “He tried today to be a presence and a nuisance, and at times he was — getting the ball in behind and doing what he does. Just didn’t have too many opportunities.”

Balogun said it was difficult to understand why the U.S. didn't play with the intensity the team brought to its earlier games.

“Today we didn't give the crowd a lot to cheer for,” he said. “That's the most disappointing thing, and that's the part that hurts the most for me personally.”

Last Wednesday during the Americans’ 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, Balogun was shown a red card by Brazilian referee Raphael Claus for stepping on an opponent’s ankle, triggering an automatic one-game suspension.

After Trump spoke by phone to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s disciplinary committee suspended the discipline for a year on Sunday.

Infantino said he did not play a role in the decision by the disciplinary committee, which also fined Balogun $40,000, a penalty that can be paid by the U.S. Soccer Federation.

The FIFA president was in attendance for the match, watching from a suite with Pascale Van Damme, chair of the Belgian Football Association, and Cindy Parlow Cone, president of the USSF. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was seated nearby.

Belgium fans chanted “FIFA Mafia!” during their pregame march to Lumen Field.

Balogun's three goals matched Landon Donovan in 2010 for the second most by an American in a World Cup. Bert Patenaude holds the U.S. record with four in the initial tournament in 1930.

Balogun, who was playing in his first World Cup for the Americans, became the first U.S. player to score two goals in a match in the tournament since 1930. But he failed to lead the U.S. to what would have been its first consecutive knockout-stage wins. The best performance by the Americans since 1930 remains their run to the quarterfinals in 2002.

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Associated Press writer Gene Johnson contributed to this report.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

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A spokesperson for the Miramar Police Department said Brianna Johnson, known online as influencer DreamDoll Bri, was killed in the shooting, which happened at around 5:30 a.m. in the 2700 block of Sunshine Boulevard.

Two other victims, both men, were critically wounded when a shooter or shooters opened fire on the fluorescent green Lamborghini SUV they were driving in through the neighborhood; the driver subsequently crashed after being shot.

Police said they did not immediately have information on the conditions of the two other victims Monday morning.

Authorities believe the shooting was targeted and said afterward that they had “limited suspect information” to go off of.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Miramar Police Department or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Loved ones created a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue personnel and BSO deputies responded after 2 p.m. to Southwest 56th Avenue and Allen Road, according to BSO.

Fire rescue personnel took the child to Memorial Regional Hospital, according to BSFR Battalion Chief Michael B. Kane.

“Sadly, he was pronounced deceased,” Carey Codd, a BSO spokesman, wrote in a statement, adding that BSO’s traffic homicide unit detectives were investigating the case.

Deputies said the driver remained at the scene after the boy was struck in a driveway.

Family members identified the child as 2-year-old Wilson Alexander, adding that he was called Junior.

They have created a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.

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

Franklin Davis and the woman had recently ended a 42-year-old relationship when they got into an argument on Friday in Oakland Park, according to Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies.

Davis was under the influence of alcohol when he poured a flammable liquid and set the fire in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven at 3100 NW 9th Ave., according to BSO deputies.

The woman suffered third-degree burns to her left leg, and Davis suffered burns to his hands and face, according to BSO deputies.

Davis, who used a wheelchair in court, faced three charges: Premeditated attempted murder; arson causing bodily harm; and criminal attempt, solicitation, and conspiracy to commit a capital felony.

A judge denied Davis bond. Corrections held him at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale.

The 2-year-old child was under the care of a babysitter when police officers responded to a parked car on Sunday at Northwest Seventh Avenue and Ninth Court, according to the Hallandale Beach Police Department.

Fire rescue personnel and police officers responded shortly after 1:35 p.m., and the child was pronounced dead at the hospital, according to police.

More than 50% of pediatric vehicular heatstroke deaths happen after a caregiver accidentally forgets a child in the back seat, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Children are at a higher risk of heatstroke than adults since their body temperature rises three to five times faster.

Safety tips

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle.

If you see a child alone in a locked car, act immediately and call 911.

A child in distress due to heat should be removed from the vehicle as quickly as possible and rapidly cooled.

Store car keys and fobs out of a child’s reach and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area.

Remember that rolling the vehicle’s windows down or parking in the shade does little to change the interior temperature of the vehicle.

Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger’s seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.

Source: NHTSA

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a third ship was hit by a drone in the critical oil-shipping waterway, where two other tankers had been attacked earlier in the day.

The third ship sustained minor damage, with no one injured, and continued on its way, the UKMTO said.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Two tankers were struck by projectiles Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, the British military said, in the latest attacks targeting vessels moving through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

One of the tankers was traveling off the coast of Oman and caught fire, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gas tanker came under attack after ignoring warnings but did not directly claim the assault.

It was not immediately clear where the second tanker was when it was hit. The vessel was believed to have sustained structural damage, but no one was injured, the maritime agency said.

Tehran, which has repeatedly declared that only its approved route through the strait is safe, is suspected of attacking other ships that have used another route close to the Omani shore.

The U.S. is eager to press ahead with negotiations with Iran aimed at fully reopening the strait, rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program and reaching a permanent end to the war launched Feb. 28. Previous attacks in the strait have sparked retaliatory strikes by the U.S. Iran then attacked Gulf Arab states.

In peacetime, a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed through the channel.

Meanwhile, talks between Iran and the U.S. appeared to be on hold until after the burial of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the beginning of the war. Mourners at his funeral have called for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Authorities flew Khamenei's body to the Shiite seminary city of Qom, where mourners honored him Tuesday.

Tanker struck in latest attack in strait

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the tanker was hit near Limah, Oman, in the strait. The UKMTO said the projectile hit the port side of the vessel as it tried to travel south out of the strait toward the Gulf of Oman.

The agency said there were no environmental effects from the strike and that authorities were investigating.

Iranian state TV, quoting anonymous sources, implied that Tehran carried out the assault on a tanker it said was carrying natural gas from Qatar. However, there was no official claim from the Islamic Republic for the attack.

Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for the Qatari Foreign Ministry, said targeting the Qatari tanker, Al Rekayyat, in the strait was an “unacceptable attack” on international navigation and global energy security. He called it a “serious and explicit violation” of international law.

In a post on X, he said Qatar holds Iran “fully legally responsible” for the attack.

Iran’s joint military command warned last Thursday that all oil tankers moving through the strait must use its approved routes. It also said that interference by U.S. forces in the strait “will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction.”

But the Joint Maritime Information Center, a multinational body overseen by the U.S. Navy, told shippers Monday that the route around Oman “has been expanded and remains available for all traffic.”

Speaking Monday at the White House, Trump warned Iran that it would need to “make a deal, or we're going to finish the job.”

“I'd rather make a deal, because I don’t want to affect 91 million people,” Trump said. “We can knock down their bridges in one hour. We can knock out their energy supply.”

Iran and the United States agreed as part of an interim deal to allow ships to pass without paying charges for 60 days. But Tehran insisted it must control the routes of the vessels and later charge fees for passage, which would upend decades of practice in the waterway.

The U.S. and many Gulf Arab states say they will not agree to Iran charging for passage through the strait. An effort by Oman and a United Nations agency to launch a new route near Oman’s shore earlier sparked attacks across the Mideast.

The data firm Kpler reported that over last weekend at least 108 ships crossed through the strait using various routes.

Mourners gather in Qom for Khamenei's funeral

Iranian state television early Tuesday aired live images from a helicopter of hundreds of thousands of people walking toward Jamkaran Mosque, just south of Qom, for a funeral service for Khamenei. Shiites believe the mosque once hosted the Muhammad al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shiite imam, who disappeared in the 9th century and will one day reappear to bring justice to the world.

Images of Khamenei and his son, Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, were displayed on banners and posters held by mourners. Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make an appearance in the funeral ceremonies, which are unfolding over several days. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father.

At the height of the war, before an April ceasefire, Israel targeted top Iranian leaders, in at least one case likely using their public appearances to fix their position. It has also threatened to kill the younger Khamenei.

Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life for the mourning, which began Saturday and will end Thursday as Khamenei is buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace. Khamenei was 86.

En una presentación ante la prensa de ambos, donde no se admitieron preguntas, Velarde, de 74 años, indicó que, “si en otras circunstancias no hubiera tal vez aceptado, quisiera hacerlo con mucho gusto y pienso dedicarme lo más rápido posible a cumplir con la tarea que me está encargando”.

Fujimori, de 51 años, comentó que le alegraba “muchísimo” la decisión de Velarde. “Es una gran noticia para el Perú”, dijo la dirigente conservadora, que iniciará su gestión el 28 de julio. Velarde había indicado en 2025 que no tenía intenciones de continuar en el cargo, pero su decisión final había permanecido en suspenso.

Según la ley peruana, tras la propuesta del Ejecutivo, el Parlamento bicameral deberá ratificar al presidente del Banco Central y a los otros seis miembros de su directorio. Del total cuatro son propuestos por el Ejecutivo y tres por el Senado.

El Banco Central tiene una función clave que implica mantener una inflación baja y estable.

Los expertos explican que una inflación baja ayuda a que las familias y empresas planifiquen el futuro con mayor seguridad. En cambio, cuando los precios suben rápidamente, se dispara la incertidumbre y es más difícil calcular cuánto costarán los insumos, salarios o servicios. Este escenario provoca que las empresas posterguen inversiones o nuevos proyectos, lo cual afecta el crecimiento de la economía.

Los bancos de inversión y agencias calificadoras de riesgo han sugerido que un factor clave para la confianza de los mercados y la estabilidad macroeconómica implica preservar la autonomía del Banco Central, así como la continuidad de Velarde, un economista que preside le entidad desde 2006.

Perú ha mantenido la inflación dentro o muy cerca de su meta anual de entre 1% y 3% durante la mayor parte de los últimos años, según el Banco Central. Esto ha contribuido a preservar el poder adquisitivo y la confianza en la moneda peruana, que es una de las más estables de América Latina frente al dólar.

The three-time NBA MVP spoke to reporters after helping Serbia to a win over Bosnia-Herzegovina during a FIBA World Cup qualifying game in Belgrade, Serbia. Jokic finished with 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He then reaffirmed his desire to remain in the Mile High City.

By waiting until next summer, Jokic can sign a five-year supermax contract that would be worth around $350 million.

The 31-year-old Jokic is coming off a season in which he made All-NBA for an eighth time. He averaged 27.7 points, a league-best 12.9 rebounds and a league-best 10.7 assists as he finished runner-up in the MVP voting to Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Jokic and the Nuggets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Minnesota. After another early round exit, Jokic said: “I still want to be (with the) Nuggets forever.”

It's been a quiet offseason so far for the Nuggets. A big decision facing the team is what to do about Peyton Watson, the high-flying guard/forward who will command a lucrative contract to remain in town.

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

Dos personas quedaron atrapadas brevemente entre los escombros en el BJ’s Wholesale Club de Ocean Township, pero lograron salir, y no se reportaron heridos, según la policía del condado de Monmouth.

Se reportaron lluvias con inundaciones en partes de la ciudad de Nueva York, Filadelfia y Nueva Jersey, mientras varias rondas de tormentas atravesaban la zona el lunes, poniendo fin a una ola de calor que afectó a gran parte del área la semana pasada.

El alcalde de la ciudad de Nueva York, Zohran Mamdani, advirtió el domingo sobre el golpe de calor y compartió ubicaciones de piscinas y centros de enfriamiento. Pero para el lunes, instaba a la gente a abandonar de inmediato los apartamentos en sótanos si veían que el agua subía en sus viviendas.

Las fuertes lluvias dejaron autos varados en caminos inundados en todo el norte de Nueva Jersey, y el agua se metió en negocios y al menos un hospital.

“No es nada demasiado serio”, comentó el capitán de la policía de Lakewood, Leroy Marshall.

La lluvia y las tormentas rompieron el domo de calor que se instaló sobre gran parte del noreste de Estados Unidos la semana pasada.

El aeropuerto LaGuardia, en Nueva York, estableció el jueves un récord de 40 grados Celsius (104 grados Fahrenheit). Las temperaturas mínimas en muchos lugares apenas bajaron de 27 °C (80 °F), lo que impidió que la gente se refrescara incluso por la noche.

La temperatura en LaGuardia se mantuvo el lunes con la lluvia apenas por debajo de 21 °C (70 °F).

Las autoridades de Nueva Jersey investigaban al menos 29 muertes la semana pasada que posiblemente estuvieron relacionadas con el calor. Las personas fueron halladas muertas en la calle o en viviendas sin aire acondicionado. Tenían entre 30 y 80 y tantos años, indicó el comisionado del Departamento de Salud de Nueva Jersey, Raynard Washington.

Se necesitarán autopsias y otras investigaciones antes de que las muertes se atribuyan oficialmente al calor, señaló Washington.

Otros estados no han anunciado posibles muertes por el calor.

También tormentas severas se desplazaron desde Michigan hasta la costa este mientras la ola de calor cedía durante el fin de semana.

En Michigan, dos niños, de 8 y 12 años, fueron encontrados muertos el sábado en un garaje después de que, al parecer, se intoxicaran con los gases de escape de un generador durante un corte de energía relacionado con una tormenta, informó la policía de Sumpter Township.

Alrededor de 370.000 personas seguían sin electricidad en todo el país, en su mayoría por los daños de las tormentas, según poweroutage.com.

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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.

Plan for another day with morning showers to start and inland showers and storms by the afternoon. Some storms could bring heavy rain, gusty winds and a lot of lightning. Look for highs in the lower 90s with feels like about 100 degrees.Saharan dust is on the move. It will be prominent throughout the region on Wednesday and Thursday.

Saharan dust coupled with a ridge of high pressure will limit rainfall by the middle of the week. It will remain hot. Feels like temperatures will soar above 100 degrees.

Trump’s unprecedented dismissal of Jocelyn Samuels and another Democrat from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission cleared the way for his shake-up of civil rights enforcement, which has prioritized rooting out diversity and inclusion practices, weakening protections for transgender workers and championing discrimination claims against white workers and U.S.-born workers.

The EEOC moved forward with aspects of that plan Monday, releasing a regulatory agenda that includes proposals to end its annual collection of workplace demographic data and rescind longstanding guidance warning it may be discriminatory to require workers to exclusively use English on the job, among other changes.

One of Trump's first acts as president was demolishing the Democratic majority on the normally five-member EEOC, sweeping away what would have been a major obstacle to his civil rights agenda. His dismissal of Samuels and Charlotte Burrows before the end of their five-year terms was unprecedented in the history of the EEOC, which was created by Congress through the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The EEOC commission now consists of two Republicans and one Democrat. Trump has yet to nominate candidates to fill two open seats on the commission.

In her lawsuit, Samuels had argued that Congress established that the EEOC commissioners, who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, would serve staggered terms to ensure “continuity, stability and insulation from political pressure.”

But in a statement Monday, Samuels said she was dismissing her lawsuit because the Supreme Court's ruling in a separate case “leaves me without a viable path forward to continue contesting my termination.”

Last week, the Supreme Court upheld Trump's firing of the heads of independent agencies, with the exception of the Federal Reserve, jettisoning a 91-year-old decision that had limited when presidents can fire board members of independent agencies.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas applauded the Supreme Court's ruling in a LinkedIn post last week, saying that it reinforced that the “EEOC is an executive branch agency.”

In a statement Monday about the new regulatory agenda, an EEOC spokesperson said the agency is “committed to implementing President Trump’s landmark civil rights agenda, dedicated to evenhanded enforcement of federal civil rights laws.”

The EEOC’s sole Democratic commissioner, Kalpana Kotagal, voted against the agenda, saying in a statement that “the proposed changes weaken civil rights protections for workers and undermine the agency’s investigative and enforcement efforts.”

The regulatory agenda includes a proposal to end a 40-year requirement for companies with 100 or more employees, or federal contractors with at least 50 workers, to submit workforce demographic data to the EEOC.

Lucas has publicly warned companies not to use such demographic data to justify what she describes as potentially discriminatory practices to bolster the diversity for their workforce. In its proposed rescission, the EEOC said requirements impose “significant financial and administrative burdens on the nation’s employers.” The rescission will almost certainly be approved by the EEOC commission but it will then be subject to a public commentary period before final passage.

Conservative critics have said demographic data encourages the EEOC to assume that discrimination is behind any gender or racial imbalance in a company's workforce. Supporters say the EEOC has used the annual surveys to help identify discriminatory patterns, guide its priorities and help track how women and minorities have fared since the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

"The EEOC has collected this data from employers for six decades. It’s difficult to understand why the agency would kneecap its ability to investigate discrimination, particularly at a time when the EEOC is chronically understaffed and underfunded,” Kotagal said.

The EEOC also announced its intent to rescind 1980 guidelines defining national origin-based discrimination, which warns employers that any requirement for workers to exclusively speak English may “create an atmosphere of inferiority, isolation and intimidation based on national origin which could result in a discriminatory working environment.” The EEOC argued that the guidelines are outdated and incorrectly established a “presumption that English-only rules violate Title VII in some circumstances.”

Last week, the EEOC voted to toss out longstanding guidelines on what sort of voluntary affirmative action employers can take to improve job opportunities for women and minorities without violating Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employers from making employment decisions based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion. The EEOC reversed its stance that employers could pursue some programs, such as training for women and minorities or steps to expand recruitment pools, without running afoul of Title VII.

Also on the EEOC's agenda is revising regulations for enforcing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, a law that entitles women to seek workplace accommodations for pregnancy and related medical conditions. Lucas opposed the Biden-era regulations for including abortion as a circumstance allowing accommodations, such as time off for medical appointments.

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The Associated Press’ women in the workforce coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. 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.

During a Round of 32 match, Balogun stepped on the ankle of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic. After a slow-motion review, Brazilian referee Raphael Claus handed him a red card

President Donald Trump said he asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino to review the call. A FIFA committee decided to suspend the one-game ban and rejected the Belgian soccer federation’s appeal.

“I am really excited. Hopefully, we can get a result. We need some revenge for 2014 here. It’s great to have him back,“ said Sam Goldfarb, a Mickey Byrne’s Irish Pub patron.

The winner of the Round of 16 direct-knockout match between the U.S. and Belgium will play against Spain at 3 p.m. on July 10 during the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals.

“They should have just let the game be the game and not interfere,“ said Francisco Alarco, a Mickey Byrne’s Irish Pub patron.

Related story: Historic World Cup furor at ‘incomprehensible’ FIFA decision to let U.S. forward Balogun play

The last two Round of 16 matches are on Tuesday: Argentina vs. Egypt at noon in Atlanta, and Colombia vs. Switzerland at 4 p.m. in Vancouver.

The winners of the two matches will advance to the quarterfinal match at 9 p.m. on July 11.

The Round of 16‘s eight single-elimination knockout matches started on Saturday. Portugal, Canada, Paraguay, Mexico, and Brazil were eliminated.

Morocco and France advanced to a quarterfinal match scheduled at 4 p.m. on July 9th.

Norway and England advanced to a quarterfinal match scheduled at 5 p.m. on July 11.

The tournament, held every four years, started with 48 teams on June 11.

After matches within 12 groups of four, 16 teams were eliminated. The Round of 32 matches eliminated 16 more from June 28 to Friday.

Related link: View the knockout bracket

TOURNAMENT’S SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

July 9: Morocco vs. France at 4 p.m.

July 10: There is a quarterfinal match at 3 p.m.

July 11: Norway vs. England is at 5 p.m. There is a quarterfinal match at 9 p.m.

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

Semifinals

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

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

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

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

Finals

July 18: The third-place play-off match is at 5 p.m. at the Miami Stadium, better known as the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

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

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

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

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

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

The president has faced public backlash over inflation rising during his watch, as prices climbed initially in the aftermath of his tariffs and later with the start of the Iran war in late February. Trump described a recent bipartisan measure to trim housing costs as "a yawn” and tried to blame the Democrats for inflation staying elevated.

Going into the November midterm elections for control of Congress, Trump has sought to deride Democrats as communists who would have the government interfere with private companies. But in his social media post about Walmart, he said the business had trimmed prices at the specific request of his administration.

“I have just been informed that one of the biggest, best, and smartest Retailers in America, Walmart, will be lowering prices, by a lot, at my Administration’s request to celebrate our great Country’s 250th birthday,” Trump said. “Walmart will, in particular, be dropping the price for a pound of ground beef by almost 15%, among many other products.”

Walmart has benefited in part from higher inflation under Trump, as consumers have turned to its stores and website in search of lower prices, according to its quarterly earnings released in May.

The company, in a statement issued Monday after the president's post, said its price rollbacks at Walmart and Sam's Club “are designed to help customers and members make the most” of the summer season. There was no mention of any interaction with the administration and the company did not publicly comment on Trump's claims.

The statement noted price cuts for ground beef, corn, red cherries, ice cream, potato chips and Coca-Cola and Pepsi products.

Inflation for consumer prices has climbed 4.2% over the past 12 months, meaningfully higher than the 3% rate Trump inherited, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some inflationary pressures may ease as the interim ceasefire deal with Iran has led to lower oil prices as more tankers can travel through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump has famously used Walmart as a barometer of the American consumer, telling the company in May 2025 that it needed to “eat” the cost of tariffs that he had unilaterally imposed.

“Walmart should STOP trying to blame Tariffs as the reason for raising prices throughout the chain,” Trump posted a little over a year ago. “Walmart made BILLIONS OF DOLLARS last year, far more than expected. Between Walmart and China they should, as is said, ‘EAT THE TARIFFS,’ and not charge valued customers ANYTHING. I’ll be watching, and so will your customers!!!”

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Volunteers at the Global Empowerment Mission in Doral unpacked trucks, buses and vans filled with donations of critical supplies for those in need.

Earlier on Monday, groups like ProKel Mobility and Latinos in Transit were in Kendall loading up one of those buses to send to GEM.

“So, our connection is to at least give them some peace that their families are receiving the essentials so they can do what they do best, which is move people, move goods so that the building of the country starts up,” Lina Aragon, with Latinos in Transit, said.

Cristhian Mancera Mejia, with the Miami-Dade Community Council, said, “I was really touched by the whole situation. Just understanding how that feeling of those members of our community, some of them who have TPS or have some immigration situation pending, they’re going through that stress here locally and then they have to worry about a family member who either died or is trying to survive because they made it out of these buildings that collapsed.”

Meanwhile, in Miami, city and county officials teamed up with the Miami Marlins to collect supplies at loanDepot Park.

Miami relief drive:

The drive will run for at least a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fans are even encouraged to contribute items on game days.

“In addition to the drop off here until 5 p.m., we will also be accepting donation at the gates at Marlins games this week and we welcome the community to come out in support in Venezuela,” said Marlins President of Business Caroline O’Connor.

“We will get them to the right people,” Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins said. “We all know there is a regime in Venezuela that we cannot trust, but we are working with our Department of State to make sure that the supplies get to where they need to go.”

Miami-Dade Commissioner Vicki Lopez said that it’s “critically important that everyone turn out for the Venezuelan people.”

“There is nothing more important than being there for your brothers and your sisters, and since we have so many of them living in Miami-Dade, it only makes sense for the entire community to please whatever you can do, because a lot of people are asking me, ‘What can I do?’ Well, here’s your chance to act,” she said. “Bring whatever supplies are on the list.”

Local 10 News has a list of needed supplies and other resources to help Venezuela.

Christian Pulisic sprawled on the field in agony after hurting an ankle.

Matt Freese holding his hands on his head after his gaffe gifted a goal.

Chris Richards crumpling to the ground, his face pressed on the grass.

Mauricio Pochettino kicking a rack in front of the American bench, sending four water bottles flying.

American hopes for a deep World Cup run at home ended when Charles De Ketelaere scored twice and assisted on another goal, helping Belgium expose the U.S. defensive liabilities in a 4-1 win Monday night that earned a quarterfinal berth.

“It stinks,” Tyler Adams said. “This was a moment to have an opportunity to advance and really try and do something special. We fell short.”

While the U.S. was boosted by the presence of star forward Folarin Balogun, whose one-game red-card suspension was controversially lifted by FIFA, American defenders were at fault in a pair of first-half goals and Freese’s howler gave the Red Devils a third early in the second half.

Second-half substitute Romelu Lukaku added Belgium’s final goal in the third minute of stoppage time after Richards’ giveaway. The U.S. hadn’t allowed that many goals in a World Cup game since a 5-1 loss to Czechoslovakia in the Americans’ 1990 opener, when they returned to soccer’s biggest stage after a 40-year absence.

“A very bad day,” said Pochettino, the U.S. coach. “It’s not like you are in a rocket and you improve and you grow. ... It’s not linear.”

This loss was a painful reckoning for a team that hoped to boost the sport but instead failed to shake a quarter-century of stagnation since 20-year-old Landon Donovan led the Americans to the 2002 quarterfinals. Since then, the U.S. has lost four times in the round of 16.

“Everyone had nerves, right, because we knew how much this meant for the whole country, not just our team,” said 21-year-old defender Alex Freeman, the youngest U.S. player.

Belgium knocked out the U.S. in the round of 16 for the second time in 12 years and extended its unbeaten streak to 18 games. The Red Devils play 2010 champion Spain on Friday at Inglewood, California, for a semifinal berth against France or Morocco.

“We showed that we’re ready and we want to perform,” captain Youri Tielemans said.

All six CONCACAF nations have been eliminated, with the three co-hosts falling in the round of 16.

Malik Tillman tied the score 1-1 midway through the first half when he became the first player since France's Bernard Genghini in 1982 to have two free kick goals in a World Cup, but the Americans conceded less than a minute after the ensuing kickoff.

American star Christian Pulisic could only watch the end from the bench after injuring his right ankle when he hit Tielemans' boot on a 52nd-minute shot attempt. Pulisic was replaced seven minutes later, finishing the tournament with no goals.

“I didn’t quite have the moments I was hoping to and to try to help us to really push and get over this next step of beating a really good team,” he said. “I’m disappointed with myself, of course, but I’m going to try and stay positive. I did a lot of good things and the team did, as well.”

After winning three World Cup games for the first time in this expanded 48-nation tournament, the U.S. lost its seventh straight match to Belgium. The Americans have dropped 11 of their last 12 games against European opponents, winning only their round of 32 match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

A heralded generation led by Pulisic, Adams and Weston McKennie only partially accomplished their mission of lifting soccer’s stature closer to that of the NFL, MLB and the NBA.

“A goal was obviously to inspire people that the sport was growing in the U.S., which I think we saw. The support was unbelievable,” Adams said. “In this moment we let them down.”

De Ketelaere put Belgium ahead in the eighth minute and Tillman’s goal in the 31st energized a largely red-white-and-blue crowd of 66,925 at Lumen Field. De Ketelaere damped that and assisted on Hans Vanaken’s 57th-minute goal after Freese lost control of the ball in front of his net.

“Obviously disappointed for my involvement and error in judgment on the third goal,” Freese said.

Belgium, which didn't start stars Jérémy Doku as and Kevin De Bruyne, pressed from the start and exposed a defense regarded as the Americans’ weak spot.

Dodi Lukébakio made a long diagonal pass to the opposite corner, leading to the opening goal. Leandro Troussard controlled the ball and his cross was blocked by Freeman and popped into the air. Freeman headed the ball into the penalty area and Timothy Castagne charged after it and hooked a centering pass around Richards. De Ketelaere split Antonee Robinson and Tim Ream, at 38 the oldest American ever in a World Cup, then with his right foot redirected the ball into an open net.

Pochettino held out his arms, as if to ask: What was going on?

Tillman scored after Brandon Mechele knocked down Balogun about 25 yards from goal. Tillman’s kick deflected off Vanaken’s head and deflected to the left of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who had dived right.

Troussard got around Sergiño Dest for a cross and De Ketelaere outjumped Ream and headed the ball past Freese in the 33rd minute for his eighth international goal.

Belgium built a two-goal lead when Mechele lofted a long ball that Freese chested after two hops. Freese hesitated with a touch, then scrambled and kicked the ball off De Ketelaere. Vanaken one-timed a shot from 35 yards that deflected in off Ream.

Lukaku entered in the 67th minute and scored his 93rd international goal.

Pochettino replaced Gregg Berhalter after first-round elimination at the 2024 Copa America. His contract expires this summer and he hasn't decided whether to stay through the 2030 World Cup.

Instead of focusing on Spain, Pochettino has a different near-term agenda.

“To rest a little bit, to think, to have conversation,” he said, “and then see what the decision is from the federation and from us.”

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AP Sports Writer Andrew Destin and Associated Press writer Eugene Johnson contributed to this report.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

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El Niño events – the abnormal warming of waters around the equator in the eastern Pacific – typically peak from November to January, but this one – only officially declared last month by NOAA – is warming at a clip not previously observed.

Forecast models are in near-unanimous agreement that we’ll observe one of the strongest El Niños on record – if not the strongest – by this winter.

As we’ve detailed in previous newsletters, El Niño events – particularly strong ones – are notorious for dampening hurricane activity in the Atlantic, largely due to changing wind patterns that increase hostile, storm-busting wind shear across the basin. But strong El Niños can also shift around the distribution of seasonal storm activity across the Gulf, Caribbean and wider Atlantic, condensing activity and often leading to an earlier-than-usual end to the season.

In the chart above, you can see how seasonal activity during the peak months of August, September and October gets “pinched” in strong El Niño years relative to all years of the satellite era (since 1966). This means when activity ramps up, it may come a little later in August and feel a little steeper, but peaking around the same time in early September, then tailing off more quickly in October into early November.

Interestingly, Atlantic hurricane seasons in strong El Niño years also tend to see relatively busier Junes and quieter Julys compared to what we might expect in a typical season.

The quieting of late season (October-November) hurricane activity is well documented in previous research and makes sense physically, with wind shear ramping up deeper into the season as El Niño strengthens into the fall and winter months.

Of course, every hurricane season is unique and none ever follows the seasonal activity charts exactly as we might expect (see the mid-season lulls of 2024 and 2025), but given the backloaded seasons of recent years, none of us would complain if 2026 packs it up early.

For now, the Atlantic is following the El Niño script nicely, with tropical tumbleweeds blowing through the basin at least for the next week or two. Even deeper into July, long-range models continue to show very little to speak of, so enjoy the quiet stretch ahead.

“Sad — it’s normal after being eliminated like this,” said Ronaldo, who briefly shielded his eyes with his right hand after the match.

The sixth and final World Cup for the 41-year-old superstar ended with a 1-0 loss to border rival Spain in a round of 16 game on Monday.

“I’ve given everything, I’ve given my best, and I leave with a clear conscience,” he said. “This is soccer, this is life for a soccer player. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”

Ronaldo, the only player to score goals in six World Cups in a row and the career leader in international goals with 146, said the day before that he hoped it wouldn't be his final match in this run and wanted to enjoy it to the fullest.

But he reiterated then — and again after the loss to Spain — that this was his last time in the tournament that's played every four years. The deepest he ever went in the World Cup was the semifinals in his 2006 debut.

As for his other future plans, he wasn't ready to say.

“Yes, it was my last World Cup, but everything else I’ll have time to think about, to be with my family, and not make any decision hot-headed and move on with life,” he said.

Ronaldo was denied a goal in the first half against Spain when record-setting goalkeeper Unai Simón made an impressive leaping stop. That was one of his three shots.

Two of those were on target, including the one on which Simón was still in midair when he reached back to grab the ball with both hands. Ronaldo got off a backward kick with his right foot after a header by teammate João Félix bounced off Simón’s shoulder.

“He is an example, a role model to follow. This is somebody that we need to celebrate. We’re talking about a football icon,” Portugal coach Roberto Martínez said in translated remarks. “There aren’t too many Cristiano Ronaldos out there. I think we need to thank him. His dream was to win the World Cup and he did this as an amazing example in the locker room.”

Portugal had never won a major international tournament before Ronaldo. The first was the 2016 European Championship, before adding Nations League titles in 2019 and 2025.

Ronaldo's finale on soccer’s biggest stage came eight years after he recorded a World Cup hat trick at age 33. That made him the oldest to have one, and that stood until then-38-year-old Lionel Messi scored three goals for Argentina in a 3-0 win over Algeria on June 16.

The hat trick for Ronaldo came in a 3-3 draw with Spain in a group stage opener that's considered one of the tournament's best matches, although both powers didn’t reach the knockout stage.

He scored three goals in this World Cup, and his 11 overall are tied for ninth on the career list.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

La fiscalía de La Paz acusó en una audiencia a Salazar de los delitos de terrorismo, atentado a los servicios e instigación pública a delinquir. El acusado cumplirá prisión preventiva por seis meses y asumirá su defensa desde la principal cárcel de La Paz, informó la fiscalía.

El abogado del acusado, René Salazar, declaró a los medios de prensa que “no hay pruebas documentales, sino publicaciones de redes sociales” en contra de su defendido, máximo dirigente de la Federación Sindical de Campesinos Túpac Katari de La Paz. Indicó que apelará la medida.

Sectores empresariales y organizaciones cívicas anunciaron demandas penales en contra de los tres líderes de las protestas que cesaron el 23 de junio dejando 22 fallecidos, 19 de ellos afectados por los bloqueos carreteros y tres pertenecientes a los sectores movilizados, según un informe divulgado el lunes por la Defensoría del Pueblo. Empresarios señalan que las pérdidas superaron los 2.500 millones de dólares.

Los otros demandados son el expresidente Evo Morales (2006-2019) y el líder de la Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) Mario Argollo. Ninguno ha sido detenido.

Los movilizados exigían la renuncia de Paz, a quien culparon de la falta de respuesta a la peor crisis en 40 años que afronta Bolivia, la escasez de combustible y el desabastecimiento de alimentos.

El mandatario, quien asumió hace ocho meses, denunció que las protestas fueron impulsadas y financiadas por grupos “narcoterroristas” con el objetivo de desestabilizar a su gobierno. Paz dijo que los cocaleros afines a Morales buscaron impunidad para el exmandatario, que desde la región del Chapare se resiste a una investigación judicial acusado por el presunto abuso de una menor cuando era gobernante.

Los movilizados alegaron que sus protestas eran para impedir medidas de ajuste liberal y la presunta privatización de empresas públicas. La policía denunció por su lado el decomiso de grandes cantidades de dinero que supuestamente financiaron las movilizaciones.

El gobierno acordó con la COB revisar los procesos legales en contra de casi un centenar de detenidos. Las autoridades no aclararon si beneficiará a Argollo.

Las protestas han debilitado más a los sindicatos y a la izquierda, que resultó derrotada en las urnas en noviembre del año pasado marcando un viraje político para el país tras casi 20 años de gobierno del Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) de Morales y Luis Arce (2020-2025). Arce está en la cárcel acusado de supuesta corrupción.

The prosecutors said Monday in a sentencing memorandum to a New York federal judge that international gold trader Reza Zarrab provided substantial help to the U.S. when he revealed paying millions of dollars in bribes to government and banking officials in Turkey and provided key testimony at the December 2017 trial.

His testimony preceded the conviction of Turkish banker Mehmet Hakan Atilla and a sentence of over two years in prison for the banker. After the trial, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the verdict “scandalous.”

In a presentence memorandum, prosecutors wrote that Zarrab's October 2017 guilty plea to conspiracy, bank fraud and money laundering charges and the cooperation that followed had been “truthful, complete and reliable” and significant, useful and timely. They also noted that he had suffered “danger or risk” as a result of his help.

During a week on the witness stand at the 2017 trial, Zarrab said he was attacked in prison by a knife-wielding fellow inmate who claimed he was told to kill him for cooperating with U.S. authorities.

In their memorandum Monday, prosecutors referenced the threat, which resulted in Zarrab being moved from prison and into FBI custody.

According to prosecutors, the inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn who threatened Zarrab told him that he would be killed because he was cooperating against “big people in Turkey.”

Prosecutors also said that the government of Turkey imposed broad freezes and seizures of Zarrab's assets after he began cooperating.

The lengthy delay for Zarrab's sentencing is not uncommon in a complex prosecution that carried the potential for multiple trials in which Zarrab's testimony might be necessary.

Last month, Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan approved the dismissal of a criminal case the U.S. government had brought against Halkbank, a state-owned bank in Turkey. The U.S. government's request to drop the charges came amid warm ties between Erdogan and President Donald Trump.

After meeting with Trump last year at the NATO summit in The Hague, Erdogan told reporters that the U.S. president is quick to return his calls, an anecdote that signaled their close ties.

“With my friend Trump, we are opening the door to a new era in Turkish‑American relations,” said Erdogan, who has been president of Turkey for 13 years.

Evaniel Johnson said he is waiting to see if video footage supports the police narrative that his 20-year-old grandson, Tyrin Johnson, turned toward U.S. guard members with a gun while running from them early Sunday. Memphis police say the guard members were responding to a report of gunfire.

The National Guard members had been assigned to a crime-fighting patrol in Memphis created last year by President Donald Trump, who has sent troops and federal agents to Democratic-run cities he described as crime-ridden.

“Show me the video,” Evaniel Johnson told The Associated Press. “Please show me that — and then I’m OK. Until you show me that, I’m gonna fight and advocate for my grandson until there’s no breath in me.”

Johnson, a former correctional officer with the Davidson County Sheriff's Office in Nashville, disputes that his grandson would have tried to fire a gun at U.S. guard members and that deadly force would be needed if he was running away. His grandson, he said, was “no hoodlum.”

According to his grandfather, Tyrin Johnson carried a gun for protection after being “jumped” recently in Nashville and was likely wary about being attacked again over a murky social media feud.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says it is reviewing the shooting and that two guard members fired their weapons. Johnson’s family says they were told by the TBI that he was shot twice in the chest. The Memphis Police Department declined to comment on what footage existed and when it would be released.

The National Guard did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether the two members involved in the shooting had been placed on leave.

Democrats call for a transparent investigation

Tennessee Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari and Chairwoman London Lamar, both of Memphis, issued joint statement expressing their sympathy and emphasizing the need for transparency during the investigation. They asked the TBI to release any available video as soon as it is possible to do so without jeopardizing the investigation.

“Transparency serves everyone — the Johnson family, the members of the National Guard involved, and a community that deserves confidence in the outcome, whatever the facts ultimately show,” they wrote.

State Rep. Justin Pearson, a Democrat running for the U.S. House, echoed the call for a transparent investigation and demanded the disbanding of the federal task force.

“Memphis does not need armed soldiers in our streets terrifying our people,” he said in a statement.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee also called for the task force to be shut down. “We demand a transparent investigation, not a closed-door ruse that leaves our community in the dark,” the ACLU said in a statement.

Trump's decision to send Tennessee National Guard troops to Memphis to combat crime was met with a mixed response from residents and was the subject of a lawsuit. However, it was never the subject of widespread protests.

TBI data shows that at least three people have died in four shootings by officers tied to the federal task force.

Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee embraced federal intervention, while Democratic Memphis Mayor Paul Young took a pragmatic approach. Young said he never asked for National Guard troops but recognized they were coming regardless of his opinion.

Evaniel Johnson wishes his grandson stayed home that weekend

Tyrin Johnson did not appear to have a criminal history besides a handful of traffic violations, according to a review of online federal and state court records and Memphis and Nashville courts. In May, he was arrested for failing to appear at a 2025 hearing for driving without a license in Wilson County, just outside Nashville. He bonded out, records show.

He was enrolled in Tennessee State University from August 2023 to May 2024, according to university spokesperson Angel Higgins.

Evaniel Johnson said he had hoped his grandson would return to university and he was training him to take on a bigger role in the family's real estate development business, including lining up a project for him in Nashville to oversee in the coming weeks.

On the Fourth of July, Evaniel Johnson said his family had gathered on his back porch in Nashville to play cards. He wished his grandson had stayed with them. Instead, Tyrin Johnson ended up in Memphis.

“He was down there like all the rest of the people trying to enjoy the Fourth of July,” Johnson said. “His future was buying homes, living life, taking care of his little baby. He had a future. It’s gone now.”

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Brook reported from New Orleans.

___

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Two of the matches are on Monday: Spain vs. Portugal at 3 p.m. in Dallas. The U.S. vs. Belgium at 8 p.m. in Seattle. The winners will advance to the quarterfinal match at 3 p.m. on July 10.

The FIFA Fan Festival Miami was scheduled to end on Sunday at Bayfront Park, but organizers extended it from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump caused controversy.

“All I did was ask for a review,” Trump said about FIFA’s decision to allow U.S. star Folarin Balogun to play despite his red card ban. “I didn’t say, ‘You have to do this!’”

Related story: Historic World Cup furor at ‘incomprehensible’ FIFA decision to let U.S. forward Balogun play

The last two Round of 16 matches are on Tuesday: Argentina vs. Egypt at noon in Atlanta, and Colombia vs. Switzerland at 4 p.m. in Vancouver. The winners will advance to the quarterfinal match at 9 p.m. on July 11.

The Round of 16‘s eight single-elimination knockout matches started on Saturday. In two days, Canada, Paraguay, Mexico, and Brazil were eliminated.

Morocco and France advanced to a quarterfinal match scheduled at 4 p.m. on July 9th.

Norway and England advanced to a quarterfinal match scheduled at 5 p.m. on July 11.

The tournament, held every four years, started with 48 teams on June 11.

After matches within 12 groups of four, 16 teams were eliminated. The Round of 32 matches eliminated 16 more from June 28 to Friday.

Related link: View the knockout bracket

TOURNAMENT’S SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

July 9: Morocco vs. France at 4 p.m.

July 10: There is a quarterfinal match at 3 p.m.

July 11: Norway vs. England is at 5 p.m. There is a quarterfinal match at 9 p.m.

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

Semifinals

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

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

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

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

Finals

July 18: The third-place play-off match is at 5 p.m. at the Miami Stadium, better known as the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

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

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

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

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

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

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali refused to dismiss the case against Brian J. Cole Jr., concluding that Trump's blanket pardons for Jan. 6 rioters explicitly applied only to people who were convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6 attack. Cole hadn't been charged, let alone convicted, when Trump issued the pardons, Ali noted in his three-page order.

On the first day of his second term in the White House, Trump erased the largest criminal investigation in Justice Department history when he pardoned, commuted the prison sentences and ordered the dismissal of cases for all 1,500-plus people charged in the Jan. 6 attack.

Cole was arrested nearly a year after Trump's sweeping act of clemency. He is accused of placing two pipe bombs outside the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., on the night before the riot. The devices didn’t detonate before law enforcement officers discovered them on Jan. 6.

Prosecutors have said that Cole gave a confession after his arrest, telling FBI agents that he felt “bewildered” by conspiracy theories related to the 2020 presidential election and “something just snapped." Investigators also used phone records and other evidence to identify him as a suspect.

Cole's attorneys argued that he qualifies for a pardon because his alleged actions are “inextricably and demonstrably tethered” to the events near the Capitol on Jan. 6.

“By the government’s own telling, this is exactly the kind of case that President Trump’s January 20, 2025 Presidential Pardon was invoked to reach,” defense lawyers wrote.

Prosecutors countered that Trump's pardons have no bearing on Cole's case since the president's proclamation applies only to people who been convicted of or had a pending indictment for Capitol riot-related crimes.

“And even if the proclamation somehow could apply to this case, the Department of Justice’s contrary position is entitled to deference as a reasonable interpretation taken by the Executive Branch agency expressly charged with administering the proclamation,” they wrote.

Ali was nominated to the bench by President Joe Biden, a Democrat.

Trump, a Republican, spread baseless conspiracy theories that Democrats stole the 2020 presidential election from him. Supporters who attended Trump's “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House on Jan. 6 joined a mob's attack on the Capitol, disrupting the joint session of Congress for certifying Biden's electoral victory.

Cole is due back in court on Wednesday for a status hearing in his case. A trial date for his case hasn't been scheduled yet.

But ending his career with regrets seemed equally frightening to the two-time NBA MVP.

As his trade to the Miami Heat was finalized on Monday, Antetokounmpo posted a video on YouTube in which he discussed his mixed emotions with former Bucks broadcaster Jim Paschke. He posted a shorter video on social media bidding farewell to Milwaukee.

“I’m scared that the grass is not always greener. … People love me here,” Antetokounmpo said in the interview with Paschke, which lasted nearly 37 minutes. “People respect me here. People allow me to be myself here in the city. And I’m scared that I might never find that ever again.”

But the same unwavering drive that helped him deliver the Bucks their first title in half a century caused him to decide five years later that it was time to move on.

The Bucks haven’t advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs since their 2021 championship and last won a postseason series in 2022. Antetokounmpo, who will turn 32 in December, said he’d wake up each day wondering if he needed a change of scenery to have a better shot at winning another championship.

“I’m scared that maybe if I don’t take that decision, that when I’m going to be 37, 38 years old, hopefully and I’m retiring, I’m going to say: ‘Why? Why didn’t you take that risk?’" Antetokounmpo said.

He made a home in Milwaukee

Antetokounmpo is one of the most beloved sports figures in the history of Wisconsin. After the Bucks selected him with the 15th pick in the 2013 draft, fans watched the skinny 18-year-old mature into the “Greek Freak,” a two-time MVP who became the most impactful player in franchise history.

He established roots here. Antetokounmpo, who had grown up in poverty, brought his whole family with him for a new beginning. He’d eventually start a family of his own here as well.

“The city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart,” Antetokounmpo said. “This is my home.”

During the interview, Paschke asked Antetokounmpo what advice his father might have offered about this move. Antetokounmpo's father, Charles, died in 2017 and is buried in Milwaukee.

“My father would tell me go to an uncomfortable situation that can allow you to grow and chase your dream, no matter what," Antetokounmpo replied.

Antetokounmpo leaves Milwaukee as the Bucks’ career leader in virtually every statistical category, including points, rebounds, assists, blocks, games and minutes played.

He showcased his tenacity while leading the Bucks to their 2021 title.

Antetokounmpo hyperextended his knee during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals but missed only two games before returning to earn NBA Finals MVP honors. He scored 50 points in Milwaukee’s title-clinching Game 6 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

During the interview with Paschke, Antetokounmpo spoke about how grateful he felt for providing that championship to the city of Milwaukee. Fans loved him for his willingness to sign multiple contract extensions to stay here.

“You don’t understand it,” Antetokounmpo said. “Until you take a break, take a pause and walk out on the street and people approach you and talk to you about it,” Antetokounmpo said. “That’s when you start realizing, ‘Man, man, man, man.’ It’s bigger than basketball. You made people feel something.”

His impact was immeasurable

Paschke, who broadcast Bucks games for 35 years before retiring at the end of the 2020-21 season, emphasized how much Antetokounmpo meant to the city.

“I think I need you to know that you’ve had such an impact on everyone,” Paschke told him. “I don’t even know if you realize the impact you’ve had.”

Bucks general manager Jon Horst noted that in a statement announcing the trade, in which Milwaukee acquired Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez, Kasparas Jakucionis, the draft rights to rookie Nate Ament and multiple other draft picks.

Horst said it was the right move for both Antetokounmpo and the Bucks, but he added that “there are few players in the history of professional sports who have elevated a franchise, a city and a fan base the way Giannis Antetokounmpo has for Milwaukee and the Bucks."

“He became an ambassador for our city around the world and a source of pride for our entire state,” Horst said. “Through his generosity, authenticity and commitment to helping others, he touched lives throughout our community and inspired people across generations.”

Part of the disappointment about Antetokounmpo’s exit stems from Milwaukee fans never really getting to say goodbye to him.

Antetokounmpo landed awkwardly on a dunk in a March 15 victory over Indiana and didn’t play again, missing the Bucks’ final 15 games. He said late in the season that he was healthy and wanted to play, while the Bucks said he had a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise. That kept Bucks fans from getting one last chance to show their appreciation.

Of course, there’s always the possibility this isn’t a final farewell.

When Paschke noted that Antetokounmpo would always be welcome in Milwaukee, the 10-time All-Star replied that it “would be awesome if I could go and play and maybe come back.” Antetokounmpo even noted that Kevin Garnett did that by starting and finishing his career in Minnesota.

“I saw this clip of him walking into the arena, and they gave him a standing ovation, and people to this day love him,” Antetokounmpo recalled.

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

The Arsenal forward made all that fretting moot.

Merino scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time, and Spain beat Portugal 1-0 on Monday to end the World Cup career of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Merino had just been knocked down, and a foul was called. While Portugal's Bernardo Silva argued, Merino played the ball back in, ran toward the goal and easily beat goalkeeper Diogo Costa after a series of passes capped by Ferran Torres' nifty ball through the middle.

“He's one of the best in his position worldwide, and he has given us a fantastic result and a fantastic goal,” de la Fuente said through a translator. “I want to express the importance of substitutes that came in later in the game. Not just today, but the contribution in other games has been enormous.”

Spain, which has a 35-game unbeaten streak, advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since winning its only World Cup title in 2010. La Roja will play Belgium, a 4-1 winner over the United States, on Friday in Inglewood, California.

Ronaldo was trying to get Portugal to the quarterfinals in a second consecutive tournament for the first time. Instead, the career on soccer's biggest stage is over for the all-time leader in international goals (146) and appearances (233).

Merino didn't enter until the 85th minute, and his heads-up play showed some of the versatility that helped Arsenal win its first Premier League title in more than 20 years this spring.

The World Cup was in doubt for Merino, who turned 30 during the tournament, after right foot surgery cut short his Arsenal season.

In the biggest moment of the year for Spain, there he was with fresh legs, finishing with his left foot into the left corner of the net. After emerging from a group hug with his teammates, Merino made a circle around the flag in a corner before letting out a guttural scream while clenching both fists.

That's how his father, Miguel Merino, celebrated more than three decades ago during his club career in Spain. And his son first emulated it after a late goal to beat host Germany to send Spain to the semifinals of the European championship two years ago.

This was Mikel Merino's first World Cup goal, and 11th for the national team.

“What better way to celebrate,” Merino said. “You remember all the good and the bad, and there have been difficult moments for me this year.”

The latest meeting of Iberian Peninsula rivals that first played in a friendly in Madrid 105 years ago was quite the contrast to their most recent World Cup match.

It was eight years ago that Ronaldo had his only World Cup hat trick in a 3-3 draw with Spain in a group stage opener that is considered one of the tournament's best games.

The 41-year-old superstar scored three times in this tournament, but didn't have many chances against Spain's Unai Simón, who extended his World Cup record to 609 minutes without conceding a goal. Spain became the first team to record six straight shutouts at the World Cup.

The best chance was Ronaldo's nifty backward kick in the 37th minute when Joao Felix’s header deflected off Simón’s left shoulder and popped in the air to Ronaldo. He flicked the ball with his right foot, but it was soft enough to give Simón time to recover and make a leaping grab.

“I’ll wake up tomorrow like I woke up today, with a clear conscience,” said Ronaldo, who a day earlier had repeated his previous declaration that his sixth World Cup would be his last. “I gave my best. I won three titles with Portugal. Before Cristiano, Portugal hadn’t won any title. So, I’m happy. The biggest title that I won with the national team was in 2016 (European Championship), which for me had the same dimension as a World Cup, honestly.”

Portugal desperately pushed for an equalizer in the final eight minutes of stoppage time. Silva had a header that went just over the top of the net.

The defensive struggle came just two days shy of a year since Portugal beat Spain in a riveting UEFA Nations League final that went to penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw.

The other World Cup meeting was Spain's 1-0 victory — also in the round of 16 — when La Roja won the title in South Africa.

“It was a great match. Two superb teams,” de la Fuente said. “As we had said it, it was like an anticipated final. As it was expected, we had to suffer until the very end.”

Until Spain didn't have to suffer anymore — thanks to its super sub.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

He grew up only five minutes away from the All England Club.

On Monday, the tables were turned when Federer was in attendance watching Fery on the sport's most famous court as he became the first British wild card to reach the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam in the professional era (since 1968).

Fery beat fellow wild Grigor Dimitrov — a former top-five player — 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7).

When it was over Fery, dropped his racket to the grass and held his hands up in disbelief.

“We’ve got probably the greatest of all time watching in the front row over there,” Fery said, nodding in Federer’s direction. “And now playing here in front of all you guys, having the support and winning, it’s unbelievable.”

Fery’s quarterfinal opponent will be Flavio Cobolli, who beat Alex de Minaur.

Fery beat Cobolli in straight sets in the first round of this year’s Australian Open after coming through qualifying.

“(In) Australia I was sick,” Cobolli said. “Of course, Arthur is amazing player, but that match I couldn’t play.”

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

Will this be the final act of his illustrious career?

“I don't know,” he said. “We'll see.”

The NHL's career leader in goals didn't formally commit to returning in 2026-27 until last week, so it was perhaps no surprise that Ovechkin remained noncommittal on whether this is going to be his swan song in Washington. Ovechkin said his wife suggested he play “one more year, or maybe two years, I don't know" — so if anyone was expecting him to announce a retirement tour for this season, that did not happen.

Instead, Ovechkin is focused on showing he can still be effective — he'll be 41 — and help the team win. The organization he's returning to has been one of the most active in the league this offseason, adding Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch and Boone Jenner — among others — via the trade and free agent markets.

Those three have all reached 30 goals at some point in their careers, and Ovechkin did that even last season at his advanced age. The Capitals missed the playoffs, but they had the same number of points (95) as Vegas did before the Golden Knights made a run to the Stanley Cup Final. Washington also finished tied for third in the NHL in even-strength goal differential.

“When you look at our roster, it's a Stanley Cup contender,” Ovechkin said. “I know I still can play, and bring energy to the locker room, energy on the ice.”

The Capitals have mostly remained competitive even though almost everyone from their 2018 Stanley Cup-winning team is gone. Ovechkin and Tom Wilson are still around, but Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. Oshie, Braden Holtby and Evgeny Kuznetsov exited at various points since then. Veteran defenseman John Carlson, who was in his 17th year in Washington, was traded last season.

Now it's a team led by Ovechkin, Wilson, Dylan Strome, Jakob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois and goalie Logan Thompson — plus new additions.

“We came in looking to add skill to our top six,” president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan said. “We wanted to get a physical, long defenseman that had a net-front presence. We were looking at veteran leadership.”

Ovechkin said it took "maybe 10 minutes” to finalize a deal after telling the team he'd return. He'll make a $1 million salary with bonuses worth an additional $8 million — including $4.75 million if he plays 10 games. The contract counts just $4.25 million against the cap after Washington made plenty of use of its substantial salary cap space.

“Alex, thank you very, very much for the way you handled this," owner Ted Leonsis said.

Ovechkin appeared on a video conference while vacationing in Turkey. Leonsis, MacLellan and general manager Chris Patrick were on the call. Coach Spencer Carbery, who will be tasked with arranging all the new talent on the ice, wasn't.

Ovechkin scored 32 goals last season and 44 in 2024-25, when he broke Wayne Gretzky's career record of 894. He's still a threat in the offensive zone, although oddly, he managed only five power-play goals on 86 shots last season. The power play was a big problem for Washington in general.

The role Ovechkin will play going forward remains to be seen.

“I think we have a pretty balanced team,” Patrick said. “Like a lot of our players, he can move up and down the lineup as how Carbs sees fit, and how he wants to use the lines and deploy the lines on a given night. And obviously the power-play piece as well, where Alex has proven time and again he's an effective player.”

Ovechkin's news conference came shortly before the start of Monday's Portugal-Spain match in the World Cup. Ovechkin spoke glowingly about how Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi continue to perform against younger opposition.

“If you look at Messi and Ronaldo, those players show example that if you're able to continue show the level what you have, the skill, it's tremendous,” he said. “You can see how they play. It's tremendous. I'm really impressed.”

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

Prosecutors opened the case against Christopher Veit after Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies found the girl in a dryer at his home on June 21 in Key Largo, records show.

The 16-year-old girl told deputies that she was 14 years old when she first connected with Veit on the “Seeking” site and he agreed to be her “sugar daddy,” according to a deputy’s report.

The list of charges Veit faced in Monroe County included possession of obscene material, cruelty toward a child, sexual assault, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.

Veit first faced charges of kidnapping or false imprisonment, interference with child custody, and unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Veit was also under investigation in Orange and Osceola counties.

Two Gilbert police officers saw possible signs of life multiple times, but the child was still taken to the hospital's “cold room” after being treated by staff, according to the documents.

“Please do your thing and let me do my thing,” Dr. Aryan Toosi told an officer at one point, according to the report. “I went to medical school for a reason.”

First responders were dispatched to the home at about 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 in response to a reported drowning. They performed life-saving measures on the child before taking him to a hospital where the boy was pronounced dead about an hour later.

About five hours later, police were notified that the child was indeed breathing, and he was flown to another hospital. The boy ultimately survived and has been released.

Boy survived but his parents are under scrutiny

Gilbert police are recommending negligence charges against the parents. Investigators said there was a strong odor of marijuana at the home and open doors that could have allowed unsupervised access to the pool. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said it was reviewing the case and declined further comment Monday.

In 911 calls, two relatives frantically reported that the child had been pulled from the pool as people at the scene could be heard shrieking. One caller reported the toddler was unconscious.

No one answered at the home where the near-drowning occurred when an Associated Press photographer knocked there Monday.

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where the 18-month-old was taken, said in a statement that the hospital conducted “a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.”

The hospital called it “a heartbreaking situation” and declined to release further details.

When a team from the local medical examiner's office arrived in the so-called cold room, they found the boy breathing and rushed him to another hospital, police said.

Doctor's lawyer says there's more to know

Scott Holden, an attorney for Toosi, told the AP that he wouldn't make a full statement on behalf of the doctor “other than to assure you that there is much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far.”

A GoFundMe page, which was created in February to help the boy's family with medical bills, said the toddler would need extensive therapy.

“Thank you for your prayers, your kindness, and your support for baby Vincent — our miracle fighter,” the page says.

An ABC affiliate in Phoenix, KNXV-TV, was the first to report the story.

There have been other cases of people discovered alive after being declared dead. In Southfield, Michigan, Timesha Beauchamp, a 20-year-old with cerebral palsy, was declared dead by a doctor over the phone in 2020. City paramedics had responded to a 911 call at her family’s home.

Later that day, a funeral home opened the body bag and found Beauchamp gasping for air. She was swiftly taken to a hospital but never recovered and died two months later. Southfield settled a negligence lawsuit filed by the family for $3.25 million.

Mistaken death declarations are rare but do happen

Cases in which someone is mistakenly declared dead and later found to be alive are rare, but they do happen, said Dr. Judy Melinek, a forensic pathologist in San Francisco who is not associated with the case. “It tends to be much more common in elderly people than in children or toddlers,” she said.

“The criteria of death require no heartbeat, no breathing, and no brain activity or neurologic activity,” Melinek said. There were times when people were breathing very shallowly or intermittently, so medical practitioners had to wait a few minutes before the declaration, she added.

According to Melinek, determining death depends on a doctor’s skill and training, and policies may differ from hospital to hospital. “It’s either someone inexperienced got involved or a policy failure,” she said. “Because people, once they’re dead, they don’t come back to life — that doesn’t happen.”

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Associated Press reporters Ed White in Detroit and Wufei Yu in Phoenix contributed to this story.

Platner denied the allegation on Monday, but said he would be considering next steps for his campaign.

“Regardless of the inaccuracy of the reporting but mindful of the political reality it will inflict, we’re taking the time to reflect on the best path forward,” he said in a video released on social media.

Jenny Racicot, who lives in Maine, told Politico that Platner entered her home in 2021 while drunk and assaulted her. Racicot said she had been in an on-and-off relationship with Platner, but she cut off contact with him after that night and told him the incident wasn’t consensual. A voicemail left at a number listed for Racicot seeking comment did not receive an immediate response, but she said in a CNN interview on Monday evening that she opted not to fight back for fear of Platner, a former Marine, becoming more violent.

“He violated multiple layers of consent that night,” Racicot said.

Platner's campaign did not immediately respond to an email and phone message from The Associated Press seeking comment.

“Any accusation of non-consensual behavior is categorically false,” Platner said in his video.

Uproar in the Democratic Party

Platner won the Democratic nomination last month, setting himself up to face Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who has beaten back previous attempts to dislodge her from the seat that she's held for nearly three decades.

Although Platner has long been controversial, the sexual allegation sparked a flight away from the candidate, who canceled a handful of town hall events. The main campaign arm of Senate Democrats called on Platner to drop out and said it would spend no money on the race, which is considered critical to control of the chamber, if he is the nominee.

“Graham Platner needs to immediately withdraw as the Democratic nominee for Senate and allow Maine Democrats the opportunity to choose a new candidate who can defeat Susan Collins,” Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, said in a joint statement.

The Democratic National Committee sent out an email soliciting money for Senate races hours after the Politico report posted, but Maine was not one of them. Ken Martin, the party chair, said, “Maine Democrats should select a new nominee.”

Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat who stood by Platner even as the candidate faced previous controversies, said Monday's allegation was enough. “I’ve been very clear that sexual assault or violence against women is a red line,” Khanna said. “These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement.”

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced they were pulling their endorsements and called on Platner to drop out. The Democratic leaders of Maine's legislature and top officials at the state Democratic Party did the same.

“This Senate race comes at a pivotal moment in the struggle against a government, supported by Senator Collins, that serves the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of ordinary Maine people. It is essential that we refocus this campaign on that struggle,” party chair Charlie Dingman, vice chair Imke Schessler and executive director Devon Murphy-Anderson said in a joint statement.

Collins issued only a brief statement.

“These allegations are appalling,” she said. “Nevertheless, it is not up to me to choose the Democratic nominee for Senate.”

State law allows Platner to be replaced on the ballot if he withdraws by July 13. The replacement candidate must be named by July 27.

The Associated Press generally does not name victims of sexual assault, but in this case Racicot spoke in an interview with Politico.

A succession of campaign controversies

Platner had never before held elected office, and Democratic leaders in Washington preferred Gov. Janet Mills in the primary. However, Mills, 78, dropped out as Platner, 41, consolidated support with help from progressive leaders at a time when Democratic voters have grown disenchanted with the party establishment.

While some Democrats came around to support him after his commanding primary win, Platner's controversial history had already left others openly despairing of their chances of winning the race. A veteran who also worked for a private security contractor, Platner has a chest tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol, reportedly sexted with other women shortly after getting married and had a history of inflammatory comments on social media.

In 2013, Platner posted on Reddit that people shouldn’t get so drunk “they wind up having sex with someone they don’t mean to” and that sexual assault victims should “just take some responsibility for themselves.” He's since apologized for the post and says he no longer holds those beliefs.

The New York Times also reported that Platner had volatile relationships with previous girlfriends, one of whom said an argument became physical. Platner denied the allegation.

Hasan Piker, a leftist commentator and streamer who backed Platner, seemed to reverse himself Monday following the Politico report.

“If new evidence presents itself, I’m going to change my perspective — it’s that simple,” Piker said during a livestream on Twitch, adding: “This is a clear-cut instance of verifiable sexual assault allegations. It’s completely irredeemable.”

Our Revolution, a progressive organization founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, said Platner should withdraw because the allegations “are too serious to treat as a distraction from the campaign or the issues.”

It also hinted at the potential battle over who would replace Platner.

“Whoever leads this movement forward must be someone who has actually lived the fight Graham Platner ran on: a record with working people, with unions, against corporate money, already tested and trusted by the same base that delivered this result,” said a statement from Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution.

Platner had pitched himself as a blue-collar oysterman and veteran who could reach disaffected voters. But as controversies mounted, some state Democrats had heartburn, embodied by Mills’ refusal to endorse Platner after she dropped out of the primary. Chatter circulated about possible replacements, including former state senator and logger Troy Jackson and Secretary of State Shenna Bellows.

“I’ve known this has been coming,” said Marie Follayttar, a Democrat and community organizer in Maine, talking about the growing whispers inside the state's small population that had been bracing for yet another revelation surrounding Platner. “I’ve been scared and I’ve been sick waiting.”

Mike Connelly, a business owner and Democrat in Brunswick, Maine, said in an interview that he wants Platner to drop out after the latest allegations. But Connelly said he'd vote for him if he stays in.

“I would vote for a comatose Democrat before I would vote for Susan Collins,” Connelly said.

____

Jesse Bedayn contributed from Austin, Texas, Meg Kinnard contributed from Columbia, S.C., and Ali Swenson contributed from New York.

Trump's intervention in the lifting of U.S. forward Folarin Balogun's one-match suspension has shone the spotlight on his close ties with Infantino. It has led to furor from Belgium — the U.S. team's opponent in the round of 16 match on Monday — as European soccer's governing body, UEFA, accused FIFA of crossing a “red line.”

The highly contentious call comes on the back of Infantino's campaign to strengthen relations with Trump, the leader of the co-host of the biggest World Cup ever.

Ties have grown during Trump’s second term

On Monday, in response to the fallout over the Balogun decision, Infantino said he had been in regular discussions with Trump about the World Cup.

Trump’s own interest in soccer grew after the U.S. won the right to co-host the tournament back in 2018, during the Republican's first term, and he hosted Infantino at the White House. The FIFA president, who took office in 2016, made an impression by handing Trump red and yellow cards, joking they could be used on the press.

Since then, the pair's relationship has only grown. In 2020, they had dinner together at the global economic summit in Davos, where Infantino called Trump “my great friend.” That same year, Trump invited Infantino to the White House for the signing event for the Abraham Accords, which sought to normalize diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab countries, as Infantino was shoring up FIFA's own ties with Saudi Arabia.

Infantino's ties to Joe Biden, who defeated Trump in 2020, were far more low-key. Biden and Infantino met briefly at a Group of 20 summit in 2022 and the FIFA president visited the White House at least once, in 2024.

Infantino publicly congratulated Trump the day after he won the 2024 presidential election and visited Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s South Florida club, during the presidential transition. He then attended Trump’s inauguration, saying they “share a great friendship.”

Infantino attended Trump’s Board of Peace meeting in Washington earlier this year where nine governments pledged $7 billion toward a Gaza relief package. Infantino pledged a new stadium, FIFA academy and various soccer fields to the war-torn region.

In December, human rights advocacy group Fair Square filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee, accusing Infantino of repeated breaches of the governing body’s code regarding political neutrality, citing examples of his public support for the “actions and policies of the US President, Donald Trump.”

Trophies, trophies, trophies

The most tangible product of the close ties between Infantino and Trump came in the form of FIFA's inaugural peace prize, which was created in November — not long after Trump complained he had been snubbed for the Nobel Peace Prize. The FIFA prize did indeed go to the U.S. president, whom Infantino praised for his “unwavering commitment to advancing peace and unity throughout the world.” During the 2026 World Cup draw in December, Infantino awarded Trump a golden trophy with his name on it, as well as a medal to hang around his neck.

“This is truly one of the great honors of my life,” Trump said at the ceremony, adding that “most important, I just want to thank everybody. The world is a safer place now.”

Trump has also been given other trophies of a sporting kind.

Ahead of the newly expanded Club World Cup tournament being held in the U.S. last year, the giant Tiffany-crafted trophy, with a 24-karat gold-plated finish, had sat in the Oval Office. In an interview with broadcaster DAZN, Trump said he asked FIFA when it would pick up the trophy. He said he was told: “You can have it forever in the Oval Office. We’re making a new one.”

Trump was also gifted a gold replica World Cup trophy, with Infantino saying it was “for winners only.”

Trump and Infantino's mutual respect

Trump has described Infantino as “probably the most respected man in sports.” They were together in a luxury box at MetLife Stadium for the Club World Cup final in July last year. There, they began planning to stage the showpiece World Cup draw later that year in Washington, when it was widely thought it would have been hosted in Las Vegas.

Infantino has embraced close relationships with previous host countries, even collecting the Russian Order of Friendship from Vladimir Putin after the 2018 World Cup and, ahead of the 2022 World Cup, relocating to Qatar. While Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney were also in attendance at December's draw, it was Trump who was given special treatment, alone receiving the FIFA peace prize.

“You can always count on my support,” Infantino told Trump at the glitzy event, which was closed out by the Village People performing “Y.M.C.A.”

Trump confirmed Monday that he had called Infantino last week asking for a review of Balogun's suspension, which was subsequently lifted, clearing the striker to play against Belgium.

“I didn’t tell him what to do. I can’t tell him what to do,” Trump said Monday.

Infantino said FIFA's judicial bodies are independent and autonomous and that was “essential to the credibility and integrity of football.”

Trump has yet to attend a World Cup match, though Infantino has taken in matches with members of the Trump administration, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and FBI Director Kash Patel. Trump is planning to join Infantino for the World Cup final and award the trophy to the winning team, Infantino said in a “Fox and Friends” interview last month.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

They will be part of the team's three-car full-season lineup that also includes Pato O’Ward.

And Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2014 Indy 500 winner, will be in the driver’s seat again in its fourth entry in the 111th running of “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing,” the team also announced Monday.

That means three former winners and one of the most competitive oval racers in the series will make up Arrow McLaren’s Indy 500 lineup next May. The team is seeking its first Indy 500 victory since Johnny Rutherford's 1976 win.

“Our IndyCar team has shown fantastic momentum, and this lineup of Pato, Scott, Felix and Ryan will strengthen every aspect of our program," McLaren CEO Zak Brown said in a news release. "We’ve got our eyes firmly set on the Championship as well as winning the Indianapolis 500 to secure the Triple Crown in the Papaya era. These four drivers bring a wealth of experience as well as great chemistry and will no doubt have a positive impact across our entire team.”

The 45-year-old Dixon won IndyCar championships in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020 and is second all-time in series victories with 59. He won the 2008 Indianapolis 500.

Chip Ganassi Racing announced Thursday that Dixon had informed the team he would not return in 2027.

Dixon called joining Arrow McLaren an “exciting next step in my career.”

“It was a big decision for myself, for my family, and I’m looking forward to contributing to what the team, Zak and Tony are building there,” Dixon said in the news release. "As a New Zealander, being part of Bruce McLaren’s legacy will be special; his spirit and grit are still very much rooted in that team, and I’m excited to carry that on.”

Rosenqvist announced last month he was leaving Meyer Shank Racing at the end of the IndyCar season.

The 34-year-old from Sweden has been with the team for the past three seasons, earning his biggest win when he drove the No. 60 car past David Malukas to win the Indy 500 in the closest finish in the race’s century-plus history.

Rosenqvist returns to Arrow McLaren, where raced from 2021 through 2023. He won the Indy 500 pole in 2023 for McLaren.

“There are a lot of familiar faces, and we’ve got an incredible lineup with Scott joining and Ryan returning for the 500,” Rosenqvist said. "I think our collective experience will be a huge benefit.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Justice Samuel Alito, in a pair of one-sentence orders, denied petitions by plaintiffs who claim that the Texas App Store Accountability Act violates users' constitutional rights to free speech.

Last month, a three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law can take effect. The panel suspended a district court's ruling last December that the law is unconstitutional.

The plaintiffs suing to block the law include the Computer & Communications Industry Association and Students Engaged in Advancing Texas. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is a defendant in both cases.

Plaintiffs' lawyers argued that the law impermissibly seeks to limit access to content protected by the First Amendment, including news and educational material.

“Equity and the public interest support relief because protecting First Amendment rights — and parents’ rights to supervise their children as they see fit, not as the government tells them they should — is always in the public interest,” wrote attorneys for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas.

Attorneys from Paxton's office argued that the law protects children from “dangerous modern products.”

“A child with access to an app store and a mobile device (such as a tablet or smartphone) can potentially download any number of software applications, potentially agreeing to invasions of the child’s privacy and sale of the child’s data and be exposed to any conceivable content without parental consent or even parental knowledge,” they wrote.

Of course, when it comes to Mick Jagger and company, time seems almost irrelevant.

“No matter who you are or where you’re from or how old you are, you know who the Rolling Stones are,” Zilisch said.

Zilisch joined fellow drivers Carson Hocevar and Jesse Love for a music video as part of a collaboration between NASCAR and the Stones ahead of the band's 25th studio album, “Foreign Tongues,” which comes out on Friday.

A custom NASCAR show car served as a listening lounge for the Stones' new music during events at Chicago's Navy Pier and Plaza of the Americas in the run-up to the stock car series returning to Chicagoland Speedway over the weekend.

The partnership also includes a merchandise collection featuring the band's tongue and lips logo, along with two NASCAR-themed vinyl editions of “Foreign Tongues.”

Megan Malayter, vice president of licensing and consumer products for NASCAR, said the organization was approached by representatives of the band about working together.

“The Rolling Stones, they’re iconic, they’ve been around since 1962, and so they appeal to that generation that was there, but they have just such history, folklore, and nostalgia around them that they appeal to the younger audiences of today," Malayter said. "So there really is amazing crossover."

NASCAR walks a tricky line when it comes to satisfying older racing fans while appealing to its younger supporters and expanding its audience. While its older fans are likely more familiar with the Stones, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, Zilisch, Hocevar and Love are three of its younger drivers. Garrett Mitchell, a popular YouTube automotive influencer known as “Cleetus McFarland,” also was part of the video.

“I think when you look at all of those drivers, they have great personalities, very rebellious spirits and they kind of have a rock and roll nature about them, just kind of at heart,” Malayter said.

Set to “In The Stars,” the first single off “Foreign Tongues,” the music video envisions the drivers as a touring rock band.

Zilisch, 19, Love, 21, and Hocevar, 23, clown around during a photo shoot before jumping on a tour bus driven by Mitchell. The drivers play cards before stopping at a bar. Back on the bus, Hocevar, who drives the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in the Cup Series, writes 77 on the face of a sleeping Zilisch in black marker.

The video ends with the drivers at the track in their fire suits, signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans.

“It was cool. It was fun,” Hocevar said. “Yeah, just nice to kind of let loose, I guess, on a video.”

Hocevar said he likes to see NASCAR try new ways to interact with potential fans.

“Yeah, they have to,” he said. “I feel like they just got to keep throwing stuff at the dartboard and hopefully something sticks here.”

Zilisch described himself as a huge music fan. He grew up listening to Foo Fighters, Linkin Park and the Red Hot Chili Peppers with his father in the car. He said he has paid more attention to the Stones' music since he became part of NASCAR's partnership with the band.

Filming the video, Zilisch said, was a memorable experience.

“They made us dress up like we were in the 90s and wear leather and have all this jewelry on,” he said. “It definitely was a little bit unique and outside of what I would normally be wearing but regardless it was just a cool shoot. We got to go inside this old tour bus and, you know, just kind of feel like I was back in the day even though I’ve never lived in that era of time.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

De la ​Espriella, who is due to take office on Aug. 7, announced in a statement that he had tasked Jorge Eduardo Mora López with gaining control of “every corner of the country.”

Mora López, who was born in Cúcuta, released a public statement to De la Espriella accepting the appointment to lead the defense sector.

“We are going to recover every inch of our territory so that security becomes the bridge to social progress,” Mora López wrote, according to the statement.

The Colombian Congress does not have to approve the president’s cabinet ministers.

Mora López’s experience includes serving as the special forces commander and as the director of the Joint Intelligence and Counterintelligence Department of the Military Forces and the Joint Strategic Department against Transnational Threats.

De la Espriella’s appointments also include Miguel Gómez Martínez, as minister of finance; Rodrigo Lara, as minister of the interior; and Fabio Arjona, as minister of environment and sustainable development.

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Hoy le entrego el Ministerio de Defensa a un hombre que ha dedicado su vida a servir a Colombia con honor, disciplina y lealtad.

El Mayor General Jorge Eduardo Mora López @generalmora11 representa el reconocimiento de toda una Nación a nuestros soldados y policías, y el… pic.twitter.com/baH7aWWHAE

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The data, posted in late June by the Trump administration and first reported on by The Associated Press, reveals how changes in each state’s insured population led to around 2.6 million fewer Americans having Obamacare plans in February compared with the same time last year.

It captures not only how many people signed up for or were automatically reenrolled in plans in 2026, but how many paid their first monthly premiums to keep coverage, according to Cynthia Cox, a vice president and director of the ACA program at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF, who reviewed the dataset. She said it accounts for people who were retroactively removed from coverage after a nonpayment grace period ended.

“This is the first time we’ve seen state-level data that shows how much ACA marketplace enrollment truly fell,” Cox said. “It’s in line with our expectations, but it does show a very steep drop in the number of people with ACA coverage.”

Healthcare affordability is a central issue to voters

Health analysts have kept a close eye on changes in ACA enrollment since the expiration of so-called enhanced premium tax credits caused many Americans’ monthly health insurance fees to double or triple, forcing some to forgo coverage entirely. The subsidies had been at the center of a bitter fight in Congress last fall, with Democrats and some Republicans calling for their renewal.

Health insurance costs have been rising across ACA and other health insurance programs at a time when voters in the approaching November elections say affordability is among their top concerns.

In a report released last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggested the significant drop in enrollment this year could be attributed to a federal crackdown on fraudulent or “phantom” enrollment. But analysts have said it was more likely related to the Jan. 1 expiration of federal subsidies, and other changes, including tightened requirements on which immigrants could access subsidized plans.

Mike Rhoads, deputy commissioner of life and health at the Oklahoma Insurance Department, cited a crackdown on fraudulent enrollments as one reason ACA enrollments dropped. But he said in his state, the biggest factor was money.

“It's all about affordability at this point in time,” he said in an interview, adding that he expects the problem to continue with insurers forecast to raise rates again next year.

Ohio, Oklahoma and Arizona saw the most significant drop-offs

An AP analysis of the data finds that Ohio and Oklahoma each saw a more than 32% decline in ACA enrollment over the past year. They lost larger shares of their covered populations than any other state.

Following closely behind, and losing more than a fourth of their enrollees, were Arizona, South Carolina, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Louisiana and Missouri.

Florida, a state that relies highly on ACA insurance in part because it did not expand Medicaid and is home to many gig workers and entrepreneurs, still has more residents in the marketplace than any other state, at nearly 4 million. But it also saw the highest number of enrollees drop coverage this year — around 443,000.

The data doesn’t show whether people who dropped ACA health insurance this year found coverage elsewhere, and chances are some of them became insured through employer plans or other options. But Cox said most people who left the marketplace are likely going without insurance, because it is typically a “place of last resort” to get health coverage for people who aren’t eligible elsewhere.

Some of the states that saw the largest enrollment declines were the same ones that saw the biggest enrollment gains after the federal government introduced enhanced subsidies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cox said that isn’t surprising, because those states likely had large numbers of people who enrolled only because the enhanced subsidies made coverage much more affordable.

Only one state saw an increase in its covered population. New Mexico gained some 14% more enrollees in the government health insurance program compared with the same time last year. It was the only state in the nation that fully replaced the lost federal subsidies using its own funds.

Federal marketplace states saw biggest enrollment losses

About three in five states use the federal marketplace Healthcare.gov, while the rest operate their own state-based marketplaces for ACA insurance.

The new data shows that federal marketplace states overall lost larger shares of enrollees than states with state-based exchanges.

One reason for that could be that many states with their own marketplaces took steps to offset costs for their residents when the enhanced subsidies expired in January.

New Mexico, which saw double-digit enrollment gains, is the most extreme example of that. In a special legislative session last fall, lawmakers in the state approved a plan to use state funds to make up for the missing subsidies through mid-2026. In March, the state’s governor signed a bill to continue making up the difference through mid-2027.

Tim Fowler, public relations coordinator for the New Mexico Health Care Authority, said the state's rise in enrollment was due to its healthcare affordability fund that replaced the subsidies.

“In New Mexico, we believe health insurance should protect people against medical debt, not cause it,” he said.

Monica Latesha Peterson, de 33 años y residente de Miami Gardens, fue arrestada tras una investigación de los detectives sobre el robo reportado en el resort frente al mar, ubicado en 18001 Collins Ave.

Según un informe de arresto, la víctima le dijo a la policía que dejó una riñonera negra con aproximadamente $6,500 en billetes de $100 sobre una cómoda dentro de su habitación de hotel antes de salir a un partido de fútbol el viernes. Ese día, Argentina venció a Cabo Verde en un partido del Mundial en Miami Gardens.

Cuando el huésped revisó la bolsa al día siguiente, descubrió que faltaba el dinero y reportó el robo a la policía.

Los detectives revisaron los videos de vigilancia del hotel y los registros de acceso con tarjeta electrónica de los empleados durante la investigación. Según el informe de arresto, los registros mostraron que Peterson usó su tarjeta electrónica asignada para entrar a la habitación de la víctima aproximadamente a las 6:11 p.m. del viernes, mientras el huésped no se encontraba dentro.

Los investigadores también determinaron que Peterson no tenía asignada la limpieza ni ningún otro servicio de esa habitación como parte de sus funciones laborales, indica el informe.

La policía detuvo a Peterson y la trasladó al Departamento de Policía de Sunny Isles Beach para interrogarla.

Según el informe de arresto, Peterson renunció a sus derechos Miranda y participó en una entrevista grabada, durante la cual hizo algún tipo de admisión, aunque su declaración exacta fue omitida del informe divulgado públicamente. El informe no confirma si parte del dinero robado fue recuperado.

Después de la entrevista, Peterson fue ingresada al Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Los registros judiciales muestran que Peterson enfrenta un cargo de robo agravado.

Ya no aparecía en la base de datos carcelaria en línea la tarde del lunes.

A federal grand jury in West Virginia indicted Kriisa last month, and the case was unsealed Monday following his arrest by federal agents on Saturday in Kentucky. A 6-foot-3 guard from Estonia, Kriisa began his college career in 2020 at Arizona, where he became a fan favorite for his feistiness and long-range shooting.

Kriisa, 25, is expected to appear in federal court in West Virginia this week on five counts of wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Matthew Harvey said.

“Financial fraud schemes erode trust and cause real harm to victims who believed they were helping someone in need,” Harvey said in a news release.

Kriisa led the Pac-12 in assists during his two full seasons at Arizona before transferring to West Virginia. Kriisa was suspended the first nine games of his lone season at West Virginia after admitting he received impermissible benefits while at Arizona.

Kriisa transferred to Kentucky in 2024, but was limited to nine games due to a foot injury. He transferred to Cincinnati for his final year of eligibility and started 12 games before suffering a separated shoulder in February.

From 2022 through June 2 of this year, he posed as other people, including his own mother, and falsely claimed that he and his family urgently needed money to deal with an emergency, the indictment says.

The indictment alleges that, in August 2022, Kriisa falsely told one victim that he had gotten a loan to repay her and then a few months falsely told her he planned to sell his organs to get money to repay her. Between 2022 and 2024, he contacted the same victim, posing as his own mother, and asked for money to pay for cancer treatments for his mother and to save the family's farm, the indictment says.

In April 2025, he signed a written agreement falsely promising to repay that victim $100,000 by February 2026.

From November 2025 through early February of this year, Kriisa repeatedly asked a second victim for money, sometimes posing as a made-up person named “Irene.”

Monica Latesha Peterson, 33, of Miami Gardens, was arrested after detectives investigated the reported theft at the oceanfront resort, located at 18001 Collins Ave.

According to an arrest report, the victim told police he left a black fanny pack containing approximately $6,500 in $100 bills on a dresser inside his hotel room before leaving for a soccer game on Friday. Argentina defeated Cape Verde in the World Cup in Miami Gardens that day.

When the guest checked the bag the following day, he discovered the cash was missing and reported the theft to police.

Detectives reviewed hotel surveillance video and employee keycard access logs during the investigation. According to the arrest report, the records showed Peterson used her assigned employee keycard to enter the victim’s room at approximately 6:11 p.m. Friday while the guest was not inside.

Investigators also determined Peterson was not assigned to clean or otherwise service the room as part of her job duties, the report states.

Police took Peterson into custody and transported her to the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department for questioning.

According to the arrest report, Peterson waived her Miranda rights and participated in a recorded interview, during which she provided some kind of admission, although her exact statement was redacted from the publicly released report. The report does not confirm whether any of the stolen money was recovered.

After the interview, Peterson was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Court records show Peterson is facing a grand theft charge.

She was no longer appearing in the online jail database on Monday afternoon.

McConnell was admitted to the hospital on June 14, according to a statement from his office that only said he was “receiving excellent care.” A statement a week later said that he would not be voting that week. And on Thursday, a new statement said that he “continues to improve” and ”appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital.”

His office has not released any updates since then, and a spokeswoman did not return a request for comment on Monday.

The senator’s unspecified health issues come after several hospitalizations in recent years, and as Senate Republicans are already navigating a narrow majority in the final months before the midterm elections. McConnell, 84, was the longest serving Senate leader in history before stepping aside from that role. He is serving out his final term, which ends in January.

While he was still Republican leader, McConnell was hospitalized with a concussion in March 2023 and missed several weeks of work after falling in a Washington hotel. After he returned, he twice froze up during news conferences that summer, staring vacantly ahead before colleagues and staff came to his assistance. A year later, he fell and sprained his wrist while walking out of a GOP luncheon.

McConnell had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing stairs. He also tripped and fell in 2019 at his home in Kentucky and underwent surgery for a fractured shoulder.

McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was the Republican leader from 2007 until last year, serving as both majority and minority leader during that period. He has remained active as a rank-and-file senator, showing up for work when the chamber is in session, often using a wheelchair to get around.

According to Miramar Fire Rescue officials, the car fire was reported at about 1 p.m. in the 6600 block of Dahlia Drive.

MFR officials said crews arrived at the scene and found a car fully engulfed in flames.

Officials then determined that a natural gas line was leaking in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle.

MFR officials said the vehicle was unoccupied and no injuries were reported.

The gas company is enroute to the area as MFR crews and a hazmat unit remain at the scene.

A man reported on Sunday in Allapattah that Raeyana Hamilton was a passenger in his car when she used a Taser to shoot him in the neck, according to police.

“The victim stated that he was startled and temporarily overwhelmed by the electrical shock, but maintained control of the vehicle,” a police officer wrote, according to an arrest report.

The man said he stopped the car, confronted Hamilton, and “located a Taser on the ground” that police officers later took into evidence, according to the police report.

Hamilton walked away from the car, and Miami police officers later found her at the Shell gas station at 2698 NW 36 St., according to the police report.

Hamilton “stated she never Tased the victim,” a police officer wrote, according to the arrest report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Hamilton on Sunday night at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where she remained on Monday.

Hamilton faced a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Her bond was $1,000.

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

Sky 10 was above the 200 block of South State Road 7 just after 11:30 a.m. as Plantation police officers and Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies were at the scene.

A tractor-trailer was stopped in the roadway nearby.

According to Plantation police, an air unit and K-9s were assisting in the search for the suspect.

Police confirmed around 2 p.m. that units were unable to locate the suspect, but detectives continue to work the case.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

On Monday, on the first day, he tried to give it something else to look at.

Three days after Swift married NFL star Travis Kelce at New York’s Madison Square Garden, with both dressed by Dior, Anderson returned to the runway with a sculptural, heavily pleated haute couture collection inspired by American artist Lynda Benglis.

The commission was a coup for the LVMH-owned house and for Anderson, the 41-year-old Northern Irish designer appointed a year ago to overhaul all of Dior’s fashion lines.

For months, industry watchers had bet on American names, such as Ralph Lauren, or on Vivienne Westwood, whom Swift wears often.

The one dress the world wanted to see was the one Anderson would not show.

So on Monday he changed the subject — to art.

Poured, not sewn

The collection tried to move the conversation from Swift’s hidden gown to the work of Benglis, known since the late 1960s for pouring latex onto gallery floors and letting metal fold and sag into shape.

Dior workrooms were treated as a version of her studio — a place where flat fabric is pressed, knotted and bent into three dimensions.

Benglis bends flat material into shape; so, in the end, does couture.

The clothes followed that idea. A skirt of silver-foiled petals moved with each step.

A strapless silver lamé gown was cinched with an oversized bow. Trousers and blouses were finished in tight hand-pressed pleats.

Dior’s signature Bar jacket, the nipped-waist shape the house has built on since 1947, was remade several ways: in fern-green tweed with a frayed fringe, in gray houndstooth folded into a giant bow, and once with loose chiffon threads left hanging at the hem.

Other looks were built entirely from embroidered silk flowers.

A wide fan of blue tulle was splayed across the front of one dress.

Handbags came in metallic pleats — four of them designed with Benglis herself.

Fans out, stars in

France was in another heat wave, with temperatures above 30 Celsius (86 F).

Dior had sent fans with its invitations, and guests used them through the show in the gardens of the Rodin Museum.

The front row mixed pop stars with artists.

Singer Sabrina Carpenter and actor Josh O’Connor sat among guests including Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas, Naomi Watts, Rebecca Ferguson and Alexa Chung.

Despite the razzmatazz, Anderson's wager is plain: that the world’s most storied fashion house can afford to be strange.

He is often compared to Matthieu Blazy, the new designer at rival Chanel, who made the wedding dress for singer Dua Lipa this month.

The season now carries a peculiar distinction: Its two biggest stories are dresses no one is allowed to see.

The bride you can’t see

As couture tradition dictates, the show closed with a bride.

Anderson sent out a pale, strapless column gown under a long veil of hand-pleated chiffon, trimmed with feathered dandelions and embroidered cactus flowers.

It was the second wedding dress Anderson showcased this week — and the only one anyone could photograph.

Confirmation of the project came as construction crews had already begun working on the helipad on the South Lawn, where the president had UFC build a temporary arena for a cage fight celebrating his 80th birthday. He said the project would be privately funded and estimated its cost at up to $6 million.

“It’s got the seal of the White House on it in granite, in carved granite,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "It’s really a beautiful thing.”

The Republican president did not offer details on how long the work would take. It is the latest major construction project he has overseen in an effort to increasingly mold the White House in his own image.

The helipad will be able to handle new choppers, Trump says

Some of Trump's major White House construction projects have relied on public money, even when the president initially suggested otherwise. Still, Trump said Sikorsky Aircraft, a subsidiary of defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin, would be paying for the helipad.

Asked about the cost of the project and a timeline for its completion, Lockheed Martin responded with a statement reading in part: “This specific contribution was made to the National Park Service” and “conducted in full accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”

In 2024, Sikorsky completed a new fleet of helicopters for use as Marine One, and President Joe Biden took the first flight aboard a modern VH-92A Patriot helicopter on his way to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago — the same day the military announced Sikorsky delivered the last of the 23 new aircraft.

A Sikorsky spokesperson said Monday that the new helicopters deliver “increased performance and reduced maintenance costs and time.”

But Trump said the newer aircraft were more powerful than Vietnam War-era choppers that long had been used as Marine One, and the modern ones were too potent to land on the White House lawn without damaging the grass.

"It’s not that the grass gets discolored — it gets ripped out,” the president said.

Indeed, the new helicopters have seen limited service because their exhaust vents aim heat downward, scorching the White House South Lawn.

The Marines and Sikorsky have spent years trying to find a solution to the problem, which has meant that the new helicopters haven't been used at the White House. Trump recalled telling a group of gathered military generals that a White House helipad would solve those problems.

The president said Sikorsky was building the helipad and paying the "full cost” because they “felt a little bit guilty” that the new fleet of helicopters was too powerful to land at the White House.

Trump also said he told builders to “do a beauty” and suggested using granite rather than simply laying concrete and painting it white.

“You’re landing on granite, which is the strongest stone,” the president said, noting that the completed landing pad could also be used for other events, like outdoor White House news conferences. He added that the helipad will allow officials to “finally retire 45-year-old helicopters” that had been used as Marine One.

Trump's other projects to remake the White House include tearing up part of the Rose Garden for a patio space reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida and affixing partisan plaques to the wall of the colonnade for a Presidential Walk of Fame.

Trump also had crews redo the bathroom attached to the Lincoln Bedroom and renovate the Palm Room, place new flagpoles on the north and south lawns and demolish the entire East Wing for a sprawling ballroom.

Efforts to improve presidential helicopters go back decades

While the term “Marine One” is applied to a variety of helicopter models that transport presidents, the most iconic and longest serving helicopter to take on the mission is the specially modified VH-3D Sea King helicopter that first entered service in 1978.

In the early 2000s, President George W. Bush, a Republican, began an effort to modernize the helicopter fleet, but the program ran into cost overruns, leading it to be scrapped by President Barack Obama's administration.

Obama, a Democrat, restarted the program, but new technical issues emerged, and it wasn’t until May 2014 that the military finally awarded Sikorsky a contract to build the next presidential helicopter -- the VH-92A Patriot, which were the aircraft delivered in 2024.

A Marine Corps spokesman, Capt. Jacob M. Sugg, declined to comment on matters pertaining to the White House property. But he said the Marine One squadron currently consists of nine Sikorsky VH-3D Sea Kings that were first deployed in the 1970s, as well as six Sikorsky VH-60Ns deployed in the late 1980s and 10 of the newer VH-92A Patriots.

Trump says ‘a lot of love is being put into the White House’

Later Monday, Trump addressed a lunch in the Rose Garden patio space and detailed yet another White House construction project, this one to revamp the columns on the building's north side.

Crews have erected scaffolding and Trump said, “We’ve taken about 150 years of paint off of the columns," noting, “If you don’t strip the paint off, it gets worse and worse and worse.”

“A lot of love is being put into the White House,” Trump said.

He didn't say who would be covering the cost of the column work.

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Investigators said Devian Blount, 21, of Graham, North Carolina, shot and killed Jaydon Williams, also 21, while the latter was on FaceTime with his girlfriend, still in the Tar Heel State.

Authorities said it happened just after 12:50 a.m. at a home at 1923 Funston St., which the “group of friends” had rented through Airbnb.

Police said Williams’ girlfriend called 911 after the FaceTime call “abruptly ended” following the shooting.

According to an arrest warrant, officers responded and heard a person call out for help, went inside and found Williams lying face down on a bed, having suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Still alive, police said he told them he didn’t know who shot him. He died at Memorial Regional Hospital less than an hour and a half later.

Blount had left the crime scene, police said.

Police said several other people from the group came back to the Airbnb after learning of the shooting and told investigators that earlier that day, they had been among a group of 30 to 40 participating in a “relaxed” yacht party off Miami. Investigators noted that “none of the witnesses observed Williams involved in any arguments, altercations or conflicts.”

The warrant states that Williams’ girlfriend later told police she heard an unknown man accuse Williams of stealing property while on the boat trip. Police said she heard him reply, “Yo, chill, you’re drunk,” immediately before hearing multiple gunshots.

Investigators said that they learned that Blount and Williams had stayed behind while the rest of the group went to LIV Nightclub in Miami Beach.

One of the group members told police that Blount had been “acting strangely throughout the trip” but that they never saw the two get into any arguments.

Police said at around 5:30 that morning, they received a call from someone who found a gun on the sidewalk near South Federal Highway and Fletcher Street, consistent with a gun Blount was known to carry.

Just after 7 a.m., police said Blount, identifying himself only as “Suave,” showed up at the crime scene and asked officers, unprompted, “Where everybody at?”

“We weren’t supposed to leave until tomorrow,” Blount said, according to the warrant.

But Blount now likely won’t be leaving South Florida anytime soon. Police said a witness identified Blount as the only person known to be in the Airbnb at the time and officers took him into custody on a first-degree murder charge.

As of Monday afternoon, he was being held without bond at the Broward Main Jail.

Los oficiales respondieron al reporte alrededor de la 1:35 p.m. del domingo.

El menor fue trasladado a un hospital cercano, donde posteriormente murió.

La policía indicó que la investigación sigue activa. No se han divulgado más detalles.

“Esta es una pérdida desgarradora, y nuestros pensamientos están con la familia del menor y con todos los afectados por esta tragedia”, dijo el departamento en un comunicado.

La policía también recordó a padres, tutores y cuidadores que siempre revisen el asiento trasero antes de cerrar el vehículo con seguro y alejarse.

“Las temperaturas dentro de un auto estacionado pueden alcanzar niveles peligrosos en cuestión de minutos, incluso en días que no se sienten particularmente calurosos”, indicó el departamento. “Un último vistazo antes de cerrar la puerta puede salvar la vida de un niño”.

Los investigadores dijeron que Devian Blount, de 21 años y residente de Graham, Carolina del Norte, disparó y mató a Jaydon Williams, también de 21 años, mientras este último hablaba por FaceTime con su novia, quien permanecía en ese estado.

Las autoridades dijeron que el hecho ocurrió poco después de las 12:50 a.m. en una vivienda ubicada en 1923 Funston St., que el “grupo de amigos” había alquilado a través de Airbnb.

La policía dijo que la novia de Williams llamó al 911 después de que la llamada de FaceTime “terminara abruptamente” tras el tiroteo.

Según una orden de arresto, los oficiales respondieron, escucharon a una persona pedir ayuda, entraron y encontraron a Williams boca abajo sobre una cama, con múltiples heridas de bala. Todavía con vida, la policía dijo que les indicó que no sabía quién le había disparado. Murió en el Memorial Regional Hospital menos de una hora y media después.

Blount había abandonado la escena del crimen, dijo la policía.

La policía dijo que varias otras personas del grupo regresaron al Airbnb al enterarse del tiroteo y les contaron a los investigadores que, más temprano ese día, habían formado parte de un grupo de 30 a 40 personas en una “relajada” fiesta en yate frente a Miami. Los investigadores señalaron que “ninguno de los testigos observó a Williams involucrado en discusiones, altercados o conflictos”.

La orden de arresto indica que la novia de Williams le dijo posteriormente a la policía que escuchó a un hombre desconocido acusar a Williams de robar una pertenencia durante el paseo en bote. La policía dijo que ella lo escuchó responder: “Oye, tranquilo, estás borracho”, justo antes de escuchar varios disparos.

Los investigadores dijeron que supieron que Blount y Williams se habían quedado atrás mientras el resto del grupo fue al club nocturno LIV en Miami Beach.

Uno de los integrantes del grupo le dijo a la policía que Blount había estado “actuando de forma extraña durante todo el viaje”, pero que nunca los vieron discutir.

La policía dijo que, alrededor de las 5:30 de esa mañana, recibieron una llamada de alguien que encontró un arma en la acera cerca de South Federal Highway y Fletcher Street, consistente con un arma que se sabía que Blount solía portar.

Poco después de las 7 a.m., la policía dijo que Blount, identificándose solo como “Suave”, se presentó en la escena del crimen y les preguntó a los oficiales, sin que se lo pidieran, “¿Dónde está todo el mundo?”.

“Se suponía que no nos íbamos hasta mañana”, dijo Blount, según la orden de arresto.

Pero es probable que Blount no salga del sur de Florida pronto. La policía dijo que un testigo identificó a Blount como la única persona que se sabía estaba en el Airbnb en ese momento, y los oficiales lo detuvieron bajo un cargo de asesinato en primer grado.

Hasta la tarde del lunes, permanecía detenido sin fianza en el Broward Main Jail.

Two people were briefly trapped in debris at the BJ’s Wholesale Club in Ocean Township but managed to escape, and no injuries were reported, according to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.

Flooding rains were reported in parts of New York City, Philadelphia and New Jersey as rounds of storms moved through the area Monday, breaking a heat wave that gripped much of the area last week.

On Sunday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned about heatstroke and shared locations of pools and cooling centers. By Monday, he was urging people to leave basement apartments immediately if they saw water rising in their homes.

Heavy rain stranded cars on flooded highways across northern New Jersey and sloshed water into businesses and at least one hospital.

“Nothing too serious. They have us running from call to call,” said Lakewood Police Capt. Leroy Marshall.

The rain and storms broke the heat dome that settled over much of the Northeast last week.

LaGuardia Airport in New York set a record high Thursday of 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). Low temperatures in many places barely made it below 80 degrees F (26.7 C), preventing people from cooling off even at night.

The temperature at LaGuardia hovered just below 70 degrees F (21.1 C) Monday with the rain.

Officials in New Jersey were investigating at least 29 deaths last week that were possibly heat-related. The people were found dead on the street or in homes without air conditioning. They ranged in ages from their 30s to their 80s, New Jersey Department of Health Commissioner Raynard Washington said.

Autopsies and other investigations will be needed before the deaths are officially blamed on the heat, Washington said.

Other states have not announced possible deaths from the heat.

Severe storms moved from Michigan to the East Coast as the heat wave broke over the weekend.

In Michigan, two children, ages 8 and 12, were found dead Saturday in a garage after they were apparently overcome by exhaust from a generator during a storm-related power outage, Sumpter Township police said.

About 370,000 people remained without power across the country, most from the storm damage, according to poweroutage.com.

Antetokounmpo's time with the Bucks officially ended Monday, when the trade sending him and Bobby Portis to the Heat for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis and draft capital was approved by the NBA.

Antetokounmpo plans to arrive in Miami in a few days to start his Heat era — and said in a video message posted Monday on social media that he will forever think of Milwaukee, the place where he spent 13 seasons, as his city.

“I want you to hear from my mouth, the city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart,” Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 10-time All-Star, said in the video. "This is my home, and this is a place that I had my kids. ... It made me the man that I am today. That will never ever change. No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family.”

His run in Milwaukee ended with 21,531 points — by far the most in franchise history, more than 7,000 ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total during his tenure with the Bucks. Antetokounmpo is also Milwaukee’s all-time leader in rebounds and assists, plus he ranks second on the team’s career list in steals.

And now, he plays in Miami — a team desperate to get back into title contention, one that paid a ransom to make it happen.

“The announcement of today’s trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. is one of the great trades in Heat history,” Miami President Pat Riley said. “In my opinion, Giannis is one of the top five players in the league and Bobby is one of the best power forwards. The difficult part is trading Tyler, Kasparas, Jaime and Kel’el, who have given so much to this organization. We wish them nothing but the best."

Bucks general manager Jon Horst released a statement saying the trade was in the best interest of everyone involved.

He also lauded Antetokounmpo, as would be expected.

“Since we drafted him in 2013, Giannis has transformed the Milwaukee Bucks in every way — on the court, in our locker room and throughout the community,” Horst said. “Over 13 seasons, he became an extraordinary leader, teammate and representative of this city, and one of the defining players of his generation. The standard he set will continue here.”

The highlight of Antetokounmpo's 13 seasons in Milwaukee, of course, was the 2021 NBA title. He had 50 points in the Bucks' title-clinching Game 6 victory over Phoenix, earning NBA Finals MVP honors in a landslide.

Antetokounmpo said then, and reiterated Monday, that Bucks fans deserved that moment.

“I believe the city of Milwaukee is blue collar,” he said in the video. "It’s people that work extremely hard every single day. They give all their hard-earned money just to come watch the Milwaukee Bucks, to come and feel something, to come, to be a part of us.

“I hope that I was able to represent them the best that I could. And I was like them. I showed up to work, did everything. I was willing to do all the dirty work, just like them. I hope that bringing a trophy to this city meant something to them, because it meant so much to me.”

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AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

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

Voluntarios en la organización Global Empowerment Mission, en Doral, descargaron camiones, autobuses y camionetas llenos de donativos con suministros esenciales para quienes lo necesitan.

Más temprano el lunes, grupos como ProKel Mobility y Latinos in Transit se encontraban en Kendall cargando uno de esos autobuses para enviarlo a GEM.

“Nuestra conexión es, al menos, darles algo de tranquilidad de que sus familias están recibiendo lo esencial para que puedan hacer lo que mejor saben hacer, que es mover personas, mover bienes, para que arranque la reconstrucción del país”, dijo Lina Aragón, de Latinos in Transit.

Cristhian Mancera Mejía, del Miami-Dade Community Council, dijo: “Me conmovió mucho toda la situación. Entender ese sentimiento de los miembros de nuestra comunidad, algunos de los cuales tienen TPS o algún trámite migratorio pendiente, que están pasando por ese estrés aquí localmente y además tienen que preocuparse por un familiar que murió o que está tratando de sobrevivir porque logró salir de estos edificios que colapsaron”.

Mientras tanto, en Miami, autoridades de la ciudad y del condado se unieron a los Miami Marlins para recolectar suministros en loanDepot Park.

La jornada de recolección se extenderá al menos una semana, de 9 a.m. a 5 p.m.

Incluso se anima a los aficionados a aportar artículos los días de partido.

“Los haremos llegar a las personas correctas”, dijo la alcaldesa de Miami, Eileen Higgins. “Todos sabemos que hay un régimen en Venezuela en el que no podemos confiar, pero estamos trabajando con nuestro Departamento de Estado para asegurarnos de que los suministros lleguen a donde deben llegar”.

La comisionada de Miami-Dade, Vicki Lopez, dijo que es “de vital importancia que todos se presenten por el pueblo venezolano”.

“No hay nada más importante que estar ahí para tus hermanos y hermanas, y como tenemos tantos de ellos viviendo en Miami-Dade, tiene sentido que toda la comunidad haga lo que pueda, porque mucha gente me pregunta: ‘¿Qué puedo hacer?’. Bueno, esta es su oportunidad de actuar”, dijo. “Traigan los suministros que estén en la lista”.

Local 10 News cuenta con una lista de los suministros necesarios y otros recursos para ayudar a Venezuela.

Márquez and his father, who also survived, spoke through layers of concrete, hearing Leonel suffer, shout for help and inhale suffocating smoke as he waited for a crane to remove the columns crushing him. But it never came. After several hours, Leonel's cries gave way to silence, Márquez said.

But even that, terrible as it was, was not what disturbed him the most. The worst, Márquez said, was trying to recover his families' tangled remains with little more than his bare hands and a saw. He sliced off limbs to free the corpses of Leonel and his mother but was forced to abandon his sister, who was eight-months' pregnant, grandmother and other relatives beneath the ruins — and with their bodies, the hope that if he couldn't save them, he could at least give them proper burials.

“It’s unfair. It’s inhumane, everything that is happening,” 26-year-old Márquez said from the overflowing makeshift morgue at La Guaira port. "We couldn’t get my brother out because we didn’t get a response from the state ... and after 11 days, we are still requesting a crane.”

Márquez is one of countless Venezuelans who, after days of torment, has been left alone to search, if not for signs of life, then for loved ones’ remains — and for some semblance of closure.

International rescue teams, quietly acknowledging the possibility that no more victims would be found alive after 12 days under the rubble, are preparing to depart. Local authorities are turning their focus to finding shelter for thousands of displaced people. But the recovery of the dead has become a pressing, and horrifying, duty for Venezuelans still missing their loved ones.

“I found her hand, but her torso is crushed," said Norely Rodríguez, trying to get her 5-year-old daughter out of the ruins in the hardest-hit state of La Guaira. “I want to see if I can get her out whole."

Residents say they are alone in the search for their dead

Many say that just as they were left without government help to rescue survivors in the immediate aftermath of the quakes, so too are they now under-equipped to unearth their dead nearly two weeks later.

The more time passes, the more gruesome the recovery process becomes, said William Gomez, a firefighter in La Guaira. “It has been difficult because the bodies are already in an advanced state of decomposition, decomposed to such an extent that many times when we try to remove them, they fall apart.”

Authorities announced that the death toll rose on Monday to 3,535, with another 16,740 people injured. Beyond that is an untold toll: those whose bodies have yet to be found. There are no official statistics on how many people are buried under the rubble, but more than 30,000 reports of missing people have been sent to a website set up by the Venezuelan opposition.

Over the weekend in La Guaira, no government civil defense crews or security forces could be seen helping families dig. The vast majority of those working their way through the wreckage were civilians using their bare hands or rudimentary tools like pickaxes and shovels, occasionally accompanied by firefighters and Mexican rescuers who remain in the country.

There are 1.2 million tons of debris in the most affected parts of La Guaira, according to the United Nations Development Program.

“We are the ones helping ourselves: our family. Nobody else helps us except for a few volunteers,” said Yeikhary Urbina, who found the bodies of her mother and brother on Saturday suspended under piles of concrete, seemingly locked in an embrace.

In several WhatsApp chats on Monday, neighbors who could no longer wait for authorities to help them recover their dead discussed pooling their own money to rent a crane — for the price of $11,500, in one case.

Search teams from Italy, Argentina, Spain and other countries have already returned home. The Venezuelan government has not yet called off the search for survivors. But officials have pivoted from promoting heroic rescue stories on social media to announcing reconstruction plans under a program called Venezuela Reborn.

“Venezuela is entering a process of infrastructure recovery, of housing recovery,” acting President Delcy Rodríguez told state TV on Saturday. She has fiercely rejected widespread criticism that her government reacted too slowly to the disaster and accused media outlets of spreading misinformation.

Anger over recovery effort mounts

Families with missing loved ones face fresh horrors as they scour the rubble. Some have searched for days to find corpses of loved ones so decomposed, they cannot tell them apart.

Others have dug and dug only to find nothing at all. “She kept asking, ‘Why did God play this trick on me?’" Geraldine Perdomo said of her sister, who was feverishly clawing at the ruins of her home for anything that would confirm the death of her two daughters.

And some, like Márquez, have agonized for days to extract their loved ones' bodies only to lose them again in the chaos of the impromptu morgue beneath grain silos at the La Guaira port, where a near-constant stream of bodies has been arriving since the June 24 quakes.

Márquez said that on Sunday, a week after delivering their corpses, he heard authorities had located his mother and grandfather. But Leonel, he said, "is still missing because of the negligence here.”

He and many other residents of the country’s public housing blocks — built years ago for low-income families by former socialist leader Hugo Chávez — say their complaints of negligence long predate this disaster. High-rise buildings housing hundreds of apartments pancaked in the earthquakes, reviving questions about substandard construction.

Alexander, a 42-year-old police officer who lived in one of the towers, was trembling with fury at the government on Sunday — for not addressing what he said were long-running resident concerns that his concrete housing complex was shoddily constructed, for not sending rescue teams in time to save his wife and three daughters, and now, for not delivering heavy machinery to help him recover their bodies.

"Not a single person from the government was here," he said, requesting to be identified only by his first name because, as a government employee, he feared retaliation for criticizing authorities.

After 11 days of searching, he reached the last missing member of his family — his 12-year-old daughter, her corpse decomposed but intact.

“She was waiting for me to pull her out,” he said, cradling the black plastic body bag in his arms.

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DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.