The crash occurred around 4:30 a.m. near the 1400 block of Tyler Street, according to Hollywood police.

A car overturned and came to rest on its roof in the front yard of a home after colliding with another car. The impact sent the vehicle through a fence and into the front of the house, damaging the living room area.

Police said the occupants of the vehicles and the home were not injured.

A resident of the home told Local 10’s Jolena Esperto that she and her mother were asleep when the crash occurred.

“Me and my mom were sleeping and then we heard a super loud bang,” said Eliana, a woman who lives at the home told Esperto. “I immediately knew that perhaps something had hit the house.”

Eliana said she and her mother went outside and discovered the overturned car against the home.

“They hit the living room,” she added. “Thank God it wasn’t the bedroom because I was on the other side.”

Eliana said the crash occurred close to her mother’s bedroom, where the headboard was positioned against the wall nearest the impact.

Despite the damage, no one inside the home was hurt. The drivers involved in the crash also appeared to have escaped serious injury.

The damaged car was later removed from the scene by a tow truck. A second vehicle involved in the collision, a white Audi, was also towed away.

Eliana said she and her mother recently moved into the home and that speeding has been a concern in the neighborhood. She said Hollywood police told her the vehicles may have been traveling at speeds of 80 mph or higher before the crash.

“There’s like vents over the roof,” she added. “The car literally flew over the house (and) hit the other side. They were definitely going very, very fast for it to do the damage that it did.”

Authorities have not released details about what led to the collision. The crash remains under investigation.

8 ounces dried spaghetti

1 pound asparagus spears, woody ends trimmed and discarded, stalks cut in thirds

2 cups fresh peas (if not available, frozen is fine)

2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

zest and juice of 1 lemon

salt and black pepper, to taste

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

Bring a large pot of water to a strong boil. Season with salt, then add pasta. Cook according to package directions for “al dente.” Set aside about 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta.

Heat a skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 2-3 minutes) add the asparagus and peas, lemon juice and zest about ½ cup of the pasta water. As it reduces, add the cooked pasta to the pan, the butter, a little more water if needed and the parsley. Give it a stir and serve.

1 pound fingerling or tiny potatoes, cut in half

1 pint grape tomatoes cut in half

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in quarters

juice of 1 lemon, freshly squeezed

1 lemon sliced into thin slices, seeds removed

6 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane

½ teaspoon red crushed chili flake

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives or your favorite olives, pitted

1 bunch broccolini, woody ends trimmed and discarded

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

Heat oven to 425˚F.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, HALF of the tomatoes, red onion, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, toss to combine. Place on a rimmed baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Using the same bowl, combine chicken, lemon juice and slices, minced garlic into the bowl, remaining HALF of the tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, chili flake, paprika, oregano, olive oil and olives. Place everything on and around the other ingredients on the baking sheet. Bake for another 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and place the broccolini around the sheet pan and top everything with the feta and parsley. Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.

Officials said a crew from the USCG’s Miami Beach station responded to the distress situation and safely rescued all four individuals aboard the boat.

They said the rescued boaters were transported to a local marina. No injuries have been reported at this time.

Officials said the operation highlighted the coordination between its personnel and partner agencies involved in the rescue effort.

Authorities have not said what caused the boat to take on water.

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The suspect arrested in the case was identified by North Miami police on Friday as 53-year-old James Mackenzie.

According to an arrest report obtained by Local 10, officers responded around 10:45 a.m. Thursday to the 500 block of Northeast 132nd Terrace in reference to a reported stabbing.

Police said they located Mackenzie with blood on his hands in the backyard near an efficiency at the back of his home.

Investigators conducted a safety sweep of the home and located the victim who they say was “suffering from multiple stab wounds to the chest.”

The report states that the victim was seated in a walker used as a wheelchair and was having difficulty breathing and speaking after he was stabbed.

Police said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics transported the victim to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital for treatment.

Hospital staff later told investigators the victim had been stabbed approximately seven times, with at least one wound piercing his heart, according to the report. Police said the victim, who has not yet been identified, remains in critical condition as of Friday afternoon.

Investigators said while inside the home, they found large amounts of blood in a bedroom where the victim was discovered.

They also confirmed that a small folding pocketknife with what appeared to be blood on it was also located inside Mackenzie’s home.

The report states other residents heard an argument between Mackenzie and the victim but did not witness the stabbing.

A surveillance camera inside the home captured audio of the victim saying, “I’m bleeding everywhere, please. I need to go to the hospital,” according to the report.

Police said Mackenzie made several statements that were redacted from the publicly released report before invoking his right to an attorney after being read his Miranda rights.

Jail records show he is facing one count of second-degree attempted murder.

As of Friday afternoon, he was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He was also ordered by Judge Mindy Glazer to stay away from the victim.

A motive for the stabbing remains unclear at this time.

The news conference Friday night featured the fighters who are preparing to face off Sunday in the Octagon built outside the White House. But it was also a chance to see the UFC fans who have thronged to Washington and endured lightning, humidity and bugs for the spectacle.

Tracy Philbeck and his son Levi drove from Charlotte, North Carolina, with a group of friends to support their favorite fighter, American Justin Gaethje, in the upcoming lightweight title bout against Georgian Ilia Topuria.

"You will hear an eagle screaming when Justin Gaethje wins,” the elder Philbeck chuckled.

David Halstead journeyed from Albany, in Western Australia, to watch the sport he has loved for a decade. Halstead said Trump, who regularly attends the fights, “put UFC on the map."

The UFC has said it spent $60 million on this weekend's festivities, and Republican president has billed it as “the greatest show on earth.”

Not everyone agrees.

The Public Integrity Project described the event as a “private, commercial, corrupt use of our most sacred national monuments for private gain” in a lawsuit the watchdog group filed to try to stop it from happening on federal land. A federal judge ruled on Friday that the White House was allowed to go ahead.

Only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults consider themselves mixed martial arts fans, according to Ipsos Sports polling conducted in February and March. That polling suggests MMA fans skew male and nonwhite. They are more likely to identify as Republicans than Democrats.

“One misconception is that everyone who watches UFC is a Trump supporter, but that’s not the case," said Ricardo Rodriguez, 24, explaining he loves the physicality of the sport. “People also expect a knock out every time," he said.

Ellie Louizes, who practices Muay Thai, or Thai kickboxing, and jujitsu martial arts, drove from Daytona Beach, Florida, with her boyfriend, Jacob Purvis.

Female fans of MMA are the minority. But Louizes said she knows a lot of women who get into watching the sport through their male partners. She said “female fighters are often way more aggressive” than the men.

Fans brushed off the criticism about White House as host

The fans at the Lincoln Memorial brushed off criticism about the bouts being held at the White House.

Holding fights at the “People's House,” Tracy Philbeck said, "goes back to the days of Teddy Roosevelt.”

Roosevelt regularly held sparring sessions at the White House, though they were not formal public prizefights. He was an enthusiastic amateur boxer who had boxed at Harvard and continued the sport throughout much of his life.

Boxing fans also make up a large part of the UFC's fan base.

At a UFC-sponsored community event this week at the District of Columbia's Midtown Youth Academy, the boxing gym's executive director was helping out with a visit from UFC fighter Randy Brown, who sparred with more than dozen local teenagers and preteens.

Gloria Lee said meeting the fighter was a big deal for kids at her gym. “It's just been a thrilling week, and I was about to fall out when he came in the door!” she said.

Asked about her personal UFC fandom, Lee said she had not watched it much. But by the end of Brown's visit, she got into the ring with the professional fighter and threw some slugs of her own.

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Associated Press writer Linley Sanders contributed to this report.

“It was just kind of normal,” said Ricky, a 17-year-old recent graduate in Superior, Wisconsin. “Kids were vaping in class, in the bathrooms, wherever.”

Nationally, nearly 6% of middle and high school students — amounting to 1.63 million kids — reported using electronic cigarettes in 2024, federal figures show. Although that’s down from previous years, e-cigarettes remain the most commonly used tobacco products among teens, and nearly 9 out of 10 of kids choose flavored products.

Some doctors are concerned that youth vaping rates may rise again. The Food and Drug Administration recently announced its first authorization of fruit-flavored vapes intended for adults interested in quitting or cutting back on more harmful traditional cigarettes. The policy shift came after months of appeals to President Donald Trump from the vaping industry. An FDA memo released this week said these fruit-flavored e-cigarettes are not significantly better at helping smokers quit than tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes.

“I understand the goal of giving adult smokers a less harmful off-ramp, but fruit and sweet flavors are precisely what draw young people in,” said Dr. Scott Hadland at Mass General Brigham for Children and Harvard Medical School. “I worry this could erode the hard-won progress that brought teen vaping to its lowest level in roughly a decade.”

Experts say there are ways parents can counteract the allure of e-cigarettes, teach kids about the dangers of vaping and help them quit.

Vaping poses many dangers to kids

Dr. Devika Rao sees lots of kids with respiratory problems caused by vaping, including coughing, worsening asthma, bronchitis and more severe types of lung disease.

Studies show teens who vape report higher rates of wheezing, shortness of breath and a reduced ability to tolerate exercise. Gaby Cuadra of Miami, who vaped for nine years starting at age 15, remembers how it hurt her high school track and field performance.

“As the years kept going on and I would keep vaping, the distances that I used to be able to run, I, like, couldn’t do them anymore,” said Cuandra, 25. “I would run out of breath.”

While an e-cigarette's aerosol doesn't contain most of the 7,000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, most vapes “emit numerous potentially toxic substances,” according to a comprehensive 2018 consensus report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Researchers said the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes are not yet clear.

One of the biggest dangers of vaping is nicotine addiction, which can disrupt the developing brain and affect attention, learning and mood.

“The addiction factor cannot be overstated enough,” said Rao at Children's Health in Dallas. “Adolescent brains are primed for addiction.”

How to talk to your child about vaping

Start by asking questions, experts advise. You can raise the issue by, for example, pointing out a new vape shop.

“Start open-ended conversations,” Rao said.

Ask what your child knows about vaping and its harms, whether they've seen e-cigarettes and if their friends are using them.

Even if your kid is already vaping, Rao said, take a deep breath and don’t yell. Be nonjudgmental.

Consider what your child may see on social media, where some influencers call nicotine a “hack” for stress relief. Some studies show that many people misinterpret the curbing of nicotine withdrawal symptoms as stress or anxiety relief and that quitting reduces stress. A 2025 study in the journal Tobacco Control said vaping may be linked to adverse mental health outcomes and that those who quit “experience fewer urges to vape, reduced anxiety, and stabilized mood.”

Teens’ decisions are often based on their peers and what’s cool, said Anthony Alberg of the University of South Carolina, a member of the expert committee that produced the National Academies vaping report. Tell your teen they don’t have to succumb to peer pressure and that their friends should want to be friends whether they vape or not.

Younger children, Alberg said, may be more likely to listen to arguments about health effects, such as comparing vaping to “putting poison in your system.”

Arming kids with information is better than simply trying to limit access to vapes, experts said, since age restrictions often don’t keep them out of kids’ hands.

“Most teens get e-cigarettes from friends, older peers or online sellers rather than buying them in a store,” Hadland said.

A teen’s journey through vaping and quitting

When Ricky first tried e-cigarettes, he used an older cousin’s vape. Later, an older friend bought e-cigarettes for him and his friends. He particularly liked the flavors blue raspberry, strawberry, watermelon and kiwi.

In the early days, he thought vaping helped him with his ADHD.

“What I didn’t realize is that because I was addicted to nicotine, when I didn’t have it, I’d be anxious and really couldn’t focus,” he said. "Instead of being something that helped me, it just made things worse.”

Vaping also sapped his stamina, made it harder to sleep, worsened his asthma and compromised his performance as a football player and wrestler.

Eventually, he got into trouble with his school and parents for vaping and selling vapes to others. He began meeting with a school social worker and joined the American Lung Association’s Not On Tobacco program, which helps teens to quit.

The first couple of weeks were extremely difficult. But eventually, he stopped thinking about vaping as much. He quit for good in 2022.

Like Ricky, most middle and high school students who vape want to quit, researchers have found.

Parents can help them by first seeing their doctor, who can connect them with counseling or free text-message quit programs for young people.

For kids who vape heavily, Hadland said doctors may consider medications like Chantix or nicotine replacement therapy as part of a supervised quitting plan.

Cuandra quit after giving up e-cigarettes for Lent, assisted by a free program developed by Truth Initiative and Mayo Clinic called EX, which provides text message support, advice and encouragement.

“The best thing I ever did for myself was quit vaping,” said Cuandra, who has shared her story on social media.

Since Ricky gave up vaping, he’s also shared what he learned. Usually, he asks his peers what triggers their vaping and how they can avoid those situations, as he did.

“I tell them, like, ‘I’m not here to judge you,’” he said. “'I’m here to help you.'”

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

SpaceX is now worth $2.1 trillion after its stock launched 19.2% higher in its debut on Wall Street. Whether or not you believe it deserves to be worth more than Exxon Mobil, Bank of America and Coca-Cola combined, the collective market does. And if SpaceX maintains that big a value, it will join some high-profile stock indexes.

Many of these indexes don't care about how realistic a company's growth plans are or who its CEO is. They're simply trying to show how slices of the market, or the whole thing, are performing. And if SpaceX is big enough to meet the qualifications to join those indexes, whether it's in a few weeks or a year, it will gain entry.

That matters for investors and their 401(k) accounts because they're depending more than ever on funds that simply mimic these indexes. It's a lower-cost way to invest, allowing savers to keep more of their investments. Partly because of that, such index funds have usually proven to be better performers than funds that try to pick and choose individual stocks.

Just one in five actively managed U.S. stock funds survived and beat their average index peer over the last decade, at 21%, according to Morningstar's data through 2025. Such disparities in performance meant investors had more money invested in U.S. index funds than actively managed ones beginning in 2024, and the gap has only grown since then.

Here's a look at what's going on:

What indexes are

They're things the investment industry has created to answer the question: What is the market doing? It's otherwise tough to answer quickly when the U.S. market has thousands of stocks moving in different directions at any moment.

The S&P 500 is perhaps the most famous and influential index. It tracks 500 of the biggest U.S. stocks, and trillions of dollars in investments are either directly mimicking it or at least benchmarking themselves against it.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is well known because it's been around since the 19th century, but it tracks only 30 big stocks so Wall Street pays it little attention.

Companies want to be in indexes

Because index funds are the way so many investors put money into the stock market, companies want to be part of indexes. Stocks can see a big jump in their prices after S&P Dow Jones Indices, Nasdaq, FTSE Russell or other companies announce they'll be joining their indexes.

The investment industry has created funds, including both traditional mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, to track almost every kind of index. More than 1,000 index funds were available at the end of last year, according to the Investment Company Institute. Of them, 185 tracked the S&P 500.

SpaceX could soon be in indexes

Nasdaq changed its rules to allow some huge companies to join its Nasdaq 100 index after just 15 trading days. That's a break from the past, where it would wait until each December to add new members in an annual reconstitution to make sure it includes the 100 largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq.

Some popular funds track the Nasdaq 100 index, including the QQQ exchange-traded fund from Invesco that has roughly $477 billion in total investments. That means QQQ holders could soon own shares of SpaceX, without doing anything on their own.

Other AI giants could as well

Anthropic and OpenAI are two other huge AI-related companies looking to sell their own stocks soon on a U.S. exchange for the first time. Their IPOs could potentially make each worth close to $1 trillion.

It used to be that companies would have an IPO long before they got that big. But SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI swelled to tremendous sizes thanks to dollars from private investors, including pension funds, companies and rich investors, away from the public market.

That's forcing the reconsideration for the investment industry about how quickly to add companies to indexes that they say track the biggest companies.

Not every index is making changes to fast-track big IPOs

The company behind the S&P 500 is not making changes to allow SpaceX and other “mega” IPOs faster entry into the index. For it, a stock needs to trade on an eligible exchange for at least 12 months before it can join the index.

Not only that, S&P Dow Jones Indices also requires companies to have made a profit in its most recent quarter and over the sum of its last four quarters.

SpaceX lost $4.9 billion last year and another $4.3 billion through the first three months of 2026. It acknowledges that it “may not achieve profitability in the future.” Over the long term, a stock’s price tends to track with how much profit the company is making.

Not everyone is happy about SpaceX's IPO entry to indexes

Officials from pension funds for firefighters, teachers and other workers in California and New York sent a letter to SpaceX last month decrying its corporate governance, including how much power Musk will hold over the company through his ownership of a special class of stock with more voting power.

They said they could become owners of SpaceX stock because they hold index funds.

If Musk is able to control so much of the voting power on the board of directors, it would make him tremendously powerful atop SpaceX, “essentially making him unfireable without his own consent,” the CEO of California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the New York state comptroller and the New York City comptroller wrote in their letter.

If an investor doesn’t like certain companies in the index

Index funds track indexes. And if a stock is in an index, the index fund will buy it, even if investors may not like it.

Tesla has remained in the S&P 500 even though critics called it overvalued for years, for example, and Musk's electric-vehicle company has grown to become one of Wall Street's 10 biggest companies.

Some indexes say they will not include companies that have poor corporate governance standards or other narrowed criteria, but investors need to look for them.

The S&P 500 ESG index famously kicked Tesla out in 2022, for example.

The Pentagon on Monday added several non-state-owned Chinese companies, including electric vehicle maker BYD, tech giants Alibaba and Baidu to its list that seeks to identify Chinese companies it deems to have ties to the Chinese military, preventing them from landing U.S. defense contracts.

By adding these firms to the list, “the U.S. side has ignored the consensus reached during the meeting between the heads of state of the two countries in Beijing,” a Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Saturday in a statement.

The U.S. has “disregarded the overall interests of bilateral economic and trade relations, continuously generalized the concept of national security, and abused state power to unjustifiably suppress Chinese enterprises,” the spokesperson added.

BYD, Alibaba and Baidu said earlier there’s no basis to include them in the list.

Trump in mid-May visited Beijing in a much-anticipated summit with Xi. The two leaders agreed to boost economic ties between the countries, including China's purchase of more U.S. agricultural products and Boeing jets, and the setting up separate boards of trade and investment.

According to Lauderhill Police Sgt. Parys Thomas, officers responded to the crash and found the boy had been hit by a vehicle.

Police said the boy was transported to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

They said the driver remained at the scene and the boy’s parents were present at the time of the incident.

Thomas said the case is being investigated as a “regular traffic accident” and that there are no indications of any criminal wrongdoing.

No additional details about the circumstances of the crash were immediately available.

The posture is an escalation from a year ago, when Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer was widely criticized within his party for a spring vote with Republicans to keep the government open. Since then, Democrats have forced government shutdowns, slowed Trump’s nominations and now blocked the bipartisan intelligence law as they seek leverage in a Republican-led Congress.

The risky strategy has consequences when government programs go dark, and Democrats have little to show for it so far in terms of policy victories. Republicans say it is a grave threat to national security to let the surveillance law, which aims to prevent terrorist attacks, expire just as millions of people are entering the United States for World Cup games and as celebrations for the nation’s 250th anniversary get underway.

But the hardball approach has helped unite Democrats inside and outside of the Capitol as they say they have no other choice — and that the blame should fall on Trump for how he is governing.

“I don’t deny that this is dangerous,” Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Thursday about Democrats allowing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to expire starting Saturday. “But this didn’t have to happen.”

Democrats’ growing confidence also comes at a time when Republicans are often sparring with Trump, who has made clear he has little interest in compromise with lawmakers in either party. Democrats are blocking renewal of the law, known as FISA, in protest of Trump’s appointment of federal housing regulator and loyalist Bill Pulte to temporarily lead the nation’s intelligence agencies. The choice also rankled Republicans, who said Pulte lacks the required experience for the job.

Lawmakers in both parties urged Trump all week to pull the appointment, and on Thursday he nominated a permanent replacement for the job just after lawmakers left Washington for the weekend. But the Senate confirmation process will take time, and Trump has not budged on Pulte’s appointment as an interim director.

With no change, Democrats “are going to use every tool we have to fight back,” said Schumer, D-N.Y.

The standoff over FISA has won Senate Democrats some respect with base voters revolted a year ago. Schumer and the caucus have “shifted to more of a fight posture,” says Joel Payne, a Democratic strategist who served as an aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Republicans say blocking FISA is a dangerous strategy

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Democrats have been playing “fast and loose” with national security for the past year. He pointed to the 43-day government shutdown last fall and a monthslong delay in funding for Trump’s immigration enforcement operations.

“How did we get to the point where one party has completely abdicated any responsibility for our nation’s security?” Thune asked.

Democrats argue that Pulte, with little national security background, is a greater threat. They note that as a federal housing regulator, he has pushed for investigations of high-profile political figures whom Trump considers political foes.

“It’s not a close call,” Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “We cannot extend these capabilities if the president is making clear that he’s going to use them not to protect the nation, but to protect himself politically.”

Democrats fight for more leverage

Strategist Payne says he believes Democrats have gained a bit of leverage since the shutdown in the fall.

Democrats did not get the extension in health care subsidies they demanded because a small group of moderate Democrats voted with Republicans to end the impasse. They did not achieve the changes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol that they sought when they delayed passage of funding for those agencies for months. But the White House did agree to negotiate, even if those talks ultimately failed.

Democrats also have grown more unified. While moderates ended the fall shutdown, the party stayed together in blocking the immigration funding and the surveillance authority.

“They’ve showed Republicans they are not going to fold,” Payne said.

Still, it may not be enough for some in the party base or to win Democrats a majority in November's midterm elections.

Andrew O’Neill, national advocacy director for the Democratic resistance group Indivisible, said he was concerned to see some Democrats praise Jay Clayton, Trump’s permanent pick for the intelligence job.

Republicans are rushing to confirm Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, before Tulsi Gabbard leaves the job and Pulte takes over as interim director on June 19.

It is unclear, so far, if Democrats will support Clayton or allow Republicans to speed up the process and confirm him quickly.

O’Neill said he is glad Democrats blocked FISA over Pulte’s appointment, but activists are wary.

“It’s a mixed bag,” O’Neill said of the past year. “The frustration is it took so long.”

Republicans navigate Democrats and Trump

Caught in the middle are Senate Republicans, who had to spend months to fund border enforcement agencies and are now navigating the dispute over FISA, even after lawmakers reached a bipartisan compromise.

Republicans are also trying to work with Trump, who derailed the intelligence legislation when he announced Pulte’s appointment as senators were on the verge of passing that deal.

Trump has weakened Republicans' position — and his own support in the Senate — by backing primary challenges to incumbent senators. Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana both lost in primaries to Trump-backed opponents last month and have joined Democrats in criticizing Pulte.

Senate Democrats say hope their strategy gives them enough leverage to win more Republican allies.

Being in the minority is “a difficult dynamic for us,” said Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt. “But I’m seeing the Republicans start to move a little bit.”

Drone debris sparked a fire at a sea terminal, local Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev said. He did not give details, but Russian news outlets reported that a Black Sea export terminal transporting terminal crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied gas in the village of Volna was damaged.

Ukraine’s General Staff did not comment on the Krasnodar strike Saturday, but said that its forces had hit an oil preparation and pumping station overnight in Russia’s Volgograd region, as well as Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine's Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

The attack comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country’s forces had struck several military and energy infrastructure sites deep inside Russia, including a military factory that he said supplied components for Russian drones and missiles.

He said Wednesday that Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo long-range missiles had hit the facility in Cheboksary, in the Chuvashiya region, more than 900 kilometers (560 miles) from the front line.

More than four years since the start of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, the more than 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line has remained largely static as swarms of drones hinder advances. As a result, both sides have increasingly relied on long-range strikes.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed to strengthen air defenses after Ukrainian attacks set ablaze an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and also hit a nearby naval base, casting a cloud over a showcase economic forum in his hometown.

Elsewhere, Russian attacks injured nine people in Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region, setting fire to a local marketplace, regional authorities said.

Russia attacked three districts of the region more than 20 times with drones and aerial bombs, according to regional head Oleksandr Hanzha in a Telegram post on Saturday. Six were hospitalized including a man in critical condition, he added.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The new requirement, also under consideration in California, attempts to thwart the latest technique for producing untraceable “ghost guns” that have turned up in crimes. But there are questions about whether the technology can work and concerns about its affect on personal privacy and constitutional rights.

About one-third of U.S. states already have taken steps to ban or regulate build-it-yourself firearms that lack serial numbers and evade the background checks required to purchase guns from federally licensed dealers. What makes the new effort unique is that it targets the equipment used to produce the firearms, not the people who make them.

The blocking technology being pushed in two of the nation's most populous states has the potential to set industry standards for 3D printers. It also could serve as a model for other Democratic-led states wanting to add to their gun regulations, which often already ban certain semiautomatic weapons and allow firearms to be temporarily confiscated from people deemed to pose a threat to themselves or others.

More privately made guns are being used in crimes

Three-dimensional printers have become increasingly common over the past couple of decades.

Since 2012, the number of 3D printers worldwide has grown from an estimated 30,000 to over 3 million while the industry's value has multiplied from around $2 billion to $26 billion annually, said Bill Decker, executive chairman of the Association of 3D Printing. Though high-end printers cost thousands of dollars, some 3D printers now can be bought for as little as several hundred dollars.

The devices can make toys, prosthetic limbs and even airplane parts. They also can make firearms — or the pieces necessary to assemble them — using digital designs available online. Homemade guns that lack serial numbers often are called “ghost guns," because they are hard for law enforcement officers to trace.

Firearms made with 3D printers are increasingly being used in crimes, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report released last year. The number of privately made guns recovered in crimes and submitted to federal authorities rose from about 1,600 in 2017 to nearly 27,500 in 2023, though the report didn't specify how many came from 3D printers.

In a high-profile New York case, police say a 3D-printed gun likely was used to kill UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in 2024.

How 3D printers could refuse to make gun parts

A New York law signed last month and a bill in the California Legislature both would direct panels of experts to come up with standards for firearm blueprint detection algorithms. The technology would analyze every design submitted for 3D printing, compare it to a digital library of firearm parts, and reject those that are similar.

Though the study process would start now, the mandate that 3D printers come equipped with firearm blocking technology wouldn't begin until 2029 — or later, in New York's case, if the study group determines it's not yet feasible.

The concept is a bit like a smartphone app that identifies trees or flowers from an uploaded photo, said Solomon Diamond, an associate engineering professor at Dartmouth College who was among several experts at a recent online seminar about the legislation.

For 3D printers, one possible method could use a geometric analysis of shapes, dimensions and other structural features to reject print projects that closely resemble firearm parts.

"Geometric search is mature, it’s deployed, it is ready to be applied to this problem,” said Julian Chultarsky, a technical account manager at Physna, a Columbus, Ohio-based company that develops such technology.

Could 3D printers block both too little and too much?

The Association of 3D Printing supports the legislation in New York and California, but “it's not going to work,” Decker said. "It’s more of a political statement than anything else.”

Criminals still will come up with ways to make guns from 3D printers, either by altering their designs or taking their printing projects elsewhere, Decker said.

The more aggressive the technology becomes, the more likely that it also blocks unintended items, said Rory Mir, director of open access and technology community engagement at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights group. Some harmless pipes might look like gun parts, or an S-shaped wall hanger might resemble an auto sear trigger used to modify a semiautomatic weapon into a machine gun.

“These sort of censorship algorithms don’t work, and they wind up capturing and blocking a lot of lawful speech," Mir said.

If print instructions are submitted for a cloud-based artificial intelligence search, it also risks the privacy of people's artistic and proprietary creations, Mir said.

Does the right to bear arms extend to making them?

Gun safety advocates say 3D printers have created a new pathway for people who cannot legally purchase firearms — like children or convicted felons — to nonetheless obtain them. Eleven states already generally prohibit 3D-printed guns, and six additional states require them to receive serial numbers, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.

Blocking the actual 3D printing of firearms could make it harder for people to ignore such laws.

“3D printing really is the new frontier of the fight against ghost guns,” said Samuel Levy, director of policy advocacy at Everytown for Gun Safety.

The National Rifle Association might partly agree with that assertion, though it disagrees with the policy.

“Despite desperate fear-mongering campaigns, homemade firearms are nothing new — they are a proud, time-honored American tradition dating back to the founding of our Republic," John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said in a statement. He added that "these measures only restrict responsible Americans — who do follow the law — from participating in constitutionally protected activities.”

Police said Inara Reina, 78, was last seen around 8:30 a.m. Friday at a home in the 7600 block of Northwest 18th Street in Margate.

Reina is described as 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 110 pounds, with white hair. Police said she was last seen wearing a white shirt and pink leggings.

According to investigators, Reina may be driving a silver Volkswagen Tiguan with Florida tag HZJR86.

Authorities said Reina meets the criteria for a missing, endangered adult.

Anyone with information about her whereabouts is urged to contact the Margate Police Department at 954-972-7111.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that a deal aimed at ending the war in the Middle East is closer than “ever before” and expected to be finalized within 24 hours. Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the agreement, followed immediately by technical-level talks next week.

Previous declarations of an imminent breakthrough failed to materialize.

The apparent breakthrough in negotiations comes after Iran exchanged fire with the U.S. and Israel over three days this week, threatening to push the region into a full-scale war. U.S. Central Command late Friday said in a social media post that it intercepted several Iranian attack drones that were targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The war launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28 has rattled the Middle East and virtually shut down oil and natural gas shipments from the Persian Gulf. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 7.

Here's what to know:

Iran's nuclear program terms to be finalized within 60 days of the agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday the terms of dealing with Iran’s nuclear program would be finalized in the 60 days after the initial agreement is signed and that the parties could decide to extend that period.

Iran’s nuclear program has been a key point of division. The U.S. and Israel fear it could lead to an atomic weapon — a main reason their leaders cited for going to war. Tehran has insisted its nuclear efforts are for peaceful purposes.

A senior U.S. administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said Friday that the emerging agreement would begin the process of destroying or removing Tehran’s highly enriched uranium.

The official said the 60-day period after both sides sign the deal would be used to work out technical details for removing Iran’s enriched uranium. The official did not detail who the U.S. envisions taking charge of removing the uranium, believed to be entombed under three nuclear sites that were battered by American strikes last year.

The deal will include conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, official says

The U.S. official said the emerging agreement includes provisions for reopening the strait.

Araghchi said Iran wants a deal that allows Tehran to charge ships “for services rendered” when they transit the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has imposed a toll system during the war, which the U.S. and other nations say violates international law.

Transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and natural gas, has been disrupted and crimped global energy supplies, driven up fuel prices and made food and other basics more expensive well beyond the region.

The agreement is set to include Iranian sanctions relief

Three regional officials said the emerging deal is also expected to include the phased lifting of sanctions on Iran and the release of frozen Iranian assets. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.

They said they expect a signing ceremony for the agreement in the coming days after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it.

What will happen to Lebanon remains unclear

Iran has insisted throughout that any deal must also include a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy militia.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Friday that Israel could still act independently toward Iran and that the country would not pull out of the zones it is occupying in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, nor would it withdraw from the northern refugee camps of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Fighting continued in southern Lebanon on Saturday.

—

Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Michelle L. Price and Aamer Madhani in Washington and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia contributed to this report.

The departure from the army barracks in Kfar Tebnit came as the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for about 20 locations, including the southern city of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported airstrikes on Saturday on different villages near Nabatiyeh, including one that killed two people in Deir al-Zahrani. It added that Nabatiyeh was subjected to artillery shelling on Saturday.

A senior Lebanese military official told The Associated Press that the Lebanese army moved its forces from the Kfar Tebnit barracks following an incursion by Israeli forces into the area. The official, who did not elaborate, spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Israeli troops were likely trying to capture the strategic Ali Taher hill on the edge of Kfar Tebnit that overlooks large parts of Nabatiyeh and some of the roads that link the city with nearby villages.

Israeli troops held the Ali Taher hill for 18 years until they withdrew from Lebanon in May 2000.

In late May, Israeli troops captured a nearby strategic mountain topped with the Crusader-built Beaufort Castle in the deepest incursion into the country since 2000.

The push on the edge of Kfar Tebnit came a day after Pakistan’s prime minister said that the United States and Iran have agreed to wording of an agreement aimed at ending their war in the Middle East and that mediators are working with both sides to finalize a deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state TV on Friday that both sides were working toward signing an initial agreement declaring an end to the war “on all fronts, including Lebanon.”

Senior Hezbollah official Hussein Haj Hassan told Al Jazeera TV that they have been informed by Iranian officials that Lebanon will be part of a future ceasefire deal between the U.S. and Iran.

Iran is Hezbollah’s main backer, supplying the group with different types of weapons over the past four decades as well as billions of dollars.

Attacks by Israel and Hezbollah have continued despite a ceasefire that went into effect on April 17 and was renewed several times but remains a ceasefire in name only.

Israel continues to occupy large swaths of southern Lebanon while battling Hezbollah fighters, causing civilian casualties and damage to infrastructure. Hezbollah, which is not part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, has launched frequent rocket and drone attacks.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel began their attacks on Iran.

More than 3,700 people have been killed in Lebanon in the latest fighting, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Also, 30 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, and two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office.

According to the Homestead Police Department, Normayia Mayfield was last seen around 8 a.m. Thursday in the 500 block of Southwest Sixth Street.

Police said Normayia is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, has black and blonde short hair, brown eyes, and no tattoos or scars.

They said Mayfield was wearing a green romper, black-and-red checkered pants and a pink leopard-print head covering when she was last seen.

Police said Mayfield suffers from bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

According to investigators, her mother told officers that Mayfield is not in the right state of mind and has refused to take her prescribed medications.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call the Homestead Police Department at 305-247-1535 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

The sea breeze, combined with heat and humidity, will spark scattered afternoon showers and storms on Saturday and Sunday, with most of the activity occurring in the western suburbs. Areas such as Weston, Pembroke Pines, Doral and Kendall will have the best chance of seeing afternoon storms, while rain chances will be much lower closer to the beaches.

High temperatures will reach the lower 90s, with heat index values approaching 100 degrees both days.

There are currently no advisories in effect for boaters or beachgoers, so enjoy the weekend — but don’t forget the sunscreen.

The initial six industrial powers that huddled at the Château de Rambouillet for three days of brainstorming about fixes for the global economy became the G7 the following year when Canada joined the elite club.

During and after the Cold War, the G7 became a powerful tool of influence, enabling Western allies and Japan to hammer out common positions not only on economic issues but also their foreign policy and security priorities.

The combined economic, industrial, military, and diplomatic strength of G7 nations ensures the summits they hold annually, rotating hosting duties, are always major news events.

The next G7 summit is in France next week.

As part of its coverage, The Associated Press is republishing extracts of the story that AP correspondent Arthur L. Gavshon wrote on the first day of the inaugural summit in 1975, hosted by French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing and also including the leaders of West Germany, the U.K., Italy and Japan, as well as Ford.

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By ARTHUR L. GAVSHON

RAMBOUILLET (AP) — President Ford called on leaders of five other major industrial nations Saturday to set themselves the task of transforming the world’s economic slump into prosperity by 1977.

Addressing the opening session of an economic summit meeting amid the splendor of the 14th-century Chateau de Rambouillet, Ford “categorically rejected the view” that expansion in the industrial world is impossible at pre-recession rates, an aide told newsmen.

He added that Ford said America’s economic recovery has been stronger than anticipated and forecast a growth rate of between 6 and 7 percent through 1976.

The first meeting with leaders of France, Britain, West Germany, Japan, and Italy began shortly after the President arrived at the historic chateau, 30 miles south of Paris.

The free-flowing talks broke nearly three hours later for dinner, and the host, French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, told newsmen: “I am optimistic. I think we can arrive at something concrete.”

A French spokesman said the leaders were reaching “a remarkable convergence of views.” British officials indicated a consensus was emerging that the worst of the economic downturn might already be over.

Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger struck the same positive note, saying the meeting “went very well.”

The dinner was remarkably simple in comparison with the usual fare for a state occasion in France and was in line with the low-key approach favored by the French.

Stuffed chicken was the main course, with wines that were good but not spectacular.

In other developments at the six-nation talks:

— Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki who reported his country has been hurt by a decline in world trade, began pressing immediately for a freer flow of international commerce.

— British Prime Minister Harold Wilson disclosed through aides he wants his fellow leaders to back up a plan for a new and strengthened world code to check the spread of nuclear know-how, equipment, and weapons.

— Ford will join Giscard d’Estaing and Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro Sunday morning for services at the Roman Catholic church in Poigny la Forêt, a 10-minute drive from the chateau.

The setting was priceless furniture and statuary trucked from the Louvre for the occasion, but the mood at the start of the summit was that of a relayed businessmen’s weekend seminar.

“It’s just a beautiful place here,” said Ford as President Valery Giscard d’Estaing of France led the participants from six nations into the pink and gray hall of marble at the chateau where Louis XVI passed idle hours and Napoleon his last night in France before banishment to St. Helena.

“The facilities are really gorgeous,” Ford said to Giscard d’Estaing. “It’s very comfortable.”

“I hope you feel as positive about all this afterwards,” Giscard d’Estaing shot back with a laugh. Then he called out “Helmut, oh Helmut,” as West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt entered the room.

The relayed mood also was apparent in the dress of the leaders. Giscard d’Estaing wore a greenish tweed weekend suit, and Schmidt had on a light gray one. Ford was the most formally dressed of the leaders in a dark blue suit with a vest and white shirt.

The group, 18 in all including the finance and foreign ministers of participating nations, was spread out nine on each side of a 30‑foot long table. Giscard d’Estaing and Ford faced each other across the chestnut-colored upholstery covering the table, as did Harold Wilson of Britain and Aldo Moro of Italy, and Takeo Miki of Japan and Schmidt.

Each of the participants had earphones on which to follow proceedings. There were five closed-in interpreters’ booths at one end of the smallish room, and a bust of King Francois I of France, who died at the chateau, at the other end.

The leaders do not expect to reach firm decisions at the three-day seminar but to define directions their individual governments can take in fighting inflation, unemployment and declining world trade.

Presidential press spokesman Ron Nessen said during Ford’s flight across the Atlantic that the summit may result in an improved performance in the American economy.

“The President has always thought of it in practical terms – what it means to the American consumer,” Nessen said.

Each of the visiting leaders was assigned an apartment in the chateau, home of French kings and rulers from the 14th century. Moving men had worked until the early hours Saturday uncrating furniture and paintings brought from the Louvre to spruce up the rooms.

More than 3,000 armed French police were deployed around the wooded grounds and gardens of the palace.

Ford was given the top room of the Francois I tower, which a French spokesman described as “the most comfortable apartment in the chateau.” It has a Spanish-made bed with a working fireplace at the foot and a direct telephone linking Ford to the White House.

Prime Minister Harold Wilson of Britain was given an apartment done in mahogany and satin overlooking the garden ponds; Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki was down the hall in an apartment with heavy beams and Louis XVI furniture; Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of West Germany was in an apartment furnished in Directoire style, and Premier Aldo Moro of Italy had rooms furnished in Empire style.

With the idea of achieving general economic growth – and a cutback of the 15 million jobless in Western countries – the six nations intend to try to align their policies on such big issues as:

— The old French-American dispute over reform of the world monetary system. The French dislike the present floating exchange rates and want to return to a more rigid system while the United States and Britain would as soon leave the system flexible.

— The formulation of a common energy policy. Ford can count on majority backing for his view that the economic and political future of the industrial democracies cannot be left to the mercy of the oil producers. New sources of supply and new conservation programs should be jointly and quickly developed.

— The general world economic outlook and ways of tackling the inflation which is undermining political stability many places.

— Relationships between the older industrialized nations of the West, the newly rich producers of oil and other scarce raw materials, and the poorest developing lands.

Scaffolding was erected Friday around a section of the building that includes Trump’s name, but shortly after midnight, the Kennedy Center asked a judge to extend the deadline until noon Eastern Time on Saturday because of thunderstorms that had swept through the Washington area, causing a delay.

In the filing, the Kennedy Center offered assurance that the “removal work is presently ongoing” and would “conclude in the early hours of the morning.”

A few hours later, workers began covering the scaffolding with tarps before they eventually started taking down Trump's name. They packed up and left the site around 3:30 a.m., though the tarps remained, leaving it impossible to determine if all the letters had been removed.

Dozens of people spent hours Friday on the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center taking pictures and cheering occasionally as they broke into chants of “take it down.” Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio board member who sued to have Trump's name removed from the building, was spotted at one point on the plaza.

Earlier Friday afternoon, a judge rejected a request to pause the court-ordered deadline. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening.

After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. Trump's name was quickly added to the building.

In his ruling that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center's name, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.

The Kennedy Center's leadership argued in its appeal Friday that the renovation was badly needed and accused the lower court, in terms that seemed similar to Trump's speech patterns, of interfering in the effort.

“The District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,” according to the appeal. “Indeed, total collapse!”

Even as the Kennedy Center has fought efforts to remove Trump's name from the building, it has taken steps to comply with Cooper's initial ruling.

A June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”

The Kennedy Center’s website has dropped Trump's name. And an earlier email sent to members offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump’s name.

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Associated Press journalists Anna Johnson, Mark Sherman and Emily Wang in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

The 35-year-old suffered serious leg and arm injuries in the attack at 11:15 a.m. off Coogee Beach, a police statement said.

“I saw the shark come out of the water and just the size of it shocked me,” lifeguard Charlie Verco told Sydney’s The Sunday Telegraph newspaper. He was in the area on his 5.5-meter (18-foot) paddleboard and was the first rescuer to the scene.

“I kept paddling towards her and the shark took her underwater and I was going, ‘What do I do now?’ A couple of seconds later, she popped up again,” Verco said.

He said the woman was too weak to climb onto the board, but he managed to grab her by an arm and they headed toward the beach. Other bystanders reached the pair and helped them back to shore.

An off-duty hospital doctor Ian Ferguson was spending the morning at the beach with his young family when he said he heard screaming and saw a “big cloud of blood in the water.”

Ferguson and others applied tourniquets to her wounds after she reached the beach. She had a 30-centimeter (12-inch) wide bite on her thigh, the flesh had been removed and bone was exposed, Ferguson told the newspaper. She had a similar wound to her arm, he said.

The victim was taken to a rugby field near the beach, from where she was flown by helicopter to a hospital. Police described her condition as critical.

The woman, who was not identified, was swimming with two friends 30 meters (100 feet) from the beach when she was attacked, ambulance official Michael Corlis said.

She was attacked by a 3.5-meter (11-foot) white shark, lifeguard Tony Waller said.

Three spearfishing divers have been killed by sharks off the Australian coast since May 16, bringing the total of fatalities in the nation this year to four. In January, a 12-year-old boy died in a hospital days after he was mauled by a bull shark in Sydney Harbor.

Australia has averaged between two and three fatal shark attacks a year since 2000, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database, a partnership of the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Flinders University and the New South Wales state government.

Last year, Australia recorded five fatal shark attacks. Attacks in Australia have become more common over the decades as the population has grown and activities such as surfing and scuba diving have gained in popularity.

After entering the ring, Apollo switches into an Uncle Sam costume. “I want YOU!” he roars as he points to Rocky Balboa, the far less flamboyant palooka he's chosen for this bicentennial bout in Philadelphia.

Then the two boxers pound the daylights out of each other.

It's as accurate a representation of the American bicentennial vibe as has ever been put on film — plenty of fireworks, but not much thought about how 200 years of independence led to this.

I was 13 years old in 1976. Kids my age — the tail end of the Baby Boom, or the vanguard of Generation X — grew up skeptical of the government. We had outlasted the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, with the occasional moment of joy — the moon landing, say — to break the gloom. The state of the union was intact, even if many Americans were still on edge.

My family lived in Newport News, Virginia, not far from the Historic Triangle of Jamestown, Yorktown and Williamsburg. So there was plenty of buzz surrounding the bicentennial. President Gerald Ford and his wife, Betty, took a carriage ride through Colonial Williamsburg, foreign leaders came to visit, and the living museum regularly staged reenactments of the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Ford and plenty of other dignitaries went to New York for what the president called “the greatest Fourth of July any of us will ever see.” Operation Sail was a floating parade of 16 tall ships and more than 100 smaller vessels from around the world — including, even, the Soviet Union. It was a boon for the beleaguered Big Apple, proving that “New Yorkers could get along, even during difficult times,” according to the Gotham Center for New York History.

All aboard the Freedom Train

For history buffs who couldn't make the trip east, there was the American Freedom Train, a 26-car behemoth that toured all 48 contiguous states. It displayed two centuries of artifacts like George Washington's copy of the Constitution, the original Louisiana Purchase, Judy Garland's dress from “The Wizard of Oz” and a moon rock. Merle Haggard even released a song about it.

I had a nifty 3D poster of the Freedom Train on my bedroom wall. A different poster captured everyone's eye later in 1976 — one featuring “Charlie's Angels” star Farrah Fawcett-Majors.

It's patriotic in its own way. There's Farrah, sporting big hair, a blinding white smile and a red swimsuit, posed in front of a red, white and blue blanket. The color scheme may not have been intentional, but it might as well be titled “All-American Girl" for its presentation of what much of society saw as one.

There were plenty of more deliberate anniversary collectibles out there. A quick search of eBay in 2026 digs up hundreds of collectible plates, glasses, beer mugs and bumper stickers. The government unleashed special quarters, stamps and license plates. And of course Madison Avenue jumped in, selling bicentennial cereal, candy, beer and soda. You could get a different 7-Up can for each of the 50 states.

Even the creator of the Pet Rock — the preposterous 1975 phenomenon that was, yes, a rock in a box — tried to get in on the act. That fad, alas, had run its course, and the Bicentennial Pet Rock flopped. You'd have been better off buying a Pez dispenser with the head of Paul Revere or Betsy Ross.

Broadcast television — remember, we only had three networks — was more subdued. For kids, ABC's beloved “Schoolhouse Rock!” spun off “America Rock.” But while that cartoon did include some history, it's best remembered for the mournful civics lesson “I'm Just a Bill.”

More prominent was CBS News' "Bicentennial Minute." Starting July 4, 1974, barely a month before President Richard Nixon resigned, it ran every night in prime time, presenting the news from 200 years earlier. It was so unavoidable that sitcoms like “All in the Family” referred to it; “Saturday Night Live,” which debuted in 1975, paid tribute with a “Bisexual Minute.”

Still, all three networks pulled out the stops on July 4, 1976. Walter Cronkite led the pack with 16 hours of coverage on CBS, while “Bob Hope's Bicentennial Star-Spangled Spectacular” ("the show that took 200 years to produce") on NBC celebrated with Sammy Davis Jr., Captain & Tennille and Donny and Marie Osmond.

The bad news bearers

Certainly, not everyone was in the mood to celebrate. Richard Pryor released an influential album whose title was “Bicentennial,” followed by an ethnic slur. The title track is a monologue from a 200-year-old slave; it ends with “I ain’t gonna never forget it.” In the same album's ”Bicentennial Prayer," Pryor proclaims, "We are celebrating 200 years of white folks kickin' ass.”

Popular music wasn't in a particularly patriotic mood either. Elton John's 1975 hit “Philadelphia Freedom” became a de facto anthem of sorts, even though it's barely about Philadelphia and is more about individual independence.

Indeed, the prevailing pop attitude was: Let's forget about this mess we've left behind and go to the disco. So the Billboard singles charts were topped by the likes of Johnnie Taylor's “Disco Lady,” The Sylvers' “Boogie Fever,” The Bee Gees' “You Should Be Dancing” and KC and the Sunshine Band's “(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty.”

On the album charts, California's hippie culture was shaking off its hangover with haunted LPs like the Eagles' “Hotel California” and Jackson Browne's “The Pretender.” Something else was breaking loose in New York, though, with aggressive debuts from the Ramones and Blondie. The Ramones' logo included an eagle holding an olive branch and a baseball bat, and their repertoire included the future stadium anthem “Blitzkrieg Bop.” What could be more American?

Speaking of America's pastime, I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up the year's funniest movie, “The Bad News Bears.” It's baseball the way it was meant to be played — by a bunch of foul-mouthed juvenile delinquents coached by a surly, alcoholic has-been embodied by Walter Matthau. Double 50-year-old spoiler alert: Like Rocky, the Bears don't win in the end. But they do have fun.

The same can't be said for the characters in most of 1976's dramatic films. Hollywood did its best to get a patriotic movie — the World War II epic “Midway” — in theaters in June, but it quickly fizzled. The top box office draw on July 4th was “The Omen,” about an angelic-looking boy who turns out to be the Antichrist.

More prestigious films continued to wrestle with the paranoia of the Nixon era. “All the President's Men” dramatized The Washington Post's investigation of the Watergate scandal. In “Taxi Driver,” a Vietnam War veteran plots to assassinate a presidential contender. In “Network,” a TV anchorman urges his viewers to open their windows and scream, “I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!”

All three are undisputed classics. All three were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. All three lost to “Rocky.”

Of course, that won’t stop orange-and-blue-blooded Knicks fans from teeming into the area near the team’s Manhattan arena to watch on bar TVs and big screens as their team — playing 1,580 miles (2,545 kilometers) away in San Antonio — looks to clinch its first title in 53 years.

After a rift with the city over security measures for Game 4, the Knicks are again holding a watch party outside Madison Square Garden. Up to 3,000 fans can attend, the team said. Advanced registration is required and all fans in attendance will be screened by police. Other watch parties are being held at Radio City Music Hall and Wollman Rink in Central Park.

For Game 4 at the Garden on Wednesday, the Knicks were granted a permit for a watch party for up to 1,000 people, but team owner James Dolan declined to hold one as he lashed out at Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the police department for keeping in place a security perimeter, metal detectors and other restrictions after President Donald Trump‘s visit to Game 3 on Monday.

All postseason, Knicks fans have flocked to the Garden by the thousands, making playoff pilgrimages to a place known as the “Mecca of Basketball” to cheer, commune and revel in a remarkable feat: 14 wins in 15 games since April 23, and a 3-1 lead over the Spurs in the best-of-seven series.

On Saturday, Knicks fever collides with the New York City area’s first World Cup game in 32 years. The match at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey kicks off about three hours before the Knicks game, but traffic and transit restrictions extend to Manhattan, and soccer fans returning to the city by train will be arriving at Penn Station — right underneath the Garden.

Complicating matters: a concert at the Garden that is expected to bring another 15,000 to 20,000 people to the area and prevents a watch party inside the arena and a scorching heatwave that has city officials advising people to stay indoors. On Sunday, the city is hosting another big event, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

The concert, by the Australian pop band 5 Seconds of Summer, follows the Knicks’ 4.5 seconds of delirium Wednesday night at the Garden — a magical sequence in which OG Anunoby tipped in a Jalen Brunson miss to complete a historic 29-point comeback and put them a game from the third title in team history.

Wild scenes outside the Garden

Outside, it was pandemonium.

Fans in blue Brunson and orange Karl-Anthony Towns jerseys ran through the streets. Subway cars erupted in cheers as fans peeped the winning shot on their cellphones, their feeds interrupted at times by spotty underground reception.

Just beyond the Garden’s police-prescribed security perimeter, crowds swelled to about 10,000 people, the NYPD said. Thousands more were taking in the game and its see-it-to-believe-it ending at watch parties at nearby Bryant Park and Wollman Rink in Central Park.

But as the game progressed, the police department said in a statement, “the crowds became increasingly destructive, and there were many incidents of incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior.”

People fought in the streets and set off fireworks. They climbed scaffolding and traffic lights and smashed the windshields of four police vehicles. Some people tried to physically flip over a taxi or jump on top of moving trucks and other vehicles, police said. One group broke into a tractor trailer, took items from inside and threw them at police officers.

At least 10 officers were hurt in the mayhem, police said. One was hit in the head with a glass bottle.

In all, 56 people were taken into police custody during and after Game 4. Of them, 15 were arrested and 41 were released with criminal court summonses.

Other Knicks-related crimes remain unsolved.

On Wednesday, about two blocks from the Garden, a 17-year-old boy was beaten into a coma by people who had been arguing with him about the Knicks after their Game 4 comeback win, the NYPD said. Later, at the Spurs hotel five blocks from the arena, someone hurled an egg at star Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, but missed.

After the Spurs won Game 3 on Monday, a 39-year-old Spurs fan had his Tim Duncan jersey ripped from his body while walking back to his hotel near Times Square, the NYPD said.

New York declares Gridlock Alert

With the confluence of events on the pitch, court and stage, the city has declared a Gridlock Alert for Saturday, with severe traffic congestion expected in midtown Manhattan. Street closures and limited access to parts of Penn Station will be in effect for each of the eight World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium.

Starting at noon, two streets adjacent to the Garden — 32nd and 33rd — will be closed to vehicle traffic and used as queues for people waiting for trains from Penn Station to the World Cup. They will reopen three hours after the match ends.

The city is also barring truck deliveries from 30th Street to 60th Street from noon to 11 p.m., closing streets around the Lincoln Tunnel to New Jersey and converting some streets to bus-only corridors, including 42nd Street, which traverses Times Square. Of late, the tourist haven has been co-opted as yet another place for New York fans to cheer.

If the Knicks win Game 5, the next stop for their roving faithful will be a celebratory parade in Lower Manhattan, through a skyscraper-filled stretch of the city known as the Canyon of Heroes.

If not, the Knicks and their fans will be back at the Garden on Tuesday for Game 6.

GROUP STAGE MATCHES

June 12: Coverage of Day 1 of Group D matches

U.S. beats Paraguay 4-1 in Los Angeles to earn 3 points

• Analysis of the game: US opens its home World Cup with a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay, sparked by Balogun’s 2 goals
• The first goal: U.S. midfielder Weston McKennie kicked into the box, and the hit deflected off Paraguayan midfielder Damián Bobadilla and into the net.

• U.S. left-wing forward Christian Pulisic made a pass to U.S. striker Folarin Balogun, who scored the team’s second goal against Paraguay.
• Balogun scored the team’s third goal against Paraguay.
• Folarin Balogun, who could have played for England or Nigeria, scores 2 for US in World Cup debut

• Paraguayan attacking midfielder Maurício Magalhães, who was born in Brazil to a Paraguayan father, scores a goal.
• U.S. wing midfielder Gio Reyna scores the team’s fourth goal.
• Roaring crowds in stars and stripes show up for the US team, and soccer’s moment in their country

• Get a feel for the pre-game fans in Los Angeles
• Game preview: US ready for co-hosts’ final World Cup opener against Paraguay before a raucous SoCal crowd
• US OPEN ’26: Scottie Scheffler trying to make history and Shinnecock tries to avoid recent history
• Local connection: Broward native Alex Freeman set for World Cup debut with US men’s national team
• Local watch party: Amerant Bank Arena hosts watch party for United States opener against Paraguay

Australia plays against Turkey at midnight at BCP Vancouver

• Track standings tables on Google
• Track standing tables on FIFA

June 19: Coverage of Day 2 of Group D matches

The United States plays against Australia at 3 p.m. at the Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.

Turkey plays against Paraguay at 11 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

June 25: Coverage of Day 3 of Group D matches

Turkey plays against the United States at 10 p.m. at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

Paraguay plays against Australia at 10 p.m. at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Track the groups

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

Misiorowski dominated the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night, striking out 15 and tossing a complete-game one-hitter in a 6-0 victory.

As Misiorowski strode to the mound for the ninth inning, the capacity crowd of 40,205 rose in unison to cheer for the 24-year-old right-hander in what turned out to be one of the most impressive performances in franchise history.

“When I walked out for the ninth, my whole body shivered and the adrenaline really kicked in,” said Misiorowski, who had never pitched past the seventh inning in 27 MLB starts.

With the crowd still standing and cheering, Misiorowski struck out Justin Crawford to end the game. He raised his hands in the air and turned to embrace catcher William Contreras.

“There was no chance I was going to throw anything other than a heater right there. I was amped up,” Misiorowski said.

Misiorowski (8-2) didn’t issue a walk in facing the minimum number of batters, throwing 95 pitches, 74 for strikes.

It marked the first complete game by a Brewers pitcher since Brandon Woodruff on Sept. 11, 2023, against Miami.

“That was as good as it gets,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “To pitch a game like that against an offense like that with all those All-Stars over there, it was an incredible performance.”

Misiorowski has a 0.17 ERA in his last eight starts and the 15 strikeout are the most by any pitcher this season.

He struck out the side in the first and a whiff of Brandon Marsh to start the second made it four consecutive strikeouts. Misiorowski struck out eight of the first nine Phillies batters, hitting a maximum of 104.5 mph on the radar gun against Kyle Schwarber, the fastest pitch by a starting pitcher in the pitch tracking era (starting in 2008).

In addition to the 104.5 pitch to Schwarber, he got Trea Truner with a 103.5 mph pitch and Bryce Harper with a fastball at 104.1 mph — all swinging. They were the three fastest strikeout pitches for a starter in the pitch-tracking era — including the postseason, according to MLB.

The Phillies got their first hit when NL home run leader Schwarber sharply singled leading off the fourth. But, a strikeout of Turner and an inning-ending double play meant he faced the minimum.

“It was a backdoor slider that I located well, but maybe slightly off,” Misiorowski said of the pitch to Schwarber. "I was trying to jump out ahead of him. He made good contact and poked it through. End of the story.”

A strikeout of Marsh to start the fifth gave Misiorowski 10 or more strikeouts in a game for the sixth time this season and for the eighth time in his two-year major league career.

Phillies manager Don Mattingly summed up the task at hand for his offense before the game.

“You pretty much better be ready to hit the fastball. You don’t see guys like this often,” Mattingly said. “We see more guys throw 100 mph or up in that range, but you don’t see guys that are consistent like him. If you can’t hit a fastball, you’re in big trouble.”

Murphy said Misiorowski has continued to mature in the year since his debut.

“He’s consistent. His work between starts is consistent,” Murphy said. “He’s worked hard in the weight room. He’s worked hard building a routine. This guy loves the ball in his hand.”

___

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

At 2 p.m., the Fan Festival opens until midnight for the watch parties at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami.

Qatar vs. Switzerland, a Group B match, is at 3 p.m. at the San Francisco Bay Area stadium.

Brazil vs. Morocco, a Group C match, is at 6 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Haiti vs. Scotland, also a Group C match, is at 9 p.m. at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Groups’ 1st stage progress

Group D progress on Friday: United States gets 3 points after opener against Paraguay

Group B progress on Friday: Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina each get 1 point

Group A progress on Thursday: Mexico and South Korea each get 3 points after openers

World Cup schedule

June 14: There are five matches: The Group D, Australia vs. Turkey, game is at Midnight. The Group E, Germany vs. Curaçao, game is at 1 p.m. The Group F, The Netherlands vs. Japan, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Sweden vs. Tunisia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 15: There are four matches: The Group H, Spain vs. Cape Verde, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Egypt, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, Iran vs. New Zealand, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 16: There are three matches: The Group I, France vs. Senegal, game is at 3 p.m. The Group I, Iraq vs. Norway, game is at 6 p.m. The Group J, Argentina vs. Algeria, game is at 9 p.m.

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

June 17: There are five matches: The Group J, Austria vs. Jordan, game is at Midnight. The Group K, Portugal vs. Congo, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Croatia, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Ghana vs. Panama, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 18: There are four matches: The Group A match, The Czech Republic vs. South Africa, is at Noon. The Group B, Switzerland vs. Bosnia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Canada vs. Qatar, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A match, Mexico vs. South Korea, is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 19: There are four matches: The Group D, U.S. vs. Australia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Haiti, game is at 8:30 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. Paraguay, game is at 11 p.m.

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

June 20: There are three matches: The Group F, Netherlands vs. Sweden, game is at 1 p.m. The Group E, Germany vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao, game is at 8 p.m.

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

Miami Beach fan party: Doors open at 6 p.m. on June 20 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for an event for Uruguayan fans co-hosted by the Consulate General of Uruguay.

June 21: There are five matches: The Group F, Tunisia vs. Japan, game is at Midnight. The Group H, Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Iran, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Egypt, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 22: There are four matches: The Group J, Argentina vs. Austria, game is at 1 p.m. The Group I, France vs. Iraq, game is at 5 p.m. The Group I, Norway vs. Senegal, game is at 8 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Algeria, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 8 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 11 a.m. on June 22 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 1 p.m. Argentina vs. Austria match.

June 23: There are four matches: The Group K, Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Ghana, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Panama vs. Croatia, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Congo, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 24: There are six matches: The Group B, Switzerland vs. Canada, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Bosnia vs. Qatar, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Morocco vs. Haiti, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Brazil, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A, South Africa vs. South Korea, game is at 9 p.m. The Group A, Czech Republic vs. Mexico, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 4 p.m. on June 24 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 6 p.m. Scotland vs. Brazil match.

June 25: There are six matches: The Group E, Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Germany, game is at 4 p.m. The Group F, Tunisia vs. Netherlands, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Japan vs. Sweden, game is at 7 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. U.S., game is at 10 p.m. The Group D, Paraguay vs. Australia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related stories

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

Track FIFA World Cup groups

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

GROUP STAGE MATCHES

June 13: Coverage of Day 1 of Group C matches

Brazil’s opener against Morocco is at 6 p.m. in New Jersey.

Haiti’s opener against Scotland is at 9 p.m. in Boston.

Related story: Haiti’s long-awaited World Cup return comes with formidable Group C challenge

June 19: Day 2 of Group C first-stage matches

Scotland plays against Morocco at 6 p.m. in Boston.

Brazil plays against Haiti at 9 p.m. in Philadelphia.

June 24: Day 3 of Group C first-stage matches

Brazil plays against Scotland at 6 p.m. at the Miami Stadium, also known as the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Haiti plays against Morocco at 6 p.m. in Atlanta.

Track the groups

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

The 24-year-old striker scored two goals as the Americans opened with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night in front of a rabid and star-studded red, white and blue-clad sold-out crowd of 70,492 at SoFi Stadium.

“I visualized my debut in the World Cup scoring, but the reality did surpass that,” Balogun said. “A very dreamy night.”

With retired England captain David Beckham looking on, Balogun became the first U.S. player to score multiple goals in a World Cup game since 1930. Back then, Bert Patenaude scored all three goals in a 3-0 U.S. win over Paraguay, the first hat trick in World Cup history.

“The kid’s insane,” teammate Christian Pulisic said. “He’s lethal right now. We’re really lucky to have him.”

Balogun was born in the New York City borough of Brooklyn to Nigerian parents. A month later, he moved to England, where he grew up in London. He joined Arsenal's academy at age 8. He represented England at the youth level and also played for the U.S. under-18 team.

England's roster is traditionally filled with stars. Nigeria failed to qualify for this World Cup. So Balogun is making himself an American household name during this summer of soccer.

“Everyone will look at the goals,” Pulisic said, “but the way he’s fighting against these center backs, holding up the ball, getting fouls, I really like it.”

Balogun committed to play for the U.S. three years ago.

“I've always said the fans gave me so much motivation and showed me so much support. The most important thing has always been to be able to repay that,” he said. “I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision.”

Among the crowd were Balogun's relatives, with extended family watching around the U.S. and in London.

“I was able to spot them out in the crowd, but it was tough because so many fans were wearing red and white,” he said. “I had to sort a lot of tickets, but I’m happy to do it because this is a once in a lifetime occasion and I want everyone to experience it.”

The U.S. took a 1-0 lead on an own goal by Damian Bobadilla.

Balogun extended the lead to 2-0 when Christian Pulisic played the ball into the box to set up Balogun with his 21st career assist. That tied Pulisic for fourth most in U.S. history.

Minutes earlier, Balogun nearly had another goal, but it was called back when the U.S. was offside.

Undeterred, Balogun scored again just before halftime, putting the ball in the upper left corner for a 3-0 lead.

“I’ve not been able to take it all in,” he said.

Balogun was heading back to the team hotel to rest.

“To be honest, I think I’ll just watch some Netflix,” he said, smiling.

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

GROUP STAGE MATCHES

June 13: Day 2 of Group B in 1st stage

Qatar plays against Switzerland at 9 a.m. at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium

June 12: Coverage of Day 1 of Group B in 1st stage

Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina tie 1-1 in Toronto

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

Future matches

June 18: Day 2 of Group B matches

Switzerland plays against Bosnia and Herzegovina at 9 a.m. at the Los Angeles Stadium.

Canada plays against Qatar at 12 p.m. at BC Place Vancouver.

June 24: Day 3 of Group B matches

Bosnia and Herzegovina play against Qatar at 9 a.m. at the Seattle Stadium.

Switzerland plays against Canada at 9 a.m. at BC Place Vancouver.

Track the groups

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

Only this time, the sport was soccer.

The U.S. team's home opener in the World Cup on Friday brought more than 70,000 passionate soccer enthusiasts to the massive stadium near Los Angeles, where they saw the U.S. beat Paraguay 4-1. They had, in many cases, paid thousands of dollars to see their team play on the biggest global stage for a sport that has long been eclipsed in the United States — a sport many say is finally having its moment.

Many fans said they grew up playing soccer in recreational leagues as young children, and well into high school and college. Nakisha Gutierrez, a 37-year-old occupational therapist from Los Angeles, and her sister both played the sport. Their Argentine father raised them on soccer, and the next generation is now taking it up, too, she said.

“It's in the family blood,” said Gutierrez, her cheeks painted with sparkling red-and-blue stars. “It is the American culture — it's starting to be.”

The World Cup is played every four years, and fans around the world track their national teams, hoping they'll have a strong enough showing to qualify for it. In many countries — like Friday's opponent, Paraguay — just making it to the tournament can prompt street parties, fireworks and national holidays. In the United States, though, the response is often a bit more muted. Soccer has long been overshadowed by football, basketball and “America's pastime” of baseball.

But soccer's popularity has risen in the United States since the country last hosted the World Cup in 1994. Major League Soccer was launched two years later, and soccer has become especially popular among young athletes.

There was palpable joy in the air for U.S. fans watching the match as Folarin Balogun scored an electric two goals in the first half of the game, and star player Christian Pulisic made a shot that led to a Paraguay own goal. But the stadium was aroar when Gio Reyna sealed Paraguay’s fate with a late fourth goal during added time.

Samuel Esquivel, 9, said he was screaming when the match ended.

“That was probably, like, the second best goal,” he said of Reyna's shot. He started playing soccer last year and said he already wants to win a World Cup.

His father Roman Esquivel said they came from a family that played football, basketball, and baseball. But Esquivel's daughter and son both fell in love with soccer, and their enthusiasm for the game has spread to him as well.

“It's the most beautiful sport in the world,” he said. “There's a reason why the whole world plays soccer.”

Interest has also been buoyed by immigrants from countries where, as Gutierrez puts it, “soccer is life.”

Ava Cupit, 14, traveled with her family from Franklin, Tennessee, to cheer on the U.S. team, dressed up as the Statue of Liberty. Her great-grandfather was from Spain and helped bring soccer to their small town, where he built fields and promoted the sport.

“He made us all fall in love with it, and our whole family loves soccer,” Ava’s mother Rachel Cupit said. “The people who’ve married in, they’ve just become a part of it too.”

In the massive stadium in Inglewood, California, usually home to football games, seats were a sea of red and white. Fans wore glitter, Stars-and-Stripes high-tops, overalls, robes and the team's hallmark jerseys. Some dressed as that ultimate symbol of American patriotism, Uncle Sam, with long white beards and top hats. A few wore George Washington costumes.

They came to show their support for their team, and to show that Americans, like the rest of the world, can be passionate about soccer, too. Many were trying to attend all of the U.S. team's group round matches. One spectator said he came from Texas after seeing the U.S. team previously face off in international matches before large crowds backing their opponents.

Self-proclaimed soccer “addict” Jose Contreras said he grew up playing the sport with his uncle in Mexico because it was cheap and accessible. He flew from Georgia to support the U.S. in its opening match, even though there are games he could attend in Atlanta, closer to home.

“This is one of the happiest days of my life,” Contreras said.

___

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

The export controls mark the U.S. government’s most significant step to date to restrict access to the most advanced AI models. Anthropic released Fable widely this week. That model is a limited version of the even more advanced Mythos, to which the company has tightly limited access due to cybersecurity fears.

In a statement, Anthropic said it disagrees with the government’s handling of the matter, saying it received the directive from the U.S. government Friday afternoon and it did not specify the national security concerns. “We believe the government should have the ability to block unsafe deployments, as part of a statutory process that is transparent, fair, clear, and grounded in technical facts,” the company said. “This action does not adhere to those principles.”

Anthropic called it a “misunderstanding” and said it hopes to restore access to the models “as soon as possible.”

The Commerce Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The action comes 10 days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to establish a framework for the federal government to vet the national security risks of the most advanced AI systems for up to a month before their public release. Participation by AI developers would be voluntary, the order said.

Canada tied 1-1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina after their Group B opening match at 3 p.m.

The United States’ night opener against Paraguay for Group D is at 9 p.m.

The Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise is set to open at 8 p.m. for a free watch party for the United States’ opener.

Group A progress on Thursday: Mexico and South Korea each get 3 points after openers

The rest of the schedule

June 13: There are three matches: The Group B, Qatar vs. Switzerland, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Haiti vs. Scotland, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch party: Fan Festival opens from 2 p.m. to midnight on June 13 at Bayfront Park

June 14: There are five matches: The Group D, Australia vs. Turkey, game is at Midnight. The Group E, Germany vs. Curaçao, game is at 1 p.m. The Group F, The Netherlands vs. Japan, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Sweden vs. Tunisia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 15: There are four matches: The Group H, Spain vs. Cape Verde, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Egypt, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, Iran vs. New Zealand, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 16: There are three matches: The Group I, France vs. Senegal, game is at 3 p.m. The Group I, Iraq vs. Norway, game is at 6 p.m. The Group J, Argentina vs. Algeria, game is at 9 p.m.

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

June 17: There are five matches: The Group J, Austria vs. Jordan, game is at Midnight. The Group K, Portugal vs. Congo, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Croatia, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Ghana vs. Panama, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 18: There are four matches: The Group A match, The Czech Republic vs. South Africa, is at Noon. The Group B, Switzerland vs. Bosnia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Canada vs. Qatar, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A match, Mexico vs. South Korea, is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 19: There are four matches: The Group D, U.S. vs. Australia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Haiti, game is at 8:30 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. Paraguay, game is at 11 p.m.

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

June 20: There are three matches: The Group F, Netherlands vs. Sweden, game is at 1 p.m. The Group E, Germany vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao, game is at 8 p.m.

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

Miami Beach fan party: Doors open at 6 p.m. on June 20 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for an event for Uruguayan fans co-hosted by the Consulate General of Uruguay.

June 21: There are five matches: The Group F, Tunisia vs. Japan, game is at Midnight. The Group H, Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Iran, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Egypt, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 22: There are four matches: The Group J, Argentina vs. Austria, game is at 1 p.m. The Group I, France vs. Iraq, game is at 5 p.m. The Group I, Norway vs. Senegal, game is at 8 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Algeria, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 8 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 11 a.m. on June 22 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 1 p.m. Argentina vs. Austria match.

June 23: There are four matches: The Group K, Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Ghana, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Panama vs. Croatia, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Congo, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 24: There are six matches: The Group B, Switzerland vs. Canada, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Bosnia vs. Qatar, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Morocco vs. Haiti, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Brazil, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A, South Africa vs. South Korea, game is at 9 p.m. The Group A, Czech Republic vs. Mexico, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 4 p.m. on June 24 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 6 p.m. Scotland vs. Brazil match.

June 25: There are six matches: The Group E, Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Germany, game is at 4 p.m. The Group F, Tunisia vs. Netherlands, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Japan vs. Sweden, game is at 7 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. U.S., game is at 10 p.m. The Group D, Paraguay vs. Australia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related stories

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

Track FIFA World Cup groups

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

Misiorowski (8-2) didn’t walk a batter in facing the minimum number of batters, throwing 95 pitches, 74 for strikes.

With the capacity crowd at American Family Field on its feet, Misiorowski struck out Justin Crawford to finish the game and raised his hands in the air in his first MLB complete game.

The Brewers, who entered having lost the final two games of a three-game series against the Athletics in Las Vegas, jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first with Christian Yelich drawing a leadoff walk and William Contreras knocking him in with a two-out double off Phillies opener Tanner Banks (0-4).

Milwaukee added a run in the second when Garrett Mitchell led off with an infield single and later scored on a wild pitch.

Jake Bauers hit 3-run homer, his 13th, with two outs in the fifth inning off Andrew Painter, giving the Brewers a 5-0 lead. Jackson Chourio added a run-scoring single in the sixth inning.

The Phillies placed outfielder Adolis García on the 60-day injured list with a right lat tear and recalled outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. from Triple-a Lehigh Valley. García left in the seventh inning of Wednesday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays after making consecutive throws to home plate on sacrifice flies. The team also placed outfielder Steward Berroa on the paternity list.

The Brewers placed RHP Coleman Crow on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain and recalled RHP Craig Yoho from Triple-A Nashville.

Up next

Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.86 ERA) gets the start for the Phillies on Saturday against the Brewers' Shane Drohan (3-1, 3.11 ERA).

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

The Kentucky General Assembly in April enacted a 14.25% tax on prediction market operators' transaction fees, a levy the lawsuit says is discriminatory, unconstitutional and preempted by federal law.

Prediction markets are platforms where customers can buy, sell or trade event contracts — a form of derivative that allow placing trades based on whether real-world events, such as election results or economic indicators, will or won't happen.

The new tax is higher than for Kentucky's “favored incumbent industry,” the lawsuit filed in state court by the Coalition for Fair Markets says, noting a 9.75% tax on wagers at horse tracks.

In a statement using gambling terminology, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman vowed to fight the legal challenge.

“You can bet our Office will defend these statutes and the people of our Commonwealth from out-of-state companies that seek to cancel Kentucky’s sports betting laws," he said. “In any courtroom, the attorneys with the AG’s Office are the odds-on favorite to win.”

The tax disincentivizes the operation of prediction markets in Kentucky, the lawsuit says.

“No State currently levies a State-specific excise tax of any kind on derivatives transactions that take place on a federally designated exchange, let alone the sort of specifically targeted and discriminatory tax that Kentucky has imposed here," it says.

Taxing federally regulated markets “just pushes people toward illegal platforms with no oversight and no protections,” Kalshi said in a statement. "Kalshi is an American company, regulated here at home, and we’re joining the fight for Kentuckians’ access to safe, legal markets.”

Prediction markets have been pushing hard to gain legitimacy among the public and policymakers as a legitimate platform where users can bet on everything from sports to the weather to geopolitical events.

There have been several incidents where traders have used inside information to profit on prediction market platforms. It was recently disclosed that former former Congressman George Santos was under investigation for allegedly illegally betting he wouldn’t attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address after initially saying he would. In April, a U.S. Army soldier was charged with using classified information to make a $400,000 profit trading on Polymarket on the timing of the U.S. military operations in Venezuela earlier this year.

GROUP STAGE MATCHES

June 11: Coverage of Day 1 of Group A matches

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

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

South Korea wins 2-1 against Czech Republic

• After-game analysis of opening match
• FIFA Video: Goal by Oh Hyeon-gyu
• FIFA Video: Goal by Hwang In-beom
• Track standings tables on Google
• Track standing tables on FIFA

June 18: Day 2 of Group A matches

• The Czech Republic plays South Africa at noon on in Atlanta.
• Mexico plays South Korea at 9 p.m. in Guadalajara.

June 24: Day 3 of Group A matches

The Czech Republic plays against Mexico at 9 p.m. on June 24 in Mexico City.

South Africa plays against South Korea at 9 p.m. on June 24 in Monterrey.

Track the groups

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

Authorities said the group kidnapped Cuban nationals, transported them to Key Largo, held them captive and threatened violence to force their families to pay money.

The man seen in the video is Victor Rafael Arcia Albeja of Miami, the last of six people convicted in the scheme.

The footage shows a Monroe County sheriff’s deputy stopping Arcia Albeja in February 2024 after he allegedly ran a stop sign in the Florida Keys.

“Hi, I’m a deputy with the sheriff’s office, why would you run that stop sign right in front of me?” the deputy asks in the video.

Deputies discovered Arcia Albeja did not have a driver’s license and that the vehicle was unregistered.

As the deputy attempted to take him into custody, Arcia Albeja and a passenger tried calling 911.

“No, no, no. Put the phone down,” the deputy says before handcuffing him.

Moments later, the deputy expresses disbelief at the situation.

“He’s telling me he’s gonna call 911 on me. Uh, I am 911,” the deputy says.

Arcia Albeja was eventually placed in the back of a patrol car. During a search of the vehicle, deputies found a Cuban passport.

In May, law enforcement stopped another suspect on the Florida Turnpike, a development that investigators said helped break the case open.

According to investigators, Arcia Albeja helped transport the victims from Cuba to South Florida. Prosecutors said the group then demanded $15,000 per victim at a safe house.

Investigators said videos were sent to victims’ families and friends showing the captives being abused and beaten with machetes.

On the night of the traffic stop in the Keys, the deputy appeared to sense something was wrong.

“Dude, something’s weird with this,” the deputy says in the video.

Arcia Albeja is scheduled to be sentenced later this month and faces up to life in prison.

Tren de Aragua has been labeled by the United States as a terrorist organization. Guerrero Flores was charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other crimes, including lending support to terrorists in crimes that stretched more than a decade, authorities announced in December.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that the strike occurred earlier in the week on a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said at the time that the gang is responsible for countless acts of violence, extortion and drug trafficking in North America, South America and Europe. Trump nominated Clayton on Thursday to be director of national intelligence.

The U.S. State Department had offered rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to Guerrero Flores’ arrest.

In a post on his social media site, Trump wrote, “Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong.” Trump's post referred to Guerrero Flores by his alias, “Niño Guerrero.”

The post also included unclassified video, shot from above, of a small building with a green roof exploding.

Hegseth said, “The operation underscores the shared U.S. and Venezuelan commitment to take the fight to narco-terrorists and deny them any safe haven in our hemisphere.”

Venezuela's government released a statement confirmed its participation in the operation and revealed it took place in the southeastern state of Bolivar.

“During the operation, clashes occurred with members of criminal groups, resulting in the death of Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias ‘Niño Guerrero,’ the leader of one of these criminal organizations,” according to the statement.

The mineral-rich state, which borders Brazil and Guyana, is home to large illegal mining operations long controlled by gangs and other actors who mine with the consent — and to the benefit — of officials and the military.

Trump has taken a series of extraordinary actions against the gang, including a series of strikes on small boats his administration has accused of smuggling drugs to America. At least 207 people have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September.

Trump and administration officials have consistently blamed Tren de Aragua for being at the root of the violence and illicit drug dealing that plague some U.S. cities. The president spent months repeating the claim — contradicted by a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment — that Tren de Aragua had operated under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s control. The U.S. whisked Maduro out of Venezuela to face U.S. drug charges in January.

Tren de Aragua originated more than a decade ago at an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in Venezuela’s central state of Aragua. The gang has expanded in recent years as millions of Venezuelans migrated to other Latin American countries or the U.S. in search of better living conditions.

Guerrero Flores returned to the prison in Aragua for murder and other convictions in 2013, when Venezuela’s crisis began as corruption, mismanagement and a drop in crude prices wrecked the oil-dependent economy. Guerrero Flores and a few other inmates saw a profitable opportunity as the government neglected prisons.

They assumed control and administration of the prison, establishing a system that controlled the entire inmate population through force and extortion. Over time, they transformed the facility into a sort of city that included a zoo, baseball field, casino and restaurants. Guerrero Flores had his own lavish suite.

The size of the gang is unclear. Countries with large populations of Venezuelan migrants, including Peru and Colombia, have accused the group of being behind a spree of violence in the region. Still, unlike other criminal organizations from Colombia, Central America and Brazil, Tren de Aragua has no large-scale involvement in smuggling cocaine across international borders, according to InSight Crime, a think tank that tracks crime across Latin America.

In Venezuela, gang leaders have long been known to participate in various illegal activities, including gold mining and drug trafficking.

The legal mining of gold and other minerals is a component of the Trump administration's phased plan to turn the crisis-wrecked country around. In March, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum told reporters during a visit to Venezuela that the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez was giving security assurances to mining companies interested in investing in the South American country.

Trump campaigned for a second term promising to crack down on immigration and crime. While polls show his favorability ratings have sagged on his handling of the economy, immigration remains Trump’s strongest issue, according to the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

__

Associated Press writer Regina Garcia Cano in Mexico City contributed.

He became the eighth player to hit a grand slam and a multi-run homer in an inning and the first since Angels slugger Kendrys Morales did it against Texas in 2012, according to Sportradar.

The left-handed Alvarez drove in two runs with an opposite-field homer early in the inning and cleared the bases with a two-out shot to center, giving him six RBIs in Houston's nine-run inning.

With his two-homer inning, Alvarez moved into a tie with Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead at 24.

The 28-year-old designated hitter, who is from Cuba, was the AL rookie of the year in 2019 with Houston. The three-time All-Star was the AL Championship Series MVP in 2021 and led the Astros with six RBIs the next year when they won the World Series.

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

Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the United States.

“I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” the veteran Palestinian political figure said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Palestinian team did not qualify for the World Cup, but FIFA typically invites the heads of football associations from around the world to the event every four years, which it frames as a celebration of global unity.

“Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last year.

The United States, however, has refused entry to delegates from a raft of countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with Iraq’s team.

Infantino said this week that FIFA had been trying to resolve visa issues but could not overrule the U.S. government.

“We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

The U.S. State Department had no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa, but last year implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including on anyone who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority.

It revoked a visa to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to the United Nations General Assembly last September.

Rajoub and other Palestinian soccer officials have long argued that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank play in Israel’s national league. They have pushed FIFA to sanction Israel, also decrying restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and how war in the Gaza Strip has damaged or destroyed 80% of sports facilities and killed at least 565 players there, according to the association.

Last month, Rajoub refused to shake hands with the head of Israel’s football federation at Infantino’s behest because he said the gesture would not heal wounds but instead whitewash Israel’s actions.

Rajoub pointed out that when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, it did not implement comparable visa restrictions for people who were invited to the tournament.

__ Matthew Lee contributed reporting from Washington

The president did not provide details about the measures or a timetable for their implementation but said during remarks to state media that it is now “time to change” and that the country “simply cannot continue on its current course.”

“Every opportunity in the midst of a crisis must be seized as a moment for takeoff, as a moment for growth,” Díaz-Canel said, according to a statement from the presidency that was republished by state-run media. “We have established a group of priorities to confront this situation,” he added without offering specifics.

The announcement comes as Cubans have struggled with fuel shortages as a result of the U.S. oil blockade and food insecurity. In January, the United States tightened restrictions on Cuba’s oil supplies in an effort to pressure the island’s government to change its political and economic model, exacerbating challenges that have persisted for about five years.

The U.S. State Department had no comment on the Díaz-Canel remarks and referred to the statement released Thursday on the latest sanctions.

Díaz-Canel said officials are evaluating measures related to foreign trade, exports, supply chains and logistics. Without elaborating, he suggested the government could eliminate mandatory state intermediaries in import and export operations and grant tariff benefits to those who bring raw materials into the country for production.

“The numbers don’t add up, and the government wants to make this look like a matter of will rather than a math problem,” Cuban economist Pedro Monreal wrote on X, in response to Díaz-Canel’s proposals.

The Spain-based former UNESCO official went on to criticize the collapse of a centralized planning model, for which he said “there are two respectable alternatives: assume the political price of failure, or self-critically rectify and drastically transform the model.”

For decades, Cuba maintained a centralized, vertical system under strict state control. This structure began to shift gradually over the last decade when the government introduced permits for independent workers. More recently, the state authorized the operation of the country’s first small- and medium-sized private enterprises.

Earlier Friday, a ship carrying nearly 100 tons of food and essential goods arrived from Colombia as part of the humanitarian aid that several countries have sent to Cuba in recent months as a U.S. energy embargo persists.

The ship, which departed Cartagena in early June, crossed the Havana Bay channel early in the morning flying the Colombian flag and escorted by a small Cuban auxiliary vessel, The Associated Press confirmed.

The Colombian Presidential Agency for International Cooperation said that, on orders of President Gustavo Petro, the shipment included nonperishable food, medicine, hospital supplies, electrical materials, solar panels and other items.

The ship also carried seven tons of goods collected by solidarity groups.

Last weekend, another ship carrying 1,700 tons of essential goods from Mexico and Belize arrived in Havana.

In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or provides oil to Cuba. The move has deepened a preexisting crisis caused by U.S. sanctions. Washington is pressing the Cuban government to release political prisoners and move toward political and economic liberalization in return for a lifting of sanctions.

Cuba produces only 40% of its oil, leaving the island semiparalyzed and subjected to severe power outages.

___

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Washington.

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

Those were some of the UFOs described in documents released Friday by the Pentagon, the third release since President Donald Trump directed his administration to give the public full disclosure around what it knows about alien life and mysterious objects in the sky.

The 72 files released on Friday don’t include the kind of blockbuster revelation that Trump has teased. There’s no conclusive evidence of alien life or government cover-ups. But the files reveal new details about some recent sightings, along with the government’s efforts to explain what many find inexplicable.

Take, for instance, the potato.

It happened in 2022, on a brisk February morning in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Five U.S. Army members at Fort Carson walked out of an office building and saw something strange hovering over Cheyenne Mountain, a few miles to the west.

“The object was ‘potato’ shaped with distinct edges and appeared to look painted in a creamy/whitish opalescent color,” according to an account in an FBI document. It was made up of “articulating fish scales or panels that were non-symmetrical, non-overlapping and irregular shaped.”

It stayed motionless, shimmering, for about two minutes, the men recounted to the FBI. Then it vanished in the blink of an eye. None of the men had phones on them. There’s no video, no photos.

Report says ‘potato’ could have been a trick of light

Authorities tasked with investigating the episode said they couldn’t explain it easily. Their report found — with “low confidence” — that it may have been “backscattering of sunlight.” Low light from the rising sun could have reflected off the mountain’s snow and illuminated low clouds above, it said.

The men insisted it was a clear, cloudless day. No aircraft or balloons were believed to be in the area. The four-page report, heavily redacted and attributed only to an “intelligence community partner,” said it didn’t appear to be technology from a foreign adversary. An FBI rendering looks just like one might imagine — like a scaly, pale potato above a low mountain.

The case remains unsolved.

A similarly inclusive report examined a series of sightings in October 2023, this time by six federal law enforcement agents. Multiple times, the agents said, they saw a bright orange orb appear above a ridgeline and spawn two to four smaller red orbs.

The orbs disappeared quickly most of the time, but in one instance, the agents said an orb hovered motionless in the sky for several hours. There’s no video or photo evidence of the sightings, the report said.

An analysis dated this month goes through a series of possible explanations. Military aircraft were conducting exercises in the area, and some deployed flares. There could have been other testing of developmental U.S. technology nearby, the report said. It listed those as “plausible” but not conclusive explanations.

Yet it didn’t rule out the possibility that it was some “unrecognized technology.” With relatively little evidence to work from, it called for more investigation into the case.

White House boosts video of red orb

The analysis was conducted by the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which Congress created in 2022 to investigate reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, also known as UAP. Previous reports from the agency say it has not found any evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Among the most recent files is an FBI report from February detailing a sighting in an undisclosed part of the Northeast United States. A person whose name is blacked out reported coming home and seeing an intense light hovering below the trees in their backyard. It was described as a sphere of a “brilliant and beautiful” red, which the person had never seen.

“Inside the red sphere, at the center, there appeared to be what (redacted) described as a ‘white plasma sun’ about the size of a basketball,” according to the FBI file.

A second sphere appeared, and both silently flew out of sight, the file says. Cellphone footage shows two glowing red orbs floating across the sky. The White House shared the video on social media on Friday with no message beyond the file’s name: “‘NORTHEASTERN ORB SIGHTING,’ 2025.”

Zimbabwe sighting included ‘beams’ from a disc

So far, the Trump administration’s transparency campaign has led to the release of about 300 files dating to the 1940s, some brand-new to the public and some adding detail on previously known cases.

The newest batch includes a 2008 CIA report from Zimbabwe labeled as “never before released.” On a July day above the country’s main airport, observers reportedly saw something straight out of a Hollywood movie: It was “disc-like in shape with a hollow center, and had a series of rotating lights on the underside of the airframe.”

“At one point during observation, ‘beams’ were observed emanating from the object,” the CIA report said.

The lights changed colors, and the aircraft ascended high out of view, the report says. There was debate about where it came from, according to the report, with some suggesting a foreign government and some positing “extraterrestrial origins.”

Just hours after Colombian star Carlos Vives performed on a beachside stage on the 10th Street beach, as FIFA World Cup fans danced and cheered for their teams.

Mexico and South Korea each got 3 points after their Group A openers on Thursday.

On Friday, Canada tied 1-1 against Bosnia after their Group B opening match at 3 p.m., and the United States’ night opener against Paraguay, as they compete in Group D, is at 9 p.m.

Related report: US ready for co-hosts’ final World Cup opener against Paraguay before a raucous SoCal crowd

Related story: Broward native Alex Freeman set for World Cup debut with US men’s national team

On Saturday, the FIFA World Cup 2026 Fan Festival opens from 2 p.m. to midnight at Bayfront Park

There are three matches: The Group B, Qatar vs. Switzerland, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Haiti vs. Scotland, game is at 9 p.m.

Here is the rest of the schedule:

June 14: There are five matches: The Group D, Australia vs. Turkey, game is at Midnight. The Group E, Germany vs. Curaçao, game is at 1 p.m. The Group F, The Netherlands vs. Japan, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Sweden vs. Tunisia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 15: There are four matches: The Group H, Spain vs. Cape Verde, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Egypt, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, Iran vs. New Zealand, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 16: There are three matches: The Group I, France vs. Senegal, game is at 3 p.m. The Group I, Iraq vs. Norway, game is at 6 p.m. The Group J, Argentina vs. Algeria, game is at 9 p.m.

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

June 17: There are five matches: The Group J, Austria vs. Jordan, game is at Midnight. The Group K, Portugal vs. Congo, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Croatia, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Ghana vs. Panama, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 18: There are four matches: The Group A match, The Czech Republic vs. South Africa, is at Noon. The Group B, Switzerland vs. Bosnia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Canada vs. Qatar, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A match, Mexico vs. South Korea, is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 19: There are four matches: The Group D, U.S. vs. Australia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Haiti, game is at 8:30 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. Paraguay, game is at 11 p.m.

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

June 20: There are three matches: The Group F, Netherlands vs. Sweden, game is at 1 p.m. The Group E, Germany vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao, game is at 8 p.m.

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

Miami Beach fan party: Doors open at 6 p.m. on June 20 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for an event for Uruguayan fans co-hosted by the Consulate General of Uruguay.

June 21: There are five matches: The Group F, Tunisia vs. Japan, game is at Midnight. The Group H, Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Iran, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Egypt, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 22: There are four matches: The Group J, Argentina vs. Austria, game is at 1 p.m. The Group I, France vs. Iraq, game is at 5 p.m. The Group I, Norway vs. Senegal, game is at 8 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Algeria, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 8 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 11 a.m. on June 22 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 1 p.m. Argentina vs. Austria match.

June 23: There are four matches: The Group K, Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Ghana, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Panama vs. Croatia, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Congo, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 24: There are six matches: The Group B, Switzerland vs. Canada, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Bosnia vs. Qatar, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Morocco vs. Haiti, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Brazil, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A, South Africa vs. South Korea, game is at 9 p.m. The Group A, Czech Republic vs. Mexico, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 4 p.m. on June 24 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 6 p.m. Scotland vs. Brazil match.

June 25: There are six matches: The Group E, Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Germany, game is at 4 p.m. The Group F, Tunisia vs. Netherlands, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Japan vs. Sweden, game is at 7 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. U.S., game is at 10 p.m. The Group D, Paraguay vs. Australia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related stories

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

Track FIFA World Cup groups

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

The indoor arena at 1 Panther Parkway has a capacity for about 18,000 guests, and it opened to ticket holders about two hours before the 9 p.m. match.

Related story: Broward native Alex Freeman talks to Local 10 News before the game

There will be more watch parties at the arena on June 27, when Colombia plays against Portugal, on July 11 for the quarterfinals, and on July 19 for the final.

Parking is free at the arena, and during game days, Broward County offers free public transportation to and from the arena to the stadium at 347 Don Shula Drive in Miami Gardens. ​

Related report: US ready for co-hosts’ final World Cup opener against Paraguay before a raucous SoCal crowd

At the stadium, workers removed any signs associated with the Hard Rock Stadium to turn it into the Miami Stadium during the World Cup.

Only verified ticket holders will be able to ride The Miami Stadium Express, and the service at the arena starts 4 hours before the match starts.

For tickets to the free watch parties, visit this page. For information about the changes in public transportation during the World Cup, visit this page.

The rest of the schedule

June 13: There are three matches: The Group B, Qatar vs. Switzerland, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Haiti vs. Scotland, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch party: Fan Festival opens from 2 p.m. to midnight on June 13 at Bayfront Park

June 14: There are five matches: The Group D, Australia vs. Turkey, game is at Midnight. The Group E, Germany vs. Curaçao, game is at 1 p.m. The Group F, The Netherlands vs. Japan, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Sweden vs. Tunisia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 15: There are four matches: The Group H, Spain vs. Cape Verde, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Egypt, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, Iran vs. New Zealand, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 16: There are three matches: The Group I, France vs. Senegal, game is at 3 p.m. The Group I, Iraq vs. Norway, game is at 6 p.m. The Group J, Argentina vs. Algeria, game is at 9 p.m.

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

June 17: There are five matches: The Group J, Austria vs. Jordan, game is at Midnight. The Group K, Portugal vs. Congo, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Croatia, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Ghana vs. Panama, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Uzbekistan vs. Colombia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 18: There are four matches: The Group A match, The Czech Republic vs. South Africa, is at Noon. The Group B, Switzerland vs. Bosnia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Canada vs. Qatar, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A match, Mexico vs. South Korea, is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 19: There are four matches: The Group D, U.S. vs. Australia, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Morocco, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Brazil vs. Haiti, game is at 8:30 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. Paraguay, game is at 11 p.m.

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

June 20: There are three matches: The Group F, Netherlands vs. Sweden, game is at 1 p.m. The Group E, Germany vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Curaçao, game is at 8 p.m.

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

Miami Beach fan party: Doors open at 6 p.m. on June 20 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for an event for Uruguayan fans co-hosted by the Consulate General of Uruguay.

June 21: There are five matches: The Group F, Tunisia vs. Japan, game is at Midnight. The Group H, Spain vs. Saudi Arabia, game is at Noon. The Group G, Belgium vs. Iran, game is at 3 p.m. The Group H, Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, game is at 6 p.m. The Group G, New Zealand vs. Egypt, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

June 22: There are four matches: The Group J, Argentina vs. Austria, game is at 1 p.m. The Group I, France vs. Iraq, game is at 5 p.m. The Group I, Norway vs. Senegal, game is at 8 p.m. The Group J, Jordan vs. Algeria, game is at 11 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from noon to 8 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 11 a.m. on June 22 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 1 p.m. Argentina vs. Austria match.

June 23: There are four matches: The Group K, Portugal vs. Uzbekistan, game is at 1 p.m. The Group L, England vs. Ghana, game is at 4 p.m. The Group L, Panama vs. Croatia, game is at 7 p.m. The Group K, Colombia vs. Congo, game is at 10 p.m.

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

June 24: There are six matches: The Group B, Switzerland vs. Canada, game is at 3 p.m. The Group B, Bosnia vs. Qatar, game is at 3 p.m. The Group C, Morocco vs. Haiti, game is at 6 p.m. The Group C, Scotland vs. Brazil, game is at 6 p.m. The Group A, South Africa vs. South Korea, game is at 9 p.m. The Group A, Czech Republic vs. Mexico, game is at 9 p.m.

Miami watch parties: The fan festival opens from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Bayfront Park, at 301 Biscayne Boulevard.

Miami Beach watch party: Doors open at 4 p.m. on June 24 at The Bandshell, at 7275 Collins Ave., for the 6 p.m. Scotland vs. Brazil match.

June 25: There are six matches: The Group E, Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast, game is at 4 p.m. The Group E, Ecuador vs. Germany, game is at 4 p.m. The Group F, Tunisia vs. Netherlands, game is at 7 p.m. The Group F, Japan vs. Sweden, game is at 7 p.m. The Group D, Turkey vs. U.S., game is at 10 p.m. The Group D, Paraguay vs. Australia, game is at 10 p.m.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related stories

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

Track FIFA World Cup groups

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

For nearly two decades, the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura has been turning trash into music and inspiring audiences around the world. The youth ensemble was formed in one of the most unlikely places imaginable — a landfill in a struggling community on the outskirts of Asunción, Paraguay.

Using instruments made from discarded materials, the young musicians built an international following. Their journey became the subject of the acclaimed 2015 documentary “Landfill Harmonic,” introducing their story to audiences across the globe.

Now, that story is taking center stage in “Basura,” a new musical opening at Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre.

“I saw that documentary and was in tears, and so moved, because I know what music means to me,” said Alex Lacamoire. “So Michael Schulman got the idea of creating a musical out of it.”

Lacamoire, a Tony and Grammy Award winner best known for his work on Hamilton and In the Heights, serves as the production’s musical supervisor, orchestrator and arranger.

“What music means to us as creators, and how music brings a community together, and how music truly transforms lives. That was the impetus for us to create this show,” Lacamoire said. “That is what made us feel like this is a story that needs to be told.”

Writing the music and lyrics are 11-time Grammy winner Gloria Estefan and her daughter, Emily Estefan. Their original score blends Latin rhythms, heart and hope while honoring the sounds of Paraguay.

“It’s a really unique rhythms, really unique meld of instrumentation,” Gloria Estefan said. “The harp is very important, which we’re very proud of, and we also want to make Paraguayans proud. Learning about this culture has been ... I did a deep dive, deep dive for months before we even started writing.”

Already earning standing ovations during previews, “Basura” is ultimately a story about possibility — the idea that even amid hardship, beauty can emerge, art can flourish and lives can be transformed.

“And then there’s this story that speaks to the human spirit,” Estefan said.

“It’s really the human spirit rising above a really difficult circumstance, and that’s what I hope that people realize. We’re all just human beings going through life and challenges, and music has always been a saving grace to me, and it saved me in many moments of my life.”

For director Andy Señor, one line captures the show’s message.

“For me it’s that one line that is so beautifully placed in the show that the world sends us garbage and we give back music,” he said.

“And I think that’s a really great message, particularly in the world that we’re in right now,” Lacamoire added. “It’s not to feel as if it’s hopeless, because it’s not.”

The Local 10 Special Report: “Countdown to the Cup” airs at 8 p.m. Friday and can be viewed at the top of this page.

The world’s biggest soccer tournament finally returned to the U.S. on Friday night after a generation of anticipation.

With this phenomenal match, the Americans also look like they've arrived.

Balogun scored twice in the Americans' three-goal barrage before halftime, and the U.S. opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with its biggest win in the tournament, a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay.

Christian Pulisic had an assist in a stellar first-half playmaking performance for the Americans, who enthralled their Southern California fans with an aggressive attack while streaking to a 3-0 lead — the team's largest in any World Cup game.

“It meant everything for us,” Pulisic said. “A half like that, for it to go as it did, and have the fans excited about our performance, it felt amazing.”

Gio Reyna ripped another goal in the dying moments of second-half injury time, giving the Americans four goals in a World Cup match for the first time in their tournament history dating to 1930.

This production, this confidence, this dominance — it was nothing like the vast majority of the Americans' previous performances on the international stage over the years and decades.

They've won exactly one knockout-round game in the World Cup. They've almost always struggled to score in the biggest events, most recently managing only three goals combined in their four matches at the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

In this pressure-packed home opener, the Americans were a team transformed while playing in coach Mauricio Pochettino’s more creative system in front of a passionate, star-studded Los Angeles crowd of 70,492. Led by the elite talent and coach-inspired fearlessness of Balogun, Pulisic and Weston McKennie up front, the U.S. finally had its breakthrough performance at SoFi Stadium.

“It’s difficult to compare with the past,” said Pochettino, who took over in late 2024. “I don’t know what happened in the past. I think we need to talk about today, because it was a great match. It was amazing for our fans to see, to watch this type of game, and today, I am so proud and we are so proud. I think we are winning a lot of fans, adding fans for the sport here in America.”

Not everything went perfectly: Pulisic was replaced by Sebastian Berhalter at halftime for precautionary reasons. Pochettino said Pulisic was kicked in the back of his left calf during a training session this week, and felt some subsequent tightness during the match.

“Staying positive,” Pulisic said. “I don’t think it’s anything.”

Maurício scored in the second half for Paraguay, but La Albirroja fell too far behind early in their first World Cup match in 16 years.

“The U.S. won this match very clearly and fairly,” Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro said through an interpreter. “They dominated tactically, technically and physically as well. ... This team is a complex challenge because they have answers to everything you throw at them.”

After the U.S. went ahead on an early own-goal created by Pulisic's playmaking, Balogun scored in the 31st minute and again in the fifth minute of first-half injury time.

The New York-born, London-raised striker made his World Cup debut with the first multigoal performance from a U.S. player in the tournament since 1930. Balogun chose to represent the U.S. three years ago instead of staying in the English system, where he likely would have struggled to make the Three Lions' roster — and the 24-year-old Monaco professional has swiftly provided the top-level striker play historically lacking on U.S. rosters.

“Poch has said many times, ‘Why not us?’” Balogun said. “We have to believe. You can’t do anything if you don’t believe in yourself.”

Pulisic created the first two U.S. goals with exceptional runs down the left side. In the seventh minute, the AC Milan standout cleverly split two defenders and passed to McKennie, whose centering touch hit Paraguay midfielder Damián Bobadilla’s outstretched foot and went in, setting off pandemonium in the stands.

The Americans gradually amplified their attack centered around Pulisic’s runs — and three minutes after an apparent goal from Balogun was erased by an offside call, Pulisic again drove the left side and got a deflected pass to the trailing Balogun, who banged it home.

Malik Tillman then made a perfectly weighted pass in injury time to Balogun, who sidled through the Paraguay defense and beautifully found the top shelf.

The Americans were less cohesive without Pulisic in the second half, but Reyna still added the finishing touch by gliding into the box and toe-flicking home his first World Cup goal. The moment was sweet for Reyna, who barely played at the Qatar World Cup amid a messy family dispute with former U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter.

Dozens of American celebrities and cultural icons turned out for the match 10 miles south of Hollywood, including Tom Cruise, George Lucas, Bill Gates, Halle Berry, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

___

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

However, nothing might top doing the postgame show Wednesday night from center court at Madison Square Garden after the New York Knicks made the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history to beat the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4.

“That’s the best. None of the fans are leaving. They just want to soak this whole thing in. It was like a college atmosphere. And then to do the show right there with that energy going on, that’s why you do it,” Johnson said.

Who knows how many signature moments are left in the series, but the quartet of Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith is certainly enjoying anchoring pregame, halftime and postgame NBA Finals coverage for the first time.

“Inside the NBA” moved to ESPN and ABC this season under a licensing agreement with TNT Sports, following Warner Bros. Discovery’s inability to retain NBA rights.

The show’s addition has elevated ESPN and ABC’s NBA coverage just as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman’s arrival in 2022 took “Monday Night Football” to another level.

The series resumes Saturday night in San Antonio with the Knicks one win away from their first NBA title since 1973. Johnson will present the Lawrence O’Brien trophy at the end of the finals. If the Spurs stave off elimination, Johnson presenting the trophy to the Knicks at home after a Game 6 win on Tuesday could surpass the bedlam from the comeback.

“The transition has been seamless, and it’s been a wonderful year together. Having Ernie, Chuck, Shaq and Kenny anchor our NBA Finals coverage, in tandem with our outstanding game broadcast team, has elevated our entire presentation,” said Burke Magnus, ESPN’s president of content.

“Inside the NBA” has a 90-minute pregame show, with the first hour on ESPN before shifting over to ABC. The postgame show begins on ESPN as soon as ABC's coverage ends and goes at least an hour.

Mike Breen, who is calling his record 21st finals, has enjoyed having “Inside the NBA” serve as a lead-in to coverage.

“They’re must-see TV even after all these years. They have so much fun, and because of their status in the league, what they say really matters,” Breen said. “And then you have somebody like Ernie Johnson who runs the whole thing. I don’t know if there’s another person in our industry I respect more.”

Same show, different network

Because TNT didn’t have the NBA Finals, “Inside the NBA”‘s season would end at the conference finals. Johnson said it felt different when he arrived at the arena in San Antonio before Game 1 on June 3.

“I haven’t felt like that on a game day in a long time. I was excited to be there and heading to the arena. I left earlier than planned because I didn’t want to sit around anymore,” he said. “Doing that in San Antonio and then going to New York to be in the middle of that scene was so cool. I think we are trying to make our show match the energy in the building. And I think we did that.”

“Everybody’s swinging by and shaking hands and patting us on the back. It’s surreal. We’re honored to be part of this. And it’s just been an amazing series.”

What also makes it special is that this is also the first NBA Finals for most of the show’s production crew, many of whom have been with “Inside the NBA” since the start.

Even though “Inside the NBA” airs on ESPN and ABC, TNT Sports still produces the show from Atlanta. It’s still irreverent at times and isn’t afraid to pull punches — as evidenced by Barkley’s criticism of the Spurs after Game 4, where he called them “the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilization.”

Barkley added, “When you blow a 29-point lead, the other team has to help you. The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game by doing some of the stupid-ass stuff I’ve seen on a basketball court.”

For those who worried that the show wouldn’t be the same on ESPN, those fears have gone out the window throughout the season. ESPN even bought into some of the show’s humor by doing an ad with Johnson singing a song by DMX.

“There was never a ‘Hey, you guys can’t do that anymore.’ It was just ‘No, do your thing.’ And we’ve had the freedom to do that,” Johnson said. “The great thing is we have access to all these ESPN resources with pregame pieces and reporters. It's been a great deal for everybody involved.”

Successful finals for ABC

Wednesday night’s comeback averaged 20.9 million viewers and peaked at 23.2 million for the conclusion. According to Nielsen, it was the most-viewed Game 4 since ABC started showing the finals in 2003.

The series is averaging 19.6 million viewers, a 116% jump from last year’s matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers. It is on pace to be the most-watched series since 1998, when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Utah Jazz in six games.

The Game 3 pregame averaged 9.9 million viewers, a record

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

The final two days at Midland Country Club also includes Juli Inkster, the 66-year-old Hall of Famer who became the oldest player to make the cut when she teamed with 27-year-old Angel Yin for a 68 in fourballs.

“I’m happy I played,” said Inkster, born 10 years after the LPGA was founded. “Sometimes you’ve got to put yourself out there and I felt like I did that this week.”

Mack and Borge were among the late starters and posted a 60 to reach 12-under 128 and zoom past the Japanese duo of Ayaka Furue and Yuna Nishimura (61).

Korda and Cowan shot 60 to finish two shots behind, with Korda doing most of the damage and Cowan stepping in for a 20-foot birdie putt on their final hole.

“We just wanted to go out and have some fun. That’s when we play our best,” Korda said. “Last week was a great week. This is the perfect week to back up that week. It’s just a little more relaxed. It’s been a blast.”

Korda said there wasn’t a lot of golf talk, mostly trying to finish to get lunch and head for their favorite coffee shop.

The U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera was her fourth win of the year, and fourth career major, solidifying her perch atop women’s golf. She played the part most of the second round in fourballs with several birdie putts.

“Nelly made a lot of putts today,” Cowan said. “I felt like I needed to make the last one.”

JoAnne Carner holds the LPGA record for individual events, making the cut in 2004 at age 64. The Dow Championship counts as official, so Inkster goes into the record book as the oldest.

This also could be a big week for Cowan, who would get a two-year exemption on the LPGA if she and Korda were to win.

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

Shalit's family announced the death Friday to NBC News, saying in a statement that he “passed away peacefully today after 100 years of an amazing life.”

Shalit joined “Today” as a contributor in 1970 and became arts editor in 1973, later settling in for his segment, “Critic’s Corner.” When he left the show in 2010, he was one of the last high-profile film critics on a major network.

“What resonated above his unusual appearance was his incredible wit, his remarkable intelligence. But he didn’t pound you over the head with it. He amused you. He enlightened and amused whatever subject he was on,” Guy Ludwig, Shalit’s producer for more than 20 years, wrote in an essay at the time of Shalit's retirement.

It was no coincidence that Chicago critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel’s local “thumbs-up, thumbs-down” movie-review program, “Sneak Previews,” went national on PBS in the late 1970s and that “Today” show's ABC rival, “Good Morning America,” hired Joel Siegel to be its movie critic in 1981.

“Shalit was instrumental in changing the balance of critical power in America. When he began his ‘Today’ tenure, newspapers and magazines were the primary sources for movie reviews. That’s where cinematic opinion was sparked and shaped,” The Plain Dealer wrote in 2010, calling Shalit “Daniel Boone in a bow tie and Groucho glasses.”

Magazine work led to NBC offer

Shalit started as an entertainment columnist for McCall’s magazine, eventually becoming senior film critic for Look magazine in 1968 and writing for Ladies’ Home Journal. His popularity in magazines led to an offer from NBC.

“No one at NBC had seen him. They’d only read his stuff. So he walked into this executive’s office and the executive took one look at him and said, ‘Mr. Shalit, have you ever thought of radio?’” wrote Ludwig. “They didn’t know how the public would react to someone who looked so different from people who were typically on TV in 1967.”

On the air, Shalit was a middle-of-the-road critic. Of 1986’s classic “Stand By Me,” he said it was different from other movies about youth “because of instead of grossing you out, ‘Stand by You’ is engrossing.”

“Many critics will give so much of the plot of a movie away that they destroy the movie for the viewer. ... I just don’t give away the story,” he told The Associated Press in 1993.

Highlights in words

He liked “Enemy at the Gates,” starring Jude Law, calling it “a vivid dramatization of one of history’s titanic turning points.” But he called “Brokeback Mountain “wildly overpraised, but not by me” and drew condemnation from GLAAD for calling Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Jack, a “sexual predator.” Shalit apologized.

He called “Frozen” “very cool.” He said the oddball title of “The Men Who Stare at Goats” was “heard to bleat,” and his review of “The Lovely Bones” read in part: “There’s no bones about it.”

He began reviewing on air the year of “Patton” and “Love Story” and ended his run with a critique of “Shrek Forever After,” of which he noted that the “bellow fellow is now a mellow fellow.” One highlight of this tenure was his descent into a fit of giggles while interviewing Carol Channing.

He called a remake of “King Kong” so “gargantuan that I must create new words to describe it: fabularious … a brilliantological humongousness of marvelosity.” His take on Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple”: “It should be against the law not to see it.”

In a 1981 interview with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, Belushi said Shalit’s hair looked like “an ant farm on fire.” Nevertheless, he peppered his guest with so many questions about their daily life that it felt like therapy. He asked both comedians what their last meals would be. “What do you want to be doing 10 years from now, John Belushi?” Shalit asked. “Fiddler on the Roof” Belushi replied.

During his tenure, he traded quips with anchors ranging from Edwin Newman, Barbara Walters and Jane Pauley to Tom Brokaw, Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, Al Roker and Meredith Vieira.

Gumbel was not always a fan, once saying Shalit’s reviews “are often late and his interviews aren’t very good.” The critique came in what was supposed to be a confidential memo to Marty Ryan, the show’s executive producer at the time.

In 1994, while in St. Pete Beach, Florida, to cover Major League Baseball spring training, a car hit Shalit as he was crossing a street and broke his leg. After that, “Today” began recording his movie reviews in his home studio.

Early life

He was born in New York and grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, starting his grammar school’s first newspaper before writing a humor column for the newspaper while a student at Morristown High School. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1949.

Shalit played the bassoon, but he said he started out on the clarinet.

“I didn’t practice for a few weeks and the teacher got furious,” he recalled in 1988, before playing bassoon in a New York City fundraiser. “He took away my clarinet and as punishment he said, ‘From now on, you’re gonna play THIS.’”

In 1987, he edited a book called “Laughing Matters: A Celebration of American Humor,” saying he wanted to introduce and reintroduce such old and new masters of American humor as Mark Twain, James Thurber and Russell Baker.

Shalit was regularly mocked on “Saturday Night Live” by cast member Horatio Sanz, who would appear on the “Weekend Update” desk dressed as Shalit and go on extended, barely coherent rants that punned the title of every movie he reviewed. Shalit also made cameos on “Sesame Street,” “Family Guy” and “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

Shalit was predeceased in 1978 by his wife, Nancy Lewis, and had six children.

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This story has been corrected to show that a movie Shalit liked was “Enemy at the Gates,” not “Defiance.” It also removes a reference to Daniel Craig, who was in “Defiance” but not “Enemy at the Gates.”

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Now, the 21-year-old defender is on the verge of making that dream a reality.

Freeman is expected to make his World Cup debut with the U.S. Men’s National Team, marking a major milestone in a journey that began in South Florida.

Despite his age, Freeman said he’s embracing the pressure that comes with competing at the highest level.

“I think, yeah, for me it’s my first World Cup and I’m the young guy,” Freeman said in an exclusive interview with Local 10 News. “I think as well for me it’s always going to be a lot of pressure, but for me, it’s how can I deal with the pressure and make it into something great when I play.”

For Freeman, the moment is about more than personal achievement. It’s an opportunity to represent the people who helped him reach this point.

“I think for me it’s to realize that I’m not only doing it for the fans and for myself,” Freeman said. “I’m doing it for the people that helped me get to this point. From Fort Lauderdale, from where I’m from, and it just means so much that I’m able to have that kind of support back home.”

Freeman said taking the leap to pursue a professional soccer career came with uncertainty, but the encouragement he received from family, friends and his South Florida community helped fuel his confidence.

“Knowing that I took a risk and I had so many people backing me, encouraging me to do this,” he said.

Representing the United States on the international stage is something Freeman said he does not take lightly.

“For me it’s such an honor,” Freeman said. “But I know honor comes with privilege, knowing that you have the privilege and the confidence and desire to be able to wear the shirt and perform when you’re in it.”

As he prepares to step onto the field, Freeman said he remains focused on carrying that responsibility with gratitude and pride.

“Always having that honor and grateful energy that you don’t get to wear this every day,” he said. “And when you do get to wear it, it’s to wear with pride.”

For the former Broward County standout, the upcoming match represents the latest chapter in a remarkable rise from local soccer fields to the global stage — one that South Florida will be watching closely.

Yatir Nitzany said he was hiking at Shark Valley in the heart of the Everglades National Park when he saw an opportunity to help protect the environment.

“I saw one crawling across the trail,” Nitzany said. “There were children around.”

Nitzany said he captured the constrictor and contacted park rangers. A video shows that as he held it, a tour guide driving a tramp praised him in front of visitors.

“It had a bulge in its belly,” Nitzany said about the python. “The upper part of its body, indicating it just killed something, and I couldn’t have it on my conscience just to leave it there and just let it go.”

The super predators, native to tropical regions in Africa, Asia, and Australia, have devastated Everglades wildlife since the exotic pet trade’s introduction.

Knowing he was doing the right thing, Nitzany said he didn’t expect a park ranger, who also thanked him for the catch, to then hand him a $180 citation.

“If I could have done things over again, I would have probably killed it and thrown it in the bushes,” Nitzany said.

Nitzany and Magill fought the citation, based on the federal Lacey Act and a state law that required prior authorization for capturing a python in a park.

“My goal now is to do whatever I can to change this law. To make sure there is a caveat in this law, so that people like [Nitzany] are not punished for doing the right thing in the environment,” Magill said.

The case against Nitzany was dismissed on Friday before his court hearing. Magill was glad, but it shouldn’t have happened.

“At the end of the day, for me, it’s common sense. Unfortunately, it’s not too common anymore,” Magill said.

Ohtani was sidelined for Friday night's 8-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. But manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani could play this weekend and remains in line to make his next scheduled start on the mound on Wednesday.

Ohtani was lifted for a pinch hitter in the seventh inning of Thursday night’s 8-6 win at Pittsburgh.

“He’s doing fine today,” Roberts said before the series opener against the White Sox. “I think that we got some pictures. There was no findings. It’s just the normal wear and tear. I thought initially it was a hamstring, it was the knee. So it just kind of got upset, swelled up a little bit.”

Ohtani, 31, is batting .305 with 13 homers and 40 RBIs in 67 games for the NL West leaders. On the mound, the reigning NL MVP is 6-2 with a 1.06 ERA in 11 starts.

Ohtani had surgery on his left knee in September 2019. Roberts said the swelling is in the back of the knee.

“That’s where a lot of the swelling with the knee kind of like builds,” Roberts said. “But again his range of motion today is good and so if it was another time in the season he’d be in there tonight.”

Ohtani did not speak with the media before the game.

Alex Call was in the leadoff spot for Los Angeles and Santiago Espinal stepped in as the designated hitter. Espinal contributed an early two-run single, but the Dodgers finished with just four hits — all in the first three innings.

Roberts also said utilityman Tommy Edman is on track to be activated from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday. Edman, who is coming back from offseason ankle surgery, is on a minor league rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who is on the 60-day IL because of a back issue, could start playing catch soon.

“(Glasnow) feels great, so he’s going to start kind of ramping things up,” Roberts said.

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

The agency said Friday that it closed its probe into the deal, with regulators at its antitrust division concluding that the impact of the merger “will be to increase competition across the media and entertainment ecosystem, with benefits for American consumers and workers.”

David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance reached a deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in late February. Paramount’s victory came after months of negotiations and a rival bid by Netflix that ultimately fell short. Paramount was bought by Skydance last year.

The companies contend that merging will be good for growth in the industry and give consumers access to more content, particularly if the HBO Max and Paramount+ libraries are combined. But critics have decried what further consolidation could mean in an industry already controlled by just a few major players.

Among the potential market impacts from the merger, regulators weighed whether the deal would hurt competition in video streaming. They concluded that the merger would likely increase competition by giving customers a more “robust competitive alternative” to larger video streaming alternatives.

The agency also determined that YouTube, TikTok and other social media portals that also offer video streaming content “do not appear to be competitive substitutes here under well-established antitrust legal precedents, although they compete broadly for consumer attention.”

Regulators also concluded that the merger is not likely to harm competition for so-called linear television, citing a strong competition for live programming.

On the question of competition in Hollywood, regulators found that the combination of two major film studio operators is not likely to harm competition in studio development, production or distribution of films for theatrical release.

“Instead, evidence shows extensive competition within the industry, which has generated greater output and diversity of film offerings, and is likely to continue unabated,” regulators concluded.

Thousands of actors, directors, writers and other industry professionals have voiced “unequivocal opposition” to the Paramount deal, arguing that further consolidation will lead to job losses and fewer choices for filmmakers and moviegoers. Many lawmakers have similarly sounded the alarm.

Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, has pledged to keep Paramount and Warner Bros. as standalone movie studio operations, and vowed to release a combined 30 movies a year in theaters. Paramount has acknowledged the merger will also lead to significant cuts due to duplication.

While the Trump administration’s Justice Department has now confirmed it won’t be challenging Paramount’s $81 billion purchase of Warner, the mega merger is still being reviewed by other regulators both in the U.S. and abroad.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has been particularly vocal about the transaction, and he said his state is investigating it.

Beyond the U.S., European regulators are also looking into the deal. The European Commission has listed July 7 as a tentative deadline for its review. And the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority is aiming to make an initial decision about its probe by early August.

Paramount and Warner previously said that they hoped to close their deal sometime in the third quarter of this year. And that clock is ticking. Paramount pledged to give shareholders some compensation if the acquisition doesn’t close by Sept. 30 — in the form of a 25-cent per share “ticking fee” for every quarter past that date. It has also agreed to a regulatory termination fee of $7 billion.

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According to Jessica Montes, a spokeswoman for Davie Fire Rescue, firefighters responded to the 3900 block of Southwest 84^th Terrace at about 5:18 a.m. after receiving a report about a water main break.

“Upon arrival, firefighters were advised that an alligator was present in the water,” Montes said in an email to Local 10 News.

According to Montes, the gator tried to flee into a nearby yard, but firefighters and Davie police worked together to capture the gator before it could escape.

Davie Fire Capt. Chris Pelosi was among the first responders who helped wrangle the gator.

“When we tried getting it, it just got agitated and ran away,” he said.

Pelosi said police got to it first.

“PD was able to get the little K9 leash out. They kind of got it around the neck so it was kind of doing a little death roll -- it was rolling over here, so we corralled it against the wall,” Pelosi said. “I always see on TV, they just throw a towel over its head, so I just kind of walked up, just threw the towel.”

Montes confirmed that Davie police used a “catch pole” to secure the gator, while firefighters helped restrain it until FWC officers arrived.

Neighbors heard the commotion.

“I just heard all the trucks,” resident Linda Stover said. “I had no idea there was an alligator outside my house.”

Montes said the gator was turned over to the FWC and no injures were reported to first responders nor the gator.

El video, junto con una llamada desesperada al 911 realizada antes de la caída, fue presentado durante una audiencia judicial el jueves para Corey Hutterli, de 37 años, quien, según los investigadores, enfrenta un cargo de asesinato en segundo grado por la muerte de Justin Zelin, de 35 años.

La jueza Cristina Miranda finalmente le otorgó a Hutterli una fianza de $150,000 USD el jueves.

En las imágenes de la cámara corporal presentadas en el tribunal, Hutterli les dijo a los agentes que respondieron al incidente que Zelin lo había atacado repentinamente.

“¿Qué está pasando? De repente perdió el control y me atacó”, dijo Hutterli.

También se escuchó en la audiencia una llamada al 911 en la que Zelin le rogaba a una persona identificada como “Sasha” que abandonara su apartamento.

“Aléjate de mí, Sasha, basta. Por favor, vete ahora mismo”, dijo Zelin.

Los fiscales alegan que Hutterli empujó a Zelin desde un balcón de los condominios Akoya en Collins Avenue el 15 de febrero, tras una pelea entre ambos hombres.

Los abogados defensores argumentaron que el caso del estado es circunstancial y señalaron un informe toxicológico que mostró que Zelin tenía fentanilo, cocaína y ketamina en su organismo al momento de su muerte.

La defensa sostiene que las drogas pudieron haber provocado un estado mental alterado y afirmó que las pruebas no respaldan la teoría presentada por la fiscalía.

Al conceder la fianza, Miranda dijo que la llamada al 911 no establecía de manera concluyente que hubiera ocurrido un asesinato.

“Definitivamente podría tratarse de la víctima de un asesinato, pero la llamada al 911 no es prueba de eso”, dijo Miranda. “La llamada al 911 me lleva a creer que se trata de alguien que sufría una psicosis inducida por drogas”.

Fuera de la sala del tribunal, la madre de Hutterli dijo que cree que su hijo es inocente, mientras que los abogados defensores afirmaron que planean solicitar la desestimación de los cargos.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Hutterli también enfrenta cargos de allanamiento con agresión o violencia física, posesión de una sustancia controlada y posesión de parafernalia de drogas.

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The video, along with a frantic 911 call made before the fall, was presented during a court hearing on Thursday for 37-year-old Corey Hutterli, who investigators say faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of 35-year-old Justin Zelin.

“Some homeless guy just came over and killed me,” Zellin told 911 dispatchers shortly before his death. “He killed me.”

Judge Cristina Miranda on Thursday ultimately granted Hutterli a $150,000 bond.

In body camera footage shown in court, Hutterli told responding officers that Zelin had suddenly attacked him.

“What’s going on? Suddenly he freaked out and attacked me,” Hutterli said.

Jurors also heard a 911 call in which Zelin pleaded with someone identified as “Sasha” to leave his apartment.

“Get away from me Sasha, stop. Please leave right now,” Zelin said.

Prosecutors allege Hutterli pushed Zelin from a balcony at the Akoya Condominiums on Collins Avenue on Feb. 15 following a struggle between the two men.

Defense attorneys argued the state’s case is circumstantial and pointed to a toxicology report showing Zelin had fentanyl, cocaine and ketamine in his system at the time of his death.

The defense contends the drugs may have caused an altered mental state and said the evidence does not support the state’s theory of the case.

While granting bond, Miranda said the 911 call did not conclusively establish that a murder had occurred.

“Could definitely be the victim of a murder, but the 911 call is not evidence of that,” Miranda said. “The 911 call leads me to believe it’s someone suffering from a drug-induced psychosis.”

Outside the courtroom, Hutterli’s mother, Terri Hutterli Marino, said she believes her son is innocent, while defense attorneys said they plan to seek dismissal of the charges.

Jail records show Hutterli also faces charges of burglary with assault or battery, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He has not yet posted bond and remains at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Friday evening.

Leonel Alejandro Laferte fue arrestado el jueves tras una investigación de homicidio de tránsito relacionada con el accidente que, según la policía de Hialeah, ocurrió alrededor de las 4:11 a.m. cerca de Southeast Fourth Avenue y East Okeechobee Road.

Según el informe, Laferte acudió a la sede del Departamento de Policía de Hialeah el 11 de junio y les dijo a los investigadores que él conducía el Kia Stinger 2022 involucrado en el accidente mortal.

El informe indica que Kenneth William Wimbley, de 37 años, circulaba en bicicleta hacia el norte e intentaba cruzar East Okeechobee Road cuando ingresó al carril central y fue impactado por Laferte.

La policía informó que Wimbley sufrió heridas críticas y fue trasladado al Hospital de Hialeah antes de ser transferido al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital, donde murió.

Según el informe, Laferte, residente de Hialeah, admitió durante una entrevista posterior a la lectura de sus derechos Miranda que estuvo involucrado en el accidente. La policía también citó evidencias encontradas en la escena y videos de vigilancia obtenidos durante la investigación.

El informe señala que Laferte “no se detuvo de inmediato, no permaneció en la escena ni brindó ayuda según lo exige la ley de Florida”.

En cambio, los investigadores dijeron que abandonó el área y no reportó el accidente hasta que posteriormente se presentó en la sede policial.

La policía también descubrió que la licencia de conducir de Laferte estaba suspendida al momento del accidente.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Laferte enfrenta un cargo por abandonar la escena de un accidente con resultado de muerte y otro cargo por conducir con la licencia suspendida.

Hasta el viernes, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $50,000 USD.

Según la policía de Fort Lauderdale, los agentes fueron llamados aproximadamente a las 2:42 p.m. a un negocio cerca de la cuadra 800 de Northwest 10th Terrace después de recibir un reporte sobre un hombre que ingresó a un área restringida y comenzó a “actuar de manera errática”.

Agentes de patrulla, una unidad K-9 y miembros de la Unidad de Aviación de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward buscaron en el área circundante, pero no lograron localizar al hombre. Más tarde, los investigadores determinaron que todavía estaba dentro del negocio y que se encontraba solo.

La policía dijo que el sospechoso, identificado únicamente como un hombre por el momento, no estaba autorizado para estar dentro del edificio.

Las autoridades indicaron que policías, agentes SWAT y negociadores de crisis respondieron a la escena e intentaron comunicarse con el individuo.

Poco después, la policía anunció que el sospechoso “se entregó pacíficamente” y fue puesto bajo custodia. Hasta el momento no se han reportado heridos.

La policía no ha revelado información sobre por qué el sospechoso se atrincheró dentro del negocio, y los cargos en su contra aún no han sido anunciados.

Pino, de 55 años, enfrenta cargos de homicidio involuntario y homicidio por embarcación por la muerte de Lucy Fernández, de 17 años.

Los fiscales acusan a Pino, entonces de 52 años, de actuar de manera imprudente cuando perdió el control de una embarcación Robalo de 29 pies durante las primeras horas de la noche del 4 de septiembre de 2022 y se estrelló contra una baliza de canal cerca de Boca Chita Key, causando la muerte de Fernández. Otras dos jóvenes resultaron gravemente heridas, incluida Katerina Puig, de 17 años.

Su equipo de defensa sostiene que el choque fue simplemente un accidente y no el resultado de negligencia.

Local 10 News transmitirá el proceso en vivo arriba.

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El jueves, los miembros del jurado visitaron una instalación de la Comisión de Conservación de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida (FWC) en North Miami. Fueron escoltados por agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade y observaron detalladamente la embarcación involucrada, incluso pudieron abordarla para comprender mejor las posiciones de las jóvenes pasajeras el día del accidente y el lugar donde se encontraba Pino.

Los miembros del jurado pudieron ver la ubicación exacta y la magnitud de los daños, lo que les brindó una perspectiva diferente a la de los videos y fotografías que habían visto en el tribunal.

La visita duró aproximadamente 40 minutos. Luego regresaron al tribunal después de una pausa para almorzar.

Allí, los jurados observaron un video de recreación aérea con dron, elaborado por la FWC y la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO), así como imágenes submarinas de la escena del accidente, entre otras evidencias.

También escucharon el testimonio de agentes del orden.

“La embarcación estaba volcada en Cutter Bank”, declaró el teniente de la FWC Manuel Pomares. “Cutter Bank es un canal estrecho. La mejor forma de describirlo es como un embudo”.

Agregó: “Realmente hay que prestar atención cuando se navega hacia o a través de Cutter Bank”.

Pomares formó parte de un equipo de buceo que documentó evidencias con una cámara GoPro.

“Hay un par de vasos térmicos tipo Yeti, y algunas latas de Truly (bebida alcohólica tipo hard seltzer) y una lata de Bud Light”, testificó Pomares.

La audiencia concluyó la noche del jueves y se espera que se reanude la mañana del viernes.

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It started as a girls night out.

Murray, her friend Tiara and her husband’s sister, Akyra, were enjoying the evening.

“We were just having the best night,” Murray said. “All the way up until the very point where everything just changed.”

“It was the very end of the night, and we were getting ready to leave and Tiara started looking at her phone to order the Uber,” she added. “We were almost out of there and that’s when we heard the gunshots going off in the other room.”

Murray and Akyra managed to exit the club unharmed.

“The only person that wasn’t with us at the time was Tiara, so we had to go back inside,” Murray said. “The choice to go back in was out of pure love.”

They found their friend, but the chaos forced them into a bathroom stall.

“The gunman actually came into the bathroom. All you heard was his footsteps and then he started firing into the entire bathroom,” Murray said. “I looked down and I saw that I was bleeding.”

“Tiara and Akyra were both shot as well, and you could hear people just moaning in agony and pain,” she added.

The gunfire stopped, but the terror continued.

“His gun jammed so we didn’t know what he was going to do, and it was like that for the next three hours until the police actually intervened,” Murray said.

Murray made it out with Tiara.

Akyra, who had gone back inside with her to find their friend, became the youngest of the 49 victims killed. She was 18.

The massacre remains one of the deadliest mass shootings in American history.

“This was an attack against a community of people who’ve only shown me love,” Murray said.

Today, Murray is still moved to share her story “to feel worthy of life.”

And at a time when support for LGBTQ+ Americans is reportedly on the decline, Murray says the message remains important.

“It’s sad that people are in such a divisive place, where it’s either my way or no way at all, and because I don’t understand you,” she said.

Murray’s message 10 years after the horror:

“To be an ally,” she said. “We all need to be that for each other.”

Todo comenzó como una salida de chicas.

Murray, su amiga Tiara y Akyra, la hermana de su esposo, estaban disfrutando de la noche.

“Simplemente estábamos pasando la mejor noche”, dijo Murray. “Hasta el momento exacto en que todo cambió”.

“Era el final de la noche y nos estábamos preparando para irnos cuando Tiara comenzó a mirar su teléfono para pedir un Uber”, agregó. “Estábamos a punto de salir de allí y fue entonces cuando escuchamos los disparos en la otra sala”.

Murray y Akyra lograron salir del club sin sufrir heridas.

“La única persona que no estaba con nosotras en ese momento era Tiara, así que tuvimos que regresar”, dijo Murray. “La decisión de volver fue por puro amor”.

Encontraron a su amiga, pero el caos las obligó a refugiarse en un cubículo del baño.

“El atacante realmente entró al baño. Lo único que se escuchaban eran sus pasos y luego comenzó a disparar por todo el baño”, dijo Murray. “Miré hacia abajo y vi que estaba sangrando”.

“Tiara y Akyra también habían recibido disparos, y se podía escuchar a las personas quejándose de agonía y dolor”, agregó.

Los disparos se detuvieron, pero el terror continuó.

“Su arma se encasquilló, así que no sabíamos qué iba a hacer, y fue así durante las siguientes tres horas hasta que la policía finalmente intervino”, dijo Murray.

Murray logró salir con Tiara.

Akyra, quien había regresado al interior con ella para buscar a su amiga, se convirtió en la más joven de las 49 víctimas mortales. Tenía 18 años.

La masacre sigue siendo una de las balaceras masivas más mortales en la historia de Estados Unidos.

“Este fue un ataque contra una comunidad de personas que solo me han demostrado amor”, dijo Murray.

Hoy, Murray sigue sintiendo la necesidad de compartir su historia “para sentir que merece la vida”.

Y en un momento en que, según informes, el apoyo a los estadounidenses LGBTQ+ está disminuyendo, Murray dice que el mensaje sigue siendo importante.

“Es triste que las personas estén en un lugar tan dividido, donde es a mi manera o de ninguna manera, y porque no te entiendo”, dijo.

El mensaje de Murray 10 años después del horror:

“Ser un aliado”, dijo. “Todos necesitamos ser eso los unos para los otros”.

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Pino, 55, is facing manslaughter and vessel homicide charges in the death of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez.

Prosecutors accuse Pino, then 52, of being reckless when he lost control of a 29-foot Robalo boat in the early evening hours of Sept. 4, 2022 and slammed it into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key, killing Fernandez. Two other girls were seriously hurt, including 17-year-old Katerina Puig.

His defense team counters that the crash was merely an accident and not the result of negligence.

On Friday, jurors heard testimony from a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission lieutenant and watched video from his body-worn camera.

On that body-worn camera footage, jurors heard Pino’s immediate recollection of the crash to FWC Lt. William Thompson.

“And then I stand up, I hit the wave, and, I tried to sway,” he said in the footage.“ ”The left side of the boat hit the piling.”

“I lost a little bit of control,” he added, saying a few minutes later on the footage, “I was freaking out.”

Prosecutor Laura Adams asked Thompson on the stand, “Did he tell you he was drinking alcohol?”

Thompson replied, “He tells me he had two beers.”

When asked if Pino had given him “any impression that he is impaired by alcohol,” Thompson testified, “No, ma’am.”

Jurors also learned that investigators found 61 bottles of alcohol while executing a search warrant.

They also saw more from a re-enactment video by FWC and the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, learning more about how speed and location data points recovered from the vessel’s GPS units were used to re-enact the path Pino took through the channel before hitting marker 15.

Prosecutors continued to try to convince jurors that Pino operated the boat in a reckless manner.

But during cross-examination, the defense worked to focus the jury on its point of view: that their client didn’t intend to hurt anyone and didn’t have too much to drink.

“You told him that it is legal to drink and operation a boat?” one of Pino’s attorneys asked Thompson, to which the lieutenant replied, “Yes I did.”

Tense moment after jurors leave

A tense moment occurred during proceedings after jurors were sent home from the day.

Adams raised a concern to Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez that Pino, whom she previously admonished for his “emotional behaviors” during proceedings on Monday, may have been muttering something as she questioned Thompson.

“I am told that the defendant may have been muttering something along the lines of, ‘It happens. It happens. It happens,’” Adams said. “I hope maybe somebody misunderstood what was taking place, but I did hear noise behind me, and so I just hope that the defendant is not doing something along those lines.”

Tinkler Mendez said she “did not hear anything.”

Then, Adams confronted Pino after she walked back to the prosecutors’ table.

She face Pino and said, “I’m sorry. Do you have something you want to say to me? Why are you staring at me?”

RAW: Prosecutor confronts Pino

Pino protested that assertion.

“I’m staring up there,” Pino said, gesturing at the ceiling. “I don’t want to say anything to you.”

Tinkler Mendez interrupted the exchange.

“Excuse me. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re not going to do this,” the judge said.

Tinkler Mendez added, " I’m reminding everyone that even gestures are inappropriate, so with any witness and with anyone in the courtroom, so not only verbal ― but any kind of gestures from anyone in this courtroom that could potentially be seen by the jury. And again, that includes Mr. Pino, that includes me, frankly."

She then spoke to Pino directly.

“Mr. Pino, I will remind you to please maintain composure and please no statements or whispering,” Tinkler Mendez said. “Again, I didn’t hear anything, and please refrain ― I haven’t seen anything, from any kind of gestures or anything that could potentially be seen by the jury."

“OK, your honor,” Pino replied. “For the record, I haven’t done any of those things.”

Proceedings in the case are set to resume on Monday.

“If Texas Tech will not do the right thing, the Big 12 should,” Drummond wrote Friday in a letter to the conference. “Texas Tech should be sanctioned. I also note that the injunction granted to Sorsby applies only to the NCAA. It does not impede the Big 12 from suspending Sorsby.”

The office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned the Big 12 on Thursday of potential legal action from Texas Tech as the conference considers its options. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said the notice came shortly before the start of the league’s executive board meeting to discuss Sorsby's situation.

Drummond said claims that sanctions against Texas Tech would violate antitrust laws are meritless.

“By adopting and enforcing its bylaws, the Big 12 Conference is simply upholding integrity and fair play among membership," he said.

A Texas district court's temporary injunction that was issued Monday prevents the NCAA from enforcing its permanent ban of Sorsby, a decision that sent shock waves across college sports.

The transfer quarterback had been ruled ineligible after he acknowledged years of gambling that included more than $90,000 in wagers and at least 40 bets on his own team while he was a freshman at Indiana.

NCAA rules call for a permanent loss of eligibility for any player who wagered on his own team.

Drummond weighed in because Oklahoma State is a member of the Big 12. He suggested the conference could act under a bylaw that says a supermajority of the league’s athletic directors can sanction a member school if that school has “engaged in any action or a course of conduct materially adverse to the best interests of the conference as a whole.”

“Sadly, that fits Texas Tech to a ‘T’,” Drummond wrote. “Its actions in obtaining eligibility for Brendan Sorsby ... have constituted a shameful chapter in the story of college football. Texas Tech has acted in a manner adverse to the Big 12 and the integrity of college football as a whole."

Texas Tech says Sorsby has completed a month-long inpatient treatment program and will have to meet stipulations laid out in the court ruling if he is going to play this fall.

The school posted a 21-minute video Thursday night in which school president Lawrence Schovanec, athletic director Kirby Hocutt and coach Joey McGuire defended Texas Tech's approach with Sorsby. Hocutt said the school wasn't party to Sorsby's lawsuit against the NCAA and hasn't helped him with legal fees.

“There’s no reason whatsoever to question the integrity of our athletics department, or the competitive product that we put on the fields or on the courts each and every time that we go out,” Hocutt said. “Integrity of the game is sacred, and that’s why we’ve gone to such great lengths to ensure the monitoring and the compliance measures are in place for Brendan’s return.”

Big 12 athletic directors in a conference call Tuesday expressed strong opposition to Sorsby playing for the Red Raiders in what will be his final college season. Some of those athletic directors suggested not playing Texas Tech if he does.

The Big 12's board of directors, which is made up of presidents and chancellors from the league’s 16 schools, is set to meet Monday.

Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech in January for a reported multimillion-dollar deal after playing the past two seasons at Cincinnati, another Big 12 school. The 22-year-old Texas native first spent two seasons with the Hoosiers.

The Red Raiders, with one of college football’s most expensive rosters, won their first Big 12 title last season, set a school record with 12 wins and made the 12-team College Football Playoff.

___

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

And he's fine with that.

Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs — who just became the first team in NBA Finals history to lead a game by 29 points and still lose — need to win the next three games, or they'll watch the New York Knicks celebrate an NBA title at their expense. And when the Spurs gathered for practice on Friday, Wembanyama insisted the belief within the Spurs camp is still there.

“Everybody thinks, everybody knows, we’re going to do it,” Wembanyama said.

If he was nervous, he hid it well. The 7-foot-4 French star has helped the Spurs stave off elimination twice already in these playoffs, after San Antonio won Games 6 and 7 of the Western Conference finals against Oklahoma City and ended the Thunder's reign as NBA champions.

Now, the Spurs have to do it again on Saturday in Game 5 against the Knicks. And if they win Saturday, they'll have to do it again in Game 6 on Tuesday. And if they win Tuesday, a Game 7 awaits next Friday.

“I feel like we need to isolate that one game and take it one game at a time,” Wembanyama said. “I think it would be a mistake to waste our energy on multiple games. It’s one game at a time.”

The Spurs led Game 1 by 14 points and lost by 10. They led Game 2 by 12 points and lost by one. They won Game 3 by four, then had the 29-point lead in Game 4 and lost by one.

Clearly, they know how to get into position to beat the Knicks.

They just haven't finished it off in three of the four games. And now, they will try to be just the second team in NBA Finals history to successfully rally from a 3-1 series deficit; Cleveland did it against Golden State in 2016. The other 37 teams that have tried to do so all failed.

“It definitely matters," Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “I feel like we’ve made history all year, and we’ve proven that with our backs against the wall that we can step up. So, I don’t really expect this to be any different.”

Neither does Wembanyama.

The Spurs know they're good enough. They've had the leads. They've won every first quarter, then frittered those advantages away. In Game 3, they recovered. In Games 1, 2 and 4, they didn't. In Game 5, they'll have to — or else.

“You said all of it,” Wembanyama said. “We’re very confident. I wouldn’t say it was so hard to shake off (Game 4). Harder than any other game before, by far, for sure. I mean, now we’re over it. It’s the playoffs. There’s no time to regret things for too long."

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

The 80-year-old was named a “Companion of Honour,” one of the highest awards the king can bestow to citizens in the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth, limited to only 65 people at any time.

Mirren's elevation to the group, which also includes British environmentalist David Attenborough, Canadian author Margaret Atwood and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, was one of the highlights of Charles' latest award of honors.

The honors, which aim to reward individuals for their contributions to British life, are awarded twice a year to celebrities and public figures as well as ordinary people, once at New Year’s, and then in June, to mark the king’s birthday.

Nearly 1,200 people received honors in the king’s 2026 birthday list,

The award recognizes Mirren's services to drama

Mirren is no stranger to awards and has for decades been a star on stage and screen, as well as a powerful advocate for female actors.

She has tackled numerous classical parts in theater — both in the National Youth Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company from the 1960s — before winning roles in movies such as “The Long Good Friday,” “Excalibur,” and “The Madness of King George.”

She also wowed British television audiences with her portrayal of Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison over seven seasons of “Prime Suspect.”

At the Oscars in 2007, she won best actress for her performance in “The Queen," a film that follows the late Queen Elizabeth II in the aftermath of the 1997 death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The awards recognize an array of achievements

Introduced in 1917 by King George V, the "Companion of Honour" recognizes people who have made “a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government" over an extended time period.

They remain members until they die, when a replacement is then added. A new member will likely be named at the next honors list in the new year following the death Thursday of David Hockney, one of the most popular and critically lauded British artists of the last century.

Others recognized on Friday include British author Julia Donaldson, who last year surpassed Harry Potter writer JK Rowling as U.K.’s all-time top author, with more than 50 million books sold worldwide. She was named a dame, the female equivalent of a knighthood, for services to literature, a title that Mirren herself was awarded in 2003.

“Receiving this honor has been a very happy surprise,” said the 77-year-old author of such books as “The Gruffalo, " and “The Highway Rat.”

“It’s really gratifying to have children’s books recognized in this way," she added.

Success in sports was also recognized on Friday, with Kevin Sinfield knighted for his glittering rugby league career and subsequent fundraising exploits to aid research and support families affected by motor neuron disease, a neurological disorder.

The 45-year-old has raised over 11 million pounds ($15 million) since being inspired by his friend and his teammate Rob Burrow, who died from the disease in 2024.

Golf's two-time Ryder Cup winning captain Luke Donald was handed the Order of the British Empire. He will attempt to become the first person in Ryder Cup history to lead a team to three consecutive wins against the United States next year in Ireland.

Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning penalty for England's women's soccer team in Euro 2025, became member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, along with six other teammates.

Other notable recipients were Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi for services to music and charity nearly a year after the death of the band's legendary lead singer Ozzy Osbourne. Broadcaster and the former lead singer of Catatonia Cerys Matthews was recognized for her services to music.

The awards are not just for the famous

The array of awards are chosen by civil servants’ committees based on nominations from the government and the public. They are usually given out by the king or a senior royal acting in his place, increasingly at Windsor Castle where Charles largely resides.

The honors don’t just reward people in the public eye.

Debbie Lewis, who set up the bereavement support group COVID-19 Families U.K. after her father died in 2020 of the coronavirus, just four months after her mother’s death.

Lewis first wrote on Facebook that her father had just died and she was on her own, hoping to connect with others going through something similar. Within a week, 40 people had contacted her.

Six years on, there are more than 4,500 people in Lewis’s support network.

“I’m still a little bit in shock,” the 56-year-old said of her honor on Friday. “I know it’s a huge achievement and I’m just a little bit overwhelmed at the moment.”

Electric vehicles. Brain implants. Underground tunnels. A social media platform once called Twitter. And a rocket maker that blasted off its trading from Wall Street this week.

Over time, more and more of these ventures have found themselves under the same roof. Musk merged SpaceX — which went public on Friday — with his artificial intelligence company xAI just earlier this year. But he still holds the CEO role at several corporations today, in addition to other various executive titles or ownership stakes.

Here's a look at Musk's vast business empire.

SpaceX

Musk is CEO of SpaceX, which he founded in 2002. The company has grown far beyond rockets. It owns satellite communications service Starlink, a big source of cash for the company that generated $4.4 billion in operating income last year. SpaceX also houses social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, which Musk bought for $44 billion in 2022 and parked it under xAI, the maker of the Grok chatbot.

Both xAI and X are money losers (the AI business lost $6.4 billion in operations last year). Nonetheless, SpaceX — which lost $2.6 billion overall from operations last year — was able to whip up enough market hype to debut with the biggest initial public offering in history on Friday, closing at just below $161 per share, or a total market value of $2.1 trillion.

Some think that price tag significantly overvalues the company. SpaceX has promised it will become a leader in AI and one day help make human life multiplanetary — with lofty, and at times sci-fi sounding, goals that range from putting data centers in space to colonizing Mars. But the bulk of that hinges on unproven technology and massive capital needs.

Tesla

Musk is also CEO of Tesla, a role he has held at the electric car maker since 2008.

Tesla has struggled with rising competition in the EV space. Last year, the company lost its crown as the world’s largest EV maker to China’s BYD. Sales were also bruised during boycotts over Musk’s politics. Those numbers have since rebounded some, but Musk has repeatedly shrugged off troubles — emphasizing that Tesla’s future lies less in car sales than getting people to take rides in them as self-driving taxis.

Beyond the road, Tesla has been upping production of robots for homes and businesses. And it's also been in the solar energy business for about a decade with it purchase of SolarCity, which was founded by Musk and two of his cousins. Tesla went public in 2010, and went on to join the trillion dollar club on the S&P 500. Its market cap currently stands around $1.5 trillion.

Neuralink

Musk has also the CEO title at Neuralink, a brain-computer interface company he co-founded in 2016.

Neuralink is one of many groups working to connect the human nervous system to machines. It's launched clinical trials for people who have spinal cord injuries, ALS and other conditions. The company (and sometimes Musk himself ) has announced a handful of brain implants over recent years. In January, Neuralink said it had 21 trial participants worldwide.

The Boring Company

Musk also founded The Boring Company, a decade-old tunnel digging and underground transportation business.

The Boring Company is behind projects like the “Vegas Loop” — a network of underground, Tesla-hailing tunnels that first opened around around the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2021. It's promised to deliver a network of high speed transit — with plans to also make tunnels in Dubai and Nashville. Still, pushback has piled up along the way. The company has been accused of breaking multiple safety and environmental requirements in Las Vegas, where its full route is still unfinished, and other criticism from some local officials in Nashville.

Paypal and other previous endeavors

Musk made his initial fortune by creating two companies, Zip2 and PayPal ( once X.com ). Those then-startups were sold to new owners decades ago — but netted him about $200 million at sale, which Musk used to later start SpaceX and invest in Tesla.

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It took more than two years after her father’s murder and months after her mother’s deportation for Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office detectives to uncover what the girl had experienced and witnessed, records show.

With the support of MDSO detectives, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, and the Kristi House Children’s Advocacy Center, the girl faced her fear of her abuser and eventually spoke up, records show.

On June 10, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge William Altfield issued a warrant for the search of the house and the arrest of Christian Heras, the girl’s second cousin, who also lived at the house.

MDSO detectives reported their investigations uncovered Heras, then 28 and 29, sexually abused the girl for months in 2024 before killing her concerned father and threatening to kill her mother.

Here is the timeline of the girl’s suffering and the MDSO detectives’ investigations as described by Altfield’s warrant:

On Dec. 16, 2024, Homestead Police Department officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel responded to a report of a fatal fall in a house’s backyard near Northwest 10th Avenue and 12th Street.

Homeowner Angelica Medina, Heras’s mother and the girl’s great aunt, told police that the girl’s father had a drinking problem, and he would get so drunk that he “would climb up” the ladder to “have sexual intercourse with trees” in the yard.

MDFR personnel declared the girl’s father dead, HPD asked MDSO to take over the case, and a homicide investigator reported the girl’s father had suffered a “compound skull fracture, which exposed his brain.”

The homicide investigator, who was wearing a body camera and taking pictures, also reported finding what appeared to be blood on a ladder and on a cement garden brick that “had several strands of hair.”

The girl’s mother told detectives that her husband had vanished overnight before Heras showed her the body covered with palm fronds, facing upward on the ground near a tree, under a ladder.

The girl’s mother said Heras then started “screaming profanities” at her dead husband, and later said dogs were “licking the blood on the cement brick” that a detective was looking for after seizing the ladder.

Heras told the detective that the girl’s mother had used the cement brick that was near her dead husband to set up a memorial in the backyard, but the girl’s mother told the detective that wasn’t true.

Detectives learned that before the murder, the girl’s father was concerned about Heras “always trying to be alone” with her, so he asked the girl’s mother to “not let” him be with the girl “without supervision.”

Detectives also learned from relatives that after the girl’s father confronted Heras and asked him to avoid getting “too close” to his 11-year-old daughter, Heras showed him “a handgun to scare him.”

On Jan. 28, 2025, the medical examiner’s office reported the victim was “bludgeoned to death, and that it appeared that the homicide scene was staged.”

On Feb. 5, 2025, the medical examiner’s office released a toxicology report showing the victim “did not have any alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of his death.”

During the MDSO homicide investigation, the girl’s mother moved out of the house in Homestead and traveled to Dallas, Texas, with her kids to live with her husband’s family.

On Feb. 14, 2025, a detective who traveled to Dallas and interviewed the girl reported she “exhibited signs of possible sexual abuse” and recommended a specialized forensic interview.

On March 10, 2025, the medical examiner’s office reported that the girl’s father’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and determined that the manner of death was a homicide.

On May 26, 2025, the girl’s mother was detained in Dallas, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported her to Mexico.

On June 6, 2025, the girl was the subject of a “video-recorded forensic interview” at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center and said she had told her mother that Heras confessed to killing her father, and gifted her a cell phone that her mother then threw away.

The girl did not disclose the sexual abuse until 2026.

On Feb. 13, the girl’s relatives reported that she said Heras had molested her in Homestead, so a detective decided she needed to undergo a second forensic interview.

On May 13, the girl’s aunt told a detective, who was trying to schedule the second forensic interview, that on Jan. 22, the girl told her that she had been the victim of a sexual battery in Homestead.

On May 21, a detective with the special victims bureau and a homicide detective were with the girl when she participated in a “video-recorded forensic interview” at the Kristi House Children’s Advocacy Center in Miami-Dade County.

The girl described how Heras “didn’t care” if she was in pain when he sexually battered her more than five times, and she did not report his abuse or that she had seen her father dead after Heras killed him and covered it up, “because she was scared and did not trust anyone” — until then.

THE ARREST IN HOMESTEAD

On Thursday morning, MDSO deputies were searching the house in Homestead when they found Heras at a window “trying to flee,” and he “tensed his body” while they handcuffed him, according to the arrest report.

At 8 a.m., on Thursday, detectives arrested Heras at the office of the MDSO special victims’ bureau, at 1701 NW 87th Ave., according to the arrest report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Heras at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remained without bond on Friday afternoon, according to county inmate records.

Heras faced charges of first-degree murder, five counts of sexual battery on a minor by an adult, and resisting arrest without violence, according to court records.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Marcus Bach was set to preside over the case.

This report doesn’t identify the girl’s parents to protect her identity.

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

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According to Fort Lauderdale police, officers were called at approximately 2:42 p.m. to a business near the 800 block of Northwest 10th Terrace after receiving a report of a man who entered a restricted area and began “acting erratically.”

Patrol officers, a K-9 unit, and members of Broward Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit searched the surrounding area but were temporarily unable to locate the man. Investigators later determined he was inside the business alone.

Police said the suspect, who has only been identified as a male at this time, was not authorized to be inside the building.

Authorities said police, SWAT officers and crisis negotiators responded to the scene and attempted to communicate with the individual.

Shortly afterward, police announced that the suspect “surrendered peacefully” and was taken into custody. No injuries have been reported at this time.

Police have not released any information about why the suspect barricaded himself inside the business, and his charges have not yet been announced.

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Leonel Alejandro Laferte was arrested Thursday following a traffic homicide investigation into the crash that Hialeah police say occurred around 4:11 a.m. near Southeast Fourth Avenue and East Okeechobee Road.

According to the report, Laferte went to Hialeah Police Department headquarters on June 11 and told investigators he was driving the 2022 Kia Stinger involved in the deadly crash.

The report states that 37-year-old Kenneth William Wimbley Jr. was riding a bicycle northbound and attempting to cross East Okeechobee Road when he entered the center lane and was struck by Laferte.

Police said Wimbley suffered critical injuries and was taken to Hialeah Hospital before being transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he died.

Kenneth Wimbler Sr., the victim’s father, told Local 10’s Rosh Lowe on Friday that his son was delivering for Uber Eats on his way to another job when he was fatally struck.

“It’s like I lost my best friend,” he said. “Just imagine how my family is crying, especially his mother.”

According to the report, Laferte, of Hialeah, admitted during a post-Miranda interview that he was involved in the crash. Police also cited scene evidence and surveillance video obtained during the investigation.

The report states Laferte “failed to immediately stop, remain at the scene or provide aid as required by Florida law.”

Instead, investigators said he left the area and did not report the crash until he later appeared at police headquarters.

Police also learned Laferte’s driver’s license was suspended at the time of the crash.

Kenneth Wimbley is now “giving the justice system a chance” to make things right.

“I’m still in shock and I don’t know when I’m gonna get over it. He left my son out there like a piece of meat, like a dead carcass,” he said. “You just left him out there. You didn’t even call to say something.”

Jail records show Laferte is facing one count each of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and driving while his license is suspended.

As of Friday, he was being held on a $50,000 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Are Spurs fans worried? Maybe.

Do Spurs fans still believe? Absolutely.

Among the team's slogans is the phrase “Por Vida.” Translated, it means “For Life.” Generations of fans in San Antonio have held those words dear through the eras led by George Gervin to David Robinson to Tim Duncan to, now, Victor Wembanyama. And even now, with the Knicks on the brink of winning this championship, the words ring true among Spurs fans.

“With absolute certainty, always,” Joe Michael Benavides, the boys basketball coach at Hebbronville High School — some 150 miles from San Antonio — said when asked if he was still a Spurs fan.

Make no mistake, there are many like Benavides. Frost Bank Center will be electric when the Spurs take the floor on Saturday night, with the stands filled by those who wore San Antonio silver and black to the game.

Thing is, there will be a copious amount of New York blue and orange in there as well.

There are some fans who sold their tickets on secondary markets for Game 5. It's unclear how many, but with prices topping $1,500 apiece in the highest rows and reaching $5,000 or more in the lower level — big money for sure, yet a sliver of what Knicks fans paid for Games 3 and 4 — it's easy to see why some ticketholders are making business decisions instead of basketball ones.

“Of course I’m upset with Spurs fans selling their tickets, but if they can’t afford ‘em, nothing can be done,” said Rick Vela, known to Spurs fans as the “Masked Bandido Of San Antonio.” “Just sad these Knicks fans have to buy ’em, but their arena is way worse with those ticket prices.”

Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox understands.

“People are making money,” Fox said. “It’s the economy we live in. It’s the world we live in. Am I upset about it? No. Do I understand it? Sure. I don’t think that changes what happens on the court.”

It is not a frontrunning fan base in San Antonio. The city celebrated five NBA championships and had a record-setting run of 22 straight postseason appearances under Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich, but Spurs fans also suffered for decades.

There was the heartbreak of blowing a 3-1 lead to the then-Washington Bullets in the 1979 Eastern Conference finals. Mention Derek Fisher's game-winning jumper with 0.4 seconds in Game 5 that helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2004 NBA Western Conference semifinals at your own peril in this city; it'll go over as well as saying, “I dislike cowboy hats.” And the pain of Wednesday night has not subsided either, after the Spurs blew a 29-point lead in losing 107-106 to the Knicks in Game 4.

The Spurs are the only major pro team in town. There's no Yankees, no Mets, no Nets, no Rangers, no Islanders, no Devils, no Liberty, no NYCFC, no Red Bulls here. The Spurs are San Antonio's everything.

“They're still there for us," said Rene Gonzalez, still proudly flying a Spurs car flag on his truck. “They still bring this community together.”

Those who think trailing 3-1 in the NBA Finals is going to darken the spirits of Spurs fans might get a two-word answer in San Antonio.

¿Estas loco?

You're crazy.

“All year these boys have proven everyone wrong,” said Raylyn Boyson, a member of the Spurs superfan group, The Jackals, a group born from an idea by Wembanyama to have San Antonio fans mimic what happens at games in his native Europe. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t keep believing. If anyone is going to defy all odds, it’s this group.”

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

Mississippi Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, ranking member of the House Committee of Homeland Security, said he and other legislators met with Puerto Rico mayors as part of a two-day trip to the U.S. territory and heard their concerns including delays in reimbursements and project approvals.

“We’ll move some of those concerns into corrective actions,” he said at a news conference. “The system should work better.”

Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress, said the island’s mayors flagged their concerns after former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem implemented a policy that DHS expenditures over $100,000 be personally approved by that office.

The policy further delayed recovery efforts in Puerto Rico from hurricanes Maria and Fiona, and a series of strong quakes that struck in late 2019 and early 2020.

In April, new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin rescinded the rule, but challenges remain.

Thompson noted that about a third of the workforce of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency “has been done away with.”

He added: “Not a lot of people to answer the phones or look at the paperwork because they’re not there.”

Thompson said Mullin has promised that he’ll bring back employees, but it’s unclear when that might happen.

“FEMA’s role is to be here in a time of need when local resources have been overrun,” Thompson said. “Obviously, hurricanes that you’re dealing with over time have overrun local resources.”

Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico in September 2017 as a powerful Category 4 storm. It shredded the island’s power grid and caused an estimated $90 billion in damage. In the storm’s steamy aftermath, an estimated 2,982 people died.

Hurricane Fiona pummeled Puerto Rico in September 2022 as a Category 1 storm, lashing once more a power grid that hadn’t been rebuilt from Hurricane Maria.

Meanwhile, a series of earthquakes that shook southern Puerto Rico caused an estimated $3 billion in damage.

The island is trying to recover from the disasters, with some 30% of projects still pending.

So far, nearly $43 billion in federal funds have been allocated, nearly $40 billion obligated, and $12.7 billion disbursed, according to Puerto Rico’s Central Office for Recovery, Reconstruction and Resiliency. The office receives and awards federal grant funds.

Caguas Mayor William Miranda Torres said that a bottleneck of pending projects is driving up costs, which in turn causes more delays. He said there are many projects pending in his city.

In September 2025, a DHS report found that FEMA “did not ensure the timely rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s electrical grid” after Hurricane Maria and that FEMA officials “missed opportunities to provide more assistance to Puerto Rico."

Meanwhile, a February 2024 audit by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that Puerto Rico’s government had spent less than 10% of the more than $23 billion in available federal funds at the time.

Challenges included rising costs, a lack of workers, significant reductions in insurance coverage and interruptions in the global supply chain. Many of those issues persist.

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“I saw one crawling across the trail. There were children around,” Nitzany said.

The animal was a python.

Knowing the invasive snakes can harm native wildlife, Nitzany decided to capture it and call a park ranger.

“It had a bulge in its belly. The upper part of its body indicating it just killed something and I couldn’t have it on my conscious just to leave it there and just let it go,” he said.

Nitzany said he waited about 30 minutes for a ranger to arrive.

After turning over the python, he said the ranger handed him a $180 ticket for illegally handling wildlife inside the park.

“I regret asking for help,” Nitzany added. “If I would have done things over again, I would have thrown it in the bushes.”

While pythons are an invasive species, federal rules generally prohibit visitors from capturing or handling wildlife inside Everglades National Park without authorization.

The case quickly caught the attention of Ron Magill, an ambassador/conservation liaison at Zoo Miami.

Magill said he understands the importance of following rules inside national parks but believes this case called for discretion.

“At the end of the day for me it’s common sense. Unfortunately, it’s not too common anymore,” Magill said.

But before the case could go before a judge, it was dismissed.

“My goal now is to do whatever I can to change this law,” Magill added. “To make sure there is a caveat in this law so that people like Nitzany are not punished for doing the right thing in the environment.”

For Nitzany, the dismissal brings relief.

For Magill, it is just the beginning of a push to clarify the rules surrounding invasive species inside national parks.

“Vi una cruzando el sendero. Había niños cerca”, dijo Nitzany.

El animal era una pitón.

Sabiendo que estas serpientes invasoras pueden dañar la vida silvestre nativa, Nitzany decidió capturarla y llamar a un guardabosques del parque.

“Tenía una protuberancia en el abdomen. La parte superior de su cuerpo indicaba que acababa de matar algo y no podía cargar con la conciencia de dejarla allí y simplemente dejarla ir”, dijo.

Nitzany dijo que esperó aproximadamente 30 minutos para que llegara un guardabosques.

Después de entregar la pitón, dijo que el guardabosques le entregó una multa de $180 USD por manipular ilegalmente vida silvestre dentro del parque.

“Lamento haber pedido ayuda”, agregó Nitzany. “Si pudiera hacerlo de nuevo, la habría lanzado entre los arbustos”.

Aunque las pitones son una especie invasora, las normas federales generalmente prohíben a los visitantes capturar o manipular vida silvestre dentro del Parque Nacional Everglades sin autorización.

El caso rápidamente llamó la atención de Ron Magill, embajador y enlace de conservación de Zoo Miami.

Magill dijo que entiende la importancia de seguir las reglas dentro de los parques nacionales, pero cree que este caso requería discreción.

“Al final del día, para mí es sentido común. Desafortunadamente, ya no es tan común”, dijo Magill.

Pero antes de que el caso pudiera llegar ante un juez, fue desestimado.

“Mi objetivo ahora es hacer todo lo posible para cambiar esta ley”, agregó Magill. “Asegurarme de que exista una excepción en esta ley para que personas como Nitzany no sean castigadas por hacer lo correcto para el medio ambiente”.

Para Nitzany, la desestimación del caso representa un alivio.

Para Magill, es solo el comienzo de un esfuerzo para aclarar las reglas relacionadas con las especies invasoras dentro de los parques nacionales.

A slow start and an early deficit turned into a rousing celebration once late substitute Cyle Larin scored in the 78th minute for a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday in Canada’s tournament debut on home soil.

Playing in the shadow of Toronto’s iconic CN Tower, and with hockey star Connor McDavid and actors Ryan Reynolds and Mike Myers in the stands, Larin converted Promise David’s pass a mere two minutes after entering the game.

“The crowd, I think, willed us into the game as (the players) could feel that energy in the second half tilting more and more,” said Marsch, who took particular delight upon learning Myers, who portrayed international man of mystery Austin Powers in the movies, was on among those on hand.

“Oh, sweet,” Marsch said.

It was an even better feeling for Larin, who normally starts but had to bide his time watching on the bench until late in the second half.

“It was amazing feeling, just to score a goal on home soil, where I’m from, and just to celebrate with the fans, amazing atmosphere,” said Larin, who plays for second-division English club Southampton and is from Toronto’s suburb of Brampton.

The goal was only the second in World Cup play scored by Canada after the team lost all three of its games at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and again four years ago at Qatar.

Injury fill-in Jovo Lukic headed in a corner kick in the 21st minute for Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is making its second World Cup appearance. The team previous played at the 2014 tournament in Brazil but failed to advance out of group play.

Starting in place of Edin Dzeko (shoulder) and Haris Tabakovic (undisclosed), Lukic was in an ideal position to cap a set piece with captain Sead Kolasinac flicking along a header off Ivan Basic’s corner kick. The goal was Lukic’s first in international play and coming in the 27-year-old attacker’s fourth international appearance.

Despite giving up the lead, the small Balkan nation of about 3 million people keeps coming up big on the international stage — including eliminating four-time champion Italy in the European playoffs.

Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez couldn’t help but feel relief in how his team persevered amid such a tough environment.

“This is huge pressure and it’s a huge compliment for my team to have not succumbed to that pressure and I’m very satisfied with that aspect of the game, too,” Barbarez said through a translator.

Though a large majority of the 43,000 fans filling the temporarily expanded Toronto Stadium along the shores of Lake Ontario were Canadians, a small but vibrant group of Bosnian fans in blue also stood out in the upper deck of the stands.

The Bosnians now head west, with games against Switzerland on June 18 in Los Angeles and Qatar on June 24 in Seattle.

Canada also heads west, to Vancouver, for its final two group games, against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.

Marsch’s challenge is to get his team off to a better start.

“I told them after the match that if we play like that second half the whole match, we win, right?” he said.

“We’ve got to find a way to have a bit more confidence and a bit self-belief,” he added. “The good part was is in a difficult moment we responded.”

Before Larin’s goal, Canada’s best scoring chance came in the 54th minute when captain Stephen Eustaquio fed the ball to Richie Laryea in front of a wide-open net. The ball deflected off Kolasinac’s foot and hit the crossbar.

Canada was playing without Alphonso Davies (hamstring), who scored the nation’s first World Cup goal four years ago in Qatar.

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

Cheng Li-wun told reporters during a trip to Washington that the Kuomintang Party she chairs shares common ground with President Donald Trump, who said after his May trip to Beijing that he was not “looking to have somebody go independent” or fight a war thousands of miles away.

“I think our basic stances are the same — that is peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and to avoid any unnecessary war,” Cheng said after a three-day visit to the nation's capital, where she met American lawmakers and scholars.

Cheng said she also met Trump administration representatives but would not offer more information.

The visit, as part of her two-week trip to the U.S. to promote her party's approach to the Taiwan Strait, has come at a time of rising uncertainty in U.S.-Taiwan relations. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has warned of a possible clash if the U.S. does not properly handle the issue of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing has vowed to seize by force if necessary to achieve what it considers reunification.

Congress has pledged to better arm Taiwan, giving preliminary approval to a $14 billion arms sales package. The Trump administration has yet to greenlight it.

Cheng, who met Xi in Beijing in April and whose party agrees that both sides of the strait belong to the same Chinese nation, has been promoting dialogue with Beijing. She said it is necessary for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

Beijing has cut off official contact with Taipei's government for the past decade, because Taiwan’s ruling party does not recognize the “One China” principle.

“To initiate the dialogue cross-strait with Xi Jinping doesn’t mean that we will give up the deterrence strength in Taiwan, and, of course, it doesn’t mean that we will compromise or give up our democracy and freedom,” Cheng said, dismissing accusations that she was doing Beijing's bidding.

Asked about her meeting with Xi, Cheng described the Chinese leader as “very gentle and very nice and very real” and said she believed Xi wanted to address the Taiwan issue “with peaceful means and avoid war.”

But the Taiwanese government has pointed out Beijing’s increasingly bellicose behavior in the Taiwan Strait, including regular military operations around Taiwan in the past several years.

While the U.S. recognizes Beijing's position that Taiwan is part of China, it opposes any use of force in altering the status quo. It also is obligated by a U. S. law to provide the island with sufficient hardware to deter any invasion. In December, the Trump administration approved an $11 billion arms sales package to Taiwan.

Trump has indicated that he may still speak with Taiwan President Lai Ching-te even after China has publicly urged him not to do so.

Washington has been disappointed that Taiwan’s opposition-controlled legislature last month passed a $25 billion special defense budget to fund major U.S. arms purchases, down from the original $40 billion proposed by Lai.

On Friday, Cheng said her party objected to the initial proposal because it couldn't write a “blank check” for a proposal lacking details but put forward an interim measure to prioritize purchases of U.S. weapons.

Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, met Cheng on Thursday and wrote on social media that Cheng's party needs to join with Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party to “finish the defense budget and support the Alaska LNG project.”

Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., met her Wednesday and said in a statement that the opposition party's “resistance to a robust defense budget raises concerns for me that the party is drifting closer" to the ruling Chinese party and “weakening deterrence.”

Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., who met Cheng on Wednesday, said in a statement that he is willing to engage with leaders from all parties and pledged his commitment to “supporting Taiwan's sovereignty and expanding the U.S.-Taiwan relations."

These changes are part of the administration’s push to remove undocumented workers from the nation’s banking system without explicitly mandating that banks do so. In order to get banks to participate, the administration has framed these actions as a crackdown on fraud and crime, not explicitly about immigration.

“The information in your purview can help stop a cartel financier, disrupt a money laundering network, uncover labor exploitation, or protect taxpayers from fraud,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in prepared remarks at a banking conference in Houston.

Bessent's remarks and the Treasury Department's new guidelines come from an executive order signed in May by Trump that requires banks to take a closer look at the citizenship of their customers as well as directs bank regulators and government departments to look for signs that people without legal status are opening accounts or obtaining loans or credit cards. But that executive order did not include an explicit mandate that banks collect citizenship information, which the industry for months lobbied against.

Banks have long been able to share information about their customers with other banks under the Patriot Act program when they suspect money laundering or fraud, part of the post-9/11 effort to combat terrorism and other crimes.

Friday’s actions widened that system on two fronts. Banks can now share such information with one another in real time and more freely, the Treasury Department said.

Secondly, the Trump Administration is giving banks a wider variety of reasons to share information, which now include flags historically tied to immigration status. One example is a customer having an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN), which are disproportionally used by undocumented immigrants when applying for work.

Bessent told bankers that the new guidance is simply part of what the banking system needs to do as part of their routine operations.

“The advisory does not ask banks to become immigration officers,” Bessent said. “It asks banks to do what they do best: know their customers, identify risk, recognize suspicious patterns, and report illicit activity when they see it.”

Bankers have been wary about sharing customer information with the federal government as part of immigration enforcement. Bankers never collected citizenship information on their customers, so any effort to do so would require a massive effort by banks and significant amounts of paperwork. There's also the fact that banks send millions of what are known as Suspicious Activity Reports to the federal bank regulators under the Bank Secrecy Act. Last week, the Treasury Department expanded the reasons why a bank might file a SAR to include potential undocumented workers.

“The administration is saying they don't want banks to be immigration officials, but they are trying to get as close to the line as possible,” said Nicholas Anthony, who focuses on bank regulation issues at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute.

At the time Trump signed the order, the White House framed the effort on the premise of combating fraud, but also it said undocumented workers introduce risk to the overall financial system by taking out loans that could potentially never be repaid because the borrowers could be deported. Since banks haven't historically collected citizenship data on their customers, it's hard to quantify how much of a risk undocumented workers are to banks. One study by the left-leaning Urban Institute estimated that between 5,000 and 6,000 mortgages were issued to customers with ITINs, which would be a tiny fraction of the millions of mortgages written each year.

Immigration advocates have previously said any order that would order banks to collect citizenship information would likely result in undocumented immigrants moving out of the financial system, increasing the number of “unbanked” individuals.

The White House has taken other measures to discourage undocumented workers from using the financial system. The Treasury last November announced that it would reclassify certain refundable tax credits as “federal public benefits,” which bars some immigrant taxpayers from receiving them, even if they file and pay taxes and would otherwise qualify.

It took more than two years, after her father’s murder and her mother’s deportation, for Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office detectives to uncover it, records show.

On June 10, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge William Altfield issued a warrant for the search of the house and the arrest of Christian Heras, the girl’s second cousin, who also lived at the house. Here is the timeline of the girl’s suffering and the MDSO homicide and special victims bureau detectives’ investigation as described by the arrest warrant: MDSO detectives believe Heras, then 28 and 29, sexually abused the girl for months before killing her father and threatening to kill her mother in 2024.Detectives learned that before the murder, the girl’s father was concerned about Heras “always trying to be alone” with her, so he asked the girl’s mother to “not let” him be with her “without supervision.”Detectives learned that after the girl’s father confronted Heras and asked him to avoid getting “too close” to his 11-year-old daughter, Heras showed him “a handgun to scare him.” On Dec. 16, 2024, Homestead Police Department officers and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel responded to a report of a fatal fall in a house’s backyard near Northwest 10th Avenue and 12th Street. MDFR personnel declared the girl’s father dead, HPD asked MDSO to take over the case, and a homicide investigator reported the girl’s father had suffered a “compound skull fracture, which exposed his brain.”The homicide investigator, who was wearing a body camera and taking pictures, found what appeared to be blood on a ladder and on a cement garden brick that “had several strands of hair on a corner.” The girl’s mother told detectives that when Heras showed her the body covered with palm fronds, facing upward on the ground, with a ladder on top, he started “screaming profanities” at her dead husband, and later said dogs were “licking the blood on the cement brick.” Heras and the owner of the house, Heras’s mother, Angelica Medina, told police and detectives that the girl’s father had a drinking problem, and Medina said he would get so drunk that he “would climb up” the ladder to “have sexual intercourse with trees.” On Jan. 28, 2025, the medical examiner’s office reported the victim was “bludgeoned to death, and that it appeared that the homicide scene was staged.” On Feb. 5, 2025, the medical examiner’s office released a toxicology report showing the victim “did not have any alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of his death.” During the MDSO homicide investigation, the girl’s mother moved out of the house in Homestead and traveled to Dallas, Texas, with her kids to live with her husband’s family.On Feb. 14, 2025, a detective who traveled to Dallas and interviewed the girl reported she “exhibited signs of possible sexual abuse” and recommended a specialized forensic interview.

On March 10, 2025, the medical examiner’s office reported that the girl’s father’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and determined that the manner of death was a homicide.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported the girl’s mother to Mexico after she was detained on May 26, 2025, in Dallas.

On June 6, 2025, the girl was the subject of a “video-recorded forensic interview” at the Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center and said she had told her mother that Heras confessed to killing her father, and gifted her a cell phone that her mother then threw away.

The girl did not disclose the sexual abuse until 2026.

On Feb. 13, the girl’s relatives reported that she said Heras had molested her in Homestead, so a MDSO detective decided she needed to undergo a second forensic interview.

On May 13, the girl’s aunt told a detective, who was trying to schedule the second forensic interview, that on Jan. 22, the girl told her that she had been the victim of a sexual battery in Homestead.

On May 21, a detective with the special victims bureau and a homicide detective were with the girl when she participated in a “video-recorded forensic interview” at the Kristi House Children’s Advocacy Center in Miami-Dade County.

The girl described how Heras “didn’t care” if she was in pain when he sexually battered her more than five times, and she did not report it “because she was scared and did not trust anyone.” On Thursday morning, MDSO deputies were searching the house in Homestead when they found Heras at a window “trying to flee,” and he “tensed his body” while they handcuffed him, according to the arrest report.At 8 a.m., on Thursday, detectives arrested Heras at the office of the MDSO special victims’ bureau, at 1701 NW 87th Ave., according to the arrest report. Miami-Dade corrections booked Heras at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remained without bond on Friday afternoon, according to county inmate records. Heras faced charges of first-degree murder, five counts of sexual battery on a minor by an adult, and resisting arrest without violence, according to court records. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Marcus Bach was set to preside over the case.

Game 1, Knicks led by four with 58 seconds to go. Game 2, Knicks won by one when Victor Wembanyama's game-winning try just misses. Game 3, Spurs won by four. Game 4, Knicks won by one again after OG Anunoby got a miracle tip-in.

There hasn't been a finals like this, with a margin of four points or less in the final minute of each of the first four games, since 1973. New York won that series. The Knicks haven't been champions since.

That could change Saturday. New York — leading the series 3-1 — can close out the Spurs in San Antonio when the finals resume with Game 5.

“You have to be present,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said Friday. “You can’t think about the outcome. It’s about the process, the next play, the next play, the next play."

The series could easily be tied right now, after San Antonio wasted a 29-point lead in Game 4 in what became the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history.

The Spurs led 81-52 in the third quarter on Wednesday night and got outscored 55-25 the rest of the way, missing 29 of their final 35 shots and losing on OG Anunoby's tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining. Taylor Swift was among the many who celebrated long after the final horn, and now the Spurs have to find a way to somehow regroup from absolute agony.

“There’s conviction in strength and confidence,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “That’s what it is. There’s no trick. There’s no avoiding what’s happened. There’s no avoiding all four games have been winnable games. There’s no avoiding we’re down 3-1. There’s not avoiding ways that we could be better. There’s nobody that’s going to be harder on ourselves and accountable to ourselves than the people in the locker room and each other.”

Entering Game 4, teams with leads of 29 or more points in a game were:

— 249-0 this season.

— 288-2 over the last 30 postseasons.

— 4,088-13 over the last 30 seasons, counting regular season and playoff games.

That means the Spurs — who have had double-digit leads in all four games — had about a 99.7% chance of winning Game 4, tying the series and coming home with all the momentum. They’re on the brink of elimination instead.

“We still have that belief that we have a chance to win,” said Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox, who has heard tons of criticism since Wednesday for his decision to try a layup instead of running down the clock when he had the ball and San Antonio leading by one in the final moments. “But we’re taking this one game at a time. We’re not looking at it as we need to win three games. We need to win tomorrow and then we give ourselves a chance to play another game.”

It will not be easy. When the Knicks have had a closeout opportunity this season, they've left no doubt.

New York is 3-0 in closeout games in these playoffs, winning them by the almost comical average of 39.3 points per game. The Knicks led by 61 points before winning 140-89 to close out Atlanta in Round 1, led by 44 points before winning 144-114 to close out Philadelphia in Round 2, then led by 45 points before winning 130-93 to close out Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.

All that happened on the road, too. And thousands of Knicks fans are expected in San Antonio on Saturday night, all ready to see New York end that long title drought.

“One possession at a time, one play at a time, one quarter at a time,” Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said. “You’re thinking about the now, how you can be better the next possession, how can you turn the page, positive or negative. Regardless of what’s going on, our mindset and approach has to stay the same. I think we’ve done a very good job of that. It’s something that has grown over the season. It’s really important, especially obviously now.”

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

Appointed in late 2017 to replace Sen. Al Franken after fellow Democrats demanded his resignation amid allegations of unwanted touching and kissing, Smith entered Washington during the height of the #MeToo movement. Democrats were pushing members from office and contrasting their approach with Republicans’ willingness to stand by Donald Trump through scandal and controversy.

Nearly a decade later, Smith says Democrats are focused on something simpler.

“Democrats want to win,” she said.

As the party aims to flip both chambers of Congress in the midterms, Smith and other Democrats have backed Maine U.S. Senate candidate Graham Platner despite a growing list of controversies, including a tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol, sexting with other women shortly after he married and allegations, which Platner denies, that he locked an ex-girlfriend in a room and forcefully twisted her arm. Platner cruised to victory in this week’s primary after Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign.

The support for Platner is about more than one candidate. It reflects a Democratic Party increasingly willing to overlook behavior it might once have deemed disqualifying, and instead judge candidates by whether they can energize voters and help the party regain power.

“Voters are looking for candidates that are speaking their language and talk about the things that matter to them,” said Smith. “That's the standard that we have to hit in order to win.”

Democrats grapple with the reality of a big tent

The support for Platner comes at a fraught moment for Democrats, who are in the minority in both chambers of Congress while Trump once again occupies the White House.

In the wake of their sweeping losses in 2024, many Democrats argued the party needed a bigger tent with fewer purity tests and more room for candidates and voters who don’t fit neatly within the party’s traditional coalition.

But expanding that tent has raised difficult questions about where Democrats should draw the line. In Virginia, Democrat Jay Jones won election as attorney general after reports surfaced during the campaign that he had texted a fellow delegate suggesting the then-House speaker should get “two bullets to the head.”

Some in the party also condemned Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed for appearing with progressive streamer Hasan Piker for a campaign event. Piker, a 34-year-old streamer with 3.1 million followers on Twitch and 1.8 million on YouTube, has made many controversial remarks, including that “America deserved 9/11.”

Platner’s candidacy has become one of the clearest examples. While some Democrats view his controversies as disqualifying, others argue that voters made their choice.

“He won the nomination. That was the decision of Maine voters. And I respect that decision,” said Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, who has endorsed Platner, agreed the decision lies with voters.

“It’s not up to the politicians to decide,” he said.

For some Democrats, the shift reflects lessons learned during the Trump era. Republicans stood by Trump through scandals, impeachments and criminal convictions, often without paying a lasting political price at the ballot box. Many Democrats now argue voters care more about whether a candidate speaks to their concerns than whether they meet traditional expectations for personal conduct.

“I think what the people of this country and the people of Maine are interested in is how we're going to have a government that represents all of us and addresses the many crises we face. Not the marriage problems of a campaign,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, an early Platner supporter.

The voters decide

Progressives who have long argued that Democrats spend too much time policing candidates and not enough time channeling voter frustration see Platner’s victory as evidence that the party’s base is hungry for something different.

Maine voter Elizabeth Massey, a Platner supporter from Penobscot, said she took the allegations seriously and remains troubled by parts of Platner’s past. But she said his willingness to apologize and the issues facing the country ultimately mattered more to her vote.

“So do I care more about texts that he sent or the war in Iran and what that’s doing to gas prices?” Massey said. “Pretty clearly the latter.”

Massey said Platner’s appeal is that he speaks directly to voters’ concerns, not that he is without flaws.

“He owns them. He has apologized for them,” she said of the allegations.

Other supporters argue that Republicans are holding Platner to standards they have not applied to Trump.

“The Republicans don’t have much moral high ground to stand on when they’re criticizing him for what he’s done when Trump is a convicted felon,” said Annette Babcock, who is from Platner’s hometown of Sullivan.

The willingness to embrace candidates with baggage comes as many Democrats remain deeply dissatisfied with their party.

Only about two-thirds of Democrats had a “somewhat” or “very” favorable view of their party in an April AP-NORC poll, a decline from 85% in September 2024. In a separate AP-NORC poll in August 2025, many Democrats described their political party as “weak” or “ineffective.”

But while Platner may fire up the base, questions linger about whether that will translate to general election wins. Platner now faces Republican Sen. Susan Collins, one of the GOP’s most durable incumbents and a politician with a long history of attracting independents and crossover Democratic voters.

“The test is never going to be who wins the primary,” said Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, who led the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm in 2022 and 2024. “It's going to be who wins the general election.”

Not everyone is on board

Many Democrats have not given full throated support of Platner’s candidacy.

Among them is New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, the chair of the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm, who has primarily focused on defeating Collins rather than embracing Platner. Gillibrand helped lead the push for Franken’s resignation, saying “enough is enough” and that she believed the women who accused him.

Other Democrats have been more openly skeptical. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman and New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer have spoken out against Platner, while some lawmakers have offered only qualified endorsements after his primary victory.

“Well, Maine supports him. So yes,” Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., responded when asked if he supports Platner.

Emily Cherniack, the executive director of New Politics, an organization that recruits military veterans and national service leaders to run for office, said she has been “stunned” by some Democrats’ willingness to downplay allegations of aggression and volatility against Platner.

“Democrats are saying, we think it’s actually more important to win the majority and protect democracy, regardless of what he did. That to me is what the message is,” Cherniack said.

“Just be honest and explicit about that choice.”

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Associated Press reporter Patrick Whittle in Maine contributed to this report.

Into Friday night, expect a few showers to develop in spots. Many will stay dry. Higher rain chances arrive for the weekend. It will be a typical rainy season pattern with a dry start to Saturday and Sunday, but showers and thunderstorms will develop in the afternoon. They will favor inland areas compared to the coast. Temperatures will be in the low 90s, just slightly higher than average.

Next week will have the hottest combination of heat and humidity so far this year and our first heat advisories are possible. The heat index could exceed 105° at times through much of the week.

The wounded man, identified as Benjamin Del Real, underwent surgery and is recovering from his injuries, his lawyer, Joseph Murphy, said in a press release.

Pam Menaker, communications partner at Clifford Law Offices, said Del Real is 25 and has been in the Army for three years. His rank is private first class. Menaker said via email that Del Real has been receiving therapy at an undisclosed location.

Maj. George Wasickanin, spokesperson for the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, said Del Real is stationed there and was undergoing training to become an enlisted member of the special forces at the time of the incident. “Our focus is on the continued support for Pfc. Del Real and taking care of his family,” he said.

Del Real was near the White House May 23 when he was seriously wounded during an exchange of gunfire when a man approached Secret Service officers at a security checkpoint near the White House and began shooting. The gunman, identified as Nasire Best, 21, was killed.

According to District of Columbia court records, Best was arrested in July 2025 after he attempted to enter a different White House checkpoint without authorization, didn’t heed officers’ commands to stop, “claimed he was Jesus Christ” and said he wanted to be arrested.

Washington television station NBC4 quoted several sources in reporting that Del Real was wounded by Secret Service officers. The Metropolitan Police Department and the Secret Service both declined commenting on that report.

At a briefing on public safety in Washington, D.C., this summer, interim Police Chief Jeffery Carroll said the ballistics were not back to determine who had shot the bystander. He said Del Real was visiting the city as a tourist at the time of the shooting.

Metropolitan Police Internal Affairs is investigating the shooting and will turn its findings over to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Murphy, a former Army officer, said in the press release that the law firm was investigating the circumstances as well “and gathering all available facts. We will continue to work with the appropriate authorities to determine exactly what occurred and to ensure a full and accurate understanding of the events that led to our client’s severe injuries.”

_____

AP reporter Konstantin Toropin contributed to this story.

Cooper was arrested Thursday night on multiple charges that he violated a protection order filed against him after his initial arrest stemming from a domestic dispute with his girlfriend last week.

Cooper is now facing new charges of harassment from repeated phone calls and violation of a protection order, according to court records.

The protection order was put in place for Cooper's girlfriend after two additional charges, including a felony charge of second-degree assault by strangulation, were added Wednesday from his June 4 arrest in Parker.

Aside from his legal troubles, Cooper could face a lengthy suspension from the league.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told The Associated Press on Friday, “We continue to monitor all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy.”

The Broncos also issued a statement to AP, saying, “We are disappointed to learn of Jonathon Cooper's arrest on Thursday and continue to review this matter.”

Cooper is accused of sending 20 messages and making two unanswered phone calls to his girlfriend Thursday before going to her apartment and knocking on her door, according to the arrest affidavit. He left when she called 911. Cooper told officers who went to his residence later Thursday that he had not been served with a protection order.

Cooper was ordered during an appearance in the 23rd Judicial District Court in Douglas County on Friday to abide by a stricter protection order that prohibits any contact with his girlfriend. Also, he must have court approval to travel out of state. He was released on a personal recognizance bond.

Cooper originally faced misdemeanor domestic violence charges and pleaded not guilty Monday in a Douglas County courtroom. Additional charges were announced in court Wednesday, including felony assault by strangulation and third-degree assault of knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury.

The new charges stemmed from a forensic nurse's examination of Cooper's girlfriend at a hospital during which the nurse wrote that the woman experienced an injury from being choked that led to a “substantial risk of death” or substantial risk of injury, including the possibility of a traumatic brain injury, according to court records.

Cooper, 28, was originally arrested June 4 by Parker police along with his girlfriend, and both were booked into jail early that next morning. Cooper was held on suspicion of criminal mischief with a domestic violence enhancer. His girlfriend was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence and petty criminal mischief.

The arrests followed an argument and physical confrontation between Cooper and his girlfriend over cell phones that were damaged in the scuffle after she accused him of infidelity, according to a police affidavit.

Last weekend, Cooper posted a Bible verse about anger on his Instagram account and wrote, “I apologize to my family and my friends and my community. ... And so many others.” He added, “I realize positing a bible (verse) after something very serious happens does not just mean everything is okay.” In another post, Cooper wrote, “I apologize. This situation is not who I am.”

A seventh-round draft pick out of Ohio State in 2021, Cooper is entering his sixth season with the Broncos. He’s had at least eight sacks in each of the last three seasons, including a career-best 10 1/2 sacks in 2024 when he signed a four-year contract extension worth up to $60 million.

Cooper has a motions hearings set for July 6 on his original arrest and July 14 on his latest arrest, in addition to a trial set to begin July 22, just before the Broncos report to training camp.

Cooper has been participating in the Broncos' offseason training program and on Thursday coach Sean Payton said he had a talk with Cooper about his arrest. "We’ll follow the league’s guidelines, and I’m sure a lot of that will be led by the local authorities’ guidelines. We’ll pay attention to all of it,” Payton said.

The Broncos hold their mandatory minicamp next week before their summer break.

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

“The league notified Stefon Diggs today that it concluded its investigation and there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of a personal conduct policy violation,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in statement to The Associated Press.

ESPN was first to report the league's finding.

Diggs was found not guilty last month of assaulting his personal chef. The charges stemmed from a Dec. 2 incident at his house in Massachusetts where Jamila Adams, a former live-in personal chef, testified that Diggs slapped and choked her during an argument. He had pleaded not guilty to a felony strangulation charge and a misdemeanor assault and battery charge. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before clearing Diggs of all charges.

Diggs spent last season with the New England Patriots, helping them reach the Super Bowl, where they lost to Seattle. He was released in March and remains unsigned.

Several NFL players, including Ben Roethlisberger, Jameis Winston and Ezekiel Elliott, have been suspended for violating the personal conduct policy despite not being arrested or charged with a crime.

Diggs led New England with 85 receptions and 1,013 yards receiving with four touchdowns in his only season with the team. He was the go-to option for Drake Maye, who finished runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the AP NFL MVP award.

Diggs, who turns 33 on Nov. 29, has played for three teams in the past three seasons. He began his career in Minnesota in 2015 and went from fifth-round pick to No. 1 receiver in five seasons with the Vikings.

He was traded to Buffalo for a first-round pick in 2020 and had an All-Pro season that year. Diggs spent four seasons with the Bills. He played for the Texans in 2024.

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

El sospechoso arrestado en el caso fue identificado por la policía de North Miami el viernes como James Mackenzie, de 53 años.

Según un informe de arresto obtenido por Local 10, los agentes respondieron alrededor de las 10:45 a.m. del jueves a la cuadra 500 de Northeast 132nd Terrace tras recibir un reporte de un apuñalamiento.

La policía dijo que encontró a Mackenzie con sangre en las manos en el patio trasero, cerca de una vivienda tipo eficiencia ubicada detrás de su casa.

Los investigadores realizaron una inspección de seguridad de la vivienda y encontraron a la víctima, quien, según dijeron, estaba “sufriendo múltiples heridas de arma blanca en el pecho”.

El informe indica que la víctima estaba sentada en un andador utilizado como silla de ruedas y tenía dificultades para respirar y hablar después de ser apuñalada.

La policía informó que paramédicos de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladaron a la víctima al Hospital HCA Florida Aventura para recibir tratamiento.

Posteriormente, personal del hospital informó a los investigadores que la víctima había sido apuñalada aproximadamente siete veces, y que al menos una de las heridas perforó su corazón, según el informe. La policía dijo que la víctima, cuya identidad aún no ha sido revelada, permanecía en estado crítico hasta la tarde del viernes.

Los investigadores dijeron que dentro de la vivienda encontraron grandes cantidades de sangre en un dormitorio donde fue localizada la víctima.

También confirmaron que dentro de la casa de Mackenzie hallaron una pequeña navaja plegable de bolsillo con lo que parecía ser sangre.

El informe señala que otros residentes escucharon una discusión entre Mackenzie y la víctima, pero no presenciaron el apuñalamiento.

Una cámara de vigilancia dentro de la vivienda captó el audio de la víctima diciendo: “Estoy sangrando por todas partes, por favor. Necesito ir al hospital”, según el informe.

La policía dijo que Mackenzie realizó varias declaraciones que fueron censuradas en la versión pública del informe antes de invocar su derecho a un abogado tras ser informado de sus derechos Miranda.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrenta un cargo de intento de asesinato en segundo grado.

Hasta la tarde del viernes, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde su fianza figuraba como “pendiente de establecer”.

Por el momento, el motivo del apuñalamiento sigue sin estar claro.

FIFA said Friday in a statement that the 32-year-old Partey won’t be able to travel from his team's base camp in Smithfield, Rhode Island, for Ghana's opening match with Panama in Toronto.

“His visa application has been refused by the Canadian government,” the governing body of world soccer said. “FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”

The Ghana soccer association did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in a statement that every person wanting to come to Canada is assessed individually “based on the facts available and the law that applies.”

"Canada is proud to be a host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is working to facilitate a successful event while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians," the IRCC said in the statement. “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws.”

Partey was traveling back to Ghana's base camp in Rhode Island after his visa denial. He will be able to play June 23 when Ghana plays England in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Ghana concludes group play June 27 against Croatia in Philadelphia.

Partey is scheduled to stand trial in November or later on allegations dating to his time with English club Arsenal from 2020-25. Partey, who now plays in Spain for Villarreal, has pleaded not guilty.

A second World Cup player, Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi, is awaiting trial on similar charges in Paris.

Ghana is making its fifth appearance in the last six World Cups.

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

Judge Lewis J. Liman said in a written decision that Lively can recover legal fees and costs related to her defense against a countersuit Baldoni brought against her after she sued him in December 2024.

In his written ruling Friday, Liman cited a California law designed to protect survivors of sexual harassment and discrimination from retaliatory lawsuits meant to intimidate and silence victims.

The judge said the law requires that the plaintiff must pay the defendant’s legal fees and costs if a defamation claim made in response to a lawsuit is dismissed, even if the facts of the case have not been developed through the gathering of evidence.

Liman said an exception would be if Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios LLC, could prove malice fueled Lively's claims, but that Baldoni and Wayfarer had produced no evidence to show that.

The judge rejected her claims to triple any damages and pursue punitive damages as well under the California law, saying that they did not fall within “carefully crafted federal procedural rules designed to protect the rights of the parties.”

Lively and Baldoni settled the bulk of their dispute last month just as a trial was about to start on Lively’s retaliation claims. She received no money from the deal but was permitted to pursue legal fees.

In their statements, both sides cast Liman's ruling as a victory.

Lively lawyers Michael Gottlieb and Esra Hudson said the award of legal fees “makes it clear that Ms. Lively brought her claims in good faith, that there was no evidence she acted with malice, and that she is the prevailing defendant.”

Bryan Freedman, Baldoni's lawyer, said Lively failed to get her demands for $300 million in fees and damages, with 10 or her 13 claims tossed out by the judge before the settlement was reached, and then “pivoted to exploit a California law” to get damages.

“Once again, she failed,” he said, noting that she was entitled now to limited attorney fees for a single claim in a portion of the litigation that existed for only a few months.

The lawyer said his clients were “threatened by one of the most famous movie stars, who tried to rip away their life’s work and pristine reputations.”

“Throughout this process, innocent people had their reputations unfairly tarnished. There was no sexual harassment. There was no retaliation. There was no smear campaign. The court recognized it, the record reflects it, and we have maintained it from the very beginning,” Freedman said.

Lively accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and retaliation, along with his production company, in late 2024. She said the actor engineered an effort to damage her public reputation and credibility.

Baldoni, who directed the dark romantic drama and starred in it with Lively, denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. He claimed the complaints about his behavior were made up by Lively as part of an effort to seize creative control of the movie. He countersued, accusing Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, of defamation and extortion.

Liman threw out Baldoni's countersuit last year and then dismissed Lively's sexual harassment claims weeks ago, saying she could not bring them because she was an independent contractor rather than an employee on the movie set.

“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel about a relationship devolving into domestic violence, was released in August 2024 and exceeded box office expectations.

Lively appeared in the 2005 film “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and the TV series “Gossip Girl” from 2007 to 2012 before starring in films including “The Town” and “The Shallows.”

Baldoni starred in the TV comedy “Jane the Virgin,” directed the 2019 film “Five Feet Apart” and wrote “Man Enough,” a book challenging traditional notions of masculinity.

But some of the key objectives Trump laid out for the conflict seem to remain unfulfilled. And while the Trump administration has said its objectives are clear and unchanging, the list has expanded and shifted as the president and his administration have spoken about the war since it started Feb. 28. All the while, the conflict has battered the global economy, tested alliances and raised unanswered questions about the planning for the conflict, its justification and its aftermath.

By most accounts, the strikes by the U.S. and Israel have significantly degraded Iran's military capabilities and killed scores of senior leaders. But those tactical successes don’t necessarily translate into achieving all the president’s strategic aims, even as the administration said Friday that it was meeting the goals it had laid out.

Here’s a look at the objectives laid out by Trump at various points since the outset of the war and what we know about where they stand:

1. Destroy Iran's ability to fire missiles

One of the prime objectives laid out by the administration was to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground."

Trump said in late March that Iran's missiles “are mostly decimated" and that 90% of their missiles and launchers were knocked out.

By mid-May, that shifted to a more conservative estimate, with the president saying that 82% of Iran's missiles were gone.

Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, told lawmakers in mid-May that Iran maintains a “very moderate if not small capability to continue strikes” in the region.

Iran proved as recently as this week that it still had the ability to launch missiles when it attacked three Gulf allies of the U.S.

2. Destroy Iran's defense industrial base

Early in the war, the president and his administration sometimes listed this as a standalone objective. Other times, it has fallen off their list.

U.S. Central Command has said its targets for strikes in Iran have included weapons production and missile and drone manufacturing facilities.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in early June that Iran has had “massive destruction” of its defense industrial base and “80 to 90% of attrition. It will take years for them to rebuild it.”

Trump told NBC’s “Meet the Press” in an interview that aired Sunday: “Most of the drone factories have been knocked out, most of the launching pads have been knocked out and most of the missile manufacturing areas have been knocked out. But they still have capacity.”

3. Eliminate Iran's navy and air force

The U.S. and Israel quickly established air superiority in the skies above Iran, where they flew largely unchallenged.

Rubio told lawmakers that Iran still has drone capabilities, but it lacks the ability to use swarms of drones to attack targets, as it did at the start of the war.

He also said Iran does not have a navy but small crafts outfitted with machine guns that harass ships and sometimes drop mines in the water.

Iran has shown its ability to still launch attacks in the region, such as a deadly June 3 attack of drones and missiles at Kuwait that led to the brief closure of its main airport. The U.S. and Bahrain also said they intercepted missiles and drones fired at the Gulf kingdom by Iran.

And on Tuesday, Trump blamed Tehran for the downing of a U.S. Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz after it collided with an Iranian drone.

4. Obliterate Iran's nuclear program for good

Trump made a marked shift over the last year after declaring that the U.S. had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program in June, only for his aides to warn that Iran was just weeks away from a bomb to justify the current operations.

One of the most pressing questions is what will be done with about 970 pounds of enriched uranium that Tehran has that could potentially be used for a weapon. The material is believed to be buried under three nuclear sites bombed by the U.S. and Israel last year. Trump said in a May 29 social media post that it will be retrieved by the U.S. “in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and DESTROYED.”

Iran has not said whether it would consent. Without permission from Iran, seizing it would be a dangerous mission, experts say, and would require a sizable deployment of U.S. troops into the country.

Trump told reporters on Thursday that there was an agreement “conceptually” on the uranium, but he did not offer details and Iran has not yet confirmed it.

A senior administration official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity on Friday to provide an update on negotiations, said that Iran has agreed that the uranium will be destroyed and removed, but details of what that looks like have not yet been hammered out.

5. Protect America's Middle Eastern allies

Trump, in a March social media post, added a fifth objective for the U.S: “Protecting, at the highest level, our Middle Eastern Allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and others."

The U.S. maintains thousands of troops on bases and other installations in the region, but Trump has been unclear on how far he'd be willing to go to protect Middle East allies from threats.

As Trump said the U.S. was nearing a deal with Iran in recent weeks, he's said that any agreement should somehow bind many of the Gulf allies to join the Abraham Accords, agreements from Trump’s first term that seek to normalize relations with Israel. But that seems exceedingly unlikely as Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip have created a bigger distance from Gulf Arab states and the wider Muslim world.

As the U.S. and Iran traded back-and-forth strikes this week, Tehran’s targets included attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, prompting the U.S. to respond with a fresh round of strikes.

The Trump administration has begun exploring whether to let Gulf allies use Iran's frozen assets to pay for damages sustained in the war, but officials have not said whether they are moving forward with that plan.

The senior administration official said Friday that the memorandum of understanding would guarantee a long-term peace in the region, but did not offer details on what that would look like or how it would be achieved.

6. Reopen the Strait of Hormuz

Keeping shipping traffic flowing through the vital waterway was not one of the reasons for launching the war, but after Iran leveraged its ability to effectively shut traffic through the strait, it has become a key problem to tackle in the conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz is a chokepoint for 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas and its effective closure since the war has spiked global energy prices, along with the costs of other goods. Iran had allowed ships seen as friendly to pass through, while charging considerable fees.

Trump has said that a proposed deal with Iran would include the reopening of the strait and the U.S. ending its blockade of Tehran's ports.

7. Cut off

support for Iranian proxy groups

In March, Trump and his administration repeatedly included degrading Iran's proxy terror networks as a key goal of the operation.

As time has gone on, administration officials have offered fewer updates about this objective, which the president described as ensuring that “the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces” and “ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”

The U.S., early on, struck Iranian-aligned militia groups in Iraq. But the biggest question has been Israel's deepening war in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which Iran backs. Iran has insisted that the fighting in Lebanon must be stopped as part of any deal with the U.S., but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing his goal of destroying the militant group.

Israel said Thursday that it was not a party to the agreement that the U.S. had reached with Iran.

The administration official said Friday that the U.S. was confident that broad regional peace terms in the memorandum of understanding would include both Hezbollah and Israel. If the Iranians hold up their end as it pertains to constraining Hezbollah, the Israelis would not feel a need to respond, the official said.

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Associated Press writer Konstantin Toropin contributed to this report.

Según Jessica Montes, portavoz de Davie Fire Rescue, los bomberos respondieron a la cuadra 3900 de Southwest 84th Terrace alrededor de las 5:18 a.m. tras recibir un reporte sobre una rotura de una tubería principal de agua.

“Al llegar, se informó a los bomberos que había un caimán en el agua”, dijo Montes en un correo electrónico enviado a Local 10 News.

Según Montes, el caimán intentó huir hacia un patio cercano, pero los bomberos y la policía de Davie trabajaron juntos para capturarlo antes de que pudiera escapar.

“La Policía de Davie utilizó un lazo de captura para asegurar al caimán, mientras que los bomberos ayudaron cubriéndole los ojos con una toalla y colaboraron para sujetarlo hasta que la Comisión de Conservación de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida llegó al lugar”, dijo Montes.

Montes confirmó que el caimán fue entregado a la FWC y que no se reportaron lesiones ni entre los socorristas ni en el caimán.

"Son tiempos en que hay que cambiar y el país no puede seguir funcionando igual... Cada oportunidad en medio de una crisis hay que aprovecharla como un momento de despegue, como un momento de crecimiento. Entonces nosotros hemos establecido un grupo de prioridades para enfrentar toda esta situación”, dijo Díaz-Canel según una nota de la presidencia replicada por plataformas gubernamentales.

Estados Unidos impuso en enero un cerco petrolero a Cuba para presionar un cambio de modelo político que agravó la crisis que la isla padece desde hace un lustro, caracterizada por largos apagones y desabastecimiento de bienes básicos.

Esto impactó dramáticamente en la vida cotidiana de población y obligó a recortar las jornadas laborales y limitar el transporte.

El mandatario dijo que se evalúa “un grupo de medidas orientadas al comercio exterior, a las exportaciones, a las cadenas de valor y logística”.

Sin dar detalles de los plazos de su implementación, Díaz-Canel indicó que se eliminará la intermediación estatal –hasta ahora obligatoria— en la importación y exportación, al tiempo que se darían beneficios arancelarios a quienes traigan al país materias primas para procesos productivos.

Además, se aprobarán más pequeñas y medianas empresas –que hasta esta década no tenían autorización— con amplios objetos sociales al tiempo que se quitarán limitaciones en las actividades permitidas para los particulares, aunque no especificó cuáles.

También se reorganizará la administración estatal, recordó el mandatario. Una ley impulsada en el Parlamento busca reducir de 27 a 21 los ministerios. También los municipios tendrán autonomía para trazar y ejecutar planes económicos —importar, exportar y autorizar negocios— y las empresas estatales van a diseñar su propio sistema de salarios.

La semana pasada durante una entrevista difundida por la televisión estatal Díaz-Canel había advertido sobre la posibilidad de entregar a cubanos la gestión de hoteles luego de que Estados Unidos amenazara con bloquear en su sistema financiero a las cadenas turísticas internacionales que operen con el conglomerado cubano militar GAESA.

Las firmas españolas Meliá e Iberostar y otras abandonaron decenas de contratos con hoteles a comienzos de este mes debido a esa medida estadounidense.

Las reformas forman parte de un programa económico que se presentará al Parlamento, dijo el mandatario.

“Las cuentas no cuadran y el gobierno quiere hacer ver que no es un problema de matemáticas sino de voluntad", aseguró el economista cubano residente en España, Pedro Montreal, en su cuenta de X.

"Que al gobierno no se le ocurra otra cosa que lo de quitar trabas y la contradicción centralización- descentralización o lo del municipio y la empresa estatal como piezas claves del engranaje-país, dice mucho de la fatiga intelectual del equipo económico del gobierno", agregó el experto.

Durante décadas, Cuba se caracterizó por un sistema centralizado y vertical con fuerte control estatal. La apertura comenzó paulatinamente en la década pasada con los permisos para que los ciudadanos pudieran trabajar de manera independiente del Estado y recién en esta se permitieron las primera empresas —pequeñas y medianas— privadas.

Trump y su secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, han acusado al gobierno de la isla de ser ineficiente y exigieron cambios económicos y políticos, incluso no descartaron “tomar” a la isla y avanzar en una intervención militar.

Pese a la tensión bilateral ambos gobiernos reconocieron que sostienen un diálogo, cuyo alcance se desconoce.

————-

Siga a Andrea Rodríguez en X: https://x.com/ARodriguezAP

Results are expected sometime next week, the secretary of state’s office said.

Maine and Alaska use ranked choice voting for some statewide elections. Voters in ranked choice elections are allowed to rank the candidates on their ballot in order of preference.

Under that scenario, if no candidate breaks 50% of the popular vote, the bottom finisher is eliminated, and voters’ second choices come into play. The tabulations continue until a candidate achieves a majority of the total votes.

No candidates exceeded 50% in Tuesday’s Republican and Democratic primaries for governor or the Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District. The Maine Secretary of State Department said Friday that the counting the ballots would begin that afternoon and would be open to the public and available on the secretary of state’s YouTube page.

A busy governor's race

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, who has served since 2018, is termed out of office, and that created a wide-open field for both parties. Democrats had five candidates actively campaigning in the June 9 primary and the Republicans had seven. The Democratic race was especially close, with the top four candidates within a few percentage points of each other.

Democrats chose between Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows; former Maine Senate President Troy Jackson; former state House Speaker Hannah Pingree; energy executive Angus King III; and former director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention Nirav Shah.

Bellows, whose office is running the ranked counting, “has stepped aside from this part of the process and has delegated to her staff,” said Jana Spaulding, the deputy secretary of the office.

Republicans chose between former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Bobby Charles; healthcare executive Jonathan Bush; former Senate Majority Leader Garrett Mason; former Paris, Maine, selectman Robert Wessels; and businessmen Owen McCarthy, David Jones and Ben Midgley.

Mills ran in the primary for U.S. Senate in Maine this year, but suspended her campaign in April. That primary was won by oyster farmer Graham Platne r, who will run against longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

Key House race

In the 2nd Congressional District, former Secretary of State Matt Dunlap, state Sen. Joe Baldacci, former U.S. Senate candidate Jordan Wood and social worker Paige Loud were on the ballot for the Democrats.

The winner faces Republican former Gov. Paul LePage, an ally of President Donald Trump who was unopposed in the Republican primary. LePage served as governor from 2010 to 2018, during which time he fashioned himself as a vocal critic of liberalism and a staunch defender of Trump.

The 2nd District seat has no incumbent in the November election because Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who has held the seat since 2018, is stepping down.

The district has consistently voted for Trump but also elected Golden four times.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta rejected a legal advocacy group's request to block organizers from using the White House lawn as the venue for Sunday’s planned UFC mixed martial arts event.

Mehta concluded that the plaintiffs likely don’t have legal standing to challenge the event and have failed to prove that they would suffer irreparable harm by the event going forward as planned. The judge also cited the plaintiffs’ “unreasonable delay” in suing to challenge an event that’s been in the works for months.

“In the context of an emergency application — and coupled with the fact that the UFC fight date was long ago known — it is fair to say Plaintiffs unreasonably delayed bringing suit, undercutting their claims of irreparable harm,” Mehta wrote.

Attorneys from the nonprofit Public Integrity Project sued to challenge Trump’s “UFC Freedom 250” event on behalf of an activist and a Vietnam War veteran. The two plaintiffs also asked the court to block organizers from building anything for the event on White House grounds, including a 92-foot-tall, 600-ton steel structure called The Claw.

The plaintiffs’ alleged “aesthetic harms,” the judge noted, are temporary since The Claw will be disassembled starting Monday morning and staging equipment at the Lincoln Memorial must be removed before then. “The President’s musings about permanency of the Claw does not move the dial in the face of a White House official’s clear representation,” the judge wrote.

The White House called the lawsuit a baseless attempt to prevent Trump from hosting an event that’s no different from many others routinely hosted at public forums in the nation’s capital.

Trump's administration can’t issue permits for sporting events on the South Lawn or at the Lincoln Memorial, where UFC fighters planned to hold a press conference in front of fans on Friday, according to plaintiffs’ attorneys. They noted that the event is a privately organized, for-profit business venture, with VIP packages costing millions of dollars.

“The President’s administration is granting the UFC an extraordinary business opportunity it may not lawfully grant, and in exchange the UFC is throwing an event at which its leadership, fighters, advertisers, and various celebrities will all pay tribute to the President on his birthday,” plaintiffs’ attorneys wrote.

Public Integrity Project attorney Brendan Ballou said the plaintiffs were disappointed in the judge's decision but respect it and intend to "keep bringing cases to raise the cost of corruption in America.”

“This isn’t a case about a sporting event, it’s about corruption, as a handful of people and companies stand to profit from our public monuments," Ballou said in a statement.

The National Park Service and the Interior Department are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

In 2019, during his first term in office, Trump became the first sitting president to attend a UFC show. Trump, a Republican, is a friend of UFC president and CEO Dana White.

Mehta was nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Mehta has presided over other Trump-related cases, including civil litigation accusing Trump of inciting a mob of his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, a Democrat.

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The suspect, James Thompson, was arrested by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and later charged in connection with the June 6 attack, according to his arrest report.

The report states that the incident began just after 4:30 p.m. at a market on Homestead Avenue in southwest Miami-Dade, where Thompson and the victim got into an argument over a “monetary debt” stemming from a previous narcotics transaction.

Investigators said the victim, who has not been identified, walked away from the store, but Thompson followed him on foot and continued to harass him.

The report states Thompson, who resides in the county’s West Perrine area, then trailed the victim to a bus stop at Southwest 173rd Street and the South Dade TransitWay, where the confrontation escalated.

At the bus stop, Thompson repeatedly punched the victim in the face, causing him to fall from a bus bench, according to the report. Investigators said the victim became unconscious, and Thompson continued kicking him in the face and upper body.

The report states Thompson then searched through the victim’s backpack while he was unconscious, removed an unidentified item and fled the scene on foot.

Deputies said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue paramedics responded and transported the victim to Jackson South Medical Center. Despite life-saving efforts, they said the victim was pronounced dead at 5:57 p.m.

The report states that an autopsy conducted by the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the manner of death a homicide.

Investigators said Thompson was arrested on unrelated charges on June 6 and remains in custody at the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Pre-Trial Detention Center.

He was later transported to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau for questioning on Friday, where he made a confession that was redacted in his publicly released arrest report.

Jail records show Thompson is facing one count of second-degree murder and armed robbery with a weapon. He also faces illegal possession of a firearm as a post-convicted felon, possession of cannabis with intent to sell while illegally armed, resisting an officer without violence to his person and violation of house arrest in an unrelated case, records show.

He remains at the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Pre-Trial Detention Center, where bond was listed as “to be set” as of Friday afternoon.

El sospechoso, James Thompson, fue arrestado por la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO) y posteriormente acusado en relación con el ataque del 6 de junio, según su informe de arresto.

El informe indica que el incidente comenzó poco después de las 4:30 p.m. en un mercado ubicado en Homestead Avenue, en el suroeste de Miami-Dade, donde Thompson y la víctima discutieron por una “deuda monetaria” derivada de una transacción previa relacionada con narcóticos.

Los investigadores dijeron que la víctima, cuya identidad no ha sido revelada, se alejó del establecimiento, pero Thompson la siguió a pie y continuó acosándola.

El informe señala que Thompson, residente del área de West Perrine, siguió a la víctima hasta una parada de autobús ubicada en Southwest 173rd Street y South Dade TransitWay, donde la confrontación se intensificó.

En la parada de autobús, Thompson golpeó repetidamente a la víctima en el rostro, provocando que cayera de una banca de espera, según el informe. Los investigadores dijeron que la víctima perdió el conocimiento y que Thompson continuó pateándola en el rostro y la parte superior del cuerpo.

El informe indica que Thompson luego revisó la mochila de la víctima mientras estaba inconsciente, sacó un objeto no identificado y huyó del lugar a pie.

Los agentes dijeron que paramédicos de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue respondieron a la escena y trasladaron a la víctima al Jackson South Medical Center. A pesar de los esfuerzos para salvarle la vida, la víctima fue declarada muerta a las 5:57 p.m.

El informe señala que una autopsia realizada por la Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado Miami-Dade determinó que la causa de muerte fue un homicidio.

Los investigadores dijeron que Thompson fue arrestado el 6 de junio por cargos no relacionados con este caso y permanece bajo custodia en el Centro de Detención Preventiva de Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Posteriormente fue trasladado el viernes a la Oficina de Homicidios de la MDSO para ser interrogado, donde realizó una confesión que fue censurada en la versión pública del informe de arresto.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Thompson enfrenta un cargo de asesinato en segundo grado y otro de robo a mano armada con un arma. También enfrenta cargos por posesión ilegal de arma de fuego por parte de un delincuente convicto, posesión de cannabis con intención de venta mientras portaba un arma ilegalmente, resistencia a un agente sin violencia y violación de arresto domiciliario en un caso no relacionado, según los registros.

Permanece detenido en el Centro de Detención Preventiva de Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation, donde hasta la tarde del viernes la fianza figuraba como “pendiente de establecer”.

A judge earlier in the afternoon rejected a request to pause a court-ordered deadline of Friday to remove references to Trump from the building and other aspects of the Kennedy Center's operations. The institution appealed that ruling, an effort that was also rebuffed Friday evening.

Scaffolding was erected around a section of the building that includes Trump's name but the Kennedy Center sought a short extension to complete the work. Shortly after midnight, the Kennedy Center asked a judge to extend the deadline until noon Eastern Time on Saturday because of storms that had swept through the Washington area Friday, causing a delay. Some of the thunderstorms included lightning.

In the filing, the Kennedy Center offered assurance that the “removal work is presently ongoing” and would “conclude in the early hours of the morning.”

Dozens of people spent hours on the plaza in front of the Kennedy Center taking pictures and cheering occasionally as they broke into chants of “take it down.” Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio board member who sued to have Trump's name removed from the building, was spotted at one point on the plaza as well.

After ignoring the Kennedy Center for much of his first term, Trump has wielded tremendous influence over the venue during his return to office. Just a month into his second term, he ousted the center’s previous leadership and replaced it with a board of trustees that named him chairman. Trump's name was quickly added to the building.

In his ruling that only Congress could make changes to the Kennedy Center's name, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper also blocked the administration from closing the cultural and arts venue for major renovations that had been planned to start in July and last for two years.

The Kennedy Center's leadership argued in its appeal Friday that the renovation was badly needed and accused the lower court, in terms that seemed similar to Trump's speech patterns, of interfering in the effort.

“The District Court is not allowing us to close in order to properly fix up and repair the Building, including potentially life threatening structural damage like beams and parking garage ceilings that are rusted, and in serious danger of falling onto people below,” according to the appeal. “Indeed, total collapse!”

Even as the Kennedy Center has fought efforts to remove Trump's name from the building, it has taken steps to comply with Cooper's initial ruling.

A June 4 memo to staff from the Kennedy Center’s Office of General Counsel said email signatures, letterhead and other documents must reflect the name as “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts” or “Kennedy Center.”

The Kennedy Center’s website has dropped Trump's name. And an earlier email sent to members offering ticket packages for the June 28 Mark Twain Award for American Humor ceremony came from the Kennedy Center without including Trump’s name.

___

Associated Press journalists Anna Johnson, Mark Sherman and Emily Wang in Washington and Bill Barrow in Atlanta contributed to this report.

It's the latest action by the Trump administration connected to voting or election operations in the states, and it comes in a state that is expected to have hotly contested races this fall for governor and U.S. Senate.

Federal agents showed up at the Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative on Thursday and spent hours questioning staff, said Prentiss Haney, a board member of the grassroots organization. The organization was founded in 2007 and describes its mission as fighting for criminal justice reform, racial justice and an expansion of voting rights.

Federal agents also went to the homes of people who have worked with the organization, seeking interviews and information about alleged voter fraud, Haney said. He accused the agents of “intimidation tactics and harassment" and expressed concern that the investigation was designed to sow doubt in the coming elections.

The focus of the probe was unclear, but a person familiar with the matter said Friday that investigators were examining potential fraud violations. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The Justice Department declined to comment on Friday, and a spokesperson for the FBI in Cleveland did not respond to messages seeking comment.

To obtain a search warrant, federal authorities must convince a judge that probable cause of criminal activity exists. Though the information authorities presented was not immediately released, Democrats expressed skepticism about the basis of a search that unfolded against persistent concerns of a politicized FBI and Justice Department.

The party's nominees for the state's top races issued statements Friday saying they were troubled by the FBI raid.

“Any attempts by federal law enforcement to intimidate eligible Ohioans from registering to vote are unacceptable,” said Dr. Amy Acton, the state’s former public health director, who won the state’s Democratic primary for governor and is challenging Republican Vivek Ramaswamy.

Democrat Sherrod Brown, who is challenging Republican Sen. Jon Husted in the fall, called on the FBI to make public “any and all activities around these raids.”

He added, “Any attempt to intimidate Ohio voters is wrong, and will not work.”

Republicans have held the state's top elected seat for 20 years and hold both U.S. Senate seats but are concerned that Democratic momentum in this year's midterms could make them vulnerable.

The Justice Department during President Donald Trump's second term has launched several legal actions or investigations related to voting or state election operations.

The FBI has seized ballots and other records from the 2020 election for Georgia’s Fulton County and Arizona’s Maricopa County and from the 2024 election in Michigan’s Wayne County. It also has been questioning election workers in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee County. All four are in presidential battleground states.

The Justice Department has sued at least 30 states and the District of Columbia after they refused to hand over detailed voter data that includes dates of birth and partial Social Security numbers. It has said in court filings that it wants the information so it can run it through a Department of Homeland Security program that checks U.S. citizenship, although the program's accuracy has been questioned. The Justice Department has so far been on a losing streak in its lawsuits seeking to extract the data from the holdout states.

Early in his second term, Trump, a Republican, also ordered the Justice Department to investigate ActBlue, the top fundraising platform for the Democratic Party.

Allegations of fraud in voter registration efforts are typically investigated by states and usually involve people working for groups that pay for sign-ups. Earlier this year, California officials opened an investigation into whether signature-gatherers were offering to pay people for signing a ballot petition. In 2025, Pennsylvania officials brought criminal charges against seven people for submitting fraudulent voter registration forms.

___

Lauer reported from Philadelphia, and Richer reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker contributed from Washington.

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For Carrera, the moment was more than a celebration of survival. It marked the beginning of a mission.

“I would say that I ended up exactly where I needed to be, but it took cancer to get me here,” Carrera said.

Today, the Miami-Dade mother, wife and licensed optometrist is channeling her experience into helping others through 305 Pink Pack, a nonprofit organization that provides free support services and essential items to cancer patients and their families.

A Life-Changing Diagnosis

In 2018, Carrera received news that would change her life. At age 40, after her first screening mammogram, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.

The diagnosis came at a particularly emotional time. Carrera and her husband, Oscar, had recently welcomed their daughter.

“She was 8 months old at the time I was diagnosed,” Carrera recalled.

Like many patients facing a cancer diagnosis, Carrera’s thoughts immediately turned to her family’s future.

“I feel like it takes you automatically to the worst-case scenario,” she said. “And then you wonder, am I going to be here for kindergarten?”

Carrera ultimately chose to undergo a double mastectomy, a physically and emotionally demanding procedure. One of the most difficult aspects was knowing she would temporarily lose the ability to care for her infant daughter the way she always had.

“I had her on me because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to carry her for six weeks,” Carrera said. “I also knew that I would lose sensation in my chest, so I would never feel what she felt like at that moment. So I wanted to hold on to that as much as possible.”

Finding Strength in Community

Throughout her treatment, Carrera was surrounded by a strong support network of family and friends who helped her navigate appointments, surgeries and recovery.

“If you looked at that waiting room on surgery day, there must have been 30 people there — just for me, just for us,” she said.

That experience left a lasting impression.

Carrera realized not every cancer patient has a large support system. She wanted to create one for those facing treatment alone.

Creating 305 Pink Pack

In 2020, Carrera founded 305 Pink Pack, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping cancer patients focus on healing rather than the logistical and financial challenges that often accompany treatment.

The organization provides free assistance ranging from groceries and transportation to childcare support and self-care products. Patients also receive specially curated care packages filled with practical items designed to make treatment more manageable.

“Everyone receives a pack from 305 Pink Pack,” Carrera said. “But we’re also that pack that has your back.”

The organization’s flamingo mascot symbolizes resilience and community — values that have helped fuel its rapid growth.

Since its founding, 305 Pink Pack has served more than 500 families throughout South Florida.

Paying It Forward

Photos of cancer patients and families helped by the organization line the walls of Carrera’s office, serving as daily reminders of the impact a supportive community can have during difficult times.

For Carrera, helping others is about creating a cycle of support that extends far beyond a single diagnosis.

“We’re here to help,” she said, “and you’ll be able to help the next person going through it, too.”

As demand for services continues to grow, 305 Pink Pack is looking ahead to new initiatives, including an expanded men’s program and the launch of a 954 Pink Pack to serve additional South Florida communities.

The nonprofit recently announced a bilingual survivor summit, which sold out ahead of the event.

For Carrera, each new milestone reinforces the lesson she learned during her own cancer journey: no one should have to face cancer alone.

To learn more about receiving assistance, volunteering or making a donation, visit 305pinkpack.org.

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• To volunteer or submit a story idea: If you’d like to volunteer for a Good News South Florida project or would like to submit a story for consideration, email goodnews@local10.com.

Good News South Florida airs Fridays on the Local 10 morning news at 10 a.m. It will encore Fridays at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday mornings, beginning at 6 a.m.

Moisture levels will continue to increase on Saturday and Sunday, leading to an increase in rain chances with slightly higher coverage of afternoon and evening storms across South Florida. Rain chances over the weekend are around 50 percent, mainly during the afternoon hours. Temperatures will remain hot, with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s and heat index values reaching 100 to 105 degrees. Nights will stay warm and humid, with lows mainly in the mid-to-upper 70s.

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According to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred Saturday night in the area of Northwest 103^rd Street and 27^th Avenue.

Deputies said Osmany Castillo, 48, was making a left turn on Northwest 103^rd Street when he struck a motorcyclist, vaulting the victim in the air.

According to the report, Castillo continued driving north on 27^th Avenue, dragging the victim’s 2025 Yamaha YZF-R3 motorcycle under his vehicle before it eventually dislodged.

Deputies said Castillo never stopped to render aid to the victim and didn’t report the crash to law enforcement.

A witness, however, followed Castillo’s 2011 Toyota Tundra and was able to obtain its tag number, authorities said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials responded to the scene and transported the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where he was listed in critical condition.

According to the report, Castillo provided a “full confession” to detectives, however his exact statement was redacted from the publicly released report.

His vehicle was impounded as evidence, detectives said.

Deputies did not confirm in the report whether Castillo was conducting a rideshare ride at the time of the crash.

Authorities said he surrendered to law enforcement Thursday and was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a charge of leaving the scene of a crash resulting in serious bodily injury.

As of Friday afternoon, Castillo remained at TGK on a $15,000 bond.

Según un informe de arresto de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO), el accidente ocurrió la noche del sábado en el área de Northwest 103rd Street y 27th Avenue.

Los agentes dijeron que Osmany Castillo, de 48 años, realizaba un giro a la izquierda en Northwest 103rd Street cuando impactó a un motociclista, lanzando a la víctima por el aire.

Según el informe, Castillo continuó conduciendo hacia el norte por la 27th Avenue, arrastrando debajo de su vehículo la motocicleta Yamaha YZF-R3 modelo 2025 de la víctima hasta que finalmente se desprendió.

Los agentes dijeron que Castillo nunca se detuvo para brindar ayuda a la víctima ni reportó el accidente a las autoridades.

Sin embargo, un testigo siguió la camioneta Toyota Tundra 2011 de Castillo y logró obtener el número de matrícula, indicaron las autoridades.

Funcionarios de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue respondieron a la escena y trasladaron a la víctima al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital, donde fue reportada en estado crítico.

Según el informe, Castillo proporcionó una “confesión completa” a los detectives, aunque su declaración exacta fue censurada en la versión pública del informe.

Los detectives dijeron que su vehículo fue confiscado como evidencia.

Los agentes no confirmaron en el informe si Castillo estaba realizando un viaje de transporte por aplicación en el momento del accidente.

Las autoridades dijeron que se entregó a las autoridades el jueves y fue ingresado en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight acusado de abandonar la escena de un accidente que causó lesiones corporales graves.

Hasta la tarde del viernes, Castillo permanecía en TGK con una fianza de $15,000 USD.

Para Carrera, ese momento fue más que una celebración de supervivencia. Marcó el inicio de una misión.

“Diría que terminé exactamente donde necesitaba estar, pero hizo falta el cáncer para traerme hasta aquí”, dijo Carrera.

Hoy, esta madre, esposa y optómetra licenciada de Miami-Dade está transformando su experiencia en ayuda para otros a través de 305 Pink Pack, una organización sin fines de lucro que ofrece servicios de apoyo gratuitos y artículos esenciales a pacientes con cáncer y sus familias.

Un diagnóstico que cambió su vida

En 2018, Carrera recibió una noticia que cambiaría su vida. A los 40 años, tras su primera mamografía de detección, fue diagnosticada con cáncer de mama en etapa 2.

El diagnóstico llegó en un momento especialmente emotivo. Carrera y su esposo, Oscar, acababan de dar la bienvenida a su hija.

“Tenía 8 meses cuando me diagnosticaron”, recordó Carrera.

Como ocurre con muchos pacientes que enfrentan un diagnóstico de cáncer, sus pensamientos se dirigieron de inmediato al futuro de su familia.

“Siento que automáticamente te lleva al peor escenario posible”, dijo. “Y entonces te preguntas: ¿voy a estar aquí para cuando entre al kínder?”

Carrera finalmente decidió someterse a una mastectomía doble, un procedimiento física y emocionalmente exigente. Uno de los aspectos más difíciles fue saber que temporalmente perdería la capacidad de cuidar a su hija bebé como siempre lo había hecho.

“La tenía sobre mí porque sabía que no podría cargarla durante seis semanas”, dijo Carrera. “También sabía que perdería sensibilidad en el pecho, así que nunca volvería a sentir cómo se sentía ella en ese momento. Quería aferrarme a eso todo lo posible”.

Encontrando fortaleza en la comunidad

Durante todo su tratamiento, Carrera estuvo rodeada por una sólida red de apoyo de familiares y amigos que la ayudaron a afrontar citas médicas, cirugías y la recuperación.

“Si hubieras visto esa sala de espera el día de la cirugía, habría unas 30 personas allí, solo por mí, solo por nosotros”, dijo.

Esa experiencia dejó una huella duradera.

Carrera se dio cuenta de que no todos los pacientes con cáncer cuentan con un gran sistema de apoyo. Quiso crear uno para quienes enfrentan el tratamiento en soledad.

Creación de 305 Pink Pack

En 2020, Carrera fundó 305 Pink Pack, una organización sin fines de lucro dedicada a ayudar a pacientes con cáncer para que puedan concentrarse en sanar en lugar de preocuparse por los desafíos logísticos y financieros que a menudo acompañan el tratamiento.

La organización brinda asistencia gratuita que incluye alimentos, transporte, apoyo para el cuidado infantil y productos de cuidado personal. Los pacientes también reciben paquetes especialmente preparados con artículos prácticos diseñados para hacer más llevadero el tratamiento.

“Todos reciben un paquete de 305 Pink Pack”, dijo Carrera. “Pero también somos ese grupo que siempre te respalda”.

La mascota de la organización, un flamenco, simboliza la resiliencia y la comunidad, valores que han impulsado su rápido crecimiento.

Desde su fundación, 305 Pink Pack ha ayudado a más de 500 familias en todo el sur de Florida.

Devolver la ayuda recibida

Fotografías de pacientes con cáncer y familias ayudadas por la organización cubren las paredes de la oficina de Carrera, sirviendo como recordatorios diarios del impacto que una comunidad solidaria puede tener durante momentos difíciles.

Para Carrera, ayudar a otros significa crear una cadena de apoyo que va mucho más allá de un solo diagnóstico.

“Estamos aquí para ayudar”, dijo, “y tú también podrás ayudar a la próxima persona que pase por esto”.

A medida que la demanda de servicios continúa creciendo, 305 Pink Pack trabaja en nuevas iniciativas, incluido un programa ampliado para hombres y el lanzamiento de 954 Pink Pack para atender a más comunidades del sur de Florida.

La organización sin fines de lucro anunció recientemente una cumbre bilingüe para sobrevivientes, cuyas entradas se agotaron antes del evento.

Para Carrera, cada nuevo logro reafirma la lección que aprendió durante su propia experiencia con el cáncer: nadie debería enfrentar el cáncer en soledad.

Para obtener más información sobre cómo recibir ayuda, ser voluntario o hacer una donación, visite 305pinkpack.org.

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