Friday will feature more of the same: sunshine, scattered clouds and east-southeast winds, sustained 5 to 10+ mph. A hit or miss shower is not completely out of the question, especially during the morning for the east coast. Temperatures are forecast to reach the upper 80s.

“Cry me a river, OK, when it comes to the pressure. Bunch of whiners, that they’re whining about the pressure,” Lalas said Thursday at a Fox event to promote its World Cup coverage.

Lalas, 55, played for the U.S. when it hosted the 1994 World Cup and has been Fox's top soccer analyst since late 2014.

American players, hoping to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2002, haven't complained about pressure but have said it exists.

“There’s pressure, I feel it. Yes, it’s there, but it’s nothing that I can’t handle,” Pulisic said in March. “I’m going to, yeah, attack it head on. We are as a team. I don’t need to do it by myself.”

“Allow me to grumpy old man a little bit here,” Lalas said. “This is a generation that has been given absolutely everything both on and off the field in terms of resources, in terms of opportunities, in terms of pathways. And I don’t think that I’m being unrealistic. I don’t think I’m being unfair by saying that we should expect more from this group. We should expect this team to win this group.”

Lalas expects a turnaround from Pulisic, who hasn't scored in 18 Serie A matches for AC Milan since Dec. 28 and a career-worst eight straight U.S. games since November 2024. Lalas said Pulisic, a 27-year-old with 32 international goals, is “well on his way to becoming the best male American soccer player in history.”

“He’s a fascinating player in terms of his talent. He’s a frustrating player in terms of his personality,” Lalas said. “He’s going through a period right now from a football perspective where it’s not going well and so this is going to test my form-is-fallacy theory. I have to believe that when that door closes behind him and he's on that plane, that he will feel a sense of relief and I think you will a sense a comfort coming to a team and, obviously, a country, that wants him to do well, that believes that he can do well.”

“He’s never going to be the leader that people want him to be,” Lalas added, “and that’s OK because I think there’s others that can do that, but he needs to be the star that this team needs.”

Lalas said the U.S. should win in the new round of 32 and reach the round of 16, where the Americans were knocked out in 2010, 2014 and 2018. With home-field advantage, Lalas said the team could then hope to advance to “kind of rarefied air.”

“Whether you’re a Christian Pulisic or whether you are a Weston McKinnie or whether your are a Diego Luna or an emerging player, this is the platform for your brand,” Lalas said. “If you star this summer, and this team does well this summer you will be remembered forever.”

Lalas spoke alongside fellow retired stars Stu Holden and Carli Lloyd of the U.S. and Javier “Chicharito” Hernández of Mexico along with studio hosts Rob Stone and Rebecca Lowe and Fox vice president of production Zac Kenworthy. Fox's main network will televise 69 games of the expanded tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19, and 35 will be on FS1.

Hernández predicted England will win the title if not Mexico, while Holden and Lloyd said France. Stone went for Spain, Kenworthy with Portugal and Lowe went with England.

Lalas said he was rooting for “anybody but England,” especially because it was the 250th anniversary of American independence.

“You think that they are insufferable now? Can you imagine if they came over and won that World Cup and it’s coming home through our country?” he said. “As much as it pains me to say, they are very, very good, and the soccer gods have a wicked sense of humor.”

Stone said the quarterfinals likely were a U.S. ceiling put perhaps home-crowd patriotism could lift the Americans to a semifinal.

“I would love a ‘Miracle on Ice’ moment,” he said. “I think that’s just too far and too soon.”

Retired Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimović, a Fox analyst for the first time, joined by video and chastised his colleagues for a lack of boldness in their U.S. predictions.

“You don’t have the courage to say U.S. is going to win the World Cup,” he said. “I hear you: ‘Yeah, if they win the group, if they go to the next stage, if they’re lucky.’ Oh, show some courage and say: ‘We’re going to win it.’”

Mexico and Canada are co-hosts of the tournament, and Hernández said El Tri players also face pressure.

“They say I think we can win a tournament, they all call us crazy,” he said. “But then the first game happens, and they expect you to play (as if) you are going to win the tournament.”

___

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

About 250 students at St. Louis Covenant School welcomed Vives, who is partnering with Goya during his tour this year.

Some students also donated items to his foundation, Tras La Perla, which works to improve the quality of life in his hometown of Santa Marta, Colombia.

“I wanted to donate because I also have my own foundation. I think it’s really special that he has his own charity, and it feels good and it does good,” eighth-grade student Valeria Astudillo said.

Goya also announced it has donated at least 1 million pounds of food nationwide, along with $50,000 to Tras La Perla through the campaign, to support children, families and cultural programs.

Torrey Holston, 26, and Jose Garcia Romero, 27, are accused of killing Coral Springs firefighter Christopher Randazzo in 2019.

Attorneys delivered closing arguments in the case on Thursday morning.

The prosecution highlighted the night Randazzo, 39, was murdered while going out in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Police say Holston and Garcia Romero, then 19 and 20 respectively, robbed Randazzo of his phone, $55 and sneakers before shooting him in the head when he didn’t give them his phone password.

During their murder trial, an eyewitness testified it was Holston who shot the victim in the head when he was down on the ground.

Holston’s lawyer told jurors to pay attention to the evidence, and lack of evidence.

The two did not testify in their own defense.

Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, but the two defendants are facing mandatory life sentences if they are convicted.

Many Cuban democracy advocates say what they don’t want to see is the “Venezuelan model” of removing the ruler ― but leaving in place the ruling party.

Cuban democracy advocates like Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, with the Assembly of the Cuban Resistance, see a renewed hope that political change is possible on the island.

“It is a fact that Raul Castro right now is a fugitive from U.S. justice,” Gutiérrez-Boronat said. “These are historic times for Cuba and we are the closest we have been to freedom. I think after yesterday, we are even closer.”

Sebastian A. Arcos, the interim director of Florida International University’s Cuban Research Institute, said, “There will not be a transition as long as this regime is involved.”

But a key question remains: can there be political change in Cuba without U.S. military intervention?

“My opinion is no. And why? Because the regime is not going to give up, they are not going to flee, they are not going to be part of a dissembling of a regime that they have been putting together for the last 70 years,” Arcos said.

An April Miami Herald poll found that nearly 80% of Cuban Americans in South Florida supported some form of U.S. military intervention on the island.

But among the American public at large, a YouGov poll commissioned by the left-leaning Center for Economic Policy and Research and released in early May found that only 15% of the country supports going to war with Cuba.

It found that 64% of Americans oppose the idea and 21% aren’t sure. A March YouGov poll sponsored by The Economist found that 53% of Americans opposed military intervention in Cuba, while only 23% were in support.

Arcos said it is hard to know exactly what the U.S. plans to do next, in part because of President Donald Trump’s vacillating remarks.

Trump said other presidents looked at regime change in Cuba for 50 to 60 years, but said, “I think I will be the one to do it.”

But on Wednesday, as top US-officials announced the charges against Castro while a U-S aircraft carrier and its strike group of fighter jets and radar-jamming equipment enters the Caribbean - Trump said “there won’t be escalation.”

Arcos calls the messaging “confusing.”

“It’s confusing because he’s saying one thing one day and a different thing and it’s confusing. Either the United States is going to take over Cuba, meaning it’s going to do something militarily, or it’s not. It cannot be both at the same time.”

Gutiérrez-Boronat said “the U.S. now has many options on (the) table.”

“We can’t say what President Trump will do, but we can say that majority of this community and the majority of people in Cuba want his arrest because he’s committed many crimes, as will be demonstrated in this international tribunal in Chile,” he said.

Rubio says the U.S. is running out of patience with the Cuban leadership.

“At the end of the day, they need to make a decision,” Rubio said. “Their economic system doesn’t work, it’s broken, and you can’t fix it with the current political system that is in place.”

Rubio concluded, “Right now, there just doesn’t seem to be people over there in charge of the regime who are in any way open to changes.”

“There are other things that Cuban Americans and Cubans on the island want to have and that is a full transition to democracy, that begins with political changes, not with economic,” Arcos said. “The Cubans don’t want a repetition of Venezuela, which is stuck halfway between one regime and democracy.”

In Venezuela, the ouster of dictator Nicolas Maduro led to the rise of Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro ally.

“And by the way, it’s not going to solve the main interest of President Trump in doing all this to guarantee the stability and the security of the Western Hemisphere, not as long as (the Cuban) regime is involved,” Arcos said.

Local 10 Digital Journalist Chris Gothner contributed to this report.

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Trump said other U.S. presidents had considered intervening in Cuba for decades.

“It looks like I’ll be the one that does it,” Trump said. “So, I would be happy to do it.”

Also on Thursday, diplomats from both Russia and China expressed their support for the Cuban government and opposition to U.S. sanctions.

“China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told reporters.

Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, also talked to reporters on Thursday.

“We reaffirm our full solidarity with Cuba,” Zakharova told reporters and wrote on X.

After the U.S. military captured Nicolás Maduro, who also had the support of China and Russia, Trump deployed U.S. State Secretary Marco Rubio to hold talks with Venezuelan and Cuban officials and cut the flow of Venezuelan oil to Cuba.

Trump also imposed sanctions on any country that delivers oil to Cuba, except for a Russian ship that brought some brief relief.

On Wednesday, before the U.S. Justice Department announced the indictment against Raúl Castro and five Cuban military pilots, the U.S. Southern Command welcomed the Nimitz carrier strike group to the Caribbean.

“The president always has the option to do whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest,” Rubio said on Thursday. He added that Trump always prefers a diplomatic settlement.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel recently released a statement warning of a “bloodbath” if there is a U.S. military intervention. He also defended Castro as “a hero” and a “statesman.”

Meanwhile, in Miami-Dade County, a group of pro-democracy activists met on Thursday to discuss the possibility of an International Criminal Court case against members of the Castro regime accused of human rights violations.

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• Cuban pro-democracy activists meet in Miami-Dade after Raúl Castro’s indictment
• U.S. Southern Command welcomes Nimitz carrier strike group to Caribbean
• Cuban pro-democracy activists meet in Miami-Dade after Raúl Castro’s indictment
• U.S. indicts Raúl Castro over 1996 fatal shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue planes
• Watch the speeches during Raul Castro indictment announcement at Freedom Tower
• Cuban exiles at Freedom Tower react to Raúl Castro indictment
• Cuban exiles at Miami’s Cafe Versailles react to Raul Castro indictment news: ‘All for it’
• Republican lawmakers from Florida react to Raúl Castro’s indictment
• Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel reacts to Raúl Castro’s indictment

Ten months ago, Jim Deranek was working in his yard when he felt something pop in his back. At the time, he did not realize how serious the injury was.

“As the day progressed, weeks progressed, the pain got worse,” Deranek said.

“Sitting caused the most excruciating pain other than walking,” he added. “But when I would stand up to walk after I was sitting, I would get shooting pains down both my legs. I could barely walk.”

An MRI showed Deranek had spondylolisthesis, a condition in which a vertebra slips out of place onto the bone beneath it.

Doctors gave him two options: traditional surgery or a robotic-assisted procedure.

“He says, for robotics, the chances go up to about 98% more accuracy,” Deranek said. “So I’m like, you know, why not? I didn’t really see any reason not to.”

Dr. Milad Alam. an orthopedic spine surgeon, used robotic navigation technology during the operation.

“We used robotic navigation system where we actually used an intraoperative CT scan and used that information to plan our screws to help us increase the accuracy of the screw placement, make sure we have smaller incision when we’re placing these screws to reduce the complication rate post-op,” Alam said.

The screws were used to place a spacer that stabilized the bone that had shifted in Deranek’s lower back.

Alam said the smaller incisions that come with minimally invasive robotic surgery can lead to fewer complications and a quicker recovery.

“So smaller incision size, smaller soft tissue trauma translates to lower infection rate, less pain post-op, lower length of hospital stay,” Alam said. “And again, as the patient mobilizes, because they’re not as much in pain, wound complications, pulmonary embolism, clotting in the legs, all those complications are lessened with minimally invasive procedures like we do with the robot.”

Alam also said the technology helps protect surgeons by reducing radiation exposure during procedures.

“You know, surgeons, at least orthopedic surgeons, are at very high risk of developing different types of cancers, thyroid malignancy, testicular malignancy, cataracts, these are well known in my field,” Alam said. “And what the robot does is reduce the radiation doses, so you have a longer life span without having to deal with any sort of malignancy, God forbid.”

Despite the five-hour surgery, Deranek was able to go home the next day.

“You know I’m very satisfied with my recovery,” he said. “It’s been six weeks since I’ve done it and I’m walking, you know, I can walk three miles, you know, five times a week.”

“So I just think with the technology there, I just think, you know, if you can take advantage of it, why not?” he added.

Alam said helping patients regain their quality of life is the most rewarding part of the job.

“I love being able to change patients’ trajectory and quality of life almost immediately, and it is probably the most satisfying thing that we do,” he said.

Deranek is scheduled to meet with Alam soon for a follow-up appointment, where he hopes to learn whether he can return to working in his yard.

Warner, who was among eight former UNI athletes announced as 2026 inductees on Thursday, won one Super Bowl and played in two others during an improbable 12-year NFL career that ended after the 2009 season.

The Burlington native was a member of four straight conference championship teams at UNI and was the Panthers' starting quarterback as a senior in 1993. He went to training camp with the Green Bay Packers and was cut, stocked shelves at a Cedar Falls grocery store and was an Arena Football League star three years with the Iowa Barnstormers.

In 1998, after leading NFL Europe in touchdowns and passing yards, he joined the St. Louis Rams and became the team’s starting quarterback in 1999. He led the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf” offense to a Super Bowl victory over the Tennessee Titans in 2000 and was the game's MVP.

Warner made it back to the Super Bowl with the Rams in 2002 and with the Arizona Cardinals in 2009. He was voted the Associated Press' NFL MVP in 1999 and 2001 and his career passing average of 260.8 yards per game ranks 11th.

Warner, who lives in Arizona, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

A UNI spokesman did not have immediate comment beyond saying Warner's glaring absence from the hall of fame was not an oversight. A committee convenes each year to select inductees.

Warner has had a lukewarm relationship with the university, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

People around UNI athletics have said Warner has long been unhappy about having to wait until his senior year to be the starter and he had little connection to the university after he left.

“The guy who started ahead of Kurt won 31 games in three years,” Warner's college coach, Terry Allen, said in 2009. “The timing in Kurt’s college career was not the best, but the timing in his pro career has been absolutely awesome.”

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

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“Relations are better,” Caracas business owner Raul Rosales said in Spanish. “They want fuel, they have to pay.”

Gasoline in Venezuela has long been heavily subsidized, costing the equivalent of less than $2 per gallon, but the fuel industry is now drawing renewed attention from the United States.

President Donald Trump said this week, “We have a great joint venture with Venezuela.”

With ex-Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro no longer at the center of negotiations, attention has shifted toward Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, as the country struggles with a worsening economy and growing public frustration.

At the Marriott hotel in an upscale section of Caracas, U.S. oil investors and government officials have recently been staying there while negotiating deals. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has met with Rodriguez, while attorneys and consultants have traveled to survey oil fields.

The top floor of the hotel is temporarily serving as a U.S. Embassy office while the official embassy compound nearby undergoes renovations after sitting empty for seven years.

“People here (are) feeling that the revolution is a huge lie because our quality of life is under the ground,” political communications consultant Pablo Quintero said.

Quintero said increased U.S. involvement has weakened the Venezuelan government’s long-standing political messaging.

“The government lose, the propaganda lose, the message lose the control of narrative of public opinion,” he said.

Many Venezuelans, he said, are less focused on politics than on daily survival.

“People here don’t care about Donald Trump, don’t care about Delcy Rodriguez, people are on survival mode,” Quintero said. “Survival mode all day.”

“Las relaciones están mejor”, dijo en español el empresario de Caracas Raul Rosales. “Quieren combustible, tienen que pagar”.

La gasolina en Venezuela ha estado fuertemente subsidiada durante mucho tiempo, costando el equivalente a menos de $2 USD por galón, pero la industria del combustible ahora está atrayendo una renovada atención de Estados Unidos.

El presidente Donald Trump dijo esta semana: “Tenemos una gran empresa conjunta con Venezuela”.

Con el ex presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro ya fuera del centro de las negociaciones, la atención se ha desplazado hacia la presidenta interina de Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, mientras el país enfrenta una economía cada vez peor y una creciente frustración pública.

En el hotel Marriott, en una exclusiva zona de Caracas, inversionistas petroleros estadounidenses y funcionarios gubernamentales se han estado hospedando recientemente mientras negocian acuerdos. El secretario de Energía de Estados Unidos, Chris Wright, se ha reunido con Rodríguez, mientras abogados y consultores han viajado para inspeccionar campos petroleros.

El último piso del hotel está sirviendo temporalmente como oficina de la Embajada de Estados Unidos mientras el complejo oficial de la embajada cercano es renovado después de permanecer vacío durante siete años.

“La gente aquí siente que la revolución es una gran mentira porque nuestra calidad de vida está por el suelo”, dijo el consultor en comunicación política Pablo Quintero.

Quintero dijo que el aumento de la participación de Estados Unidos ha debilitado el mensaje político que el gobierno venezolano ha mantenido durante años.

“El gobierno perdió, la propaganda perdió, el mensaje perdió el control de la narrativa de la opinión pública”, dijo.

Muchos venezolanos, aseguró, están menos enfocados en la política que en sobrevivir día a día.

“A la gente aquí no le importa Donald Trump, no le importa Delcy Rodríguez, la gente está en modo supervivencia”, dijo Quintero. “Modo supervivencia todo el día”.

Trump dijo que otros presidentes de Estados Unidos habían considerado intervenir en Cuba durante décadas.

“Parece que yo seré quien lo haga”, dijo Trump. “Así que estaría feliz de hacerlo”.

También el jueves, diplomáticos de Rusia y China expresaron su apoyo al gobierno cubano y su oposición a las sanciones de Estados Unidos.

“China apoya firmemente a Cuba en la defensa de su soberanía nacional y dignidad nacional y se opone a la interferencia externa”, dijo a reporteros Guo Jiakun, portavoz del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de China.

Maria Zakharova, portavoz del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Rusia, también habló con reporteros el jueves.

“Reafirmamos nuestra plena solidaridad con Cuba”, dijo Zakharova a reporteros y escribió en X.

Después de que el ejército de Estados Unidos capturó a Nicolás Maduro, quien también contaba con el respaldo de China y Rusia, Trump desplegó al secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, para sostener conversaciones con funcionarios venezolanos y cubanos y cortar el flujo de petróleo venezolano hacia Cuba.

Trump también impuso sanciones a cualquier país que entregue petróleo a Cuba, excepto un barco ruso que brindó un alivio temporal.

El miércoles, antes de que el Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos anunciara la acusación formal contra Raúl Castro y cinco pilotos militares cubanos, el Comando Sur de Estados Unidos dio la bienvenida al grupo de ataque del portaaviones Nimitz al Caribe.

“El presidente siempre tiene la opción de hacer lo que sea necesario para apoyar y proteger el interés nacional”, dijo Rubio el jueves.

El presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel publicó recientemente una declaración advirtiendo sobre un “baño de sangre” si ocurre una intervención militar de Estados Unidos y describió a Castro como “un héroe”.

NOTICIAS RELACIONADAS

• Rubio afirma que la probabilidad de un acuerdo entre Estados Unidos y Cuba “no es alta”.
• Activistas cubanos prodemocracia se reúnen en Miami-Dade tras la acusación formal contra Raúl Castro.
• El Comando Sur de los Estados Unidos da la bienvenida al grupo de ataque del portaaviones Nimitz al Caribe.
• Activistas cubanos prodemocracia se reúnen en Miami-Dade tras la acusación formal contra Raúl Castro.
• Estados Unidos acusa a Raúl Castro por el derribo fatal de los aviones de Hermanos al Rescate en 1996.
• Vea los discursos durante el anuncio de la acusación contra Raúl Castro en la Torre de la Libertad.
• Exiliados cubanos en la Torre de la Libertad reaccionan a la acusación contra Raúl Castro.
• Los exiliados cubanos en el Café Versailles de Miami reaccionan a la noticia de la acusación contra Raúl Castro: “Todos a favor “.
• Legisladores republicanos de Florida reaccionan a la acusación contra Raúl Castro.
• El presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel reacciona a la acusación de Raúl Castro

“Pro tip: unbranded gas comes from the same refineries, storage tanks, and pipelines, and it meets the same state standards to keep your engine running clean,” Newsom’s office posted Thursday on X. “Big Oil is already making billions off Trump’s Iran War; don’t let them rip you off even more by overpaying for the brand name.”

Newsom’s office cited an analysis by a group within the state's energy commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, that found that Chevron averaged more than 60 to 80 cents per gallon above unbranded alternatives.

The call-out follows Chevron posting signs at California gas stations blaming the state's climate policies for the high cost of gas. The average price of gas in California sat at $6.14 per gallon on Thursday, about $1.58 higher than the national average, according to the American Automobile Association. The state taxes consumers about 70 cents per gallon of gas, according to the state’s energy commission. That is the highest gas tax in the country.

“California politicians are choosing foreign oil and fuels over local jobs and lower costs,” the signs read. They feature a QR code that directs to a Chevron webpage asking people to “speak up for affordable, reliable energy.”

It is not clear when Chevron put the signs up, but spokesman Ross Allen said they are part of a campaign the company launched three years ago to inform drivers on the price impacts of California policies.

“We've been very vocal about the importance of customer education in California so that our drivers and our consumers understand where their tax dollars are going,” Allen said.

There are hundreds of Chevron gas stations operating in California, and most of them are operated independently and set their own prices, he said.

Memorial Day is typically one of the busiest travel weekends of the year.

Prices at the pump have swelled nationwide since the Iran war began, launching a global energy crisis. The price of crude oil, which is the main ingredient in gasoline, has climbed during the war because the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow passage of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s crude oil normally passes, has effectively been shut. Oil tankers have been stranded there unable to deliver crude.

Newsom, who often touts the state's status as a global climate leader, has passed policies in recent years aimed at cracking down on oil company profits and reducing gas prices.

He signed a law in 2023 allowing the state's energy commission to penalize oil companies for excess profits, declaring the state had “finally beat big oil.” But regulators voted last year to hold off on plans to penalize businesses until 2030 and prioritize other efforts to protect consumers at the pump.

The postponement came after two oil refineries that accounted for roughly 18% of the state's refining capacity announced their plans to close, reigniting debate over the price impacts of the state's ambitious climate policies.

Newsom signed another law in 2024 giving the commission the authority to require refineries to keep a certain amount of fuel on hand. The goal is to try to keep prices from increasing suddenly when refineries go offline for maintenance. But that regulation has also stalled.

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North Miami police arrested Maxime Nelson, 51, back in February, after they said he allegedly used a shovel to break a sign and security cameras outside a salon located along the 12000 block of Northeast Sixth Avenue before taking the shovel to the shop owner’s vehicle.

It was all captured on surveillance video, police said.

On Wednesday afternoon, police said that same shop owner contacted them after she claimed that Nelson walked past her store and made a gesture, prompting the owner to tell Nelson to leave the area or she would call 911.

That prompted Nelson to wield an axe and gesture toward the victim while saying that “he would cut her head off,” according to investigators.

Authorities said after the victim called police, responding officers located Nelson about a block away with a hatchet in his possession.

As of Thursday afternoon, Nelson, who was listed as being out on felony bond, was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

La policía de North Miami arrestó a Maxime Nelson, de 51 años, en febrero, luego de que presuntamente utilizara una pala para destruir un letrero y cámaras de seguridad afuera de un salón ubicado en la cuadra 12000 de Northeast Sixth Avenue antes de usar la pala contra el vehículo de la dueña del negocio.

Todo fue captado en video de vigilancia, dijo la policía.

La tarde del miércoles, la policía indicó que la misma dueña del negocio los contactó después de afirmar que Nelson pasó frente a su tienda e hizo un gesto, lo que llevó a la propietaria a decirle que abandonara el área o llamaría al 911.

Eso provocó que Nelson blandiera un hacha e hiciera un gesto hacia la víctima mientras decía que “le cortaría la cabeza”, según los investigadores.

Las autoridades dijeron que después de que la víctima llamara a la policía, los agentes que respondieron localizaron a Nelson aproximadamente a una cuadra de distancia con un hacha pequeña en su posesión.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, Nelson, quien figuraba libre bajo fianza por un delito grave, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

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President Donald Trump’s two requests have sparked so much conflict inside the Senate’s Republican majority that they decided to start the Memorial Day recess earlier without passing the legislation.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, told Fox News there was confusion about the Justice Department’s fund.

“I think that there are, and will continue to be, a lot of questions around that, that the administration is going to have to answer,” Thune said.

Related document: Overview of the Department of Justice’s Anti-Weaponization Fund

The Justice Department’s fund would be used to pay settlements to claims by victims of politically motivated prosecutions, according to a memo.

“I am completely objecting to this,” U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said during CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins.

Fitzpatrick also told reporters on Wednesday, “We’re going to try to kill it.”

Vice President J.D. Vance defended the fund on Tuesday during a White House briefing.

“Republicans can apply for it. Democrats can apply for it,” Vance said. “If Hunter Biden wants to apply for this particular fund, he is welcome to.”

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, told CNN that he was concerned about criminal cases related to riots on Jan. 6, 2021, at the Capitol.

“It sends a signal, ‘Hey, go breach the Capitol! Destroy the building! Assault police officers! You may even get compensated for it someday!’ That’s absurd,” Tillis told reporters at the Capitol.

Related story: Officers who defended Capitol from rioters sue to block payouts from $1.8B ‘anti-weaponization’ fund

Some Republicans are standing with the two police officers who defended the Capitol and filed a lawsuit to block the fund’s payouts.

“It incentivizes violence against law enforcement, against anybody actually that is a supporter, as long as you do it in Donald Trump’s name,” Harry Dunn, a former U.S. Capitol police officer, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

With the rising cost of living becoming a top issue for voters ahead of the November midterms, some Republican lawmakers are uncomfortable.

“Half the country is living paycheck to paycheck. We shouldn’t be talking about ballrooms,” U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, told CNN’s Manu Raju.

On Thursday, Trump seemed hopeful about the ballroom, which he said earlier this year would be funded entirely by donations.

“We are on time, on budget,” Trump said. “It’s going beautifully.”

The issues have members struggling to move forward on funding immigration law enforcement.

“We can do it when we come back,” Rep. Andy Harris, a Republican from Maryland, told Politico, adding that there was “no emergency about doing it by June 1, except the president had thrown that date out.”

Torres contributed to this report from Miami.

Las dos solicitudes del presidente Donald Trump han generado tanta división dentro de la mayoría republicana en el Senado que decidieron comenzar antes el receso por el Día de los Caídos sin aprobar la legislación.

“Mi primera reacción fue que esto no pasa la prueba del olfato”, dijo el senador John Curtis, republicano de Utah.

Documento relacionado: Resumen del fondo contra la instrumentalización del Departamento de Justicia

El fondo del Departamento de Justicia sería utilizado para pagar acuerdos relacionados con reclamaciones de víctimas de procesamientos con motivaciones políticas.

“Estoy completamente en contra de esto”, dijo el representante Brian Fitzpatrick, republicano de Pensilvania, durante el programa The Source with Kaitlan Collins de CNN.

El senador Thom Tillis, republicano de Carolina del Norte, dijo a CNN que estaba preocupado por los casos criminales relacionados con los disturbios del 6 de enero de 2021 en el Capitolio.

“Envía un mensaje de: ‘¡Vayan a irrumpir en el Capitolio! ¡Destruyan el edificio! ¡Agredan a agentes de policía! ¡Incluso podrían recibir compensación algún día!’ Eso es absurdo”, dijo Tillis a reporteros en el Capitolio.

Historia relacionada: Agentes que defendieron el Capitolio de los alborotadores demandan para bloquear pagos del fondo contra la instrumentalización de $1,800 millones USD

Algunos republicanos están respaldando a los agentes que defendieron el Capitolio y que presentaron una demanda para bloquear los pagos del fondo.

“Incentiva la violencia contra las fuerzas del orden, contra cualquiera realmente, siempre y cuando lo hagan en nombre de Donald Trump”, dijo Harry Dunn, ex agente de la Policía del Capitolio de Estados Unidos, a Anderson Cooper de CNN.

Con el aumento del costo de vida convirtiéndose en un tema principal para los votantes antes de las elecciones de medio término de noviembre, algunos legisladores republicanos se sienten incómodos.

“La mitad del país vive de cheque en cheque. No deberíamos estar hablando de salones de baile”, dijo el representante Brian Fitzpatrick, republicano de Pensilvania.

Los temas han dificultado que los miembros avancen en el financiamiento de la aplicación de leyes migratorias. El jueves, Trump pareció optimista sobre el proceso.

“Estamos a tiempo, dentro del presupuesto”, dijo Trump. “Va hermosamente”.

Torres contribuyó a este informe desde Miami.

That figure is three times the 5% initial contribution requirement the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission, CRTC, set out in 2024, which is being challenged in court by U.S.-based major streamers, including Apple, Amazon and Spotify.

The CRTC made the decision as part of its implementation of the Online Streaming Act, which the U.S. has identified as a trade irritant ahead of trade negotiations with Canada.

Contribution requirements for traditional broadcasters in Canada, which currently pay between 30% and 45%, will be lowered to 25%.

“The total contributions are expected to stabilize the funding at more than $2 billion in support of Canadian and Indigenous content, such as French-language content and news,” the regulator said in a press release.

The CRTC also set out rules on how the money must be spent for both streamers and broadcasters, including contributions toward production funds and direct spending on Canadian content.

Most of the streamers’ financial contribution can go toward content, though the CRTC is imposing rules on how that money must be spent for the largest streamers.

For instance, streamers with Canadian revenues of more than $100 million Canadian ($73 million) annually must direct 30% of spending toward partnerships with Canadian broadcasters and independent producers.

The new financial contribution rules apply to streamers and broadcasters with at least $25 million Canadian ($18 million) in annual Canadian broadcasting revenues.

The CRTC is also establishing a new fund to support specific TV channels, including CPAC, the Canadian service that provides direct coverage of political events.

Según un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de South Miami, la víctima dijo a la policía que justo después de salir del gimnasio el viernes pasado, notó de inmediato que estaba siendo seguida por un Tesla Model Y gris.

“El vehículo continuó siguiendo a la víctima hacia el sur por S. Dixie Highway mientras el conductor intentaba llamar su atención”, escribió un agente en el informe de arresto.

El conductor, posteriormente identificado por la policía como Rogerio Miranda De Souza, de Pinecrest, también estaba “frenando bruscamente” frente a ella “de una manera que podría haber causado una colisión”, señala el informe.

La policía indicó que la víctima estaba detenida cerca de la intersección de South Dixie Highway y Southwest 70th Street cuando Miranda De Souza condujo extremadamente cerca del lado del conductor de su vehículo. En ese momento, ella notó que tenía los pantalones abajo, exponiendo sus genitales, y que estaba acariciando su pene mientras hacía contacto visual directo con ella.

La víctima proporcionó a los detectives el número de matrícula del vehículo y una descripción física del sospechoso.

La policía indicó que posteriormente identificó a Miranda De Souza en una rueda de reconocimiento fotográfica.

Fue arrestado el miércoles por un cargo de exposición indecente.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, Miranda De Souza permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $1,000 USD.

“Los investigadores han sabido desde entonces que una agencia policial vecina está realizando una investigación separada que involucra al mismo sujeto bajo circunstancias similares”, indicó un comunicado del Departamento de Policía de South Miami. “Con base en la investigación en curso y las similitudes entre los incidentes, los detectives creen que podría haber víctimas adicionales que aún no han reportado sus encuentros a las autoridades”.

Cualquier persona con información sobre esta investigación, o que crea haber sido víctima de Miranda De Souza, debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de South Miami o con Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

He's still planning to start Sunday's big race.

Three days after having surgery on his right ankle and the middle finger of his left hand following a crash, the Californian told reporters he'd been cleared to drive and then spent most of his interview session playfully poking fun at questions about his health and himself.

“I have to be on crutches because it's a non-weight bearing injury, but fortunately to drive a race car, you don't have to bear weight,” he said. “Range of motion is good. Pain is minimal. Swelling, as you can see, I fit into my race boot, so good to go.”

He was injured early in Monday's practice when his car spun going through the second turn on the Brickyard's 2.5-mile oval. He slammed hard into the outside wall then took a second shot when the trailing Pato O'Ward couldn't avoid hitting the side of Rossi's car.

Rossi, the 2016 Indy winner, was eventually transferred to a local hospital where he had surgery Monday night. Rossi's Ed Carpenter Racing team members spent Monday night and Tuesday preparing his backup car, the one he used last year when he led the race, hopeful Rossi would return to the cockpit and start from the No. 2 spot that he earned in last weekend's qualifying.

Rossi said he needed the two surgeries to stabilize the injuries just to give him a shot to compete. He’s still being fitted for a brace and a boot that still allow him to use the car pedals properly.

“I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about the values of the two impacts, but they were very high,” Rossi said, briefly turning serious. “And the fact that we’re here, having this conversation and joking about a sore ankle is pretty amazing.”

Earlier this week, team president Tim Broyles sounded confident Rossi would be back in his car on race day, but he first had to demonstrate to IndyCar's medical team he could drive on the simulator, climb in and out of the car within a certain time frame, prove he could react properly to certain situations in his boot and do all of it over several different increments. Only then was he cleared.

On Friday, he faces one more hurdle — making sure he's comfortable back in the cockpit during the final practice session on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval.

He's not the only one with some work to do on Carb Day. O'Ward also will be in a backup car.

“Whatever we get (Friday) I’m going to be very grateful for, hopefully, the rain decides to at least stay away a little bit and we’ll get some running in,” the Mexican driver with Arrow McLaren said. “I want to get one full run. It's very important for me. I have a new car. Regardless of it, the car will be good. It would be nice to just get a run just pepper out anything it might have.”

O'Ward qualified sixth on the 33-car starting grid. Defending Indy champ Alex Palou won the pole.

But if the rain holds off, it will give Rossi a two-hour window to test his car, his foot and his hand as he again seeks a second career Indy win.

“If we do our jobs correctly, close to zero,” he said when asked what he expected in terms of pain on race day and before he was asked if he could avoid a painkilling shot. "I didn’t say that. I said if we do our jobs correctly, close to zero."

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Police took Jorjeans Caballero Gonzalez into custody on Wednesday outside his home and brought to the Doral Police Department.

According to investigators, Caballero Gonzalez is accused of using Snapchat and WhatsApp to message with victims who he believed were teenage girls.

In those messages, police said Caballero Gonzalez communicated with girls he was told were 11 and 14 years old, sending explicit messages that indicated he wanted to perform specific sexual acts on them, but was actually texting with members of the Doral Police Department.

He also solicited the girls to send him nude photos, investigators said.

According to police, while officers were questioning Caballero Gonzalez, “he subsequently stated that he was a person of special needs and did not fully understand his rights.”

Caballero Gonzalez is now facing charges of electronic transmission of information harmful to minors, use of a computer to solicit or lure a child to engage in a sex act, attempted promotion of sexual performance by a child and unlawful use of a communications device.

As of Thursday afternoon, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on bond listed as “to be set.”

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According to an arrest report from the South Miami Police Department, the victim told police that just after leaving the gym last Friday, she immediately noticed that she was being followed by a gray Tesla Model Y.

“The vehicle continued following the victim southbound on S. Dixie Highway while the driver attempted to gain her attention,” a police officer wrote in the arrest report.

The driver, later identified by police as Rogerio Miranda De Souza, of Pinecrest, was also “brake checking” her “in a manner that could have caused a collision,” the report stated.

Police said the victim was stopped near the intersection of South Dixie Highway and Southwest 70th Street when Miranda De Souza drove extremely close to the driver’s side of her vehicle, at which time she noticed his pants were lowered, exposing his genitals, and he was stroking his penis while making direct eye contact with her.

The victim provided detectives with the vehicle’s license plate number and a physical description of the suspect.

Police said she later identified Miranda De Souza in a photo lineup.

He was arrested Wednesday on a charge of indecent exposure.

As of Thursday afternoon, Miranda De Souza was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $1,000 bond.

“Investigators have since learned that a neighboring law enforcement agency is conducting a separate investigation involving the same subject under similar circumstances,” a news release from SMPD stated. “Based on the ongoing investigation and the similarities between the incidents, detectives believe there may be additional victims who have not yet reported their encounters to law enforcement.”

Miranda De Souza appeared in bond court Thursday, where a judge ordered that he stay away from the victim in the case if he posts bond.

His attorney told Local 10 News that he is expected to be released later in the day.

Anyone with information about this investigation, or who believes they may have been victimized by Miranda De Souza is asked to call the South Miami Police Department or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

La policía detuvo a Jorjeans Caballero González el miércoles frente a su casa y lo trasladó al Departamento de Policía de Doral.

Según los investigadores, Caballero González está acusado de usar Snapchat y WhatsApp para enviar mensajes a víctimas que él creía que eran chicas adolescentes.

Según la policía, en esos mensajes Caballero González se comunicaba con niñas que, según le dijeron, tenían 11 y 14 años, enviándoles mensajes explícitos que indicaban que quería realizar actos sexuales específicos con ellas, pero en realidad estaba intercambiando mensajes de texto con miembros del Departamento de Policía de Doral.

Según los investigadores, también les pidió a las chicas que le enviaran fotos desnudas.

Según la policía, mientras los agentes interrogaban a Caballero González, “este declaró posteriormente que era una persona con necesidades especiales y que no comprendía del todo sus derechos”.

Caballero González se enfrenta ahora a cargos de transmisión electrónica de información perjudicial para menores, uso de un ordenador para solicitar o incitar a un menor a participar en un acto sexual, intento de promoción de la actividad sexual de un menor y uso ilícito de un dispositivo de comunicaciones.

Hasta el jueves por la tarde, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight bajo fianza, cuyo monto figuraba como “por determinar”.

The Gemini North Telescope atop Hawaii’s tallest peak, Mauna Kea, captured the star in its last gasps. The image was released Thursday by the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, which operates the telescope.

It’s actually a binary star system 1,500 light-years away, nicknamed the Crystal Ball Nebula because of the milky white, spherical cloud around it. A light-year is almost 6 trillion miles.

This cloud of gas forms when a star sheds its outer layers near the end of its life. The exposed stellar core heats the cloud to tens of thousands of degrees, giving it an ethereal glow.

Scientists believe one of the planetary nebula’s two orbiting stars — once bigger than our sun — gave up the ghost.

Gemini North last year observed the nebula — formally known as NGC 1514 — and the image was completed in color last week.

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

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At a recent commission meeting, Miami Beach leaders approved the new “End Resident Tows Program,” which changes how parking enforcement will work for residents with permitted vehicles.

“Our residents deserve the benefit of the doubt, a courtesy warning before we take the extreme measure of towing their vehicles,” said Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez.

Starting July 1, residents with permitted vehicles will be allowed up to three parking citations and text message warnings for most parking violations, including yellow curb violations, no parking anytime areas and authorized vehicles only zones.

Drivers will then have 24 hours to move their vehicles. A fourth violation, however, will result in the vehicle being towed.

“As residents, people who contribute to this city, this beach, pay taxes here, we deserve so. So thank you very much commission,” said Miami Beach resident Frank Delour.

Delour, a 20-year Miami Beach resident, said he has experienced similar situations before — frustrations that were famously captured in the mid-2000s reality show “South Beach Tow.”

According to city officials, nearly 1,200 resident vehicles have been towed so far this year. Under the new initiative, officials estimate more than 60% of those resident tows could have been avoided.

“Let’s be clear, if you’re parked in a handicap space, fire hydrant, in a school zone, you will still get towed,” Fernandez said.

Commissioners also approved new universal loading zone hours. Loading zones will now be enforced from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

As for the citations, drivers can expect to pay about $40.

En una reciente reunión de la comisión, los líderes de Miami Beach aprobaron el nuevo “Programa para Poner Fin a los Remolques de Residentes”, que cambia la manera en que funcionará el control de estacionamiento para residentes con vehículos autorizados.

“Nuestros residentes merecen el beneficio de la duda, una advertencia de cortesía antes de tomar la medida extrema de remolcar sus vehículos”, dijo el comisionado de Miami Beach Alex Fernandez.

A partir del 1 de julio, los residentes con vehículos autorizados podrán recibir hasta tres multas de estacionamiento y advertencias por mensaje de texto por la mayoría de las violaciones de estacionamiento, incluidas violaciones en bordillos amarillos, zonas de no estacionar en ningún momento y áreas exclusivas para vehículos autorizados.

Los conductores tendrán entonces 24 horas para mover sus vehículos. Sin embargo, una cuarta infracción resultará en el remolque del vehículo.

“Como residentes, personas que contribuyen a esta ciudad, esta playa, pagamos impuestos aquí, lo merecemos. Así que muchas gracias, comisión”, dijo el residente de Miami Beach Frank Delour.

Delour, residente de Miami Beach desde hace 20 años, dijo que ha vivido situaciones similares anteriormente, frustraciones que fueron captadas de manera famosa en el programa de realidad de mediados de los años 2000 “South Beach Tow”.

Según funcionarios de la ciudad, casi 1,200 vehículos de residentes han sido remolcados en lo que va del año. Bajo la nueva iniciativa, los funcionarios estiman que más del 60% de esos remolques de residentes podrían haberse evitado.

“Seamos claros, si está estacionado en un espacio para discapacitados, frente a un hidrante o en una zona escolar, aún será remolcado”, dijo Fernandez.

Los comisionados también aprobaron nuevos horarios universales para zonas de carga. Las zonas de carga ahora estarán reguladas de 7 a.m. a 3 p.m., de lunes a sábado.

En cuanto a las multas, los conductores pueden esperar pagar alrededor de $40 USD.

Gabriela Gonzalez, a 24-year-old with a large social media following, was charged Tuesday with one count of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder in the alleged plot to kill Jack Avery, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said. Gonzalez's father, Francisco Gonzalez, 59, and her then-boyfriend Kai Cordrey, 26, face the same charges.

“This is a case where the defendants are accused of going to great lengths to find someone to commit murder," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a news release.

He said the charges were the result of a lengthy investigation that was initiated by the FBI and eventually turned over to the district attorney's office.

Avery thanked prosecutors and law enforcement for their support in an Instagram post Thursday and said his focus is on “being the best father I can be.”

Prosecutors say Gonzalez is accused of seeking the help of Cordrey to hire someone to kill Avery between 2020 and 2021. Then, in April 2021, her father allegedly sent Cordrey $10,000 as front money in the plot, prosecutors said. Two months later, prosecutors said, Cordrey allegedly requested and got $4,000 more from Francisco Gonzalez when the alleged hit man asked for more money.

In September 2021, an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a hitman spoke with Cordrey about the murder-for-hire plot. Cordrey is accused of telling the undercover officer that Avery was the target and discussed payment and proof of death, prosecutors said.

Gabriela Gonzalez, who has over 450,000 followers on Instagram, was being held in a Los Angeles-area detention facility on $2 million bond on Thursday. Her attorney, Elliot Zarabi, did not immediately return a call for comment.

Francisco Gonzalez was arrested in Florida and is awaiting extradition. He was being held in a jail in Florida in Seminole County on Thursday. It was unclear if he had an attorney to speak on his behalf on the charges.

Los Angeles County jail records show that Cordrey was arrested Thursday. Jail records did not show an attorney for him.

If convicted, all three defendants face up to life in prison.

The boy band Why Don't We released their debut album in 2018, which included the song “8 Letters,” and a sophomore album three years later. They have since disbanded, and Avery released the single “XOXOX” on his own this year.

The 26-year-old Richards went down in the second half of Palace’s 2-2 draw with Brentford on Sunday in the Premier League. He could return for the UEFA Conference League final next Wednesday against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig.

“He tore, I think, two ligaments in his ankle,” Glasner said Thursday after confirming that Richards would sit out Sunday’s season finale against Arsenal. “It’s now 50-50 for him, for us that he can play the (Conference League) final.”

The injury will be a concern for US coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is days away from announcing his World Cup squad.

“It’s stable, but it’s quite swollen, and now we have to deal with the swelling,” Glasner said. “Of course, he needs to get back on the pitch to be available, and it will be really a race against time.

“He is in from sunrise until sunset having treatments,” Glasner added.

The World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The Americans play in Group D and open against Paraguay on June 12 in Inglewood, California.

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

Snelling, the team's No. 2 prospect, was called up from Triple-A Jacksonville earlier this month and made his MLB debut in a loss to Washington on May 8, giving up three runs on five hits while walking four in five innings. He later reported discomfort in his left elbow after a bullpen sessions, and an MRI revealed a sprained UCL.

Snelling was evaluated Thursday in Dallas by Dr. Keith Meister, who recommended surgery, the team said. A recovery timeline will be given following Friday's surgery.

“Disappointing for him and us,” manager Clayton McCullough said. “That's an unfortunate part of our industry. Guys go down. We just keep going, and Robby will come back from this a stronger person.”

McCullough said the Marlins will try different pitchers to fill the fifth spot in the rotation, mentioning Braxton Garrett, who was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville on Wednesday, and Tyler Phillips, who has allowed four earned runs with 27 strikeouts in 30 relief innings this season.

“We have some others in Jacksonville that have thrown the ball well and (can) potentially get that opportunity,” he said. “We have ways here with the group we have that we can cover those games. So I think that we'll just continue to kick the tires on what we think is best. And guys will have chances to step into that spot and have a chance to perform here.”

Snelling was moved to the 60-day injured list amid a handful of roster moves ahead of Thursday's series finale against the Atlanta Braves.

Also Thursday, the Marlins acquired outfielder Rece Hinds in a trade with Cincinnati in exchange for right-hander Zach McCambley. Hinds was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville.

Miami also recalled infielder Graham Pauley from Triple-A Jacksonville and placed infielder Leo Jiménez on the seven-day concussion injured list.

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

“Typically, when you go get a massage, the focus is always like your back, and I always wish there was more on my head, on my face especially, on my neck,” says Karena Kong, a frequent customer of Nen Head Spa in San Francisco. “When I saw that they give 90 minutes of just head, face, shoulder massage, I felt like it’s a great way to just focus on the areas that I love.”

What to expect from a head spa

Head spas originated in Japan, rooted in centuries-old practices that combine massage and herbal tinctures. Modern versions began gaining popularity in Japanese salons in the 1990s before spreading throughout Asia and now the U.S.

A typical session lasts 60 or 90 minutes and often begins with a scalp inspection, followed by deep cleansing, exfoliation, steam, and extended head, face and neck massage. Many services also include essential oils, conditioning masks, and aromatherapy in a quiet setting with dimmed lights and soft music.

“The core part of it is actually getting your hair washed,” said Peter Tham, owner of Nen Head Spa, where head massages cost about $100 an hour. “The feeling of getting your head washed, especially on a hot and humid day, feels really good. Combine that with, facial, scalp, neck and shoulder massages, which is kind of where most people, especially those who sit in front of a computer all day, suffer a lot of tension.”

What to make of head spa claims

Some head spas make health and medical claims about some of their services, suggesting they can offer stress relief or treatment for scalp skin conditions, hair loss or even alopecia, an autoimmune disorder. Experts caution that people with skin or hair conditions should see a dermatologist or other appropriate doctor for advice and possible treatment.

“It’s important to know and differentiate something that’s done for a health reason or relaxation from seeing a medical expert, a dermatologist, if you are having hair loss,” said Zakia Rahman, a dermatology professor at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Rahman has noticed the rising popularity of head spas and says they are generally fine as a compliment to actual medical treatments if needed — and for people who like the way it makes them feel.

Head spas can be relaxing and rejuvenating, fans say

At Sunday Headspa in San Francisco, each session starts with a technician inspecting hair follicles with a magnifying device and assessing their condition. Then customers get a deep clean, said Jolly Mac, the spa’s coordinator.

Many of their clients first discovered head spa services in Asia and are looking for similar services, which start at about $200 an hour.

Customer Crystle Vitari, first visited a head spa while visiting South Korea and finds it “rejuvenating” — and relaxing.

“Every time, I fall asleep and take a nap, actually, because it’s so relaxing," she said.

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Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez contributed to this story.

The lawsuit brought by a small, rural Kentucky school district was set to go to trial next month in federal court in Oakland, California. The judge and the parties selected it as a bellwether case — essentially a test for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury — out of 1,200 similar cases. The settlement only applies to the Breathitt County School District.

Meta reached a settlement with the district Thursday, following settlements earlier this week with the other defendants in the case — TikTok, Snap and Google’s YouTube.

The financial terms of the settlements were not disclosed. The school district had sought more than $60 million to create a 15-year program it said would help counteract mental health and learning issues caused by social media.

The plaintiffs’ attorneys said in a statement that their "focus remains on pursuing justice for the remaining 1,200 school districts who have filed cases.”

The settlement follows court losses earlier this year for Meta and YouTube in social media harms lawsuits in California and New Mexico.

In March, Meta and YouTube were found liable for designing addictive features following a trial in Los Angeles. The plaintiff, known by her initials KGM, claimed she became addicted to social media as a child and that it exacerbated her mental health struggles. A jury sided with her and awarded about $6 million in damages.

And in New Mexico, a jury determined that Meta harms children’s mental health and safety, in violation of state law.

Air France y Airbus, dos de las empresas más emblemáticas de Francia, señalaron en comunicados que apelarán el fallo del jueves, lo que podría prolongar el caso durante varios años más.

El vuelo 447 de Air France, que iba de Río a París, se estrelló el 1 de junio de 2009, matando a 228 pasajeros y tripulantes.

El brasileño Nelson Faria Marinho, que perdió a su hijo en el accidente, denunció que seguía insatisfecho con el veredicto.

El tribunal de apelaciones de París declaró culpables de homicidio involuntario a Airbus y Air France el jueves por el suceso y ordenó a las empresas pagar la multa máxima de 225.000 euros (aproximadamente 260.000 dólares) cada una, según Daniele Lamy, presidenta de otra asociación de víctimas del accidente.

Lamy, que perdió a su hijo Eric en el accidente, estuvo en la sala durante todo este juicio y el juicio original, y celebró la decisión del jueves.

Pero Marinho dijo que desea ver condenas de prisión para los ejecutivos de las empresas de entonces, aunque el caso se ha centrado en la responsabilidad institucional más que en la personal.

“He perdido a mi padre, a mis madres, hermanos. Duele mucho, pero es imposible traducir en palabras el dolor de perder a un hijo”, manifestó Marinho, en su oficina en casa llena de recortes de periódicos y fotos que relatan su larga lucha por la justicia.

El avión A330-200 desapareció del radar en una tormenta sobre el océano Atlántico con 216 pasajeros y 12 miembros de la tripulación. Tardó dos años encontrar el avión y sus registradores de caja negra en el fondo del océano, a profundidades de más de 4.000 metros (13.000 pies).

Una investigación de The Associated Press en ese momento determinó que Airbus sabía desde al menos 2002 de problemas con el tipo de tubos utilizados en el avión que se estrelló, pero no los reemplazó hasta después de la tragedia.

Air France fue acusada de no haber implementado capacitación para el caso de formación de hielo en sensores externos llamados tubos pitot, pese a los riesgos. Airbus fue acusada de no hacer lo suficiente para informar con urgencia a las aerolíneas y a sus tripulaciones sobre fallas en los pitot o para garantizar capacitación que mitigara el riesgo.

El accidente llevó a cambios en las regulaciones sobre sensores de velocidad del aire y en la forma en que se entrena a los pilotos.

La investigación oficial concluyó que múltiples factores contribuyeron al desastre, incluidos errores de los pilotos y la formación de hielo en los tubos pitot.

En 2023, un tribunal de primera instancia absolvió a Airbus y Air France de los cargos de homicidio involuntario, lo que provocó una oleada de angustia entre familiares de víctimas.

Air France dijo que lamentaba la condena del jueves y reconoció que su apelación prolongará un procedimiento ya extenso, en particular para las familias y seres queridos de las víctimas, pero señaló que la responsabilidad penal de la empresa ya había sido descartada anteriormente.

Airbus indicó que presentará una apelación ante el máximo tribunal de Francia para permitir un nuevo examen de las cuestiones jurídicas planteadas por este caso.

Un sindicato francés de pilotos dijo que estaba satisfecho con la decisión. Sería “inaceptable atribuir la responsabilidad del desenlace de este accidente únicamente a los pilotos, sin tener en cuenta todas las fallas sistémicas que llevaron al desastre”, afirmó el Sindicato Nacional de Pilotos de Aerolíneas.

El abogado de las víctimas, Alain Jakubowicz, al hablar con periodistas fuera de la sala, se vio desbordado por la emoción.

Este veredicto demuestra “que no hay lucha que sea imposible de ganar”, declaró a la televisión francesa. “Incluso cuando somos simplemente pasajeros, podemos ganarle a los gigantes globales”.

En Río, la esposa de Marinho, Maria Eva, indicó que el dolor de perder a uno de sus cinco hijos sigue vivo, pero que su fe la ha ayudado en su duelo.

“Este rastro de destrucción dejó muchos corazones heridos”, expresó desde su sala de estar. “Pero mientras haya vida, hay esperanza”.

___________________________________

La corresponsal Angela Charlton contribuyó a esta nota desde París

___________________________________

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

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Rubio also discussed the U.S.-Cuba diplomatic talks and negotiations for a deal, which is what President Donald Trump prefers.

“The likelihood of that happening, given who we are dealing with right now, is not high,” Rubio said.

Rubio was critical of the Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., or GAESA, a Cuban military-run business conglomerate.

“They have a private military company named GAESA ... sitting on $18 billion of assets,” Rubio said. “Not a penny of that goes over to help the people of Cuba.”

Rubio said the Cuban government has accepted $100 million in direct humanitarian aid from the U.S. through the Catholic church’s charity.

“Cuba has always posed a national security threat to the United States,” Rubio said.

On Wednesday at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami, Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced there was a warrant for Raúl Castro’s arrest after a Miami grand jury indicted him.

For the fatal 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes, the indictment charged Castro, 94, with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder.

“Cuba has been one of the leading sponsors of terrorism in the entire region,” Rubio said. “Having a failed state 90 miles from our shores run by friends of our adversaries poses a threat to the national security of the United States.”

Also on Wednesday, the U.S. Southern Command welcomed the Nimitz carrier strike group to the Caribbean.

RELATED STORIES

• Trump stands firm on Cuba after Russia and China express support
• U.S. Southern Command welcomes Nimitz carrier strike group to Caribbean
• Cuban pro-democracy activists meet in Miami-Dade after Raúl Castro’s indictment
• U.S. indicts Raúl Castro over 1996 fatal shootdown of Brothers to the Rescue planes
• Watch the speeches during Raul Castro indictment announcement at Freedom Tower
• Cuban exiles at Freedom Tower react to Raúl Castro indictment
• Cuban exiles at Miami’s Cafe Versailles react to Raul Castro indictment news: ‘All for it’
• Republican lawmakers from Florida react to Raúl Castro’s indictment
• Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel reacts to Raúl Castro’s indictment

In an interview with The Associated Press this week at the Big Ten meetings, Bryan Seeley, the CEO of the 11-month-old College Sports Commission, said he has actually heard more good feedback than bad as he's started making the rounds at league meetings.

The problem is that the bad stuff mostly revolves around issues that could break everything apart — notably, the third-party NIL deals that have blown budgets sky high and become the fulcrum of the frustration for schools trying to figure out how to survive in an era where they pay players.

“I was hired to launch the CSC and enforce the rules as written,” Seeley said. “It is totally fine with us if the rules end up changing if there is consensus to change those rules. But until that happens, we’re going to enforce the rules as written and that’s what we were told to do.”

Some athletic directors see an ‘unsustainable’ model

Michigan State atheltic director J. Batt summed up the feelings of some administrators in California this week when he called the college system as it currently stands “unsustainable.”

“We've got to evolve the system,” Batt said. “That (has) potential for a lot of different tracks. Primarily, evolving the CSC to meet what has become an evolving landscape is important. The current state isn't working.”

Batt's comments came less than 24 hours after Ohio State AD Ross Bjork openly wondered to cbssports.com about the Big Ten potentially breaking away from the pack and writing its own rules. Washington AD Pat Chun told the website “we created this fraudulent market to be able to compensate our athletes.”

The comments came in the same week that saw hopes scuttled again for federal legislation to resolve some of these problems.

The Congressional Black Caucus and NAACP leveraged the recent Supreme Court ruling that paved the way for Southern states to redraw Black-majority districts into a call for Southern sports leaders, especially in the SEC and ACC, to speak up. House Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said: “If the SEC schools are for it, we are against it.”

Commission gets a win in arbitration that doesn't solve all the problems

Seeley flew to California a week after from what the CSC would term a win. In the first challenge to the CSC rejecting an NIL deal — one involving contracts for Nebraska football players — an arbitrator ruled in favor of the commission.

Seeley said “a lot of foundational issues were addressed in that one.” Namely, the arbitrator ruled that a multimedia rights group — in Nebraska's case, Playfly — could be deemed an “associated entity,” which is key because the CSC is asked to evaluate all NIL deals that come via associated entities. Attorneys for athletes in the $2.8 billion House settlement responded by asking the judge now overseeing the landmark case to clarify whether the CSC is properly classifying thir parties like Playfly as “associated entities.”

The arbitrator also dinged Nebraska and Playfly for “warehousing” the players' NIL rights — essentially securing them for a purpose to be named later instead of having an actual deal to use them right away.

Seeley said potentially a more serious problem is schools making guarantees about third-party NIL payments to players while recruiting them from the transfer portal, which is not allowed under NCAA rules. Deals aren't supposed to be signed until after the athletes are enrolled.

“And they are now finding it quite difficult to submit compliant NIL deals to meet those obligations,” Seeley said. "Assuming that is true, that is clearly a problem. The question is, how should the industry attack that problem? You're seeing differences of opinion, in some ways based on whether you're a school who made those commitments or didn't.”

The CSC says it has cleared more than 26,000 NIL deals worth some $242.3 million through May 1 since its launch.

Seeley says schools, not CSC, responsible for delays in approving cases

Seeley said he hears criticism about a slow timeline to clear deals, which can leave schools in limbo, unsure if certain players are eligibile. But the CEO calls that a “false narrative.”

“Deals are being held up because they don’t comply with the rules,” Seeley said. “And many times when we ask for information about the deals, we get no response, a partial response that doesn’t answer our question, or, increasingly, false responses, which causes delays.”

Four months ago, at the NCAA Convention in Washington, Seeley made an impassioned plea for each 68 Power Four school to sign a so-called “participation agreement” that would lock in the CSC's authority.

It will not go into effect until all the schools sign it but many have refused. Some have cited guidance from state attorneys general who say it's illegal for a public university to sign away its right to take legal action, the likes of which could still take place in the Nebraska case.

Seeley views the agreement, along with federal legislation, as being important but still believes the CSC can be effective with those issues undecided.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti agrees that the real drivers of change won't come from Washington but from conferences themselves.

"Can we get to make adjustments that we think we need, based on the real-time experiences of what’s happened?” Petitti said. “And what’s sustainable about that? How does it impact what we’re doing going forward? Because we’re going to still face that with or without Washington. So we’ve got to be willing to come up with some sustainable model.”

Seeley said the CSC wants to work with whatever model the schools develop. What he refuses to do is accept blame for enforcing the rules.

“We didn’t write the rules,” he said. “But the issue now is not, is the CSC broken or not working? The issue is a lot of schools apparently didn’t follow the rules.”

___

AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

“This document reflects the views of the author, not the DNC," the disclaimer said. "The DNC was not provided with the underlying sourcing, interviews, or supporting data for many of the assertions contained herein and therefore cannot independently verify the claims presented.”

It's an inauspicious label on a document that has caused so much heartburn. Ken Martin, the DNC chair, originally promised to release the autopsy, then decided to keep it under wraps because he said he didn't want to cause a distraction ahead of the midterms.

After months of handwringing, Martin released the report on Thursday, saying it was only withheld because it was so shoddily done.

After all that, what's in the report? Here are some takeaways from the 192 pages.

The report has some big gaps

The report is far from comprehensive, and it avoids some of the most critical factors in the 2024 race.

For example, it doesn't address President Joe Biden's decision to run for a second term at 81, despite widespread concerns about his age. Biden dropped out after a faltering debate performance, and Harris was quickly anointed to replace him at the top of the ticket.

After serving as Biden's vice president, Harris was viewed in some corners as the natural choice for a new nominee. But the report does not address lingering concerns that the process was rushed or should have been handled in a more deliberative manner.

Perhaps most notably, the words “Gaza” and “Israel” do not appear anywhere in the text. Democrats suffered from internal disagreements over the conflict, which sapped enthusiasm for Harris among voters who were upset by the Biden administration's support for Israel.

Harris was boxed in

The report found that the Biden White House did not “position or prepare the vice president” in a way that would allow her to lead a successful campaign.

It wasn’t until Biden announced his departure from the race in July that the campaign’s polling team scrambled to get fresh public opinion on three key areas — “one on the Vice President’s biography and record, one on her vision and plan, and another on attacks and responses.”

The team also determined Harris had no answer on a sensitive issue: The Trump campaign's anti-transgender attacks. Specifically, the report highlighted the pollsters’ belief that the Democratic nominee was “boxed” in by Republicans' “very effective” advertisement highlighting Harris’ previous support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.

“Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you," the ad said.

The report said: “If the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response.”

Trump wasn't attacked enough

There's been no shortage of criticism toward Harris' campaign after her defeat. Some Democrats think she spent too much time campaigning with Republicans like Liz Cheney, others think she lacked a strong economic message.

The autopsy report reaches a different conclusion, saying not enough was done to convince voters that Trump was an unacceptable candidate.

“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the report states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”

At another point, the report says, "Democrats made a mistake by assuming voters were already aware of Trump's various weaknesses.

“The idea Trump’s negatives were ‘baked in’ is a major failure of analysis and reality,” the report says.

DNC leadership did not appear to like these conclusions, adding annotations like “no evidence provided; contradicts claims elsewhere in report” and “no sourcing or evidence provided.”

To court rural voters: 'Show up, listen, and then do it again'

The report criticized Harris’ outreach to key segments of America while including a handful of derisive references to “identity politics.” The document raises serious concerns about Latinos in particular.

“Democrats can no longer assume Latino voters, especially younger Latino men, are a reliable part of their base," the report says. “The party needs a complete rethink of its Latino outreach strategy, moving beyond traditional approaches like Spanish-language ads and late-cycle surrogates.”

The report points to successful Democratic statewide candidates in Arizona, Nevada and North Carolina, who showed that “economic messaging, and addressing cost-of-living concerns resonate more than identity politics.”

The autopsy also highlighted the Democrats' underperformance with men.

“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed," the report says. “Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color.”

Harris also didn't have any answers for the party's struggle with rural voters.

“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”

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Standing in one of the affected areas, the damage stretches across rows of cars.

Residents described the suspects as “airbag pirates.”

“The air bag is gone,” said resident Alex Cernabas. “It’s very expensive. I went to look at it and they’re selling it on eBay for $750.”

Resident Mohammed Hussain said his wife called him after discovering their vehicle had been broken into.

“I was just surprised this afternoon and my wife called and (asked) do I know what’s happening? I said ‘no,’” he said.

Residents said 19 cars in the area were hit, with five vehicles damaged in one section of the parking lot alone.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

Cernabas said he is now helping his mother get to work because her car cannot be legally driven without an airbag.

“My mom couldn’t go to work. I’m trying to help her with it,” he said.

Residents say the thefts bring more than just the loss of an airbag, also making them deal with insurance deductibles, inconvenience and frustration.

“I hope they go to jail for a long time, and get a job,” said Cernabas. “Don’t steal from people that are working.”

Hussain, who owns the kind of vehicle residents believe is being targeted by the thieves, said he plans to keep a close eye on his vehicle after learning that 19 cars had been hit.

No arrests have been made.

Anyone with information about the airbag thefts is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

For now, the world's top-ranked player is chasing Brooks Koepka, the five-time major champion looking for his first victory since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf.

Koepka shot 8-under 63 for a one-shot lead over five other early finishers at the revamped TPC Craig Ranch on Thursday, with Scheffler three back while playing with Koepka and Si Woo Kim, one of those at 64.

“I felt like I was getting lapped out there for a little bit,” said Scheffler, who led from the start of last year's Nelson and won by eight shots at 31 under while tying the tour's 72-hole scoring record at 253. “So I was fortunate to make a couple birdies late in the round and keep myself in the tournament.”

Kim — the highest-ranked player in the field behind Scheffler at No. 24 — had the only bogey in the threesome, on his 16th hole at the par-3 seventh.

One of several countrymen in the event sponsored by South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, Kim got back within a shot of the lead with a birdie while Koepka saved par 5 at the ninth.

Emiliano Grillo, Keith Mitchell, Stephan Jaeger and Michael Thorbjornsen were tied with Kim, one shot ahead of Doug Ghim and Mackenzie Hughes.

Koepka, who contended at last week's PGA Championship before fading on Sunday, eagled the par-5 12th and was 4 under through five holes. He had four more birdies in a span of five holes in his back nine, capped by a 3-foot birdie putt on the short par-4 sixth.

Kim had four birdies on the front and four more on the back while Scheffler was lagging at 2 under before getting birdies on three of his final five holes.

“It was just a comfortable group,” Koepka said. “Everyone is just kind of feeding off each other, easy. Everyone’s having fun. Makes it enjoyable. I feel comfortable on the golf course as well.”

Even though he hardly recognizes parts of it.

Koepka last played at TPC Craig Ranch in 2021, the year before he bolted for LIV. The sixth Nelson at the par-71 layout about 30 miles north of Dallas was the debut of a Lanny Wadkins-led redesign that cost nearly $25 million and added bunkers everywhere and overhauled the greens with mounds and ridges.

“The greens are totally different than when we played,” Koepka said. “That’s obviously the biggest thing. Off the tee it looks pretty good. Place hasn’t changed too much. It’s familiar. I like it.”

Koepka was a regular at the Nelson a decade ago, including a runner-up finish in 2016 when he lost to Sergio Garcia in a playoff. The 36-year-old also has a little CJ Cup history. He rose to No. 1 in the world with a victory when the event was in South Korea in 2018.

The title sponsorship moved to the U.S. after the COVID-19 pandemic and has been associated with the Nelson since 2024.

The move to LIV forced Koepka to put aside things such as world rankings, and now he's dealing with stipulations he had to agree to in order to rejoin the PGA Tour. Among them is not being exempt for the $20 million signature events, even though he won a major — the 2023 PGA — while with LIV.

“I think there’s such a huge difference right now of trying to get into signature events, on my way back, coming back to the tour,” Koepka said. “(Winning) would be a big confidence boost for sure because I feel like I’ve been playing well. I feel like I’m knocking on the door, and I’m very, very close.”

___

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

Air France and Airbus, two of France’s most emblematic companies, said in separate statements that they would appeal Thursday’s ruling, potentially prolonging the legal battle for years.

Brazilian Nelson Faria Marinho, who lost his son in the crash that killed 228 passengers and crew members, said he remained unsatisfied with the verdict.

The Paris appeals court on Thursday found Airbus and Air France guilty of manslaughter over the crash, and ordered the companies to pay the maximum fine of 225,000 euros (approximately $260,000) each, according to Daniele Lamy, president of a French association of victims of the crash.

Lamy, who lost her son Eric in the crash, was in the courtroom throughout this trial and the original trial, and welcomed Thursday’s verdict.

But Marinho said he wishes to see prison sentences for the companies’ executives at the time, although the case has centered on institutional rather than personal responsibility.

“I’ve lost my father, my mother, brothers. It hurts a lot, but it is impossible to translate into words the pain of losing a child,” Marinho said, in his home office full of newspaper clippings and photos recounting his long struggle for justice.

The A330-200 plane disappeared from radar in a storm over the Atlantic Ocean on June 1, 2009, with 216 passengers and 12 crew members aboard. It took two years to find the plane and its black box recorders on the ocean floor, at depths of more than 13,000 feet (around 4,000 meters).

An Associated Press investigation at the time found that Airbus had known since at least 2002 about problems with the type of pitot tubes used on the jet that crashed, but failed to replace them until after the crash.

Air France was accused of not having implemented training in the event of icing of external sensors called pitot tubes, despite the risks. Airbus was accused of not doing enough to urgently inform airlines and their crews about faults with the pitots or to ensure training to mitigate the risk.

The crash led to changes in regulations for airspeed sensors and in how pilots are trained.

The official investigation found that multiple factors contributed to the disaster, including pilot error and the icing over of pitot tubes.

In 2023, a first instance court acquitted Airbus and Air France of manslaughter charges, prompting an outpouring of anguish from people whose loved ones were killed in the disaster.

Air France said it regretted Thursday’s conviction and recognized that its appeal will prolong an already lengthy procedure, particularly for the families and loved ones of the victims, but noted that the company’s criminal liability had previously been dismissed.

Airbus said it would file an appeal before France’s highest court in order to allow a reexamination of the legal issues raised by this case.

A French pilot’s union said it was satisfied with the decision. It would be “unacceptable to place responsibility for the outcome of this accident solely on the pilots, without taking into account all of the systemic failures that led to the disaster,” the National Union of Airline Pilots said.

Victims’ lawyer Alain Jakubowicz, speaking to reporters outside the courtroom, was overcome with emotion.

This verdict shows “there is no fight that is unwinnable," he told French TV. "Even when we are simply passengers, we can make global giants bend.”

Back in Rio, Marinho’s wife Maria Eva said that the pain of losing one of her five children remains vivid, but that her faith has helped with her grief.

“This trail of destruction left many hearts wounded,” she said from her living room featuring a representation of the Eiffel Tour. “But as long as there is life there is hope.”

___

Angela Charlton in Paris contributed.

___

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

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The presence was encouraging for the Cuban Americans who support a U.S. military intervention and Castro’s capture.

The strike group includes the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, the embarked Carrier Air Wing 17, the USS Gridley, and the USNS Patuxent.

The U.S. State Department reported that the USS Nimitz was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, “to conduct joint naval exercises with the Brazilian Navy” from May 11-14.

The New York Times reported that the strike group will remain in the Caribbean for at least a few days as part of the Trump administration’s campaign to pressure the Cuban government, according to the military’s Southern Command and a U.S. official.

Related social media

Welcome to the Caribbean, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group!

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the embarked Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17), USS Gridley (DDG 101) and USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) are the epitome of readiness and presence, unmatched reach and lethality, and strategic… pic.twitter.com/83mfzSIKzd

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) May 20, 2026

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• Watch the speeches during Raul Castro indictment announcement at Freedom Tower
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• Cuban exiles at Miami’s Cafe Versailles react to Raul Castro indictment news: ‘All for it’
• Republican lawmakers from Florida react to Raúl Castro’s indictment
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Interactive: 19-page indictment

Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, quien estuvo el miércoles en la Freedom Tower para el anuncio de la acusación formal contra Raúl Castro, ofreció una declaración.

“Estamos más cerca de la libertad que nunca”, dijo Gutiérrez-Boronat. “Creo que después de ayer, estamos aún más cerca”.

Por el derribo fatal en 1996 de dos avionetas de Hermanos al Rescate, la acusación formal señala a Castro, de 94 años, por conspiración para matar ciudadanos estadounidenses, dos cargos de destrucción de aeronaves y cuatro cargos de asesinato.

“La masacre de Hermanos al Rescate del 24 de febrero de 1996 no fue la única masacre que Raúl Castro ordenó”, dijo Gutiérrez-Boronat. “Ha ordenado varias masacres más en Cuba. Están completamente documentadas y es momento de que todos estos crímenes sean presentados ante el mundo”.

Gutiérrez-Boronat dijo que legisladores chilenos votarán una resolución que implementaría un tribunal internacional contra los crímenes de lesa humanidad del régimen de Castro.

René Bolio, abogado en México y presidente de la Comisión Justicia Cuba, una organización no gubernamental, dijo que el Estatuto de Roma, el tratado internacional fundamental que estableció la Corte Penal Internacional, era clave.

“De los 11 crímenes contemplados en el Estatuto de Roma, el régimen cubano ha cometido desde 1959 al menos 10”, dijo Bolio en español. “Y lo importante de esto es que están vivos, siguen en el poder y pueden ser juzgados”.

Chile es miembro participante de la CPI desde 2009.

Gutiérrez-Boronat también informó que hubo avances en la revisión por parte de la Unión Europea de un acuerdo con Cuba, lo que podría resultar en una pérdida de financiamiento.

La jefa de política exterior de la Unión Europea, Kaja Kallas, “reconoció que el comunismo siempre fracasa en todo y siempre hace daño”, dijo Gutiérrez-Boronat.

Gutiérrez-Boronat también dijo que legisladores hondureños votaron una resolución en apoyo a la democracia en Cuba, lo que indicó un “consenso” internacional. Luis Zúñiga, ex preso político cubano, se mostró esperanzado.

“La dictadura podría ya estar en su fase final”, dijo Zúñiga en español.

Declaración completa de Gutiérrez-Boronat

NOTICIAS RELACIONADAS

• Rubio afirma que la probabilidad de un acuerdo entre Estados Unidos y Cuba “no es alta”.
• El Comando Sur de los Estados Unidos da la bienvenida al grupo de ataque del portaaviones Nimitz al Caribe.
• La Corte Suprema falla a favor de una empresa estadounidense en sus demandas por propiedades confiscadas en la revolución cubana.
• Estados Unidos acusa a Raúl Castro por el derribo fatal de los aviones de Hermanos al Rescate en 1996.
• Vea los discursos durante el anuncio de la acusación contra Raúl Castro en la Torre de la Libertad.
• Exiliados cubanos en la Torre de la Libertad reaccionan a la acusación contra Raúl Castro.
• Los exiliados cubanos en el Café Versailles de Miami reaccionan a la noticia de la acusación contra Raúl Castro: “Todos a favor “.
• Legisladores republicanos de Florida reaccionan a la acusación contra Raúl Castro.
• Trump y Rubio dan muestras de apoyo al cambio en Cuba en medio de declaraciones históricas sobre la acusación formal.
• Rubio publica un mensaje en español dirigido a los cubanos que sufren en la isla.
• El presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel reacciona a la acusación de Raúl Castro

Interactivo: Acusación formal de 19 páginas

Multiple reports indicate Snelling is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, an operation that typically requires 12–18 months of recovery for pitchers.

That timeline would sideline him for the remainder of this season and likely a substantial portion of next year as well.

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Orlando Gutiérrez-Boronat, who was at the Freedom Tower on Wednesday for the announcement of Raúl Castro’s indictment, delivered a statement.

“We are the closest we have ever been to freedom,” Gutiérrez-Boronat said. “I think that after yesterday, we are even closer.”

For the fatal 1996 shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue planes, the indictment charged Castro, 94, with conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder.

“The Feb. 24, 1996, massacre of Brothers to the Rescue was not the only massacre Raúl Castro has ordered,” Gutiérrez-Boronat said. “He has ordered several more massacres in Cuba. They are fully documented, and it’s time for all these crimes to be presented before the world.”

Gutiérrez-Boronat said Chilean lawmakers are going to vote on a resolution that would implement an international tribunal against the Castro regime’s crimes against humanity.

René Bolio, an attorney in Mexico who serves as the president of the Cuba Justice Commission, a non-governmental organization, said The Rome Statute, the foundational international treaty that established the International Criminal Court, was key.

“Of the 11 crimes listed in the Rome Statute, the Cuban regime has committed since 1959 at least 10,” Bolio said in Spanish. “And the important thing about this is that they are alive, they remain in power, and they can be tried.”

Chile has been a participant ICC member since 2009.

Gutiérrez-Boronat also reported there was also progress with the European Union’s review of an agreement with Cuba, which could result in a loss of financing.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas “recognized that communism always fails on everything and always does harm,” Gutiérrez-Boronat said.

Gutiérrez-Boronat also said Honduran lawmakers voted on a resolution in support of democracy in Cuba, which indicated an international “consensus.” Luis Zúñiga, a former Cuban political prisoner, was hopeful.

“The dictatorship may already be in its final phase,” Zúñiga said in Spanish.

Gutiérrez-Boronat complete statement

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Interactive: 19-page indictment

Nickolay Mladenov, high representative of the Board of Peace, an international body established by President Donald Trump, said Israel must also uphold its obligations under the October ceasefire, pointing to the killings of Palestinians and restrictions on the flow of humanitarian aid.

The choice before Hamas and Israel is either “a deteriorating status quo” or a new beginning for Palestinians now waiting “in desperate conditions,” he said. "There is no third option. There never was, and the people of Gaza should not be made to wait while some pretend that there is.”

Mladenov was expanding on the first report by the Board of Peace, which said the main obstacle to full implementation of the ceasefire remains "Hamas’ refusal to accept verified decommissioning, relinquish coercive control, and permit a genuine civilian transition in Gaza.”

Hamas, in a statement, criticized the new report and said it ignored Israel’s failure to comply with the terms of the ceasefire.

The Palestinian militant group, which led the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, has sought to link any demilitarization to Israeli troop pullbacks. Israel’s military has expanded its control of Gaza since the truce took effect and now controls some 60% of the territory.

Mladenov, a veteran Bulgarian diplomat, said if Israel and Hamas refuse to accept the roadmap to implement Trump's peace plan, the Board of Peace will discuss ways to provide humanitarian relief and promote recovery in the territory.

If nothing is done, he said, Gaza will remain divided with Hamas holding administrative and military control over 2 million Palestinians who can live in less than half of the Gaza Strip and are likely to remain trapped in rubble, needing aid and without hope of reconstruction or a future for their children.

“This is a version of the future that Israelis, Palestinians and the region should all fear and all mobilize to avoid,” Mladenov said.

He said the decommissioning of weapons “will be gradual, sequenced and time-bound against an agreed timetable” — and that weapons from Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups will not be transferred to Israel but to the transitional administration in Gaza.

The roadmap deserves the Security Council’s “clear, consistent and unequivocal support,” he said.

“I ask the council to use every means at its disposal to urge Hamas to accept the roadmap without further delay, and Israel to uphold its obligations under the ceasefire,” Mladenov said. “Diplomacy must continue, cannot be used as an excuse for delay while 2 million people wait in desperate conditions.”

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, did not directly address the disarmament of Hamas but said all parties must abide by their commitments under the ceasefire agreement. He said it offered an opportunity to end the conflict and ensure “peace, security and prosperity for Palestinians, Israelis and the wider region.”

“International law is not optional,” Mansour said. "There should be only one path, compliance or enforcement.”

Israel’s deputy U.N. ambassador Jonathan Miller said the Security Council is under a “dangerous illusion … that diplomacy can succeed while terrorist organizations are allowed to hold diplomacy hostage.”

He accused Hamas of using diplomatic negotiations to consolidate control in Gaza and rebuild its weapons stocks. “This is not a political organization transitioning towards diplomacy – it is a terrorist army preserving its capacity for the next war,” Miller said.

Shortly after Mladenov briefed the council, the heads of three major humanitarian organizations told U.N. reporters that the board's report was not an honest portrayal of the circumstances on the ground in Gaza and obscured the reality that Palestinians face daily despite the ceasefire.

Jeremy Konyndyk, the president of Refugees International, said the “easiest parts” of the peace plan — full and undeterred aid access — have not been carried out.

“The people of Gaza cannot wait for more Security Council briefings and for more deliberations in New York,” Konyndyk said. “They need action now. They have needed action for a very long time. And the international community needs to decide what it actually stands for.”

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Farnoush Amiri contributed to this report.

About 90% of the state party's roughly 700 Central Committee members voted Wednesday for censure. It means that Polis, who is term-limited and serving his final year in office, will be barred from being an honored guest, featured speaker, or officially recognized party representative at party-sponsored events.

Peters, 70, is a former county clerk who was sentenced to nine years behind bars after being convicted in 2024 for a scheme to make a copy of her county’s election computer system.

She is set for release June 1 after Polis commuted her sentence Friday.

Trump has championed Peters' cause. Reducing her sentence set a “dangerous and disappointing” precedent when democracy and voting rights are under attack nationwide, the Colorado Democratic Party said in a statement.

“It sends a message to future bad actors that election tampering has consequences, unless you’re friends with the president,” the statement said.

About 700 state party members, including current and former elected officials, petitioned for the party to condemn Polis. The subsequent censure vote was taken in a regularly scheduled party Central Committee virtual meeting.

In April, a Colorado appeals court upheld Peters' conviction but ordered her to be resentenced, saying the judge wrongly punished her for speaking out about election fraud.

In commuting her sentence, Polis told Peters in a letter she deserved prison time but had been given an “extremely unusual and lengthy” sentence for a first-time, nonviolent offender.

He defended the commutation after the censure vote.

“The governor made this decision based on the facts of the case and what he believed was the right thing to do. Sometimes the right thing isn’t the popular thing with everybody. Democracy is strongest when disagreement is met with debate and dialogue, not censorship," Polis spokesperson Eric Maruyama said in an emailed statement Thursday.

Peters thanked Polis and apologized for her crime in a statement after her sentence commutation.

Peters sneaked an outside computer expert, an associate of MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, to make a copy of her county’s Dominion Voting Systems election computer server during a system upgrade in 2021. She then joined Lindell onstage at a “cybersymposium” that promised to reveal proof of election rigging, and photos of the upgrade, including passwords, were posted online.

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But authorities said Vladimir Kudyakov wasn’t acting as a mere courier: part of his so-called “job” was making fake IDs of the intended recipients in order to swipe the parcels.

Police investigating the theft of a Rolex watch from a Doral FedEx location said employees at another shipping center in downtown Miami spotted the 43-year-old a few days later as he tried to steal another package.

According to the Doral Police Department, investigators began their probe after a man went to the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center at 10005 NW 41st St. on May 15 to pick up a $53,500 Rolex he had ordered from a New Hampshire company.

Workers there told him that someone already picked up the package the day before. That person ― later determined through facial recognition software to be Kudyakov ― had given FedEx workers a Florida driver’s license with all of the victim’s personal information on it, but Kudyakov’s photo.

It even scanned with the victim’s information on it, authorities said.

Police said on Wednesday, a FedEx loss prevention worker called Doral investigators after an employee at the shipping center at 200 S. Miami Ave. recognized Kudyakov, of Hollywood, from an internal flyer and called her.

Investigators said the employee was able to stall him in time for Miami and Doral police to arrive.

Authorities said Kudyakov gave a “full confession,” saying he was at the downtown Miami location “to pick up another package that did not belong to him” with a fake driver’s license and volunteered that he had an additional stolen package in his vehicle, which police said contained a laptop that was supposed to go to a woman.

The report said investigators also found “a printer, vinyl sticker paper, a laptop and eight counterfeit Florida driver’s licenses.”

Authorities said Kudyakov said he signed up for the “package delivery job” through the messaging app Telegram, which is popular with both Russians and criminals.

In the Russian-language group, Kudyakov said the organizer gave him a list of items to buy to make the fake IDs and then began receiving texts about “jobs” to complete, the report states.

“The texts included a tracking number, victim name and address, description of (the) item and the location of where it is being delivered to,” Doral police wrote. “(He) said that after he retrieves the package, he is then provided with a shipping label via Telegram for the address he is supposed to mail the packages to.”

Kudyakov admitted to completing as many as five “jobs” before his arrest, including the Rolex theft, police said. He said he sent the high-end watch, as instructed, to a pack and ship center in Oakland Park.

Records show Kudyakov faces seven felony charges in Miami-Dade County, including organized fraud, dealing in stolen property and identity theft.

As of Thursday afternoon, he was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $55,000 bond.

Pero las autoridades dijeron que Vladimir Kudyakov no actuaba solo como mensajero: parte de su supuesto “trabajo” era fabricar identificaciones falsas de los destinatarios previstos para robar los paquetes.

La policía que investigaba el robo de un reloj Rolex de una ubicación de FedEx en Doral dijo que empleados de otro centro de envíos en el centro de Miami detectaron al hombre de 43 años unos días después mientras intentaba robar otro paquete.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Doral, los investigadores comenzaron la pesquisa después de que un hombre acudiera al FedEx Office Print & Ship Center en 10005 NW 41st St. el 15 de mayo para recoger un Rolex de $53,500 USD que había ordenado a una compañía de New Hampshire.

Los empleados del lugar le dijeron que alguien ya había recogido el paquete el día anterior. Esa persona, posteriormente identificada mediante software de reconocimiento facial como Kudyakov, había entregado a los trabajadores de FedEx una licencia de conducir de Florida con toda la información personal de la víctima, pero con la foto de Kudyakov.

Las autoridades dijeron que incluso fue escaneada con la información de la víctima.

La policía indicó que el miércoles, un trabajador de prevención de pérdidas de FedEx llamó a los investigadores de Doral después de que un empleado del centro de envíos ubicado en 200 S. Miami Ave. reconociera a Kudyakov, residente de Hollywood, en un volante interno y la llamara.

Los investigadores dijeron que el empleado logró entretenerlo el tiempo suficiente para que llegaran agentes de la policía de Miami y Doral.

Las autoridades dijeron que Kudyakov dio una “confesión completa”, afirmando que estaba en la ubicación del centro de Miami “para recoger otro paquete que no le pertenecía” usando una licencia de conducir falsa, y además reveló que tenía otro paquete robado en su vehículo, el cual, según la policía, contenía una computadora portátil destinada a una mujer.

El informe indica que los investigadores también encontraron “una impresora, papel adhesivo de vinilo, una computadora portátil y ocho licencias de conducir falsas de Florida”.

Las autoridades dijeron que Kudyakov afirmó haberse inscrito para el “trabajo de entrega de paquetes” a través de la aplicación de mensajería Telegram, popular tanto entre rusos como entre criminales.

En el grupo en ruso, Kudyakov dijo que el organizador le dio una lista de artículos para comprar y fabricar las identificaciones falsas, y luego comenzó a recibir mensajes sobre “trabajos” que debía completar, señala el informe.

“Los mensajes incluían un número de rastreo, nombre y dirección de la víctima, descripción del artículo y la ubicación donde sería entregado”, escribió la policía de Doral. “Dijo que después de recoger el paquete, le proporcionaban una etiqueta de envío a través de Telegram con la dirección a la que debía enviar los paquetes”.

La policía indicó que Kudyakov admitió haber completado hasta cinco “trabajos” antes de su arresto, incluido el robo del Rolex. Dijo que envió el reloj de lujo, siguiendo instrucciones, a un centro de empaques y envíos en Oakland Park.

Los registros muestran que Kudyakov enfrenta siete cargos graves en el condado Miami-Dade, incluyendo fraude organizado, tráfico de propiedad robada y robo de identidad.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $55,000 USD.

La acusación formal anunciada el miércoles surge mientras el gobierno del presidente Donald Trump continúa su campaña de presión para derrocar al gobierno socialista de la isla. En los cargos se acusa a Castro y a los pilotos militares de conspirar para aterrorizar, intimidar y tomar represalias contra los cubanos y la comunidad de exiliados del país al derribar las aeronaves que volaba el grupo Hermanos al Rescate.

Castro, que ahora tiene 94 años, era ministro de Defensa cuando varios cazas MiG atacaron los aviones del grupo.

Las autoridades sostienen que los cinco presuntos coconspiradores de Castro, todos integrantes de la Defensa Antiaérea y Fuerza Aérea Revolucionaria de Cuba, realizaron misiones de entrenamiento hacia febrero de 1996 “para encontrar, rastrear, perseguir e interceptar” aeronaves frente a la costa cubana, ante la expectativa de vuelos de Hermanos al Rescate.

En la acusación formal se señala que recibieron entrenamiento “bajo el mando de Castro y con instrucciones de” un coconspirador que no fue acusado.

Esto es lo que se sabe sobre los cinco pilotos, identificados como el teniente coronel Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, el teniente coronel Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco y Raúl Simanca Cárdenas.

Teniente coronel Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez

En la acusación formal se afirman que Pérez-Pérez y un piloto que no fue acusado derribaron dos aviones el 24 de febrero de 1996 en espacio aéreo internacional, lo que causó la muerte de cuatro estadounidenses.

Pérez-Pérez declaró a la televisión estatal cubana, días después del derribo, que interceptó la primera aeronave y le advirtió por órdenes de los controladores. Afirmó que el avión ignoró sus advertencias y siguió acercándose a la costa cubana, por lo que recibió la orden de interrumpir su vuelo, antes de hacer lo mismo con la segunda aeronave.

La acusación formal señala que Castro autorizó el uso de fuerza letal después de que Hermanos al Rescate volara aviones que arrojaron panfletos a favor de la democracia sobre Cuba en enero de 1996. Los fiscales estadounidenses indicaron que Castro y su hermano mayor, Fidel Castro, que era presidente en ese momento, fueron quienes tomaron la decisión final sobre las órdenes de derribar los aviones.

Pérez-Pérez ya había sido acusado anteriormente en Estados Unidos en agosto de 2003, señalado por asesinato, destrucción de aeronaves y conspiración.

Teniente coronel Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez

En la acusación formal se sostiene que, el mismo día de los ataques mortales, Gual Barzaga, Simanca Cárdenas y González-Pardo Rodríguez siguieron, pero no destruyeron, un tercer avión.

González-Pardo Rodríguez, de 65 años, es el único acusado que se encuentra bajo custodia en Estados Unidos. Fue imputado en noviembre por presuntamente hacer declaraciones falsas en un documento migratorio.

El Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos indicó entonces que él declaró falsamente que nunca recibió entrenamiento con armas ni entrenamiento militar, que nunca participó en ningún grupo que usara armas o amenazara con usarlas, y que nunca sirvió en una unidad militar o policial. En realidad, señalaron los fiscales, “recibió ese tipo de entrenamiento y sirvió en el ejército cubano como parte de la Fuerza de Defensa Antiaérea”.

Está previsto que reciba sentencia en los próximos días del mes, tras declararse culpable en febrero.

Los cinco pilotos y Castro enfrentan un cargo de conspiración para asesinar a ciudadanos estadounidenses. Castro y Pérez-Pérez también fueron acusados por cargos de asesinato y destrucción de aeronaves.

Tres pilotos más

Se sabe poco sobre Gual Barzaga, Palacio Blanco y Simanca Cárdenas.

En la acusación formal se sostiene que Pérez-Pérez y Palacio Blanco despegaron del aeródromo de San Antonio de los Baños, cerca de La Habana, en aviones distintos. Unos 20 minutos después, Pérez-Pérez solicitó autorización para derribar la aeronave civil.

Mientras Pérez-Pérez atacaba los dos aviones, según la acusación formal, Gual Barzaga y Simanca Cárdenas estaban juntos en un tercer caza, y González-Pardo Rodríguez se encontraba en un cuarto, listo para desplegarse. Las autoridades alegan que los pilotos que esperaban escucharon por radio las solicitudes de Pérez-Pérez para obtener autorización para atacar los aviones y que, finalmente, se unieron a él en la persecución de la tercera aeronave civil.

La acusación federal incluye una foto sin fecha de González-Pardo Rodríguez y Pérez-Pérez mirando un documento junto a un avión de combate.

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La periodista de The Associated Press Dánica Coto en San Juan, Puerto Rico, contribuyó a este despacho.

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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.

She's hoping it's the only hiccup she has on a potentially historic week.

While Legge is trying to become the first female driver to attempt the one-day, two-race, 1,100-mile marathon known as the “double” on Sunday, her team has spent the past week fine-tuning her race-day plans while getting advice from the most recent driver to attempt the feat, Kyle Larson.

“Hopefully, we get all of the travel woes out of the way now before the weekend, and this weekend goes smoothly,” Legge told The Associated Press on Thursday. “My management has been speaking with Kyle's management about how to get the logistics sorted out, how they did it and we're trying our best to copy and paste what they had and they're just keeping me in the loop.”

The difference between the five men who attempted to start and finish the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 and the first woman to try it is those guys had months to fine-tune their race strategy, itineraries, contingency plans and which race to prioritize if necessary.

Legge's NASCAR team, BRANDed Management, only made its announcement last week.

The English driver's team already has lined up a helicopter ride from the track to nearby Indianapolis International Airport and a private jet to take her from Indy to Charlotte on Sunday.

The rest Legge's schedule consists of being in Indy for Friday's final 500 practice, heading to Charlotte for Saturday's qualifications and back to Indy on Saturday night so she can rest before the scheduled start of the first race at 12:30 p.m. local time. Whenever Legge's day ends in Indy, she'll head back to Charlotte for that race's scheduled 6 p.m. start.

But Larson knows better than most how quickly things can change. A four-hour rain delay in 2024 cost him the chance to make the starting grid in Charlotte on time, and he crashed out of both races last year after rain forced Indy's start to be delayed for 47 minutes.

It could happen again. Indy's forecast calls for a 32% chance of isolated thunderstorms Sunday, though Legge has already decided to stay for the 500 if she's forced into an either-or decision since she's not a full-time driver in either series.

“This is a lot, a lot to do in a short period of time," she said. “But I'm very lucky that I'm surrounded by great people who have put in a lot of work, a lot of hours to make this possible. It wouldn't be possible without e.l.f. Cosmetics and Chevrolet, who are providing the vehicles for us to do this and, obviously, both teams have been awesome and coordinated. So I'm just kind of lucky.”

Only one driver, three-time Cup champ Tony Stewart, has actually completed all 1,100 miles. This year is the 25th anniversary of his feat.

If Legge is going to expand that one-person club, she knows there's not much margin for error. First she needs to qualify in Charlotte, then she must stay out of trouble after qualifying 26th on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval. The weather needs to cooperate and, of course, the flights need to be on time, too.

Larson's advice: Savor the moment.

“He said to enjoy it and not to stress about it,” she said, even though Larson acknowledged this week he considered the experience extremely stressful.

Will Power, the 2018 race winner and two-time IndyCar Series champion, also missed media day because of a family commitment. Graham Rahal and Indy rookie Mick Schumacher were the final drivers to appear because they were playing in Rahal's annual golf tournament.

Still, Legge is eager to get back to town. Sure, she may be scrambling a bit to make up for the time lost in New York, and, yes, she'll be dealing with a challenging, compact schedule. But she's also ready to make this a weekend she — and perhaps race fans — will never forget.

“I'm beyond excited," Legge said. “Like it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do either the Indy 500 or the Coca-Cola 600 but to be able to do both and do both on the same day is pretty special, and it's an opportunity I don't take lightly. It's also very cool to be one of the few who have attempted it, and I'm looking forward to seeing how I feel Sunday night. Hopefully, I'll be happy that I've completed all the laps but we'll see.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Trump said previous U.S. presidents have considered intervening in Cuba for decades but that “it looks like I’ll be the one that does it.”

“Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years, doing something,” Trump told reporters when asked about Cuba during an environmental event in the Oval Office. “And, it looks like I’ll be the one that does it. So, I would be happy to do it.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters separately that Cuba has been a national security threat for years because of its ties to U.S. adversaries and that Trump is intent on addressing it.

Rubio says the US prefers a negotiated agreement with Cuba

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants who has long taken a hard-line against Cuba’s socialist leadership, said the Trump administration wants to resolve differences with Cuba peacefully but is doubtful the U.S. can reach a diplomatic resolution with the island's current government.

Trump's “preference is always a negotiated agreement that’s peaceful. That’s always our preference. That remains our preference with Cuba,” Rubio said in Miami before boarding a plane to attend a NATO meeting in Sweden and then visit India.

“I’m just being honest with you, you know, the likelihood of that happening, given who we’re dealing with right now, is not high,” he said.

Top Trump aides — including Rubio, CIA chief John Ratcliffe and other senior national security officials — have met with Cuban officials in recent months to explore possible improvements in relations. But the U.S. side has come away unimpressed from those talks, leading to even more sanctions imposed on the Cuban government in the past week.

Over the years, Cuba has gotten used to “buying time and waiting us out,” Rubio said. “They’re not going to be able to wait us out or buy time. We’re very serious, we’re very focused.”

When asked whether the U.S. would use force in Cuba to change the island's political system, Rubio repeated that a diplomatic settlement was preferred but noted that “the president always has the option to do whatever it takes to support and protect the national interest.”

He pushed back on a reporter’s suggestion that it sounded like “nation-building,” insisting it was about addressing a national security risk.

New threats follow US announcement of charges against Castro

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled an indictment that accuses Castro of ordering the shootdown in 1996 of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles. The charges, which were secretly filed by a grand jury in April, included murder and destruction of an airplane.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has condemned the indictment as a political stunt that sought only to “justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.”

The Castro indictment has led many to believe that the Trump administration is following the same playbook it did when it captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation in early January. Maduro, who has been imprisoned in the U.S. since his seizure, faces federal drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

The U.S. military touted the arrival of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and accompanying ships to the Caribbean Sea on the same day the charges against Castro were announced. U.S. Southern Command said the ships are taking part in maritime exercises with partners in Latin America that began in March.

Rubio would not discuss how the U.S. might move to implement the indictment against Castro, who turns 95 next month.

Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba ever since ousting Maduro and then ordering an energy blockade that choked off fuel shipments to Cuba. That has led to severe blackouts, food shortages and an economic collapse across the island.

Trump has ratcheted up talk of regime change in Cuba after pledging to conduct a “friendly takeover” of the country if its leadership did not open its economy to American investment and kick out U.S. adversaries.

On Thursday, Rubio said Cuba poses a serious national security threat to America because of its security and intelligence ties with China and Russia and friendly relations with U.S. foes in Latin America.

China opposes U.S. sanctions and pressure on Cuba, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, said Thursday.

“China firmly supports Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and national dignity and opposes external interference,” Guo added.

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Associated Press writers Simina Mistreanu in Bangkok and Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.

The department will use ChatGPT and other AI tools to analyze audit reports from all 50 states on an ongoing basis, said Gustav Chiarello, the assistant secretary for financial resources who is leading the new program.

“It’s classic big government: Everyone files an audit and it lands with a thud and no one does anything about it,” Chiarello said in an interview. “Here, with AI, we’re able to dig into it.”

The move builds on the department's embrace of generative AI for investigating state Medicaid programs, automating administrative tasks and editing text. AI tools can be a powerful aid in finding patterns or problems across large documents, but critics say the government should use them with caution because they frequently make mistakes and can have unintended biases.

The Trump administration and Vice President JD Vance’s anti-fraud task force have spent recent months promoting efforts to crack down on fraud in the Medicaid and Medicare programs as well as in student loan applications and other areas. Those efforts have also involved using AI technology to flag likely fraud, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Andrew Ferguson said recently on Fox News.

States, local governments, nonprofits and higher education institutions that spend at least $1 million in federal money a year are required to submit annual audits. The new initiative will use AI to analyze those audits from HHS-funded programs, including state Medicaid programs and federal grantees in research, addiction services and more, Chiarello said.

Recipients that do not file the required reports or resolve problems in them could face a loss of funding. The initiative was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Critics have blasted the administration's anti-fraud efforts, noting most have been targeted at Democratic states and at times have reflected a tendency to attack first and gather the facts later. On at least one occasion, the administration acknowledged to The Associated Press that it made a major mistake in data it had used to help justify a New York Medicaid fraud investigation.

Asked about safeguards against the AI tools making mistakes, Chiarello noted that officials were evaluating public reports rather than uncovering new information. He said the tools were intended to make grantees better stewards of federal dollars.

Rob Weissman, co-president of the consumer rights advocacy group Public Citizen, said he doesn’t think the administration is seriously concerned about fraud, and doesn’t trust it to use AI tools in a fair and nonpartisan way.

“The AI is kind of beside the point when you assess what their actual objectives are, rather than what they pretend they are,” he said.

HHS said it has sent letters to governors and treasurers in all 50 states alerting them to the new initiative.

“This letter serves as your formal notification that HHS will no longer treat chronic audit noncompliance, repeat deficiencies, material weaknesses, or delinquent audit obligations as matters that may remain unresolved through indefinite informal follow-up,” read one of the letters reviewed by the AP.

Chiarello said he has been in touch with his counterparts in other federal departments in hopes that they follow his lead.

“It would be fairly easy for the other agencies to use our technology and jump on it,” he said.

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Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Cornelius Shannon, 51, and Arturo Hernandez, 20, were both arrested Tuesday for generating sexually explicit AI content that drew millions of views online, according to criminal complaints.

The men — who do not appear to be connected — are among the earliest defendants to face charges under the Take It Down Act, a law signed last year by President Donald Trump that adds stricter penalties for publishing AI-created deepfakes and “revenge porn.” The bill drew bipartisan support, as well as the public backing of first lady Melania Trump.

Under the new law, the men now face up to two years in prison.

Attorneys for Shannon and Hernandez did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement, Joseph Nocella, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, said the men had ”used cutting-edge digital technology to create images that degraded and violated” dozens of women. “This case makes clear that posting deepfake pornography is not a victimless crime,” he added.

Shannon, a resident of New Jersey, published at least 240 albums of AI-generated pornography featuring female politicians, musicians and singers, according to the complaint.

The deepfakes published by Hernandez, of Texas, included both celebrities as well as private women, including recent high school graduates, prosecutors said.

The arrests come as increasingly sophisticated generative AI tools have raised alarm about the online spread of sexually explicit fakes, often depicting minors.

Last month, an Ohio man became the first person convicted under the Take It Down Act after pleading guilty to using AI to generate child sexual abuse material.

In March, two teenage boys received probation for creating explicit AI images of their classmates at an exclusive private school in Pennsylvania.

And in a separate case filed earlier this year, three teenagers in Tennessee sued Elon Musk’s xAI, claiming the company’s Grok tools morphed their real photos into explicitly sexual images.

The high school students are seeking class-action status to represent what the lawsuit says are thousands of people who were similarly victimized as minors.

Bordering wild country that includes a wilderness area and wildlife refuge, recreators regularly bump into and sometimes conflict with wildlife, whether it’s moose, wolves, mountain lions or even grizzly bears.

But encounters with bipeds don’t appear to faze an impressive array of wildlife.

That’s one of the chief findings of a yearslong ecological inquiry that analyzed humans and critters passing by 27 remote cameras set along nonmotorized trails in a 36-square-mile area south and east of Jackson. Led by Courtney Larson, a conservation scientist with The Nature Conservancy, the research set out to find if the habitat in the near-town trail system had truly been overrun by outdoorsy locals and several million tourists that flock to recreation-centered Teton County every year.

“People think of that area as like a sacrifice zone,” Larson told WyoFile. “There’s super heavy recreational use and you’re probably not expecting (much) wildlife. We wanted to test that.”

Much of the existing body of research, including studies conducted near Jackson, have found that recreation can have significant adverse effects on wildlife. In the Teton Range, for example, backcountry skiing has displaced bighorn sheep from prime winter habitat.

But along trails near Jackson, Larson found mostly “encouraging” results. The research team drew its conclusions by analyzing 1.9 million images, including roughly 310,000 photos of humans, 54,000 detections of domestic dogs and 8,300 photos of wild mammals.

“Overall, we didn’t find a lot of significant avoidance,” Larson said. “We really do have all these different wildlife species using the area, despite really high recreation.”

Dubbed “Neighbors to Nature: Cache Creek Study,” the research kicked off six years ago and was a joint effort of The Nature Conservancy, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, Friends of Pathways and Teton Raptor Center.

The research team’s study area was the Bridger-Teton National Forest extending out from Snow King Mountain. That area, which includes 50-plus miles of trails, reaches from Josie’s Ridge up the Cache Creek drainage, down to Game Creek and is bounded on the west by U.S. Highway 89.

In April, the collaborators published their findings in the academic journal Conservation Science and Practice. The study looked at how different species responded to different types of human recreation, both in terms of the time of day they used the habitat or if they avoided an area altogether.

Elk appeared to be the most sensitive to disruptions. Faced with high human use, they were more active in the mornings and evenings. Elk also avoided areas with lots of recreation, the researchers found.

Moose did not avoid habitat altogether but did adjust the time of day they used highly trafficked areas.

Mule deer, black bear, coyote, skunk and mountain lion did not significantly alter their use of habitat due to recreation.

The analysis of remote camera images showed that foot traffic — hiking, skiing and snowshoeing — produced more negative wildlife responses than did cycling or the presence of domestic dogs.

“The results on that were mixed, and kind of confusing,” Larson said. “It’s nuanced, because there are greater numbers of hikers. We also aren’t able to look at distance. The average person going out hiking is probably going a couple miles, but the average person going out for a mountain bike ride is going to go much further.”

Larson emphasized her research’s limitations. The cameras, she pointed out, measured use during a 2.5-year “snapshot in time” when the trails were already in place.

“This area has been used really heavily for recreation for a long time,” Larson said. “We don’t know how many mule deer were using the area before.”

“I don’t want it to be portrayed as, ‘We have no impact, recreation and wildlife are totally fine,’” she added.

The study results come out at a time when the Bridger-Teton National Forest is revising its forest plan. Recreation is expected to be a central issue in the planning effort, which is in the early stages and will update a forest plan that’s 36 years old.

Linda Merigliano, a retired Bridger-Teton recreation specialist and collaborator on the study, hopes her successors put the new data to use.

“We really wanted this to serve as a baseline,” she said. “As we look at the forest plan, let’s try to build in metrics for wildlife-recreation coexistence.”

The beloved Cache Creek area (it’s even the subject of a book ) “is not a sacrifice zone,” Merigilano said. The area’s wildness and resilience, she said, is influenced by its setting, bordering the Gros Ventre Wilderness and National Elk Refuge.

“If Snow King was completely surrounded by development, we wouldn’t have the kind of critters that we have there,” Merigliano said. “There can be coexistence, but it’s not like anything goes. It requires active management, having season closures, and trails that people primarily stay on.”

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This story was originally published by WyoFile and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

Mullin arrived in the Mexican capital for a two-day visit following tensions in recent weeks over the deaths of two CIA agents at Mexico’s northern border and U.S. drug trafficking indictments against 10 Mexican officials.

Sheinbaum's administration, which took office in October 2024, has toed a fine line with the Trump administration as it has emphasized bilateral cooperation, while also maintaining Mexico's sovereignty in the face of threats of U.S. military intervention.

After meeting with Mullin at the presidential palace, Sheinbaum shared a brief post on X saying that both nations will maintain cooperation based on mutual respect.

Mullin, who assumed the position in March after Kristi Noem’s departure, was also scheduled to meet with Mexico’s Security Cabinet.

Earlier Thursday, Sheinbaum said that she would also speak with Mullin about the 15 Mexican migrants who have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers since 2025, which prompted diplomatic protests from her government. Sheinbaum has instructed consulates to make daily visits to the detention centers, and Mexico announced in March that it would bring the cases before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

The Mexican president also ruled out discussing the cases of the 10 indicted officials, some of whom belong to the governing Morena party, during her meeting with Mullin.

In late April, the New York Attorney General’s office indicted Sinaloa Gov. Rubén Rocha, Culiacan mayor Juan de Dios Gámez, and eight other active and retired officials on charges including drug trafficking and illegal possession of firearms.

Rocha and Gámez temporarily stepped down from their posts to facilitate the investigation opened by Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, while the former Sinaloa government officials, Gerardo Mérida and Enrique Díaz, surrendered to U.S. authorities last week.

Bilateral relations became strained after the deaths of two CIA agents on April 19, along with two officials from the Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office, when the vehicle they were traveling in plunged into a ravine in the mountains between Chihuahua — which borders Texas — and the state of Sinaloa, where a clandestine synthetic drug lab had been dismantled.

The incident prompted a formal protest from the Sheinbaum administration to Washington that it hadn't been informed of the presence of the two U.S. agents in Mexico, or of their activities in the opposition-governed state of Chihuahua.

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

It’s the first time Washington has sanctioned sitting Lebanese state security officials, one from the country's General Security agency and the other from the military intelligence, both of them accused of providing Hezbollah with “illicit support” and intelligence during the ongoing conflict.

The announcement comes as pressure mounts on Beirut to take more decisive action in disarming the group.

Included in Thursday's sanctions are former cabinet minister and senior Hezbollah official Mohammed Fneish, senior Hezbollah parliamentarians Hassan Fadlallah, Ibrahim al-Moussawi and Hussein Hajj Hassan. All have pushed against efforts for disarmament.

Mohammad Reza Sheibani, the Iranian Ambassador designate to Lebanon — who was ordered to leave Beirut by Lebanon's foreign ministry — was also hit with sanctions.

Treasury accuses the men of undermining Lebanon's ability to disarm the Iranian-backed Shiite militant organization.

The announcement comes as Lebanese and Israeli officials continue holding low-level talks in Washington in a bid to end the monthslong war between Israel and Hezbollah. Military officials from both sides are expected to hold their first direct talks in the Pentagon on May 29 as Israel mounts pressure on Lebanon to disarm the powerful group, and Beirut urges Israel to end its daily airstrikes and to withdraw its troops from large swaths of southern Lebanon.

Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon on Tuesday killed at least 19 people, including four women and three children, Lebanon’s Health Ministry said.

Hezbollah has dismissed the ongoing talks, instead backing Iran’s talks with the U.S. mediated by Pakistan. It rejects calls, both locally and internationally, for its disarmament. Lebanon’s president and prime minister in early 2025 came to power on a reformist platform vowing to disarm all non-state groups, including Hezbollah. Washington and Israel have been critical of the slow process, but the authorities fear a more confrontational approach could risk armed conflict in the tiny Mediterranean country.

The sanctions announced Thursday deny the parties access to any property or financial assets held in the U.S. Its unclear what kind of ties they have with the U.S. financial system.

Hezbollah has been designated a “foreign terrorist organization" under the authority of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act since 1997.

“Treasury will continue to take action against officials who have infiltrated the Lebanese government," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement, adding that Hezbollah has waged a "senseless campaign of violence against the Lebanese people.”

—

Chehayeb reported from Beirut.

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According to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, at about 1:21 p.m. on Feb. 28, Dania Rodriguez-Ortiz entered a Sephora, located at 8500 SW 88th St., grabbed about $850 worth of skin care and makeup products, placed them in her purse, and left without paying.

Deputies said the entire incident was captured on surveillance video, and she was later identified by name and date of birth.

They said a second incident occurred on March 4, at about 4:23 p.m., when Rodriguez-Oritz allegedly returned to the same store and selected about $1,059 worth of similar items.

The report states that she placed the merchandise in her purse, then went to the register and paid for one makeup item before leaving without paying for the rest.

That incident was also captured on surveillance video, according to authorities.

Jail records show Rodriguez-Ortiz is facing two counts of third-degree grand theft.

As of Thursday afternoon, she was being held on a $2,500 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

The indictment announced Wednesday emerged as the Trump administration continues its pressure campaign to topple the island's socialist government. The charges accuse Castro and the military pilots of conspiring to terrorize, intimidate and retaliate against Cubans and the country's exile community by shooting down the aircraft flown by the Brothers to the Rescue group.

Castro, now 94, was defense minister when MiG fighters targeted the group's planes.

Authorities allege that Castro’s five co-conspirators, all part of the Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force, engaged in training missions around February 1996 “to find, track, pursue and intercept" aircraft off the Cuban coast in anticipation of flights by Brothers to the Rescue.

The indictment states that they underwent training at Castro’s “command and with direction from” a co-conspirator who was not indicted.

Here is what is known about the five pilots, who were identified as Lt. Col. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez, José Fidel Gual Barzaga, Lt. Col. Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez, Emilio José Palacio Blanco and Raúl Simanca Cárdenas.

Lt. Col. Lorenzo Alberto Pérez-Pérez

The indictment alleges that Pérez-Pérez and a pilot who was not charged shot down two planes on Feb. 24, 1996, in international airspace, killing four Americans.

Pérez-Pérez told Cuban state television days after the shooting that he intercepted the first aircraft and warned it based on orders from controllers. He said the plane ignored his warnings.

“We tried to dissuade their crew members, but they continued to dangerously approach the Cuban coast, and then we received the order to interrupt the flight of the first aircraft,” Pérez-Pérez said at the time. “Afterward, we conducted the same operation with the second plane, which also refused to change its direction.”

Castro is accused in the indictment of authorizing the use of deadly force after Brothers to the Rescue flew planes that dropped pro-democracy leaflets over Cuba in January 1996. U.S. prosecutors said Castro and his older brother, Fidel Castro, who was president at the time, were the final decision-makers on orders to kill.

Pérez-Pérez was previously indicted in the U.S. in August 2003 and accused of murder, aircraft destruction and conspiracy.

Lt. Col. Luis Raúl González-Pardo Rodríguez

The indictment alleges that on the same day of the deadly attacks, Gual Barzaga, Simanca Cárdenas and González-Pardo Rodríguez followed but did not destroy a third plane.

González-Pardo Rodríguez, 65, is the only defendant in U.S. custody. He was indicted in November for allegedly making false statements in an immigration document.

The U.S. Department of Justice at the time said that he falsely stated he never received any weapons or military training, never participated in any group that used weapons or threatened to use weapons, and never served in a military or police unit. In reality, prosecutors said, "he received such training and served in the Cuban military as part of the Air Defense Force.”

He is scheduled to be sentenced later this month after pleading guilty in February.

The five pilots and Castro face one count of conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals. Castro and Pérez-Pérez were also indicted on counts of murder and destruction of aircraft.

Three other pilots

Little is known about Gual Barzaga, Palacio Blanco and Simanca Cárdenas.

The indictment alleges that Pérez-Pérez and Palacio Blanco took off from the San Antonio de los Baños airfield, near Havana, in separate jets. Pérez-Pérez requested authorization to shoot down the civilian aircraft some 20 minutes later.

While Pérez-Pérez attacked the two planes, according to the indictment, Gual Barzaga and Simanca Cárdenas sat together in a third fighter jet, and González-Pardo Rodríguez was in a fourth one ready to deploy. Authorities allege the waiting pilots listened to Pérez-Pérez's radio requests for authorization to attack the planes, and they eventually joined him in the pursuit of the third civilian aircraft.

The federal indictment includes an undated photo of González-Pardo Rodríguez and Pérez-Pérez looking at a document next to a fighter jet.

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

Según un informe de arresto de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, alrededor de la 1:21 p.m. del 28 de febrero, Dania Rodriguez-Ortiz entró a una tienda Sephora ubicada en 8500 SW 88th St., tomó aproximadamente $850 USD en productos para el cuidado de la piel y maquillaje, los colocó en su bolso y salió sin pagar.

Los agentes dijeron que todo el incidente fue captado en video de vigilancia y posteriormente fue identificada por nombre y fecha de nacimiento.

Indicaron que un segundo incidente ocurrió el 4 de marzo alrededor de las 4:23 p.m., cuando Rodriguez-Ortiz presuntamente regresó a la misma tienda y seleccionó aproximadamente $1,059 USD en artículos similares.

El informe señala que colocó la mercancía en su bolso, luego fue a la caja registradora y pagó por un artículo de maquillaje antes de salir sin pagar el resto.

Ese incidente también fue captado en video de vigilancia, según las autoridades.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Rodriguez-Ortiz enfrenta dos cargos de hurto mayor en tercer grado.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, permanecía detenida en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $2,500 USD.

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An arrest report from the Florida City Police Department states that the incident started with a 5:30 p.m. confrontation in the intersection of Palm Drive and Krome Avenue.

Police said Billy Graham Tindal, 63, of Lakeland, began honking at the victim, who was in the intersection after the light changed and “drove within inches of his vehicle,” prompting the other driver to give him the middle finger.

Authorities said Tindal, who is temporarily living in Homestead, eventually followed the other driver onto U.S. 1, where he tried to run him off the road and then “rolled down his window and pointed a small handgun” at him. The report states that Tindal waved the gun again while both were at a red light north of Florida’s Turnpike.

According to the report, the victim called police and followed Tindal at a distance to Hummingbird Drive and Jay Court in Homestead, where an officer from that city’s police department arrived.

Florida City police arrived later and said that Tindal gave “multiple conflicting statements” about the incident and claimed that he was the one nearly run off the road, saying he pulled into a hotel parking lot to “get away” from the other driver.

Authorities said Tindal’s own dashboard camera showed that he was the one behaving aggressively and never pulled into the hotel lot like he claimed. The arrest report states that the video showed Tindal trying to run the other driver off the road but the investigating officer didn’t see him “visibly brandish(ing) the firearm in the video footage.”

But police said they did seize a gun from Tindal after taking him into custody on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and reckless driving.

As of Thursday, Tindal was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $2,650 bond.

Un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Florida City indica que el incidente comenzó con una confrontación a las 5:30 p.m. en la intersección de Palm Drive y Krome Avenue.

La policía dijo que Billy Graham Tindal, de 63 años y residente de Lakeland, comenzó a tocar la bocina a la víctima, quien estaba en la intersección después de que cambiara la luz y “condujo a pulgadas de su vehículo”, lo que provocó que el otro conductor le hiciera una señal obscena con el dedo medio.

Las autoridades dijeron que Tindal, quien vive temporalmente en Homestead, eventualmente siguió al otro conductor hasta U.S. 1, donde intentó sacarlo de la carretera y luego “bajó su ventana y apuntó una pequeña pistola” hacia él. El informe indica que Tindal volvió a mostrar el arma mientras ambos estaban detenidos en una luz roja al norte de la autopista Turnpike de Florida.

Según el informe, la víctima llamó a la policía y siguió a Tindal a distancia hasta Hummingbird Drive y Jay Court en Homestead, donde llegó un agente del departamento de policía de esa ciudad.

La policía de Florida City llegó más tarde y dijo que Tindal dio “múltiples declaraciones contradictorias” sobre el incidente y afirmó que él fue quien estuvo a punto de ser sacado de la carretera, asegurando que entró a un estacionamiento de hotel para “alejarse” del otro conductor.

Las autoridades dijeron que la propia cámara del tablero de Tindal mostró que él era quien se comportaba agresivamente y que nunca entró al estacionamiento del hotel como afirmó. El informe de arresto indica que el video mostró a Tindal intentando sacar al otro conductor de la carretera, pero el agente investigador no vio que “mostrara visiblemente el arma de fuego en el video”.

Sin embargo, la policía dijo que confiscó un arma de Tindal después de arrestarlo por cargos de agresión agravada con arma mortal y conducción imprudente.

Hasta el jueves, Tindal permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $2,650 USD.

Running more than 250 pages, the prospectus for his SpaceX stock debut shows spending at a massive scale — greater than the economic output of some countries — and about to grow much larger as he races to make good on his promise to hurl men to distant planets. Money raised in the initial public offering — reportedly $75 billion or so — will help finance those futuristic, fantastical plans.

Assuming the IPO goes off without a hitch, it will rank as the largest ever. It will also likely make Musk, a major SpaceX owner and already the world’s richest man, the first trillionaire.

The document in part reads like a script for a Hollywood sci-fi movie as he details how he hopes to use his rockets to save the human race from extinction by making it an interplanetary species.

First, he will send men to the moon, then, maybe, Mars, where he hopes to build a permanent one-million person colony.

A look at the outsized numbers behind Musk’s outsized ambitions.

$1.75 trillion-$2 trillion

The expected valuation for SpaceX after its public offering, expected to take place next month. Nvidia is now the world’s most valuable public company at around $5.4 trillion. It went public in January 1999 and first closed with a market value above $2 trillion in March 2024.

$4.9 billion

SpaceX’s loss for the full year 2025. Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle company, went public in 2010 but didn’t earn an annual profit until 2020.

$839 billion

Elon Musk’s net worth as of May 20, according to Forbes. Musk is a major stockholder in SpaceX, and also stands to reap hundreds of billions of dollars from a compensation package awarded to him at Tesla, assuming he hits some ambitious financial and business metrics.

85.1%

The voting power at SpaceX controlled by Musk by virtue of his owning more than 90% of the company’s Class B shares, which give the holder 10 votes for every share held. He also owns a 12% stake in the Class A shares, which carry one vote.

At least 1 million

That’s how many human inhabitants Musk needs to have living in a colony on Mars for him to receive a part of his SpaceX compensation package. There are no current capabilities of transporting one human to Mars, let alone 1 million.

$7.5 trillion

That’s the top market capitalization SpaceX has to reach for Musk to receive his full compensation. He will receive it in pieces as the market capitalization rises to certain milestones along the way. By comparison, Trump’s proposed defense budget for fiscal year 2027 is $1.5 trillion.

9,600

That’s approximately how many Starlink satellites SpaceX has in orbit. By comparison UPS says it has 135,000 delivery vehicles — including motorcycles — in its fleet. Delta Air Lines has a fleet of more than 1,200 when regional airline partners are included.

366

The number of days Musk is required to hold on to his SpaceX stock before he’s able to sell or transfer it. It’s called a lock-up period and prevents insiders dumping their shares or immediately cashing out. Other top SpaceX investors have to wait 180 days.

$20.7 billion

How much the company spent in 2025 for all its units, which include rockets, satellites and artificial intelligence technology. The bulk of the spending, at just under $11.4 billion, came from its connectivity unit that includes its Starlink satellites.

$131 million

That’s how much SpaceX spent in 2025 on Cybertrucks from Musk’s other public company, Tesla. The base model of a Cybertruck costs $69,990, so $131 million gets the buyer 1,871 vehicles. Musk’s businesses often interact, which has raised speculation that Tesla and SpaceX could eventually merge.

That's because we're talking about barbecue — the “low and slow” cooking method that's a hallmark of American culture.

Obviously, meat cooked over heat can be found in great-tasting forms all over the world - roasted, baked, grilled, all the ways. Many of them are regulars on the American plate. But there's something about the way barbecue developed in the U.S., cuts of meat made falling-off-the-bone tender through hours of cooking over indirect heat or smoke at lower temperatures, often with a sauce used as a marinade or for basting or perhaps a mix of dry spices. See: Ribs. Brisket. Pork shoulder. (You're hungry, aren't you. Told you.)

The roots of what's become American barbecue go back before the U.S. officially even became a country, says Robert F. Moss, contributing barbecue editor for “Southern Living” magazine and author of “Barbecue, The History of American Institution.”

It's a mix of influences, he says, starting between the indigenous peoples already here with their own cooking methods, the colonists who came from Europe with livestock new to the Americas and the enslaved Africans with their own cultures and traditions forcibly brought over and put to work.

“A lot of visitors to the United States ... called out barbecue as being a particular American kind of thing,” Moss says. “From the very beginning, it was something distinctive to the Americas and something that Europeans recognized as being something different than the way they cooked meat.”

The development of what we think of as barbecue today had other influences over the centuries, like commercial refrigeration of the late 19th century and the subsequent popularity of the in-home version in the early decades of the 20th, which allowed people to buy and store cuts of meat in ways impossible in colonial times.

Another hallmark of American barbecue culture is how regional it is, with different sauces and cooking techniques in North Carolina vs Memphis vs Texas vs Georgia. Moss says that developed in the early part of the 20th century.

A local cook might start a restaurant and teach barbecue to his employees, who then went out on their own. “You can literally map out these barbecue mentors who sort of spun out all these other cooks, and you can see how their style sort of was handed down from one generation to the next,” Moss says. “And that’s where you start seeing all the things we think of as the iconic.”

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Part of a recurring series, “American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. For more American objects, click here. For more stories on the anniversary, click here.

Fendrich died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, his wife Rosanna Maietta said. He was diagnosed with cancer in February shortly after returning from Milan, where he covered his 11th Olympics.

Tennis great Roger Federer, who estimated he'd had more than 100 interactions with Fendrich over the decades, called the journalist “one of those constant and reassuring presences in the tennis world for many years.”

“He started covering tennis in 2002, right around the time I was starting to have my breakthrough in the sport, and over time he truly became part of the fabric of tennis,” Federer said. “Tennis lost a wonderful journalist and a great person.”

Fendrich is survived by his wife; his mother, Renée; his brother, Alex; and two sons, Stefano and Jordan, each of whom are pursuing careers in sports journalism – just like their dad.

“Howard was a gifted journalist who brought such skill, expertise and enthusiasm to his work,” said AP Executive Editor and Senior Vice President Julie Pace. “His stories were a joy to read, combining lively writing with insightful reporting. He was also a generous and beloved colleague whose warmth and passion touched so many across the AP.”

A veteran of AP across three decades

A graduate of Haverford College near Philadelphia, Fendrich worked at AP for 33 years, starting as an unpaid intern in Rome.

There, he became fluent in his beloved city’s language, mostly by watching Italian karaoke videos, and that helped him get a foot in the door to the news agency’s European sports coverage, focusing on soccer. That, in turn, landed him on the radar of the AP sports editor at the time, Terry R. Taylor, who helped him get back to the United States.

In the United States, Fendrich started as an editor on the AP sports desk at the New York headquarters, where he also wrote a sports media column. He moved to the Washington area in 2005 and became a steady presence on sports beats in the region where he had grown up.

But his true passion was tennis. He chronicled the careers of Venus and Serena Williams, Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and others. He covered some 70 Grand Slam tournaments over nearly a quarter century on the beat. It was at those events where his brilliance shone brightest.

Fendrich's writing honors included two Grimsley Awards for best overall body of work among AP sports writers and a handful of deadline-writing citations. One was for a piece from Andre Agassi’s last match, which came at the 2006 U.S. Open:

“Crouched alone in the silence of the locker room, a pro tennis player no more, a red-eyed Andre Agassi twisted his torso in an attempt to conquer the seemingly mundane task of pulling a white shirt over his head. Never more than at that moment did Agassi seem so vulnerable, looking far older than his 36 years.”

The passage highlighted Fendrich at his best – watching, rewatching, taking notes, going beyond the courts and painstakingly sifting through details of events that millions of people witnessed to tell them something the guy sitting right next to him might not have noticed.

Fendrich captured Federer’s heartfelt meeting with Bjorn Borg in the hallway after a history-making win at Wimbledon. He detailed the gritty realities of playing on red clay at Roland Garros, then having to wash it out of shorts and socks when the match was over.

At his last big assignment in Milan, he followed speedskater Jutta Leerdam’s famous fiancé, fighter Jake Paul, down the hallway leading to the parking lot – all just to unearth a detail, just to get a quote. He got them, then Paul proclaimed: “OK, we’re done.” Bodyguards moved in and, as Fendrich said at a dinner later: “I decided, ‘Yes, I guess we are.’”

An unerring instinct for how to get the news

He had a knack for knowing where to go, who to ask and, just as importantly, what to ask and how.

For days during the steamy Washington summer in 2011, he sat on a folding chair on a sidewalk, perched a laptop on his lap and wrote, all while waiting for principals to emerge from tense negotiations during the protracted NFL labor lockout. Though he wasn’t what would be known today as an “NFL insider,” Fendrich worked the room, the phones — and the sidewalk — and helped AP stay as competitive as anyone in delivering developments and detailing the eventual end of the standoff.

“There was that doggedness,” said Mary Byrne, the AP’s deputy sports editor at the time of the lockout. “He was annoyed by it, and by all the time he spent out there waiting for people to come out and say nothing. But that situation wasn’t going to get the best of him, and he wasn’t going to get beat on the story.”

When Washington quarterback Alex Smith broke his leg in the most gruesome of fashions in 2018, Fendrich immediately got on the phone with the one person who could understand: retired star quarterback Joe Theismann.

Sometimes, however, the phone would ring for him and, even if he was in the middle of a World Series game, Fendrich would pick up. If he started speaking Italian, it was undoubtedly Rosanna, his wife. Or sometimes the kids called and had a school question — or a story from that day’s soccer game. For them, he had endless patience and time.

Then: Straight back to work, and he didn’t miss a thing.

“Nothing got past him,” said Stephen Wilson, AP's former European sports editor, who worked with Fendrich for more than 20 years. “Every story — even a three-paragraph brief — had to be iron-clad.”

It wasn’t just the written word where Fendrich was a master. He had a snappy, razor-sharp sense of humor. No colleague could turn him down when he raised his eyebrows, motioned his head toward the door and asked them to join him in his “office” -- usually a quiet courtyard or hallway outside a press room — to hash out coverage plans for the day or compare notes about people and things seen around the courts.

Chris Lehourites, an editor at AP who guided tennis coverage in Europe for decades, spent many a long day fretting over punctuation, syntax and word choice with Fendrich, whom he called a “perfectionist when it came to his job.”

“Howard was also a friend,” Lehourites said, “whose dry humor, along with his bags of Blow Pop lollipops, made long days go by quick.”

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https://apnews.com/sports

La Junta Directiva de la vía interoceánica escogió luego de varias semanas de evaluación a quien actualmente ocupa el cargo de subadministradora de la Autoridad del Canal de Panamá, donde ha liderado proyectos clave como la ampliación de la vía, que se inició en 2007 y se puso en operación a mediados del 2016.

La ingeniera, de 64 años, ocupará el cargo por siete años a partir del 1 de octubre y reemplazará al actual administrador Ricaurte Vásquez. Espino de Marotta se desempeña como subadministradora desde el año 2020.

“He hablado con la nueva Administradora del Canal de Panamá... para felicitarla y reafirmar el compromiso de trabajar coordinadamente en proyectos estratégicos que generen empleo, prosperidad y progreso para los panameños”, escribió el mandatario en su cuenta de la red social X.

Espino de Marotta cuenta con más de 35 años de experiencia en la industria marítima, principalmente en el Canal de Panamá. Con un muy característico casco rosa estuvo al frente de millonarios proyectos de inversión, entre ellos la ampliación del tercer juego de esclusas valuada en más de 5.000 millones de dólares.

Actualmente, lidera el Proyecto de Río Indio, estimado en 1.500 millones, una de las iniciativas más importantes para el futuro del canal porque permitirá la estabilidad hídrica de la vía interoceánica y el abastecimiento de agua para más de dos millones de personas que habitan en la capital panameña y zonas aledañas.

La nueva administradora también tendrá entre sus principales retos el desarrollo de dos nuevos puertos que serán licitados en los próximos meses, uno en cada salida del canal. Además, la vía planea licitar la construcción de un gasoducto y el desarrollo de un corredor logístico como parte de su estrategia de expansión y diversificación.

Espino de Marotta obtuvo una licenciatura en Ingeniería Marina de Texas A&M University y una maestría en Ingeniería Económica de la Universidad Santa María La Antigua. Además, participó en el Programa de Desarrollo Ejecutivo de INCAE Business School y en la Kellogg School of Management de Northwestern University. También cuenta con una certificación como administradora de proyectos del Project Management Institute.

The two-time American League Cy Young Award winner underwent a non-invasive procedure on his left pitching elbow on May 6 to remove a loose body. He threw his latest bullpen session prior to Detroit's home game against Cleveland.

Manager A.J. Hinch called it a “great step” but stopped short of saying when Skubal might return to action.

“There are little hurdles to clear along the way when you come back from a procedure,” Hinch said. “As much as we described it as simple, it's still a procedure.”

Skubal used his full arsenal while throwing a total of 35 pitches, taking a breather in-between to simulate a break between innings.

“His velocity was as high as it's been since his throwing started,” Hinch said. “He sat down and came back and did like a simulated second inning. That's encouraging and it's full stuff.”

Skubal will travel with the team during its weekend series in Baltimore and throw another bullpen session. The team's medical and coaching staff will determine his next step afterward.

Skubal is 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA in seven starts this season. He'll be a free agent after the season.

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Postcards emblazoned with “Greetings from” a state, city or tourist attraction advertise more than just the tiny scenes squeezed into 3D letters. They also reflect American innovation and idealism in both their production and popularity.

So-called large-letter postcards weren’t new when a German immigrant named Curt Teich began producing colorful linen-textured versions in the early 1930s, but he “was kind of a genius,” said Will Hansen, curator of Americana at the Newberry Library in Chicago, home to largest public collection of Teich postcards in the United States.

Just as Henry Ford revolutionized automobile production, Teich’s company perfected a system of mass producing large-letter postcards based on the idea that no town was too small to include.

“Nobody had really pulled together the idea that we should just do these for everywhere, and that’s kind of a quintessentially American thing,” Hansen said. “You take an idea, and you perfect it and you replicate it.”

The postcards’ popularity in the 1940s, 50s and 60s was fueled by an obsession with the automobile and the adventure of road travel. Teich and his imitators used saturated colors and simplified scenes to paint an enticing view of mid-20th-century America.

“They’re very optimistic-looking,” Hansen said. “That is sort of in tandem with how Americans are thinking about America at that time — that this is a country on an upward trajectory, that we have more money to spend, that we’re able to travel freely in ways we couldn’t before.”

Peter Meggison, a 76-year-old retired community college professor in Westport, Massachusetts, has 10,000 large-letter postcards in his private collection. His favorites include cards depicting his hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and one from Saugatuck, Michigan, that features a vibrant artist’s palette as the background.

“I think it’s the graphics that appeal to a lot of people, and they really do represent mid-20th century America, which is really quite nice,” he said.

For non-collectors, sending the postcards to friends and family was an inexpensive way to show off their travel. Today, travelers pose in front of murals around the country that mimic the vintage postcards and share photos on social media. Last year, the Newberry helped The Eagles create a background of gigantic postcard images at the Sphere in Las Vegas for the classic rock band’s performance of “Take it Easy.”

Says Hansen: “Even if folks in that crowd weren’t alive at the time when these were being distributed, everybody knows them."

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Part of a recurring series, “American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. For more stories on the anniversary, click here.

El subcomandante de la Policía de Cochabamba, Marcelo Acuña, informó que se detuvo a nueve manifestantes que atacaron a los agentes arrojándoles cartuchos de dinamita.

El jueves la ciudad de La Paz estaba tranquila y con plena normalidad comercial, pero escaso transporte. El Palacio Presidencial era custodiado por militares y policías después de una marcha de maestros, campesinos, mineros, entre otros, sin mayores incidencias a diferencia del lunes.

Urge un corredor humanitario

En La Paz la policía buscaba mediante el diálogo establecer un corredor para garantizar el abastecimiento de oxígeno medicinal, alimentos y combustible.

El presidente del Colégio Médico, Luis Larrea, dijo que los hospitales públicos están “al margen” del oxígeno medicinal y de alimentos para los pacientes.

Médicos del hospital del Niño en La Paz se declarararon en emergencia, medida preventiva que busca garantizar la atención de pacientes críticos y servicios prioritarios, al tiempo en que advirtieron que de continuar los bloqueos deberán suspender las cirugías.

La noche del miércoles en la vecina ciudad de El Alto, que también tiene puntos de bloqueo, se logró el paso de 70 carros cisternas con gasolina desde una planta de la petrolera estatal.

Mientras las familias bolivianas relizaban largas filas para adquirir alimentos que llegaban por vuelos. El jueves, Chile envió un avión Hércules de su Fuerza Aérea con cinco toneladas de alimentos.

Los productores de alimentos suelen abastaecer los mercados de La Paz, y regiones vecinas se quedaron con toda la producción de estas semanas, generando pérdidas.

El sector productivo estimó en 600 millones de dólares las pérdidas causadas por los bloqueos.

Acercamientos y prudencia

“Nos hemos reunido con varias instituciones, la Iglesia católica, (de) derechos humanos y otras instituciones como la Cruz Roja para que puedan abrir corredores, induciendo a los que están bloqueando las carreteras”, informó el ministro de Gobierno, Marco Antonio Oviedo, a Radio Panamericana.

Poco después esas instituciones exhortaron a las autoridades del Estado a actuar con “máxima responsabilidad y prudencia” en sus declaraciones para reactivar el diálogo con sectores en protesta depués que Paz en conferencia de prensa el miércoles dijera que no negociará con “vándalos”.

La Paz y sus ciudades aledañas tienen más de 20 puntos de bloqueo de los más de 40 que hay a nivel nacional, en su mayoría protagonizados por campesinos y seguidores del expresidente Evo Morales (2006-2019).

En El Alto los cortes de ruta se mantenían, pero cada vez más débiles, dijo el alcalde Eliser Roca.

Luego de que en la víspera el presidente Paz anunció un reordenamiento de su gabinete el jueves tomó juramento a Williams Bascope como ministro de Trabajo. Poco antes demitió Édgar Morales, con el fin de pacificar el país.

Leer en español

It happened on Feb. 17 in the area of Southwest 266th Street and 138th Avenue in the county’s Naranja neighborhood.

According to Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the two victims said they were at the scene to buy drugs when they were ambushed and shot by a man later identified as 22-year-old Brian Laoz.

The victims drove themselves to the hospital while deputies said Laoz fled the scene and was later picked up by Leah Santos, 22, who told investigators that she was Laoz’s girlfriend.

Now, authorities have arrested a third person, 22-year-old Lamont Lindner, for his involvement in the crime.

According to MDSO, surveillance video from the night of the shooting showed Laoz running away from the scene after allegedly opening fire on the victims before stopping on Southwest 268th Street just west of 138th Court and making contact with Lindner, who had just arrived on a bicycle.

Investigators later arrived to where both Laoz and Lindner were and detained them, at which time Lindner told a detective, “Y’all got the wrong people today, brother,” according to his arrest form.

Deputies also said Lindner was wearing a black T-shirt with a design that said “In Glock With Trust with a picture of a handgun and a magazine,” that was exposed because the gray hoodie that he was wearing when he arrived at the scene had been removed and given to Laoz, who had since put it on, according to official documents.

Lindner is facing felony charges of accessory after the fact and tampering with physical evidence.

As of Thursday afternoon, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $12,500 bond, but official documents indicate he was out on felony bond at the time of his arrest.

El incidente ocurrió el 17 de febrero en el área de Southwest 266th Street y 138th Avenue, en el vecindario Naranja del condado.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, las dos víctimas dijeron que estaban en el lugar para comprar drogas cuando fueron emboscadas y baleadas por un hombre posteriormente identificado como Brian Laoz, de 22 años.

Las víctimas condujeron por su cuenta hasta el hospital, mientras los agentes dijeron que Laoz huyó de la escena y posteriormente fue recogido por Leah Santos, de 22 años, quien dijo a los investigadores que era novia de Laoz.

Ahora, las autoridades arrestaron a una tercera persona, Lamont Lindner, de 22 años, por su participación en el crimen.

Según la MDSO, un video de vigilancia de la noche de la balacera mostró a Laoz corriendo lejos de la escena después de presuntamente abrir fuego contra las víctimas, antes de detenerse en Southwest 268th Street al oeste de 138th Court y hacer contacto con Lindner, quien acababa de llegar en bicicleta.

Los investigadores posteriormente llegaron al lugar donde estaban Laoz y Lindner y los detuvieron, momento en el que Lindner le dijo a un detective: “Hoy atraparon a las personas equivocadas, hermano”, según su informe de arresto.

Los agentes también dijeron que Lindner llevaba puesta una camiseta negra con un diseño que decía “In Glock We Trust” junto a la imagen de una pistola y un cargador, que quedó expuesta porque el suéter gris con capucha que llevaba cuando llegó a la escena había sido removido y entregado a Laoz, quien posteriormente se lo puso, según documentos oficiales.

Lindner enfrenta cargos graves de cómplice después del hecho y manipulación de evidencia física.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $12,500 USD, pero documentos oficiales indican que estaba libre bajo fianza por otro delito grave al momento de su arresto.

Denied entry into the military as a teenager because of his extreme views, the 50-year-old Ben-Gvir nevertheless rose to become one of the most powerful people in the country after operating for decades within its far-right fringes.

His tactics drew a backlash this week, as foreign leaders — and even coalition partner Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — condemned his on-camera treatment of some 430 detainees from the Global Sumud Flotilla.

In one clip, Ben-Gvir is seen waving a large Israeli flag over hunched-over detainees whose hands appear to be bound. In another, he taunts a kneeling detainee whose wrists are zip-tied, yelling “Am Yisrael Chai” at him — Hebrew for “The nation of Israel lives.” In another, the detainees can be seen — foreheads to the floor of an outdoor pen — as the Israeli national anthem plays and armed guards encircle them.

Here is a closer look at Ben-Gvir:

An outlaw youth

Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offenses that include racism and supporting a terrorist organization.

The army banned him from compulsory military service when he was a teen, deeming his views too extreme.

Ben-Gvir gained notoriety in his youth as a follower of the late radical rabbi Meir Kahane. He first became a national figure when he broke a hood ornament off then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s car in 1995.

“We got to his car, and we’ll get to him too,” he said, just weeks before Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to his peace efforts with the Palestinians.

Two years later, Ben-Gvir took responsibility for orchestrating a campaign of protests, including death threats, that forced Irish singer Sinead O’Connor to cancel a concert for peace in Jerusalem.

Moving to the mainstream

The political rise of Ben-Gvir was the culmination of years of efforts by the media-savvy lawmaker to gain legitimacy. But it also reflected a rightward shift in the Israeli electorate that brought his religious, ultranationalist ideology into the mainstream and diminished hopes for Palestinian independence.

Ben-Gvir is trained as a lawyer and gained recognition as a successful defense attorney for extremist Jews accused of violence against Palestinians.

With a quick wit and cheerful demeanor, Ben-Gvir also became a popular fixture in the media, paving his way to enter politics. He was first elected to parliament in 2021.

Ben-Gvir has called for deporting his political opponents. In an episode in 2022, he brandished a pistol and encouraged police to open fire on Palestinian stone-throwers in a tense Jerusalem neighborhood.

In his Cabinet post, Ben-Gvir oversaw the country’s police force. He used his influence to encourage Netanyahu to press ahead with the war in Gaza and recently boasted that he had blocked past efforts to reach a ceasefire.

As national security minister, he has encouraged police to take a tough line against anti-government protesters.

Controversial minister

Ben-Gvir, who lives in the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba in the West Bank, secured his Cabinet post after 2022 elections that put Netanyahu and his far-right partners, including Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party, into power.

“Over the last year I’ve been on a mission to save Israel,” Ben-Gvir told reporters before that election. “Millions of citizens are waiting for a real right-wing government. The time has come to give them one.”

Ben-Gvir has been a magnet of controversy throughout his tenure — encouraging the mass distribution of handguns to Jewish citizens, backing Netanyahu’s contentious attempt to overhaul the country’s legal system and frequently lashing out at U.S. leaders for perceived slights against Israel.

He oversees the nation's police force, prison service and border police units that operate in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

During the war in Gaza, which began after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack, Ben-Gvir repeatedly advocated against the entry of humanitarian aid into the territory, even as experts warned of brewing famine.

In July 2025, he was one of two Israeli ministers sanctioned by Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway for allegedly “inciting extremist violence” against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. T he Netherlands has banned Ben-Gvir from entering the country.

He recently celebrated in Israel's parliament after the body approved the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of murdering Israelis, a bill he spearheaded.

Resignation and return to Netanyahu's cabinet

Ben-Gvir temporarily resigned from Netanyahu's Cabinet last year to express his disapproval of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

That ceasefire ran from Jan. 19 to March 1. Ben-Gvir's resignation did not stop the ceasefire, but it did weaken Netanyahu’s governing coalition.

Ben-Gvir rejoined the Cabinet when Israel ended the ceasefire and returned to active combat in Gaza in March 2025. He remained in Netanyahu's Cabinet through the current Gaza ceasefire.

Rubio dijo que era poco probable que las conversaciones diplomáticas entre Estados Unidos y Cuba resultaran en un acuerdo.

“La probabilidad de que eso ocurra, dado con quién estamos tratando en este momento, no es alta”, dijo Rubio.

Rubio criticó al Grupo de Administración Empresarial S.A., o GAESA, un conglomerado empresarial administrado por militares cubanos.

“Tienen una empresa militar privada llamada GAESA… con $18 mil millones USD en activos”, dijo Rubio. “Ni un centavo de eso se destina a ayudar al pueblo de Cuba”.

Rubio dijo que el gobierno cubano ha aceptado $100 millones USD en ayuda humanitaria directa de Estados Unidos a través de la organización benéfica de la Iglesia católica.

“Cuba siempre ha representado una amenaza a la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos”, dijo Rubio.

El miércoles en la Freedom Tower, en el centro de Miami, el fiscal general interino de Estados Unidos, Todd Blanche, anunció que existe una orden de arresto contra Raúl Castro luego de que un gran jurado en Miami lo acusara formalmente.

Por el derribo fatal en 1996 de dos avionetas de Hermanos al Rescate, la acusación formal señala a Castro, de 94 años, por conspiración para matar ciudadanos estadounidenses, dos cargos de destrucción de aeronaves y cuatro cargos de asesinato.

“Cuba ha sido uno de los principales patrocinadores del terrorismo en toda la región”, dijo Rubio. “Tener un Estado fallido a 90 millas de nuestras costas dirigido por aliados de nuestros adversarios representa una amenaza para la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos”.

También el miércoles, el Comando Sur de Estados Unidos dio la bienvenida al grupo de ataque del portaaviones Nimitz al Caribe.

HISTORIAS RELACIONADAS

• Estados Unidos acusa a Raúl Castro por el derribo fatal de los aviones de Hermanos al Rescate en 1996.
• Vea los discursos durante el anuncio de la acusación contra Raúl Castro en la Torre de la Libertad.
• Exiliados cubanos en la Torre de la Libertad reaccionan a la acusación contra Raúl Castro.
• Los exiliados cubanos en el Café Versailles de Miami reaccionan a la noticia de la acusación contra Raúl Castro: “Todos a favor “.
• Legisladores republicanos de Florida reaccionan a la acusación contra Raúl Castro.
• Trump y Rubio dan muestras de apoyo al cambio en Cuba en medio de declaraciones históricas sobre la acusación formal.
• Rubio publica un mensaje en español dirigido a los cubanos que sufren en la isla.
• El presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel reacciona a la acusación de Raúl Castro

By an 8-1 vote, the justices revived claims filed by a U.S. company, Havana Docks, that operated docks in the Cuban capital. The suit targets four cruise lines that brought tourists to Cuba during the brief thaw in relations during the Obama administration.

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the court that the federal appeals court in Atlanta was wrong to dismiss the claims, holding that “the cruise lines used confiscated property to which Havana Docks owns the claim.”

The court’s ruling is not a final decision in the suit filed by Havana Docks. But it comes amid heightened pressure on Cuba from President Donald Trump’s administration, including Wednesday’s indictment of former Cuban President Raúl Castro in the 1996 downing of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles.

The Supreme Court case turned on a provision of the federal law known as Helms-Burton that Congress passed in response to the shootdowns. Title III of the law allows Americans to sue almost any company that engages in commercial activity or benefits from property confiscated by Cuba’s government.

Before the first Trump administration, every president had suspended the provision because of objections from U.S. allies doing business in Cuba and the effect on future negotiated settlements between the U.S. and Cuba.

In 2016, President Barack Obama used a joint news conference with Castro to announce that cruise lines could resume service to Cuba. Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean and MSC Cruises began making stops in Havana that allowed cruise travelers to go on excursions to local nightclubs, landmarks, rivers and beaches.

That changed abruptly in 2019, when Trump decided to activate the provision allowing lawsuits and then announced new restrictions on travel. The cruise lines hastily dropped Cuba stops and rerouted ships on the go.

Ruling in the lawsuit filed by Havana Docks, U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami found the cruise lines liable for their use of the Havana terminal the company once controlled.

Licenses by Obama’s Treasury Department to carry American passengers to Cuba did not shield the cruise lines from the lawsuit, Bloom ruled.

She awarded Havana Docks, more than $400 million in all. A federal appeals court ruled for the cruise lines, reversing the judgment.

The case now returns to the appeals court. Thomas acknowledged that the cruise lines have additional arguments that have yet to be ruled on.

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Markwayne Mullin arribará el jueves a la capital mexicana para una visita de dos días tras las tensiones generadas en las últimas semanas por la muerte de dos agentes de la CIA en un accidente de tránsito en el estado fronterizo de Chihuahua y las acusaciones de narcotráfico que realizó la fiscalía de Nueva York contra 10 funcionarios mexicanos, entre ellos el gobernador oficialista del estado de Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha.

Horas antes del encuentro —que está previsto para el mediodía— Sheinbaum dijo que hablará con Mullin sobre los casos de los 15 migrantes mexicanos que murieron en centros de detención del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus iniciales en inglés) desde 2025 y que motivaron notas diplomáticas de su gobierno. México anunció en marzo que llevará la denuncia de los casos ante la Comisión Interamericana de los Derechos Humanos (CIDH).

Mullin también tiene previsto reunirse con el Gabinete de Seguridad de México. La visita del secretario estadounidense fue acordada durante una conversación telefónica que mantuvo Sheinbaum con el presidente Donald Trump en la que dialogaron sobre seguridad y comercio bilateral.

“Lo que queremos es que sigamos trabajando en el marco de ese entendimiento" de seguridad, señaló la mandataria en su habitual conferencia matutina al ser preguntada sobre la visita.

Sheinbaum descartó que en el encuentro con Mullin se vaya a conversar sobre los casos de los 10 funcionarios mexicanos acusados por Estados Unidos, algunos de los cuales pertenecen al partido gobernante Morena.

A fines de abril la fiscalía de Nueva York acusó de narcotráfico y tenencia ilícita de armas a Rocha, al alcalde de la capital de Sinaloa, Juan de Dios Gámez, y a otros ocho funcionarios activos y retirados.

Rocha y Gámez se separaron temporalmente de sus cargos para facilitar la investigación que abrió la Fiscalía General de México, mientras los exsecretarios de Seguridad y Finanzas del gobierno de Sinaloa, Gerardo Mérida y Enrique Díaz, se entregaron la semana pasada a las autoridades estadounidenses.

Las relaciones entre los dos vecinos también se tensaron tras la muerte de dos agentes de la CIA el 19 de abril junto con dos funcionarios de la fiscalía de Chihuahua cuando la camioneta en la que viajaban cayó por un barranco en las montañas que unen Chihuahua —fronteriza con Texas— y el estado de Sinaloa, donde se había desmantelado un laboratorio clandestino de drogas sintéticas.

El incidente motivó una nota de protesta del gobierno de Sheinbaum que reclamó a Washington que no había sido informado de la presencia en el país de los dos agentes estadounidenses ni de sus actividades.

Smith, who played at Georgia, was cited for speeding and reckless driving, the Twiggs County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday.

He posted bond and was released shortly after his arrest on May 15.

Smith, from Savannah, Georgia, was selected by the Eagles with the 30th pick in the 2023 NFL draft. He has 25 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over three seasons.

He played a crucial role in the Eagles' Super Bowl LIX run, recording five quarterback hits, four sacks and four tackles for loss during the playoffs. He famously refused to exit the Eagles' 40-22 Super Bowl victory against the Kansas City Chiefs despite sustaining a torn triceps that later required surgery.

Philadelphia begins organized team activities on Tuesday. Smith has a court date scheduled for July 15, but a sheriff’s office representative said he will not need to appear if he pays his fines.

A spokesperson for the Eagles didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Smith is the latest former or current Georgia player to be arrested for driving offenses. His Eagles teammate, Jalen Carter, was given 12 months’ probation and a $1,000 fine in 2023 after pleading no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing related to a crash that killed Bulldogs offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy.

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Trump said he was postponing the Oval Office event with tech industry executives because he did not like what he saw in the order’s text. “We’re leading China, we’re leading everybody, and I don’t want to do anything that’s going to get in the way of that lead,” Trump told reporters.

The order would have established a framework for the government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems before their public release, according to a person familiar with the White House’s deliberations with the tech industry but not authorized to speak about them publicly. The directive was being characterized as a voluntary collaboration with participating U.S.-based tech companies, including Anthropic, OpenAI and Google, the person said.

The push for some kind of government action to review leading AI systems follows growing concern within the banking industry and other institutions about the leaps in AI’s abilities to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the world’s software.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell convened an urgent meeting with Wall Street CEOs in April, warning them about the cybersecurity risks posed by Anthropic’s AI model, Claude Mythos.

The meeting, urgently assembled at the Treasury Department's headquarters, was intended to ensure that banks were aware of the risks associated with the models, Bessent said at CNBC’s “Invest in America Forum” in Washington in April. “This new Anthropic model is very powerful,” he said. “Some banks are doing a better job in cybersecurity than others, and we want to have the ability to convene them and talk about what is best practices and where they should be heading."

That led some allies of the Republican president to propose better methods for getting those AI tools in the hands of trusted cybersecurity experts.

Trump's hopes for AI have run up against voters' fears of its impact

Trump had pledged to undo the AI safety regulations set by his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump's administration has viewed the AI sector as an engine to help deliver on his pledges to expand the economy and he has promoted its major players at events at the White House and around the world. Last week, Trump had tech CEOs in tow for a summit with China’s Xi Jinping.

Trump's ambitions for the sector have collided with the fears of voters over the impact of the technology on American life, jobs and electricity bills. Republicans themselves are divided over whether to embrace the AI industry or side with voters who express skepticism about the technology.

Also complicating the government's interest in working with Anthropic on cybersecurity is the government's ongoing legal fight with the company. Trump in February ordered all U.S. agencies to stop using Anthropic’s chatbot Claude after an unusually public clash between the Pentagon and CEO Dario Amodei.

There are competing factions within the administration, said Serena Booth, a computer science professor at Brown University and former AI policy fellow in a Democratic-led Senate committee.

“We do see this kind of public fighting,” she said. ”‘We will release an executive order. No, we won’t. We’re going to sign it this afternoon. Oh, the signing is canceled.’ I think this whiplash is because we’re seeing these fractures.’”

Some of those divides are balancing what Booth said is a “reasonable idea” to test the most capable AI models before their public release, with a concern that government scrutiny, if it takes too long, could burden AI developers.

“It does come at a potential very large cost to innovation and speed of development,” she said. “There is, I think, a real risk here and I do see both sides.”

The White House has pushed back against state laws seeking to regulate AI, saying the measures could curb growth. A new executive order that could have been perceived as government screening of commercial AI models would have signaled a significant shift in the administration's approach.

At the same time, similar screening is already happening. Trump’s Commerce Department announced earlier this month that it signed agreements with Google, Microsoft and Elon Musk’s xAI to evaluate their most powerful AI models before their public release, building on previous agreements the Biden administration made with Anthropic and OpenAI. But the announcement later disappeared from the Commerce Department website.

White House describes a balance between safety and innovation

At a White House press briefing Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance declined to discuss specifics from the order but said the administration wants to promote innovation while also addressing cybersecurity threats and data privacy.

“The president wants us to be pro-innovation. He wants us to win the AI race against all other countries in the world,” he said. Vance added, "We also want to make sure that we’re protecting people.”

Asked about new models that could pose security risks, Vance said the administration is taking a collaborative approach with tech companies.

“It also does have some downsides,” he said, “and we’re trying to balance that safety against innovation.”

A former White House tech policy adviser who was a lead author of Trump’s AI policy road map said the disagreements likely represent “healthy tension” in an administration that has long been wary of regulating the “frontier AI” companies like Anthropic, OpenAI and Google.

“They don’t want to do it because it’s politically risky in a million different ways,” said Dean Ball, now at the Foundation for American Innovation. Ball said he would welcome an executive order that would get those companies working more closely with the government on cybersecurity but “ultimately, I’m fine with them taking time to get this right.”

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O'Brien reported from Providence, R.I. Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ decision to grant the key easement means the pipeline will keep operating but with added conditions for detecting leaks and monitoring groundwater, among others. The announcement brings an end to a drawn-out legal and regulatory saga stemming from the protests in 2016 and 2017, though further litigation over the pipeline is likely.

The $3.8 billion, multistate pipeline has been transporting oil since June 2017 from North Dakota’s Bakken oil field to a terminal in Illinois. The line carries about 4% of U.S. daily oil production, or roughly 540,000 barrels per day,

The Corps is “decisively putting years of delays to rest and moving out to safely execute this crossing beneath Lake Oahe," Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Adam Telle said in a statement.

The pipeline crosses the river upstream from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s reservation, which straddles the Dakotas. The tribe has long opposed the pipeline, fearing a spill and contamination of its water supply. In 2016 and 2017, thousands of people camped and protested for months near the river crossing.

The protests resulted in hundreds of arrests and related criminal cases and lawsuits, some of them still ongoing, including litigation that threatens the future of the environmental group Greenpeace.

In December, the Corps released its final environmental impact statement nearly six years after a federal judge ordered a more rigorous review of the pipeline's crossing. In that document, the Corps endorsed the option to grant the easement for the crossing and keep the pipeline operating with modifications.

Those measures include enhanced leak detection and monitoring systems, expanded groundwater and surface water monitoring and third-party expert evaluation of the leak and detection systems, among others, the Corps said. The conditions also include water supply contingency planning and other studies coordinated with affected tribes.

The Corps had weighed several options, including removing or abandoning the pipeline's river crossing or even rerouting it north. The agency said its decision “best balances public safety, protection of environmental resources, and leak detection and response considerations while meeting the project’s purpose and need.”

Pipeline developer Energy Transfer hailed the decision, saying the pipeline has been safely operating for nearly 10 years and is critical to the country’s energy infrastructure.

“We want to thank the Corps for the tremendous amount of time and effort put in by so many to bring this matter to a thoughtful close,” said Vicki Granado, a company spokesperson.

The Associated Press sent text messages and emails to media representatives for the tribe and left a voicemail at the tribe's headquarters. They didn't immediately respond Thursday.

North Dakota Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong, Interior Secretary and former North Dakota governor Doug Burgum and U.S. Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer each welcomed the decision to ensure the pipeline continues operating.

The Corps' announcement came as officials and oil industry leaders were gathered for a trade conference in Bismarck.

Energy Transfer and Enbridge are in early stages of a project to move about 250,000 daily barrels of light Canadian crude oil through the Dakota Access Pipeline by using another pipeline and building a 56-mile connecting line, spokespersons for the companies said. Enbridge will decide sometime in mid-2026 whether to move ahead.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Thursday that 1,000 tickets costing $50 will be made available to residents of the city of more than 8 million for the most watched sporting event in the world.

“To put that into perspective, that is five lattes in New York City,” Mamdani quipped from a bar in Harlem’s Little Senegal neighborhood alongside U.S. men’s national team forward Timothy Weah.

About 150 tickets per game will be made available for seven of the eight matches played at the roughly 82,000-seat MetLife Stadium, located across the river from Manhattan in New Jersey. The lone exception is the high demand July 19 final, where some seats now cost nearly $33,000.

The tickets will also include free roundtrip bus transportation to the stadium for the ticket holders, the mayor said. They will be distributed via a lottery starting May 25.

To prevent scalping, Mamdani said the city would be taking steps to ensure the ones they distribute go to New York City residents and are not resold on the secondary market.

He said the tickets will be non-transferrable and that there will be a “variety of ways” city officials will verify residency. They’ll also only be handed out directly to the fans as they board the bus on game day.

“We are making sure that working people will not be priced out of the game that they helped to create,” Mamdani said.

The Democrat, who took office in January, said the effort underscores how his administration is not simply focused on making everyday things like housing and groceries more affordable.

“It extends to making it possible for every New Yorker to take part in the things that make us human,” he said.

During his campaign, Mamdani had called on FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, to make it cheaper for New Yorkers to attend the games by setting aside 15% of tickets at discounted prices for residents. He'd also launched a petition calling on FIFA to reverse its plan to set ticket prices based on demand.

The $50 tickets don't come directly from FIFA, but from those allotted to New York and New Jersey’s joint host committee for the games, according to the mayor's office.

Previously, FIFA had made some $60 tickets available for every game at the tournament in North America after facing backlash for the exorbitant prices for tickets.

Those reduced price tickets, though, went to the national federations of the teams playing in the games, with those federations deciding how to distribute them to loyal fans who have attended previous games at home and on the road.

Besides the championship game, the home stadium for both the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets is set to host five group World Cup matches and two knockout stage games. Group stage matches for soccer powerhouses Brazil, France, Germany and England, along with other nations, begin June 13.

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.51% from 6.36% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. Despite the sharp increase, the average rate remains below 6.86%, where it was a year ago.

Rates have been mostly trending higher since the war with Iran began. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has roiled energy markets, sending crude oil prices sharply higher — a key driver of inflation.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Expectations of higher oil prices and worries about big and growing debts for the U.S. government and others have pushed up long-term bond yields, causing mortgage rates to head higher.

The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note, which was at 4.6% in midday trading Thursday on the bond market. A week ago, it was at 4.47%. It was at just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.

Meanwhile, borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose this week. That average rate climbed to 5.85% from 5.71% last week. A year ago, it was at 6.01%, Freddie Mac said.

When mortgage rates rise they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, reducing their purchasing power.

As recently as late February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage had slipped just under 6% for the first time since late 2022. It’s hasn’t fallen below that threshold since. It’s now at its highest level since August 28, when it was 6.56%.

While average long-term mortgage rates remain lower than they were at this time last year, their recent increase has helped dampen sales so far this spring homebuying season.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last month after declining from a year earlier in the first three months of the year, extending a nationwide housing slump that dates back to 2022 when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows.

Mortgage applications, which include loans to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage, fell 2.3% last week from a week earlier to their lowest level in five weeks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Much of the decline was caused by a sharp drop in home purchase applications.

The elevated mortgage rates are driving more prospective homebuyers to adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs. Such loans, which typically offer lower initial interest rates than traditional 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages, accounted for nearly 10% of all mortgage applications last week, the highest share since October, MBA said.

Home shoppers who are undeterred by rising mortgage rates are benefiting from buyer-friendly trends in many markets, including more properties on the market than a year ago and data showing home listing prices have started falling in many metro areas, especially in the South and Midwest.

"The spring season still offers real opportunity, though each uptick in rates narrows the pool of buyers who can make the numbers work,” said Anthony Smith, senior economist at Realtor.com.

“I was a newbie,” recalls Monroe. “I’m pretty sure I spent my 21st birthday here. I was like: ‘Well isn’t that exciting, to turn 21 in a country where I could have drank in for years.’”

“It Follows,” about a sexually transmitted curse, was part of a new wave of probing, atmospheric horror films. But then, it was a small $1.3 million indie movie that had little reason to expect a Cannes launch.

“It was surreal. You never expect going into making a film that this will happen,” Monroe said in an interview on the rooftop of Cannes' Palais des Festivals. “But especially for that film. It was such a tiny, indie horror film. At that point, there really wasn’t genre at this festival.”

That has changed, though. Horror, science fiction and even slasher films have increasingly shown up in Cannes. This year, that included Jane Schoenbrun’s “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma,” the Korean monster-sci-fi-mashup “Hope” and the gothic thriller “Victorian Psycho,” starring Monroe as an unhinged governess.

On the surface, “Victorian Psycho,” which premiered Thursday in Cannes' Un Certain Regard section, appears to extend Monroe’s reputation as the preeminent “Scream Queen” of her generation. Along with “It Follows,” she’s been at the center of horror films like 2022’s “Watcher” and 2024’s “Longlegs.”

But Monroe’s range as an actor far exceeds any neat genre identification. She brought Hitchcockian depth to “Watcher” and psychological intensity to “Longlegs.” Bodies get bloody in “Victorian Psycho,” too, but Monroe’s deranged protagonist is archly hysterical. She’s a hoot.

As much as Monroe may be associated with horror, she might be even better at comedy. In the gleefully morbid “Victorian Psycho,” she finally turns the tables. After years spent fleeing serial killers and worse, Monroe is on the offensive.

“I didn’t know if I could pull it off. I decided to take the leap,” Monroe says. “Man, it was just so much fun. There’s so much freedom in this role. It will definitely be the character I’ll miss the most.”

In Zachary Wigon’s “Victorian Psycho,” which Bleecker Street will release Sept. 25 in theaters, Monroe plays Winifred Notty. In the 1850s, she arrives at the Ensor House, the grand manor of the Pounds family, to serve as the eager governess to two children.

It doesn’t take long for the children to realize she has a screw loose. But Winifred is comically chipper, even when deranged and over the top. As distant as the part might be from Monroe — a Santa Barbara, California, native here doing a British accent for the first time — it’s the first role to really capture Monroe’s natural comic energy.

“I’ve never done anything remotely close to a role like this,” Monroe says. “I’m usually more introverted and internal with my roles, and this is very outward.”

Almost always in “Victorian Psycho,” Winifred is grinning. That came from one of Monroe’s heroes.

“One of my favorite actors is Jack Nicholson. I think every project he does he’s fascinating,” Monroe says. “Of course in ‘The Shining,’ he’s pretty much smiling through the whole thing, through all the pain and the anguish. That was a huge influence.”

Monroe is also a professed fan of Olivia Colman’s. And it’s easy to see how wildly mischievous characters, like those often played by Colman or Nicholson, might be even more in Monroe’s wheelhouse than horror. It's enough to make you wonder: does she ever chafe at the term “Scream Queen?”

“Some of the films I’m most proud of are in this space of genre,” she says. “I can’t be mad at it. I’m so proud of ‘It Follows,’ ‘Longlegs,’ ‘Watcher.’ So, what can you do?”

But if a certain side of Monroe has been rarely seen on screen, “Victorian Psycho” lets it out.

“In the Victorian era, there was suppression. In this industry, I can find that I need to present a certain way or come across a certain way,” Monroe says. “You have to suppress certain things and not say certain things. That’s what was such a joy in this.”

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Court documents state that Daniel Lozano, 33, was arrested following an FBI raid on Wednesday.

According to a federal criminal complaint, the investigation into Lozano began in 2025 after law enforcement learned that he had been in an “online relationship” with a teenage girl beginning in 2022 when she was 16.

Investigators said she told Lozano she was 18, but “continued to tell (him) she was in high school for most of their relationship, which lasted for approximately (three) years.”

Authorities said he paid her $1,000 during the course of the relationship and received explicit photos and videos from her and recorded them.

According to the complaint, in May 2025, a federal judge authorized a search warrant for Lozano’s Snapchat account, which revealed “multiple conversations containing images and videos which depicted child pornography, child erotica and age difficult sexually explicit videos and images.”

Of the 30 accounts agents identified, six had explicit images of children or “child erotica” and “had an exchange of goods for the images or videos and were minors at the time of the chats,” they said. Lozano additionally sent child sexual abuse material to another account, according to the complaint.

At least one of the six girls identified in the complaint told Lozano she was 16, after which he “told her to reply” by saying she was 18, authorities said.

Authorities said he would send money and goods in exchange for explicit content.

Authorities said they executed a search warrant at Lozano’s apartment in the 7900 block of Pasadena Boulevard on Tuesday.

They said a preliminary search of his electronic devices showed that he was distributing child sexual abuse videos online, including those depicting “prepubescent” girls.

Lozano now faces three charges related to the possession, distribution and production of child sexual abuse material, as well as a charge of coercion and enticement.

Records show he was scheduled to appear in Fort Lauderdale federal court on Thursday morning.

Según documentos judiciales, Daniel Lozano, de 33 años, fue arrestado tras una redada del FBI el miércoles.

Según una denuncia penal federal, la investigación contra Lozano comenzó en 2025 después de que las autoridades supieran que había mantenido una “relación en línea” con una adolescente desde 2022, cuando ella tenía 16 años.

Los investigadores dijeron que ella le dijo a Lozano que tenía 18 años, pero “continuó diciéndole que estaba en la escuela secundaria durante la mayor parte de su relación, que duró aproximadamente (tres) años”.

Las autoridades dijeron que él le pagó $1,000 USD durante el transcurso de la relación y que recibió fotos y videos explícitos de ella, los cuales grabó.

Según la denuncia, en mayo de 2025, un juez federal autorizó una orden de registro para la cuenta de Snapchat de Lozano, que reveló “múltiples conversaciones que contenían imágenes y vídeos que mostraban pornografía infantil, erotismo infantil y vídeos e imágenes sexualmente explícitos para mayores de edad”.

De las 30 cuentas que los agentes identificaron, seis contenían imágenes explícitas de niños o “erotismo infantil” y “se había intercambiado mercancía por las imágenes o videos, y los usuarios eran menores de edad en el momento de las conversaciones”, indicaron. Según la denuncia, Lozano también envió material de abuso sexual infantil a otra cuenta.

Al menos una de las seis chicas identificadas en la denuncia le dijo a Lozano que tenía 16 años, tras lo cual él “le dijo que respondiera” diciendo que tenía 18, según informaron las autoridades.

Las autoridades indicaron que enviaba dinero y bienes a cambio de contenido explícito.

Las autoridades informaron que el martes ejecutaron una orden de registro en el apartamento de Lozano, ubicado en la cuadra 7900 de Pasadena Boulevard.

Según las autoridades, una búsqueda preliminar en sus dispositivos electrónicos reveló que estaba distribuyendo vídeos de abuso sexual infantil en línea, incluidos aquellos que mostraban a niñas “prepúberes”.

Lozano se enfrenta ahora a tres cargos relacionados con la posesión, distribución y producción de material de abuso sexual infantil, así como a un cargo de coacción e incitación.

Según los registros, tenía previsto comparecer ante el tribunal federal de Fort Lauderdale el jueves por la mañana.

Acting on a defense motion, Circuit Judge Rebecca Robinson issued the ruling on the fourth day of the trial of Ebony Parker, who was charged with eight felony counts of child neglect.

“The court is of the legal opinion that this is not a crime,” Robinson said.

The former assistant principal was charged in the January 2023 shooting at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News that left teacher Abby Zwerner wounded. Prosecutors had said the charges issued in a grand jury indictment were for each of the bullets in the gun brought into Zwerner’s classroom. Each count could have carried a maximum penalty of five years in prison upon conviction.

“We had hoped the community would have had the opportunity to weigh in through the full judicial process,” Hampton commonwealth's attorney Anton A. Bell said in a statement. “Nevertheless, the Court has now concluded the matter as it deemed appropriate under the law. Our office remains committed to pursuing justice with integrity, transparency, and fairness, while continuing to honor the role that citizens play in our criminal justice system.”

Parker lowered her head and cried when the judge announced her decision, then hugged her attorneys afterward.

Defense attorney Curtis Rogers told the judge in making his motion that Parker’s decision on the day of the shooting “wasn’t an act of neglect.”

“Her actions in no way indicated that she believed there was a firearm in the possession” of the child, Rogers said.

Another defense attorney, Stephen Teague, said outside court that “we believe that the right outcome was reached and we’re thrilled for Dr. Parker. It was a great relief for her and we’re just happy that we were part of her journey.”

Parker was not called to testify during the trial. On Wednesday, a video interview of Parker conducted three days after the shooting by a school district human resources officer was played in the courtroom for the jury.

Parker said she was told about reports that the student had a gun in his backpack, but said she could not leave her office due to ongoing testing. A reading specialist who first reported the concerns then searched the backpack, but no gun was found, Parker said.

Parker then said the student’s mother would arrive to pick him up and go through the rest of his belongings.

Zwerner testified earlier in the trial that during recess on the school playground, the student wore an oversized jacket and kept both of his hands in his pockets the entire time. Zwerner said she sent a text message with that observation to the reading specialist, who had been tipped off earlier by students about the gun and reported it to Parker.

After recess, the student continued to wear the jacket in the classroom, where Zwerner was shot at a reading table. Zwerner spent nearly two weeks in the hospital, required six surgeries and does not have the full use of her left hand. A bullet narrowly missed her heart and remains in her chest.

Criminal charges against school officials after a school shooting are quite rare, experts say. The shooting sent shock waves through this military shipbuilding community and the country at large, with many wondering how a child so young could gain access to a gun and shoot his teacher.

A jury awarded $10 million to Zwerner in a civil trial last November, where Parker, who no longer works at the school, was the only defendant.

The student’s mother was sentenced to nearly four years in prison for felony child neglect and federal weapons charges.

But he is the kind of person who is constantly creating, if not movies, little sketches, doodles and paintings, often while he’s in conversation with someone else (including this reporter). That’s not to say he’s not engaged and present with whomever he’s talking to — his mind is just one where it can all happen simultaneously. If he were to describe himself in film editing terms, he’d be a montage of a human being, he said.

A post-Oscar creative paralysis

That’s why it was so alarming that not too long ago, sometime after he’d won the best documentary Oscar for “Navalny,” that tap turned off. He was 29 years old, had just won filmmaking’s top honor and was paralyzed by the question of what to do next.

“There’s a pattern of young people winning and then sort of struggling to figure out what’s next,” Roher told The Associated Press. “I was really scared about that and really anxious … about the sort of specter of this film looming over me like a giant monolith for the rest of my life: ‘Oh, he’ll never top this. He’ll never do anything better than this. Like this is it, you should just retire now.’”

But somewhere in his own creative depression, as he struggled with the possibility that he couldn’t make films anymore, an idea emerged that would become the basis for “Tuner”: What if you can no longer do the thing that makes you you? Who do you become?

“It could have been a chef who can’t smell or a painter who can't hold a brush anymore,” Roher said. “But I was drawn to this auditory world of the piano tuner who maybe can’t play for whatever reason.”

A chance meeting with a piano tuner

While he was on what he called the “new boyfriend tour” with his future wife, meeting all of her friends around Los Angeles, he came into the orbit of a piano tuner. He peppered him with questions, shadowed him at work and had an epiphany about safecracking. He’d always loved films with a criminal element and stories about good people who have to do bad things. His new piano tuner friend said it wasn't far-fetched: A lot of his peers dabble in locksmith work on the side.

“It was like OK, maybe this is like a, you know, a classic movie, movie conceit that I could turn into something really fun and propulsive and musical and romantic,” Roher said.

And he was off to the races. Though he had never written a narrative screenplay or directed an actor, he was motivated again. The tap was back on.

Directing Dustin Hoffman

“Tuner,” which premiered last year at the Telluride Film Festival, is the kind of movie people like to say isn’t made anymore, blending elements of crime thriller, romantic comedy and character drama into a clever, entertaining package — the spiritual descendent of a “Good Will Hunting.”

The piano tuner at the heart of the film is Niki, played by “The White Lotus” season two breakout Leo Woodall, who is apprenticing alongside Dustin Hoffman’s veteran Harry Horowitz. During a job tuning a piano in a mansion, Niki stumbles upon a robbery and, to save his own life, helps the criminals crack the safe. He doesn’t have any intention of making it a side hustle, but then Harry ends up in the hospital and suddenly there are bills to pay. He’s also just met a beguiling pianist played by Havana Rose Liu.

“It has what I want from a movie. It’s entertaining and it’s a simple story, well-told. And it’s plot-driven, but also very character-driven. And it’s fun and it’s quick and it is satisfying,” Woodall said. “I finished the script the first time and I was like, ‘oh, that was a perfectly packaged story.’”

When Roher and Woodall sat down for coffee for the first time, Roher asked his lead actor how he liked to be directed. It was a disarming moment for Woodall, something he’d never been asked outright before, but a gesture of trust and faith that would continue through the shoot. Hoffman, too, took to Roher immediately. There might have even been a Mike Nichols comparison or two thrown his way.

“Daniel, unlike most of us, myself included, wasn’t intimidated by Dustin. He has the most respect and love for him. But I loved, you know, if Dustin was going a little too far off piece improvising, he would go ‘Dustin, Dustin, let’s do the lines now,’” Woodall laughed. “And Dustin would respond perfectly, like ‘yes, sir.’” I was like these two are a good fit.”

A creative explosion

Roher already has several new films underway as well, including a project in Rome where he’s relocated temporarily with his wife and baby. And he's happy the creative funk is a thing of the past.

“The last few years have been an extraordinary creative renaissance, let’s say, or explosion for me, doing ‘Tuner’ simultaneously with this AI documentary,” Roher said. “Having to balance both of those films at the same time was a very profound creative challenge. And I’m really glad that I’m on the other side of it because it’s kind of overwhelming. I’m very proud of both of those films and they were really good counter programming to one another.”

The professional and personal contentedness exists in stark contrast to his worries about the state of the world over the past 18 months, but, he added: “I appreciate the fact that my own little teeny weeny pixel on the giant mosaic of existence is happy and busy and creative and fulfilled and optimistic and inspired and holding the multitudes of everything all at the same time.”

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For more coverage of this summer’s upcoming films, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/movies

El grupo incluye el portaaviones USS Nimitz, el Carrier Air Wing 17 embarcado, el USS Gridley y el USNS Patuxent.

El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos informó que el USS Nimitz estuvo en Río de Janeiro, Brasil, “para realizar ejercicios navales conjuntos con la Marina de Brasil” del 11 al 14 de mayo.

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Welcome to the Caribbean, Nimitz Carrier Strike Group!

The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the embarked Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17), USS Gridley (DDG 101) and USNS Patuxent (T-AO 201) are the epitome of readiness and presence, unmatched reach and lethality, and strategic… pic.twitter.com/83mfzSIKzd

— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) May 20, 2026

NOTICIAS RELACIONADAS

• Estados Unidos acusa a Raúl Castro por el derribo fatal de los aviones de Hermanos al Rescate en 1996.
• Vea los discursos durante el anuncio de la acusación contra Raúl Castro en la Torre de la Libertad.
• Exiliados cubanos en la Torre de la Libertad reaccionan a la acusación contra Raúl Castro.
• Los exiliados cubanos en el Café Versailles de Miami reaccionan a la noticia de la acusación contra Raúl Castro: “Todos a favor “.
• Legisladores republicanos de Florida reaccionan a la acusación contra Raúl Castro.
• Trump y Rubio dan muestras de apoyo al cambio en Cuba en medio de declaraciones históricas sobre la acusación formal.
• Rubio publica un mensaje en español dirigido a los cubanos que sufren en la isla.
• El presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel reacciona a la acusación de Raúl Castro

Interactivo: Acusación formal de 19 páginas

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday issued its seasonal outlook for the Atlantic, giving a 55% chance of a below-average season. The agency forecasts eight to 14 named storms, with three to six of them becoming strong enough to hit hurricane status and one to three of those intensifying to major hurricanes.

A normal hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven of them becoming hurricanes and three of them reaching major hurricane level, which is more than 110 mph (177 kph).

Eighteen other groups, private and academic, have also forecasted what they think the season will be like and most of them also call for a below average summer and fall. Those other forecasts average a dozen named storms, only five becoming hurricanes and two of those being major ones. Those forecasts also call for the Accumulated Cyclone Energy index, which takes into account strength and duration of storms, to be 80% of normal.

Colorado State University, which pioneered the science of hurricane seasonal forecasting in 1984, is predicting the lowest overall activity since 2015, which was the strongest El Nino in the last 75 years. And that forecast is likely to be revised to even lower numbers in June, said Colorado State's hurricane expert Phil Klotzbach.

This is after nine of the last 10 Atlantic hurricane seasons have been above normal or even hyperactive, Klotzbach said. Last year started slow, but then had a burst, producing a near-record total of three Category 5 hurricanes, including Melissa which devastated Jamaica and Cuba, said Suzana Camargo, a climate scientist and tropical weather expert at Columbia University.

Inflation-adjusted damage across the globe from tropical cyclones has increased from an average of $11.4 billion a year in the 1980s to $109.7 billion a year over the past 10 years, with three-quarters of the damage done in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean, according to insurance giant Munich Re.

Hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are the same weather event, with the different names being used in different parts of the world.

“We should expect a less active year than certainly what we’ve seen recently, and perhaps significantly so below average,” said University at Albany atmospheric scientist Kristen Corbosiero. “But again, it only takes one to cause real devastation and destruction in the mainland U.S. or even in Hawaii.”

El Nino decapitates Atlantic storms

It's mostly because of “the elephant in the room” which is an El Nino, Camargo said.

An El Nino is the natural and cyclic warming of parts of the central Pacific that warps weather patterns around the globe, especially during winter. Scientists for decades have found a correlation between an El Nino and below average Atlantic hurricane activity and stronger and more storms in the central and eastern Pacific. This year many forecasts are calling for a strong, super-strong or even record setting intense El Nino. During a La Nina, the cool flip side of El Nino, the Atlantic is generally busier with stronger storms.

There's a 98% chance that there will be an El Nino this summer and an 80% chance it will be moderate or strong, NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said Thursday.

Atlantic hurricane seasons when an El Nino reaches strong or very strong status have two-thirds the named storms and half the hurricanes of the 1991-2020 average, according to an Associated Press analysis of storm and El Nino statistics.

El Ninos fight Atlantic storm formation in several ways, especially with cross winds about 1 mile to 7 miles (1.5 to 11 kilometers) above the surface “which can basically blow apart the thunderstorms that make up” a hurricane, Corbosiero said.

“A stronger than normal wind shear tends to tilt storms as they try to develop,” said University at Albany atmospheric scientist Brian Tang. “It pushes dry air into storms. And prevents storms from developing in the first place. And if they do develop, it also prevents them from intensifying.”

El Nino reduces the number and intensity of weaker storms, but once a storm hits hurricane status with 74 mph winds, “they can be kind of like a self-feeding entity” and are less prone to being dampened by El Nino's wind shear, said Matthew Rosencrans, lead hurricane season forecaster with NOAA’s National Weather Service.

Forecasts for peak hurricane season show strong wind shear from the west in the main development region for the largest and long-lasting hurricanes that come off of Africa and develop as they head west over the Atlantic, Klotzbach said. Fewer of these type storms happen during El Ninos.

In the 15 strongest El Nino years since 1950, 37 named storms, 11 hurricanes and three major hurricanes made landfall on the continental United States, but in the 15 coldest La Nina years 61 named storms, 31 hurricanes and 10 major hurricanes hit America's Gulf and Atlantic coasts, according to Klotzbach. He said El Nino shrinks the number of hits on the Atlantic coast, but has less of an influence on the number of Gulf coast landfalls.

In addition to El Nino, dry conditions in Africa and water in the Atlantic being only slightly warmer than normal contribute to the forecast of a weaker season, Rosencrans said.

Opposite effect in the Pacific

El Ninos and La Ninas have the opposite effect on storms in the central and eastern Pacific as they do in the Atlantic, so experts are expecting a busier season in those regions. Jacobs said there's a 70% chance that the eastern Pacific will have an above normal season.

NOAA forecasts 15 to 22 named storms in the Pacific with nine to 14 becoming hurricanes and five to nine of those being major hurricanes. Average is 15 named storms, eight hurricanes and four major hurricanes. Rosencrans said the main area of central Pacific storm development shifts closer to Hawaii during El Ninos.

Eastern Pacific storms near Baja Mexico tend to “go west, affect the fishies and little else,” Corbosiero said. But at times they can turn east or north and cause massive damage as in Hurricane Otis in 2023 that smashed into Mexico, or 1992's Hurricane Lester, which caused heavy rains in the U.S. Southwest, she said.

Hawaii is a small island chain in a big ocean that can be threatened. In 1992, an El Nino year when there were few Atlantic storms (though Miami was devastated by Hurricane Andrew ), Hawaii was hit by Hurricane Iniki.

Further west toward Asia and India, “your odds of any storm forming becoming a super typhoon go up significantly in El Nino,” Klotzbach said.

The eastern Pacific hurricane season started May 15 and the Atlantic season begins June 1 and both end November 30.

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Hialeah police officers took Jose Miguel Penenori into custody on Wednesday outside Larkin Community Hospital, located at 1475 W. 49th Pl., in South Miami.

According to Penenori’s arrest report, the hospital’s vice president of support services contacted police after noticing what officers described as a “misappropriation of company funds by employee Jose Penenori” involving a hospital issued Home Depot commercial credit card.

Over the course of their investigation, authorities said they reviewed copies of credit card statements, receipts, invoices, and other documents, as well as surveillance video, ultimately determining that over a period of several years, Penenori had used the credit card to purchase personal merchandise mixed with legitimate company-related purchases from Home Depot.

Police said some of the items Penenori, of Lehigh Acres, bought for himself were household items, gift cards and a barbecue grill.

Ultimately, authorities said Penenori “engaged in a continuing pattern of unauthorized purchases using company funds for personal benefit,” with the illegal transactions totalling approximately $24,000.

After being taken into custody, Penenori gave investigators a full confession, according to his arrest form.

Jail records show Penenori is facing felony charges of organized fraud of more than $20,000 but less than $50,000, second degree grand theft and fraudulent use of a credit card for more than $100.

As of Thursday morning, the Cuban national was behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

Once released from jail, Penenori won’t be welcomed back to work, as authorities said the hospital issued a trespass order to keep him off the property.

Agentes de la policía de Hialeah arrestaron a Jose Miguel Penenori el miércoles afuera del Hospital Comunitario Larkin, ubicado en 1475 W. 49th Pl., en South Miami.

Según el informe de arresto de Penenori, el vicepresidente de servicios de apoyo del hospital contactó a la policía después de notar lo que los agentes describieron como una “apropiación indebida de fondos de la empresa por parte del empleado Jose Penenori”, relacionada con una tarjeta de crédito comercial de Home Depot emitida por el hospital.

Durante el curso de la investigación, las autoridades dijeron que revisaron copias de estados de cuenta de la tarjeta de crédito, recibos, facturas y otros documentos, así como videos de vigilancia, determinando finalmente que, durante un período de varios años, Penenori utilizó la tarjeta de crédito para comprar mercancía personal mezclada con compras legítimas relacionadas con la empresa en Home Depot.

La policía indicó que algunos de los artículos que Penenori, residente de Lehigh Acres, compró para sí mismo incluían artículos para el hogar, tarjetas de regalo y una parrilla para barbacoa.

Finalmente, las autoridades dijeron que Penenori “participó en un patrón continuo de compras no autorizadas utilizando fondos de la empresa para beneficio personal”, con transacciones ilegales que totalizaron aproximadamente $24,000 USD.

Después de ser arrestado, Penenori dio a los investigadores una confesión completa, según su informe de arresto.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Penenori enfrenta cargos graves de fraude organizado por más de $20,000 USD pero menos de $50,000 USD, hurto mayor en segundo grado y uso fraudulento de una tarjeta de crédito por más de $100 USD.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, el ciudadano cubano permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza “pendiente por establecer”.

Una vez que salga de la cárcel, Penenori no será bienvenido de regreso al trabajo, ya que las autoridades dijeron que el hospital emitió una orden de allanamiento para mantenerlo fuera de la propiedad.

The committee's chair, Ken Martin, shared the 192-page report only after facing intense internal pressure from Democratic operatives frustrated with his leadership. Martin had originally promised to release the autopsy months ago, only to keep it under wraps because he worried it would interfere with Democrats' mobilization to take back control of Congress in the midterms.

“I didn’t want to create a distraction,” Martin wrote on Substack. “Ironically, in doing so, I ended up creating an even bigger distraction. And for that, I sincerely apologize.”

He said the report was withheld because it “was not ready for primetime,” and the DNC covered the document with annotations and disclaimers saying it was incomplete and unsubstantiated.

The report's release did nothing to temper irritation at Martin, and Democratic insiders were exasperated as they spent the day talking about a two-year-old election instead of focusing on Trump's unpopular war in Iran, surging prices or the backlash against the president's White House ballroom.

Indeed, the initial reaction to the report was a mix of bafflement and anger over Martin’s handling of the situation.

“The execution, the rollout and the coverup are indicative of how Ken Martin is fundamentally not up to the task,” said Amanda Litman, who leads the Democratic-allied organization Run For Something. “He will be incapable of rebuilding the trust necessary to facilitate a Democratic primary in 2027-2028.”

Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats' focus on “identity politics,” it sidesteps some of the most controversial elements of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection, the rushed selection of Harris to replace him after he dropped out or the party's acrimonious divide over the war in Gaza.

“I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” Martin said. “I don’t endorse what’s in this report, or what’s left out of it. I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on it. But transparency is paramount.”

During a conversation with staff Thursday, Martin announced that the report's primary author, consultant Paul Rivera, was no longer working with the DNC, according to a person on the call not authorized to speak publicly about the private discussion.

A spokesperson for Harris did not respond to a request for comment.

Report says Democrats don't ‘listen to all voters’

The postelection report, which was first released by CNN, calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.”

“Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of the Democratic Party,” the report says.

The autopsy points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, voter registration shifts and “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”

Thursday's release comes as Martin confronts a crisis of confidence among party officials who are increasingly concerned about the health of their political machine barely a year into his term. Some Democratic operatives have had informal discussions about recruiting a new chair, even though most believe that Martin’s job isn't in serious jeopardy ahead of the midterm elections.

Few were satisfied with how Martin navigated the report's release.

“Why not say this in 2024, or bring in more people to finish it, instead of turning this into the dumbest media cycle for 7-8 months?” Democratic strategist Steve Schale wrote on social media.

Were Democrats too nice?

The report found that Harris and her allies failed to focus enough on Trump's negatives, especially his felony convictions. This was part of a broader criticism that Democrats' messaging is too focused on reason and winning arguments, “even in cycles when the electorate is defined by rage.”

“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the report states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”

The report continues: “It was essential to prosecute a more effective case as to why Trump should have been disqualified from ever again taking office. The grounds were there, but the messaging did not make the case.”

The DNC appeared to reject these conclusions, adding annotations like "no sourcing or evidence provided.”

Trump's attack on Harris' transgender policies were cited as a key contrast.

Specifically, the report suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” in by the Trump campaign's “very effective” ad that highlighted Harris' previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.

Democratic pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position — and she did not — then there was nothing which would have worked as a response," the report said.

‘The math doesn’t work'

The report criticized Harris' outreach to key segments of America while condemning the party's focus on “identity politics.”

“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”

The report also references Democrats' underperformance with male voters of color.

“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color,” it says.

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BSO deputies said they responded around 8:45 p.m. to a reported stabbing in the 200 block of Southwest Third Court in Deerfield Beach.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue said paramedics transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment.

Authorities said the victim’s injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Jail records show deputies arrested Michael Allen Stafford on one count of attempted first-degree murder in connection with the incident.

As of Wednesday, he was being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail. He was also ordered to stay away from the victim, possess no weapons or ammunition, and undergo a mental health screening.

A motive for the stabbing remains unclear at this time.

Duggan, a longtime Democrat, was running as an independent to replace Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who can't run again due to term limits. He told The Associated Press that it was going to be “very hard to win” as the Democrats who would have supported him are galvanizing against what's going on in Washington.

“Democrat anger against Trump and Republicans is extremely high,” Duggan said. “In 60 days there’s been a huge change in the attitudes of this country. People are feeling the pain at the pump and are angry about it.”

An independent has never served as Michigan governor and third-party candidates typically don’t fare well in elections for the state’s top seat. To Duggan, who shunned partisan fighting while choosing to run as an independent, it was clear the odds were stacking against his campaign.

“As long as I knew there was a path for victory, I was going to fight,” he said. “I don’t see a likely path to win.”

Toxic partisan politics

Since the beginning of the war with Iran in late February, oil prices have spiked more than 50%. As of Thursday, the price of regular unleaded gas in Michigan averaged $4.74 per gallon, according to AAA Michigan. That's above the $4.56 national average. A year ago, the average in Michigan was $3.13. Nationally, it was $3.18.

Trump repeatedly has said gas prices will go down once the war ends without acknowledging when that might happen.

Nationally, Trump’s approval rating on the economy has dropped slightly since the start of the Iran war, according to AP-NORC polling. A recent AP-NORC poll conducted in May found that even Republicans are unhappier with Trump’s handling of the economy than they were a few months ago, even as they’re largely continuing to stand behind him. About 6 in 10 Republicans approve of how Trump is handling the economy, down from about 8 in 10 before the war began.

Duggan believed he was trailing Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Republican U.S. Rep. John James in the governor’s race. Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson also is running as a Democrat, while millionaire businessman Perry Johnson is running as a Republican.

Michigan’s primary election will be held Aug. 4, while the general election is Nov. 3.

In December 2024, Duggan announced his pursuit of the state's top office surprising many when he also said he'd choose the independent route instead of sticking with the Democratic Party.

Duggan told The AP at that time that he wanted to offer Michigan voters “a choice.”

“It’s clear to me that there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both parties and tired of the system,” Duggan said then. “You have a (state) legislature that’s almost evenly divided that makes the stakes of each issue become magnified. It has gotten harder and harder to address things as the partisan climate has gotten more toxic.”

His decision to run as an independent came as Michigan was one of a handful of swing states that helped Trump in November 2024 win a second term in the White House.

“I’ve done everything I know how to do for almost a year and a half,” Duggan said Thursday. “You could feel the mood of this state wanting the toxic partisanship to end. They wanted the parties to work together.”

Targeted by his former party

Duggan spent a dozen years as Detroit mayor. He first was elected in November 2013 as the city was going through its painful and historic bankruptcy while being run by a state-appointed emergency manager. The former county prosecutor and medical center executive became Detroit's first white mayor since Coleman A. Young was elected in the early 1970s as its first Black mayor.

Duggan is credited by many for leading Detroit after it emerged in December 2014 from bankruptcy to become a thriving, more vibrant city.

The city with a Black population hovering around 80% reelected Duggan twice. He announced in November 2024 that he would not seek a fourth term. He left the mayor’s office in January.

Duggan, who had been a Democrat for close to 40 years in a largely Democrat voting city, was targeted throughout the campaign by his former party, with many worried he would pull votes away from the Democratic Party's nominee.

“I was running to change politics, not to be a spoiler,” he said Thursday.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel said Thursday in a statement that there were “disagreements” with Duggan.

“The mayor brought crucial ideas to this race and we appreciate his commitment to bringing people together,” Hertel said. “As we look ahead, we welcome Mayor Duggan’s supporters into our growing coalition as we work to elect a Democratic governor this November who will continue to move Michigan forward.”

Following Duggan's announcement that he would run for governor, Republican and former Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley said on X that Duggan checked the boxes of being a “credible, independent candidate with the ability to raise money.”

“But there are huge advantages of having a political party behind you,” Calley wrote. “And being a target of the left and the right will be intense.”

The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying that Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given.

Busch’s family said earlier Thursday that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness,” three days before he was to compete at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch,” the statement said. “A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans.

The statement went on to say that “throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’”

The news comes 11 days after Busch radioed into his crew near the end of a Cup Series race at Watkins Glen asking a doctor to give him a “shot” after he finished the race. According to the TV broadcast, Busch had been struggling with a sinus cold that was exacerbated by the intense G-forces and elevation changes at the New York road course.

Busch finished the race in eighth place.

Busch competed at Dover last weekend and won the Trucks Series race for Richard Childress Racing. He finished 17th at the NASCAR All-Star race.

“Absolute shock. Very hard to process,” veteran NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski posted on social media.

NASCAR driver and former teammate Denny Hamlin posted on social media: “Absolutely cannot comprehend this news. We just need to think of his family during this time. We love you KB.”

A polarizing figure known as “Rowdy” and “Wild Thing” for his post-race fights, regular feuds with other drivers and sometimes outlandish behavior, the multi-talented Busch stormed on the Cup Series scene in 2005 by winning Rookie of the Year.

He went on to win championships in 2015 and 2019 for Joe Gibbs Racing.

From Las Vegas, Busch experienced unrivaled success across NASCAR’s three national series winning a combined 234 Cup, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Trucks Series races. He had 63 Cup victories along with 102 O’Reilly Auto Parts wins and 69 Trucks victories — both records.

Busch is the younger brother of Kyle Busch, a NASCAR Hall of Famer.

Kyle Busch was said to be ready to race at NASCAR’s top level at 16, but a cigarette settlement banned his debut and he had to wait until he was a 18. At the time Kurt Busch said “if you think I’m good, wait until you see my brother.”

Busch is survived by his wife Samantha and children Brexton and Lennix.

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AP writer Teresa Walker contributed to this report.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Parados en una de las áreas afectadas, los daños se extienden a lo largo de filas de vehículos.

Los residentes describieron a los sospechosos como “piratas de bolsas de aire”.

“La bolsa de aire desapareció”, dijo el residente Alex Cernabas. “Es muy costosa. Fui a buscarla y la están vendiendo en eBay por $750 USD”.

El residente Mohammed Hussain dijo que su esposa lo llamó después de descubrir que su vehículo había sido violentado.

“Simplemente me sorprendió esta tarde y mi esposa me llamó y me preguntó si sabía lo que estaba pasando. Le dije que no”, dijo.

Los residentes dijeron que 19 vehículos en el área fueron afectados, con cinco vehículos dañados solo en una sección del estacionamiento.

La Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade está investigando.

Cernabas dijo que ahora está ayudando a su madre a llegar al trabajo porque su vehículo no puede conducirse legalmente sin una bolsa de aire.

“Mi mamá no pudo ir a trabajar. Estoy tratando de ayudarla con eso”, dijo.

Los residentes dicen que los robos traen más que solo la pérdida de una bolsa de aire, ya que también deben lidiar con deducibles de seguros, inconvenientes y frustración.

“Espero que vayan a la cárcel por mucho tiempo y consigan trabajo”, dijo Cernabas. “No le roben a personas que están trabajando”.

Hussain, quien posee el tipo de vehículo que los residentes creen que está siendo objetivo de los ladrones, dijo que planea vigilar de cerca su vehículo después de enterarse de que 19 autos fueron afectados.

No se han realizado arrestos.

Cualquier persona con información sobre los robos de bolsas de aire debe llamar a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

The court's action leaves in place lower court rulings in favor of Joseph Clifton Smith, 55, who has been on death row roughly half his life after his conviction for beating a man to death in 1997.

The Supreme Court prohibited execution of intellectually disabled people in a landmark ruling in 2002. The justices, in cases in 2014 and 2017, held that states should consider other evidence of disability in borderline cases because of the margin of error in IQ tests.

The issue in Smith’s case is what happens when a person has multiple IQ scores that are slightly above 70, which has been widely accepted as a marker of intellectual disability. Smith’s five IQ tests produced scores ranging from 72 to 78. Smith had been placed in learning-disabled classes and dropped out of school after seventh grade, his lawyers said. At the time of the crime, he performed math at a kindergarten level, spelled at a third-grade level and read at a fourth-grade level.

The justices had taken up the case to consider how courts should handle such borderline cases of intellectual disability. Arguments took place in December.

Rather than issue a decision, though, the high court dismissed the appeal, an unusuaI action that leaves the last lower-court ruling in place.

The three liberal justices along with Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett formed the majority to dismiss the case.

The other four conservative justices dissented, faulting the federal appeals court in Atlanta for improperly analyzing the case and complaining that their colleagues should have ordered the appeals court to reexamine Smith's case.

The case is Hamm v. Smith, 24-872.

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Gunther Manfred Jekschtat, 63, Laubach, Hesse, spoke exclusively to Local 10 News a day after he and fellow German tourist Christoph Rehak, 58, of Gedern, Hesse, were arrested on criminal mischief charges tied to the vandalism at Lummus Park.

Miami Beach police said the graffiti — which included a swastika and the phrase “Adolf was here” — was discovered Monday on an “LGBTQIA+ bench” near 12th Street and Ocean Drive.

As Jekschtat walked out of jail Wednesday, he stopped to answer questions from Local 10 News instead of avoiding cameras.

“I sit beside the other boy. I don’t know. I sit beside the other boy (who) wrote it down,” Jekschtat said.

When asked what he wanted to say to people offended by the graffiti, Jekschtat repeatedly apologized.

“Sorry, I can say sorry for this,” he said. “It’s not OK what they do, what we do. Sorry, sorry for this.”

Jekschtat also said, “It was a big mistake,” adding, “We are also no Nazi boys.”

Rehak, who bonded out Tuesday night, did not speak to Local 10 News and ran from cameras.

According to arrest reports, surveillance video showed Rehak borrowing a marker before the two men sat on the bench together. Police said Rehak wrote the graffiti while Jekschtat used his body to block others from seeing what was happening.

Investigators said both men later admitted involvement. Police said Rehak described the message as a “joke,” while Jekschtat said he was trying to “defend his friend.”

Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner condemned the vandalism, calling it “horrific” and saying there is “no place for hate, bigotry, racism, antisemitism in our city.”

The bench has since been removed for repairs.

Authorities said both men remain charged with criminal mischief and were ordered to stay away from the area of 12th Street and Ocean Drive.

While it was learned in court that they have both been in the U.S. for 3 1/2 weeks on vacation, they will now need permission from the judge to leave the country. Their next court date has been scheduled for May 28.

Gunther Manfred Jekschtat, de 63 años y residente de Laubach, Hesse, habló en exclusiva con Local 10 News un día después de que él y otro turista alemán, Christoph Rehak, de 58 años y residente de Gedern, Hesse, fueran arrestados por cargos de daños criminales relacionados con el vandalismo en Lummus Park.

La policía de Miami Beach indicó que el grafiti, que incluía una esvástica y la frase “Adolf estuvo aquí”, fue descubierto el lunes en un “banco LGBTQIA+” cerca de 12th Street y Ocean Drive.

Mientras Jekschtat salía de la cárcel el miércoles, se detuvo para responder preguntas de Local 10 News en lugar de evitar las cámaras.

“Me senté al lado del otro muchacho. No sé. Me senté al lado del otro muchacho que lo escribió”, dijo Jekschtat.

Cuando se le preguntó qué quería decirle a las personas ofendidas por el grafiti, Jekschtat se disculpó repetidamente.

“Perdón, puedo decir perdón por esto”, dijo. “No está bien lo que ellos hacen, lo que nosotros hacemos. Perdón, perdón por esto”.

Jekschtat también dijo: “Fue un gran error”, y agregó: “Nosotros tampoco somos muchachos nazis”.

Rehak, quien salió bajo fianza el martes por la noche, no habló con Local 10 News y corrió para alejarse de las cámaras.

Según los informes de arresto, videos de vigilancia mostraron a Rehak pidiendo prestado un marcador antes de que los dos hombres se sentaran juntos en el banco. La policía indicó que Rehak escribió el grafiti mientras Jekschtat usaba su cuerpo para impedir que otros vieran lo que estaba ocurriendo.

Los investigadores dijeron que ambos hombres posteriormente admitieron su participación. La policía indicó que Rehak describió el mensaje como una “broma”, mientras que Jekschtat dijo que estaba tratando de “defender a su amigo”.

El alcalde de Miami Beach, Steven Meiner, condenó el vandalismo, calificándolo de “horrible” y afirmando que “no hay lugar para el odio, la intolerancia, el racismo ni el antisemitismo en nuestra ciudad”.

El banco ya fue retirado para reparaciones.

Las autoridades dijeron que ambos hombres continúan enfrentando cargos de daños criminales y recibieron la orden de mantenerse alejados del área de 12th Street y Ocean Drive.

Aunque en la corte se supo que ambos llevaban tres semanas y media en Estados Unidos de vacaciones, ahora necesitarán permiso del juez para salir del país. Su próxima audiencia judicial fue programada para el 28 de mayo.

Agentes del condado Miami-Dade realizaron un arresto tras un choque con fuga que involucró un vehículo robado.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO), los agentes fueron alertados luego de que un lector de matrículas detectó un vehículo robado en el área de Northwest 79th Street y Seventh Avenue poco después de las 9:30 a.m. del miércoles.

La MDSO informó que un detective observó brevemente el vehículo, un Acura MDX blanco modelo 2024, cerca de Northwest 12th Street antes de perderlo de vista.

En ese momento, los agentes realizaron una búsqueda en el área y finalmente localizaron el SUV en el área de Northwest 57th Street y Eighth Avenue después de que estuvo involucrado en un choque con fuga, según la MDSO.

Los agentes dijeron que observaron al sospechoso que conducía el SUV robado huyendo de la escena del choque, lo que llevó al establecimiento de un perímetro.

Poco después, las autoridades informaron que detuvieron al sospechoso, cuya identidad no ha sido revelada, sin incidentes.

Los agentes indicaron que no se reportaron heridos.

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According to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 2:20 p.m. to the restaurant, located at 10855 Caribbean Blvd., after receiving reports of a stabbing.

Investigators identified the suspect in an arrest report as Jarvon Moreland, of West Perrine.

The report states that the victim was seated at a table inside the restaurant when Moreland approached him and stabbed him multiple times with a knife, causing “serious bodily injuries.”

According to detectives, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel transported the victim to Jackson South Medical Center for emergency treatment.

Investigators said Moreland fled before deputies arrived, but a be-on-the-lookout alert was issued shortly afterward, and he was later detained near a bus stop along Southwest 107th Avenue, less than a mile from the scene.

“The scene consisted of several blood spots located on the floor within the business,” deputies wrote in the report.

Detectives said surveillance video captured the entire attack and showed the suspect repeatedly stabbing the victim before running away.

According to the report, detectives later found a bloody knife near where Moreland was detained. A woman who was with him at the time gave a sworn statement and identified him as the attacker, investigators said.

Authorities said Moreland later waived his Miranda rights and provided a full confession regarding his involvement in the incident, admitting to stabbing the victim multiple times inside the restaurant.

Jail records show Moreland is facing one count of attempted second-degree murder.

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

Moreland’s arrest report did not state whether he knew the victim, and a motive for the stabbing remains unclear at this time.

Según un informe de arresto de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, los agentes respondieron alrededor de las 2:20 p.m. al restaurante, ubicado en 10855 Caribbean Blvd., tras recibir reportes de un apuñalamiento.

Los investigadores identificaron al sospechoso en el informe de arresto como Jarvon Moreland, de West Perrine.

El informe indica que la víctima estaba sentada en una mesa dentro del restaurante cuando Moreland se le acercó y la apuñaló múltiples veces con un cuchillo, causándole “lesiones corporales graves”.

Según los detectives, personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladó a la víctima al Jackson South Medical Center para recibir tratamiento de emergencia.

Los investigadores dijeron que Moreland huyó antes de que llegaran los agentes, pero poco después se emitió una alerta de búsqueda y posteriormente fue detenido cerca de una parada de autobús a lo largo de Southwest 107th Avenue, a menos de una milla de la escena.

“La escena consistía en varias manchas de sangre ubicadas en el piso dentro del negocio”, escribieron los agentes en el informe.

Los detectives dijeron que un video de vigilancia captó todo el ataque y mostró al sospechoso apuñalando repetidamente a la víctima antes de huir.

Según el informe, los detectives posteriormente encontraron un cuchillo ensangrentado cerca del lugar donde Moreland fue detenido. Una mujer que estaba con él en ese momento dio una declaración jurada y lo identificó como el atacante, dijeron los investigadores.

Las autoridades dijeron que Moreland posteriormente renunció a sus derechos Miranda y proporcionó una confesión completa sobre su participación en el incidente, admitiendo haber apuñalado múltiples veces a la víctima dentro del restaurante.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Moreland enfrenta un cargo de intento de asesinato en segundo grado.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde su fianza figuraba como “pendiente por establecer”.

El informe de arresto de Moreland no indicó si conocía a la víctima y el motivo del apuñalamiento sigue sin estar claro por el momento.

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According the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, deputies were alerted after a license plate reader flagged a stolen vehicle in the area of Northwest 79th Street and Seventh Avenue just after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

A MDSO detective briefly observed the vehicle, a 2024 white Acura MDX, near Northwest 12th Street before losing sight of it, deputies said.

At that point, deputies conducted a canvass of the area and eventually located the SUV in the area of Northwest 57th Street and Eighth Avenue after it had been involved in a hit-and-run crash, according to MDSO.

Deputies said they observed the suspect who was driving the stolen SUV running away from the crash scene, leading to a perimeter being established.

Soon after, authorities said they took the subject, who been identified as 34-year-old Juan Luis Trinidad, into custody without incident.

Trinidad, who police listed as an unemployed homeless man, is facing charges of grand theft of a vehicle, burglary of an occupied dwelling, burglary of an unoccupied conveyance and resisting arrest without violence.

As of Thursday morning, Trinidad was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

There were no injuries reported, deputies said.

Trump said at a White House ceremony that the action by the Environmental Protection Agency would “substantially lower costs for consumers” by delaying costly restrictions that limit the type of refrigerants U.S. businesses and families can use.

The move to relax the Biden-era rules on harmful pollutants known as hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, emitted by refrigerators and other appliances was the latest attempt by the Republican administration before pivotal elections in November to try to address rising voter concerns over the cost of living.

It is not clear how much or how quickly grocery prices could be impacted. Industry groups said it could even raise prices because manufacturers have already redesigned products, retooled factories and trained workers to build and service next-generation refrigerant equipment.

Inflation in the United States increased to 3.8% annually in April, amid price spikes caused by the Iran war and Trump’s sweeping tariffs. Inflation is now outpacing wage gains as the war has kept oil and gasoline prices high.

The regulation from the Democratic Biden administration was “unnecessary and costly and actually makes the machinery worse,” Trump said at a ceremony joined by top executives from Kroger, Piggly Wiggly and other grocery chains. He said the EPA action would protect hundreds of thousands of jobs and save Americans more than $2 billion a year.

The Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute, which represents more than 330 HVAC manufacturers and commercial refrigeration companies, said the change in approach would “inject uncertainty across the market” and could even raise prices.

“This rule works against basic supply and demand,” said Stephen Yurek, the group’s president and CEO. “By extending the compliance deadline” for phasing out HFCs, the administration “is maintaining and even increasing demand in the market for existing refrigerants while supply continues to fall."

The net result will be “higher service costs and higher costs for consumers,” he said.

Trump once supported limits on refrigerant pollutants

Trump's action marks a reversal after he signed a law in his first term aimed at reducing harmful, planet-warming pollutants emitted by refrigerators and air conditioners. That bipartisan measure brought environmentalists and major business groups into rare alignment on the contentious issue of climate change and won praise across the political spectrum.

The 2020 law reflected a broad bipartisan consensus on the need to quickly phase out domestic use of HFCs, which are thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide and are considered a major driver of global warming.

The EPA action highlights the second Trump administration’s drive to roll back regulations perceived as climate-friendly. The plan is among a series of sweeping environmental changes that the agency's administrator, Lee Zeldin, has said will put a “dagger through the heart of climate change religion.”

Environmentalists criticized the administration’s actions, saying the new rule would exacerbate climate pollution while disrupting a yearslong industry transition to new coolants as an alternative to HFCs.

The law pushed industry toward less harmful alternatives

The 2020 law signed by Trump, known as the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act, phased out HFCs as part of an international agreement on ozone pollution. The law accelerated an industry shift to alternative refrigerants that use less harmful chemicals and are widely available.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Chemistry Council, the top lobbying group for the chemical industry, were among numerous business groups that supported the law and an international deal on pollutants, known as the Kigali Amendment, as victories for jobs and the environment. U.S. companies such as Chemours and Honeywell developed and produce the alternative refrigerants sold in the United States and around the world.

The 2023 rule, now being relaxed, imposed steep restrictions on HFCs starting in 2026. Zeldin said the rule from the Democratic Biden administration did not give companies enough time to comply and that the rapid switch to other refrigerants caused shortages and price increases last year. Some in the industry dispute this.

The Food Industry Association, which represents grocery stores and suppliers, applauded the EPA action.

The earlier rule “imposed significant costs and unrealistic compliance requirements and timelines that threatened to drive up grocery prices and create substantial implementation challenges for food retailers,'' said Leslie Sarasin, the group's president and CEO.

New rule ensures an ‘orderly transition,’ grocer says

Kroger CEO Greg Foran, whose company operates 2,700 U.S. stores, told Trump the EPA action ensures “an orderly transition” that allows the company to update its equipment “in a way which keeps the price of groceries down. And that’s something that we’re desperately focusing on, Mr. President.”

Kevin McDaniel, whose company operates 14 Piggly Wiggly stores in Florida, Alabama and Georgia, said the Biden-era rule would have forced many independent grocers out of business.

“It was thrown together too fast,'' he said. “The technology is not there yet. It’s just way too fast. That’s the problem. Good idea, but it’s terrible."

David Doniger, a senior strategist at the Natural Resources Defense Council, called Trump's action “a lose-lose for the environment and the economy. It will harm consumers and the climate and reduce American competitiveness in the global markets emerging for environmentally safer refrigerants.”

Rather than address affordability, Trump is imposing “thinly veiled environmental rollbacks that leave the United States stuck with outdated technologies of the past,” Doniger said.

But the mother of three is getting more daring as gas prices and other travel costs make vacations more expensive. Her family has traded pricier trips, such as long summer stays in Florida and an annual Disney World visit around her birthday, for local beaches, bike rides and hiking trails near their home in coastal Rhode Island.

“I’ve been trying to do more of that because one, it’s quality time. Two, it’s fresh air. And three, we’re not spending an arm and a leg,” Bernaba, 47, said.

That kind of calibration is shaping the summer travel season, which gets its traditional start in the U.S. with the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. Higher fuel prices resulting from the Iran war and other inflationary pressures are making most forms of travel costlier as people in many parts of the world form their plans.

The U.S. Travel Association expects annual travel spending to grow by a modest 1% this year, powered largely by domestic leisure travel despite the FIFA World Cup giving soccer fans from other countries a reason to visit the U.S. Airfares have climbed around the world along with the price of jet fuel as the war constrains global oil supplies.

Sticking closer to home may not cushion the sticker shock. The nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimated Americans would collectively spend an extra $3.5 billion on gasoline over the holiday weekend. The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the U.S. was $4.56 on Thursday compared to $3.18 a year ago, according to motor club AAA.

Other travel expenses have gone up too. The latest consumer price index showed airfares were 20.7% higher in April from a year earlier, the cost of intracity transit such as buses and subways rose 5.6%, lodging cost 4.3% more, and eating out got 3.6% pricier.

Changing travel patterns

Despite elevated prices, industry forecasts suggest Americans still want to get away, even if it means replacing long trips with long weekends, choosing destinations closer to home and finding ways to cut costs by cooking meals or using buses and trains instead of driving.

AAA predicted that 45 million U.S. residents would travel at least 50 miles (80.47 kilometers) from home between Thursday and Monday for the holiday. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen 18.3 million passengers from Thursday to next Wednesday.

Many households are planning summer vacations but making tradeoffs such as shorter trips or cheaper lodging, according to Bank of America analysts. Mastercard said in a recent report that consumers appeared increasingly focused on value and were adjusting their destinations and timing instead of not going away at all.

“Generally, it’s certainly more of a demand reshuffling than a demand softening,” David Tinsley, a senior economist at Bank of America Institute, said.

For the Bernaba family, that has meant trading a big vacation for a shorter trip nearby this summer. Their scaled-back itinerary still is pricey: more than $400 for a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard for their car and passengers, and about $800 a night for each of the two hotel rooms the family of five needs.

Another family that had planned to join them backed out after seeing the price tag.

“The pinch is being felt all the way around,” Bernaba said.

Analysts have increasingly described travel spending as “K-shaped,” with higher-income households continuing to spend while lower-income families pull back or opt out entirely. Bank of America said lower-income households were significantly more likely to report having no summer travel plans this year.

New polling of registered U.S. voters by Quinnipiac University found that 48% have cut back on vacation spending, 54% have reduced what they spend on dining out, and 36% have curbed their driving.

Travelers are confronting other stressors besides cost.

Airlines around the world have canceled flights and trimmed routes to save on fuel and operating costs, leaving passengers with fewer options. The conflict in the Middle East has complicated getting there and rerouted flights to and from Asia, adding another layer of concern on top of broader geopolitical tensions and the declining value of the dollar for people considering trips abroad.

Recent U.S. government shutdowns, which caused major flight disruptions and long security lines, also are likely still fresh in travelers’ minds.

The various factors impacting travel right now has made planning trips more mentally taxing and may be pushing people toward simpler and more accessible vacations that feel easier to manage, said Marta Soligo, a tourism sociologist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“The key word here is unpredictability,” Soligo said. “Tourists don’t like unpredictability.”

Quality over quantity

Jim Wang, a personal finance blogger who lives in Maryland with his wife and four children, said his family’s original plan to travel to Spain to see a full solar eclipse in August began to unravel once they looked at the logistics.

Beyond thousands of dollars in airfare, the trip would have required multiple connecting flights, plus a car rental to reach northern Spain, where the path of totality is expected to pass.

“It’s like, ‘Oh, I don’t know if I want to see the eclipse that much,’” Wang said.

Instead, Wang’s family plans to head this summer to the Lake Tahoe area straddling California and Nevada, where they can stay at a relative’s cabin for free, hike and enjoy a slower pace with limited cellphone service. His wife’s parents and sister expect to join them.

“We’re still going to travel. It’ll just be different,” Wang said. “The vacations are no longer as grand for the adults. But for our kids, it’s still exciting.”

Nancy McGehee, a Virginia Tech hospitality professor who studies consumer behavior, said travelers are increasingly focusing more on the “why than the where” when it comes to vacations.

“What we’re seeing is people are saying, ‘Alright, we can’t do that big splashy trip we wanted to do, but what else can we do?’” McGehee said. “It’s more quality over quantity that we’re seeing people go for.”

Back in Rhode Island, Bernaba has accepted that travel may look different for her family for a while.

“I think that’s probably why my mind has gone to doing more nature-y things,” she said. “Let’s learn how to use the earth to enjoy ourselves because that’s not going to cost as much money.”

En medio de las crecientes tensiones entre Cuba y Estados Unidos, el Departamento de Justicia anunció una acusación contra el líder comunista cubano Raúl Castro.

“Envía el mensaje correcto, no solo para nosotros, sino también para la oposición dentro de Cuba”, dijo el comisionado de Miami-Dade, Juan Carlos Bermudez.

La acusación está relacionada con el derribo fatal de los aviones de Hermanos al Rescate en 1996.

“Esa masacre es una herida abierta en esta comunidad porque cuatro jóvenes idealistas, conocidos por su arduo trabajo y seriedad, fueron asesinados por intentar salvar las vidas de otros”, dijo Orlando Gutierrez-Boronat, de la Asamblea de la Resistencia Cubana.

Según el fundador de Hermanos al Rescate, Jose Basulto, grabaciones de audio de Raúl Castro, quien entonces era jefe de las fuerzas armadas de Cuba, muestran que ordenó el ataque contra los aviones del grupo humanitario mientras buscaban ayudar a cubanos en el mar que huían de la isla comunista.

“Fuimos atacados por MiGs cubanos”, dijo Basulto.

Un MiG es un avión de combate Mikoyan-Gurevich de diseño soviético.

“Significa mucho para mí como cubanoestadounidense porque finalmente se hará justicia”, dijo Bermudez, quien era amigo de Mario De La Peña, uno de los cuatro hombres asesinados en el ataque cubano.

“Murió muy joven, a los 25 años”, dijo Bermudez. “Fue un crimen cometido por el gobierno cubano”.

La acusación surge mientras defensores de la democracia en Cuba continúan firmes en su lucha de décadas por una transición de la dictadura a la democracia en la isla.

“La acusación es un paso muy importante, pero por supuesto el objetivo final aquí es el regreso de la soberanía al pueblo cubano”, dijo Gutierrez-Boronat.