“A partir de hoy, Chile y Venezuela comienzan una nueva etapa, que nos va a permitir avanzar en tremendos desafíos que tenemos como países en un mismo continente, desafíos que hablan de seguridad, de migración y de desarrollo económico”, dijo en una declaración a la prensa el mandatario chileno, José Antonio Kast.

La reactivación de las relaciones consulares es el primer paso hacia la reanudación plena de los vínculos bilaterales entre las dos naciones, cuyos lazos menguaron por completo a partir de julio de 2024, cuando el entonces presidente chileno Gabriel Boric cuestionó la transparencia de las elecciones venezolanas que según el Consejo Nacional Electoral de ese país ganó Nicolás Maduro sobre el candidato opositor Edmundo González, algo que desconoció la oposición y varios países de la región.

“Quiero valorar la disposición del gobierno venezolano y saludar a la presidenta encargada, Delcy Rodríguez, por la disposición a avanzar en esta hoja de ruta conjunta”, agregó Kast.

Por su parte, el canciller chileno, Francisco Pérez Mackenna, enfatizó que la medida permitirá que “los 700.000 venezolanos que se encuentran en Chile podrán empezar a recibir la asistencia consular, lo mismo para los cerca de 25.000 chilenos" que viven en Venezuela. “Esta es una buena noticia para ambos países”.

Las actividades consulares en los dos países están suspendidas desde enero de 2025, cuando Venezuela determinó el cese de los servicios a raíz de la crisis diplomática. Desde entonces, los consulados se mantienen cerrados y sin atención al público.

Con el anuncio del jueves, Chile sigue los pasos de países como Perú y Estados Unidos que igualmente pusieron en marcha una hoja de ruta para retomar las relaciones con Venezuela.

En marzo Washington reabrió formalmente su embajada en Caracas tras el restablecimiento de relaciones diplomáticas plenas con el país sudamericano, después de que el gobierno de Donald Trump capturara a Maduro durante una operación militar y lo trasladara a Estados Unidos.

La semana pasada, Perú y Venezuela también informaron que han iniciado “un proceso progresivo de reanudación integral de las relaciones bilaterales” las cuales estaban rotas desde el 30 de julio de 2024.

De acuerdo con el último censo en Chile, divulgado en 2025, los venezolanos componen la mayor población internacional que vive en el país y representan el 41,6% de toda la población nacida en el extranjero.

En los últimos años, las tensiones entre los dos países han adentrado también la arena social, ya que el país sudamericano se volvió uno de los mayores países receptores de inmigración en América Latina. La población migrante saltó desde el 0,8% en 1992 al 8,8% en la actualidad.

El flujo migratorio descontrolado se convirtió en uno de los ejes de la carrera electoral por la presidencia de Kast, ya que muchos chilenos, incluso el gobierno, vinculan la llegada masiva de extranjeros con un aumento de la delincuencia.

Durante la campaña electoral Kast prometió implementar un gobierno de mano dura contra la violencia y la inmigración irregular y, tras asumir la presidencia el pasado marzo, reafirmó su compromiso con poner en marcha expulsiones masivas e impulsar un proyecto de ley para convertir la situación migratoria irregular en un delito.

Estimaciones oficiales calculan que alrededor de 336.000 personas, en su mayoría venezolanos, se encuentran viviendo en Chile sin los papeles necesarios.

The death was in Palm Beach County. There have been 12 more infections statewide so far this year, including two more in Palm Beach and two in Miami-Dade County, according to the FDOH’s data.

The other eight cases were in Bay, Hillsborough, Lee, Marion, Okaloosa, Polk, and St. Johns counties, according to the FDOH. Last year, there were five deaths and 33 cases.

Eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, and swimming in marine waters with an open wound increases the risk of exposure to the bacteria, according to the FDOH.

People with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of severe and life-threatening illness with symptoms such as fever, chills, septic shock, and blistering skin lesions, according to the FDOH.

FDOH data

Jessica Treviño, 34, filed a lawsuit through her attorney this week asking a federal judge to intervene.

Treviño and her husband were arrested in December after federal agents followed them into a Home Depot parking lot in South Texas. Both were deported and are living in Matamoros, Mexico, just south of Brownsville, Texas. Their three children, all U.S. citizens, are living with family on the U.S. side near the border.

After being brought to the country as a child at the age of 7, Treviño subsequently received legal permission at 20 to remain in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Introduced in 2012, DACA does not confer legal status but has allowed hundreds of thousands of people who had come to the U.S. as children to temporarily remain and obtain work permits.

As a DACA recipient, she must maintain a clean criminal record and is not allowed to travel outside the United States.

Her attorney, David Rozas, filed the lawsuit. He noted her status and work permit were most recently authorized until April 2027.

Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sent her a notice of intent to terminate her status for “unauthorized travel outside of the United States on or about March 25, 2026," the same day she was deported from the country by the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS did not respond to a request for comment as of Thursday afternoon.

Rozas filed a petition asking a federal judge in Brownsville to declare the woman's expulsion was unlawful, order the government to facilitate Treviño's return to the U.S. and allow her DACA status to remain valid.

“The government had no lawful basis to remove her, and we filed this petition to demand she be brought back home,” her attorney added.

An immigration judge under the Justice Department had issued a voluntary departure order for Treviño in February while she was in ICE custody, but a valid DACA status prevents the Department of Homeland Security from deporting her.

“I would be so blessed to be able to go back home, because that’s what I long for most right now. I’m really desperate. It’s been seven months since I’ve been home,” Treviño said Thursday. Her three children are set to start school next month and their mother said she would like to be there.

The current Trump administration has deported 86 DACA recipients and arrested 241 others, according to a DHS letter sent in February to Democratic Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois.

Advocates for DACA recipients say Treviño's deportation is part of a pattern.

“This is what a deliberate, systematic effort to destroy DACA looks like in practice: target recipients one by one, manufacture justifications after the fact, and leave their children to grow up without them,” said Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, a policy organization defending immigration rights.

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This story has been revised to correct that Treviño arrived in U.S. at age 7, not 8, later receiving DACA status at 20 years old.

Darnold was asked Thursday if he feels the narratives about him have gone by the wayside. For years, the discourse on Darnold centered around him being a bust, considering his pedigree as a former No. 3 overall pick, and a transient quarterback who hopped from team to team. Darnold’s first year under center for the Seahawks, after all, marked his fifth team in eight seasons.

Despite the scrutiny, Darnold said his confidence in himself has never wavered.

“I don’t allow myself to really pay attention to anything like that,” Darnold said five days into training camp. “If I do catch wind of it, I have my process on how to handle that. Like I said, it’s just about handling my process and doing it my way, so that when I get out there, it’s not about what I’ve done or what I’m going to do, it’s about what I’m doing right now.

“I think if I just continue to have that mindset as we go on, we’ll be just fine.”

What Darnold is more interested in is getting up to speed with the Seahawks’ new offensive scheme.

First-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury and Darnold have some familiarity with one another, though. Fleury spent the last four years as the 49ers’ tight ends coach, and Darnold was San Francisco’s backup for the 2023 season.

Darnold has enjoyed getting to reconnect with the stoic Fleury, who has been tasked with replacing current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak.

“Whether it’s a good play or bad play, his mentality never changes out there on the field, which I already knew about, being in San Francisco with him,” Darnold said. “But, he was always very even keel. Now, getting to spend a lot more time with him as the offensive coordinator, it’s fun to be able to watch him work every single day and see his mentality out there.”

Darnold would also like to keep working on his report with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, who signed a $51 million, three-year contract in March.

Shaheed, who had 59 catches for 687 yards and two touchdowns last season for Seattle and New Orleans, spent a good chunk of the offseason training with Darnold. The two Southern California natives teamed up at Saddleback College in Orange County, which Darnold imagines will only help Shaheed further get up to speed with the Seahawks ahead of his first full season in Seattle.

“He’s a friendly receiver to throw to,” Darnold said. “... I’m looking forward to him continuing to get more reps and build that chemistry so that we can see him more often getting catches and doing his thing at the receiver position.”

Fans will have plenty of chances to get sneak peaks of Darnold’s and Shaheed’s progress on the HBO show “Hard Knocks”. As the quarterback of the reigning Super Bowl champions, Darnold understands he very well may be one of the focal points of the show.

It’s an impending experience Darnold is prepared for ahead of his ninth NFL season. After a second straight Pro Bowl season, Darnold has proven he belongs among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks after a much-criticized beginning to his professional career.

While Darnold isn’t one to reflect on how far he’s come, coach Mike Macdonald is more than willing to shower praise on his even-keeled quarterback as the Seahawks seek to defend their Super Bowl title.

“The thing I appreciate about Sam – and you can’t speak for everybody — but just every rep is a rep,” Macdonald said. “If it’s in the quarterback room and they’re going over the script, he treats that rep the same as he does here, if it’s practiced online or we’re in a game. It’s all the same. That’s the mental approach that we want all of our guys to take.”

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

The recording, released by Mississippi authorities this week, captures a July 4 call to a private marine towing company requesting assistance for a boat that was taking in water off Horn Island, where Wells was last seen.

“Our bilge pump stopped working. We’re sinking. Can y’all please come?” the caller asks, noting that there were about seven people on board. The dispatcher then speaks with a captain for the towing company, who said a relative of the boat owner reported those onboard had solved the issue and "don't need any help right now.”

The distress call was made to Sea Tow, a private company, and released to media outlets by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Law enforcement officials have said they were told by witnesses that Wells was not on the boat when it left the island.

Speaking at the National Urban League Conference on Thursday, the civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Wells' family had retained audio engineering experts to review the recording. The legal team is also calling on prosecutors to include outside authorities in the review of phones belonging to friends who traveled with Wells to the island.

A voicemail left with the Jackson County District Attorney’s office was not returned.

Wells' parents also attended the conference, pleading for anyone with information to come forward. “We will not rest until we get answers," said his mother, Christine Wonsley.

Online speculation and suspicion mount

The teenager's death has touched off rampant speculation, deepened in part by uncertainty about his final hours, distrust of law enforcement and Mississippi’s long history of racist violence.

The teenager, who was Black, had traveled to the uninhabited island with a group of friends from high school, all of whom were white. He did not return with his friends to the mainland that evening. His body was found two days later off the island’s coast.

A day after the discovery, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Wells’ friends were cooperating with authorities and that investigators did not suspect foul play. The sheriff has released few details since but has said the investigation is ongoing.

An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family was inconclusive about the cause of his death. The official autopsy will remain sealed until a grand jury reviews the evidence, which is a standard practice in Jackson County, according to the local district attorney.

In the absence of new information, social media users have seized on videos and photos shared online. Some have made unsubstantiated claims against Wells’ friends, whose attorneys and family members have since reported death threats and doxing campaigns.

Following the release of the dispatch call this week, online sleuths quickly tracked down some of the people mentioned in the audio.

In a statement Wednesday, the parents of a 21-year-old said their son had been doxed and threatened as a result of “outright fabrications” stemming from the audio.

They said he had boarded the malfunctioning boat to help, then briefly towed it a short distance with his own boat. He has since cooperated with law enforcement, provided names of potential witnesses and allowed authorities to inspect his boat and GPS device, the statement added. An attorney for the family said they had already served one person with a cease-and-desist letter for alleged defamatory claims and planned to serve others this week.

Crump defends the attention on the case

On Thursday, Crump rebuffed criticism that his attention on the case could inspire online targeting of others. He noted that Wells’ parents also have faced online attacks.

“We’re not trying to cast aspersions on anybody, we want the truth,” Crump said. “If it was your child, you’d want the same thing."

The attorney was also joined Thursday by relatives of Tyler Smith and Daniel Erving, two Black 18-year-olds who died in recent months, in circumstances that Crump described as “very similar” to Wells' final hours.

Smith, a recent high school graduate from Lexington, Kentucky, died on July 4 from a gunshot wound that police said was accidental and self-inflicted. His family has disputed the determination. Police said the investigation remains ongoing.

Erving drowned in a Texas lake in April after jumping from a railway bridge with two teenage friends, local authorities said. Earlier this month, the two friends were charged with evidence tampering because they had “failed to report the incident and later discarded items belonging to Daniel,” according to a Dallas police spokesperson.

Relatives of both Erving and Smith said their concerns about the investigations had not been taken seriously by local law enforcement.

“Three 18-year-old Black boys all within three months,” Crump said. “We want answers.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee and cosponsor of the bill, sent out a social media post that said “The cap is a hard cap. Full stop. That loophole is closed.”

But the refusal by the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference to sign off on changes to the Protect College Sports Act during a frenzied week of negotiating is a sign that they do not agree with Cruz's assessment and would like to see stronger language in the bill.

The Senate broke for the weekend late Thursday without taking action on the bill. It goes on vacation next Friday and the likelihood of the bill reaching a vote before then has grown slim.

One of the key concessions made over the past week was the addition of an up to $27.5 million (up from $25 million) “retention pool" that could be used to keep players on rosters. It would be added to the $21.3 million salary cap already in place to make the new number $48.8 million.

The new cap would then presumably include many of the third-party name, image, likeness deals that circumvent the current cap — many arranged by schools' multimedia rights groups. The bill would restrict future third-party deals to what Cruz called truly “open market” deals.

The Senate negotiators say language in the bill already does that.

“Some commissioners want more: bar any company doing business with a school from signing that school’s players,” Cruz said in his post. “So a QB couldn’t sign with Nike because Nike has a separate contract with his university. That’s not protecting a cap. That’s blocking a kid from selling his own name.”

A letter to the conferences from a key negotiator, obtained by Yahoo Sports, spelled out how the language in the bill deals with the commissioners' concerns.

The letter also addressed concerns that the new salary cap would blow past revenue-sharing amounts established in the House settlement, which dictates the terms of paying players.

“To the extent the current House settlement framework or its implementation treats these payments differently, federal statute, and the rules that are protected by it, trump the settlement,” it said.

The letter did not explain how and plaintiffs' attorney Jeffrey Kessler has said he would need to see the legislation before weighing in on how it impacts the settlement.

The NCAA, which has supported the bill, put out a statement from President Charlie Baker acknowledging the shrinking window to get this done.

“While no bill is perfect, I implore college sports leaders and Senators to support this bill now," Baker said. "It is our best chance to deliver the benefits and level playing field student-athletes deserve while providing the protections institutions need to sustain college athletics long-term.”

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Friday will feature a sun/cloud mix and southwest winds, sustained five to 10 mph. Temperatures will make a run for the mid-90s. If Miami reaches 95°F, it ties the record high for the date. Early or late afternoon showers and storms could develop.

Minnesota IT Services said state officials had yet to identify who was behind the attacks that took place Sunday and Monday. There were no reports that residents had been impacted by the attacks, though one city asked residents to conserve water for a couple hours while they tried to determine what was wrong.

The FBI, which is investigating, has not publicly identified a culprit and a spokesperson declined to say Thursday who the bureau thought might be responsible. The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other agencies warned in an advisory last week that Iranian hackers have been targeting water and wastewater systems and the operational controls other critical infrastructure sectors.

Digital warfare has become ingrained in military conflict, and local water plants or healthcare facilities often lack the funds and know-how to install the latest software patches or take other security steps. That has made them a favorite target, both because of the relative ease of penetrating them and because of the panic such disruptions can cause.

Iran has the “geopolitical motivations” and a recent history of targeting water systems, said Cynthia Kaiser, the former deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber division who has been closely monitoring threats to critical infrastructure from hackers linked to the country.

“I think most credible researchers and responders would be right to treat it like it’s Iran until proven otherwise,” added Kaiser, who is now the senior vice president of Halcyon’s Ransomware Research Center. “When it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's really important to call it out.”

Iran's interest in the operations of water systems inside the U.S. dates back years. In 2016, the Justice Department charged a group of Iranian hackers in connection with a cyberattack targeting a small dam near New York City.

Minnesota IT Services said that as of Thursday, there were no active requests from Minnesota communities for residents to modify usage of their drinking water. The state agency said most of the confirmed attacks involved technology that water systems use to remotely monitor and control equipment. It said that being impacted meant investigators confirmed there was malicious activity involving the system’s technology and didn’t mean every impacted community had their water service disrupted.

The state agency said there are similarities among the incidents, including timing and the types of technology used, but investigators haven’t determined if the same culprit was behind each one.

For a few hours on Monday, the city of Braham asked residents to minimize water use as they tried to determine why the water plant was offline. The city of about 1,700 people, located about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Minneapolis, said in a news release that the water plant outage was due to a cyberattack, but it didn't cause any issue with water quality.

The city said the attackers shut down the operating controls that shut down the well and water treatment plant. That left the city for a time only able to provide residents with the water held in the water tower.

In Plymouth, a city of about 80,000 located outside of Minneapolis, officials said on social media that their water infrastructure communications had been restored by Tuesday afternoon following a cyberattack. The city said crews were able to continue operating the system during the outage and it didn't have any impact on water levels or quality.

U.S. Army veteran and nurse Cynthia Dominique described how she would tackle the district’s severe financial challenges if elected.

“I believe we have to take a holistic approach,” she said. “We have to find a way to pay our teachers more, including the staff who make learning possible, the bus drivers, the cafeteria workers, the custodian staff.”

Candidate Rochelle “Shelly” Soffer is a school speech language pathologist and former teacher.

“When we get the budget, we have to scrutinize the budget,” she said. “Where are we over-spending, where are we under-spending when we make these allocations, when we make these projections? Where are the projections not aligning?”

Both candidates detailed how they would address the district’s declining enrollment as families opt out of traditional public school.

“Why are they looking at these other avenues? What is it that we are not doing as a county that would make them come back?” asked Soffer. “Now we’ve heard safety and security, but we also gotta look at programming.”

Said Dominique: “The programs that we implement, the technology that we implement, we should be scrutinizing everything to make sure it’s actually improving student outcomes and we’re getting a return on our investment.”

School board elections are nonpartisan.

While you do have to be registered to vote, you are not required to be registered with a political party in order to vote for who you want to see represent your district on the school board.

Election day is set for Aug. 18.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti said this week at the Big Ten media days event that any proposed scheduling decisions would have to wait until a final decision comes on playoff expansion. The Big Ten is pushing for a 24-team approach to replace the current 12-team format.

That’s fine with many of the conference’s coaches and athletic directors.

“We’ve talked a lot about scheduling in our AD room and with our coaches about what’s coming next and what’s the right way to do things,” Petitti said. “I will tell you that our focus now is seeing clarity around the playoff and access and how that’s going to work before we make the next decision.”

Scheduling moves by other conferences have left the Big Ten as the lone holdout in this regard. The Big Ten has won the last three national championships, and none of those teams — Michigan in 2023, Ohio State in 2024 and Indiana last year — played a nonconference regular-season game against a Power Four program.

In the past, the Big Ten could point to its nine-game conference schedule as a reason it didn't need to force tougher standards in nonconference scheduling since some other Power Four leagues were only playing eight conference games.

That's no longer the case.

The Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference are adopting nine-game league schedules this year, and the Big 12 already was doing so. Those leagues make their teams have at least one nonconference game against a Power Four team or Notre Dame, though some Big 12 teams are using matchups with Washington State or Oregon State to fill the requirement because those games were scheduled before the previous version of the Pac-12 imploded.

Northwestern’s David Braun and Nebraska’s Matt Rhule said they would welcome a similar requirement, as long as the Big Ten gets its wish regarding postseason expansion.

“If we go into a 24-team playoff, it makes total sense,” Rhule said.

While most Big Ten teams regularly schedule at least one nonleague game against a major conference team, there are exceptions.

For example, this is the third straight season Indiana hasn’t played a nonconference regular-season game against a Power Four team. The Hoosiers host North Texas, Howard and Western Kentucky before opening their Big Ten schedule.

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti said he could foresee college football eventually making changes that allow for a more uniform scheduling strategy among the leagues.

“We play who’s on the schedule,” Cignetti said. “I suspect down the road something will happen with scheduling, sort of standardizing scheduling. You’ve got two conferences (the Big Ten and SEC) that are head-and-shoulders sort of above the rest right now. I think there will be some standardization."

He said it wouldn't surprise him to see it in two or three years.

Other Big Ten teams not playing nonconference games against Power Four members or Notre Dame this season include Nebraska, Penn State, Southern California and Washington. This season is just the second time since World War II that USC hasn’t faced Notre Dame.

Maryland, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers and Washington joined Indiana in not scheduling non-Power Four teams last year. New Penn State coach Matt Campbell was asked this week what he’d think about the Big Ten requiring teams to do so.

“There’s been so much going on in our own world that I don’t even know if I can give you an educated answer to that from my standpoint of it … I still think this landscape is constantly shifting around us,” Campbell said. “I think as we settle in, maybe I’ll have a better answer for that when I know what our landscape is.”

That reflects the general lack of consensus among Big Ten coaches regarding whether teams should be required to include a Power Four program in their nonconference schedules.

“Everybody’s going to look at it differently,” said Minnesota's P.J. Fleck, whose team hosts the SEC's Mississippi State on Sept. 12. “I like it because I think playing a team like that prepares you for Big Ten play way earlier.”

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

“Jackson leadership team tells me there’s about 50 Haitian employees who are subject to be terminated due to the TPS (Temporary Protected Status) being revoked by Washington, and it puts a wear and tear on the remaining staff,” she said. “Missed lunches, double shifts; it puts a financial burden on the hospital.”

In a statement provided to Local 10 News, a spokesperson for Jackson Health System said contingency staffing plans to prevent disruptions to patient care are in place, including overtime.

“You know, to pay overtime alone is silly when you just had somebody yesterday who was well-trained,” said Baker. “At Jackson, with our mission to take care of all residents regardless of your ability to pay, it’s just a shame that we would put more stress on the system. Jackson struggles every day to break even.”

The hospital group added that 50 employees affected is a small fraction of their 15,000 employees.

There was a similar sentiment from the spokesperson for Broward Health who told Local 10 news the 47 staff members impacted there represents less than 1% of their total workforce.

A spokesperson for Memorial Healthcare System told Local 10 News they had 27 impacted employees out of 17,000.

“While it may seem like a small number with only 50 being affected, 50 is a big number,” said Baker. “That’s a big number to hire.”

That is especially true for those with specialized nursing skills, like the two she says who worked in the transplant unit.

“Almost similar to an ICU or a step down unit because these patients are so sick and it takes so long, not everybody can work that floor unless you’ve been properly trained,” said Baker. “Two of our Haitian nurses are being sent back.”

She added that filling those vacancies can also take a financial toll.

“They say for every nurse you lose, you lose $100,000, and that’s the cost it takes to hire, to train, to process, to precept, and when they’re what we call non-productive while they’re training for eight to 12 weeks, we’re paying them,” said Baker. “Those dollars add up, all the way back to advertising for a vacancy, and interviewing, adding all the time put together, it’s a significant cost and loss to the system.”

This is happening at a time the Jackson Health System is experiencing patient growth and is actively hiring.

Baker also responded to the the claim that TPS beneficiaries with work permits take jobs away from American citizens.

“That’s a myth in healthcare because there’s too many vacancies in healthcare,” she said. “The problem is, can we survive the shortages were challenged with? So I can’t believe anybody would be turned away from a job in healthcare because some immigrant got it over them, that’s kind of, I think, more politics at its worst. A divisiveness.”

Baker made a plea to those in Congress who have the power to make a difference.

“Do your job,” she said. “We love our Haitian members in our community and at Jackson. It’s disgusting that our senators are allowing this to happen. We are sending our Haitian teammates back to what is probably one the most dangerous countries on Earth today.”

Baker also offered advice for the people being impacted by the loss of TPS.

“Everyone asking, what should I do? Should I show up to work? The main thing I tell them is to speak with your employer,” she said. “You are not allowed to work while unauthorized in the country, but there are different cases, some TPS recruitments who have filed for other forms of relief, so those individuals are a little safer, but it is up to your employer. The employer knows the law, that they cannot have someone working who is unauthorized to do so in the United States. So when I say don’t panic, make sure that you have all your affairs in order, get all your immigration affairs in order, all your personal affairs in order.”

She went on to say that many still feel they are in “legal limbo” because lower courts still need to weigh in on an exact timeline for executing final administrative orders.

“This is not the time to be missing any immigration hearings, any appointments, any ICE check-ins, and I understand there’s a well-founded fear of being arrested, and I can’t guarantee, no attorney can guarantee that that’s not going happen, but I would rather you proceed with the proper procedures than for you to sit here and then there’s a final order of removal because now it just becomes more issues for you,” said Baker.

Full Statement From Jackson Health System:

Jackson Health System recognizes that the expiration of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a difficult and uncertain time for affected employees and their families. Jackson has worked closely with these employees to submit any documentation that could establish continued work authorization. Federal law requires that employees whose work authorization expires and who cannot provide alternative eligibility documentation can no longer remain employed. Jackson has continued to employ affected team members for as long as federal TPS extensions remained in effect, and we would welcome them back should they regain work authorization.

Approximately 50 employees are affected, a small fraction of our 15,000+ team members. We have contingency staffing plans, including per diem staff, agency personnel, and overtime, to ensure uninterrupted, high-quality patient care throughout this transition.

Krysten Brenlla, Media Relations & Branded Content Manager, Jackson Health System

The arrival was fit for a champion, as Inter Miami rolled out the red carpet with a fanfare and a band to introduce the five-time Champions League winner.

Casemiro, 34, who has spent much of his career with European giants including Real Madrid, told fans through an interpreter that he was excited to be in Miami and that he chose Inter Miami because he believes the club is the best team in MLS.

The club also showed off its new Cénit jersey, which features pink, white and Miami blue colors inspired by the team’s new stadium.

The name Cénit means “zenith” or the highest point in Spanish, representing Inter Miami’s goal of reaching the top this season.

The new kit will make its on-field debut Saturday against Columbus, as Casemiro prepares to help Inter Miami defend its MLS title.

Watch more of his introduction in the video at the top of this page.

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Eros Emanuel Gehrig, whose driver’s license was suspended, crashed into the Lost City Brewing Company, at 12207 NE 13th Court, according to the North Miami Police Department.

Gehrig, 53, lost control and struck five cars before hitting the front of the building at about 3 p.m., according to police.

Chris Campos, the owner of the Lost City Brewing Company, said the bar was closed when the truck left a large hole in the wall.

“It’s an hour before we open, a half-hour after we were doing some repairs to the fridge that sits on this wall,” Campos said. “It’s really that serendipitous moment where nobody was here and, I mean, if people would have been here, it would have been awful.”

According to a police officer’s arrest report, Gehrig’s Florida driver’s license had been suspended indefinitely on Sept. 12, 2012. He was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended license.

Police said Gehrig was taken to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital to be evaluated before being booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Gehrig was released from jail Thursday morning after posting bond.

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Claudia Caglianone’s family said she was detained earlier this month at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

“When people hear about detainees, the picture that comes to mind is somebody that they’ve been told to fear,” said her cousin, Gabriel Dominguez. “When I think of that, I think of a young woman who spent the majority of her life trying to do the right thing.”

The family said Caglianone moved to the United States in 2017, applied for asylum shortly after arriving and received Temporary Protected Status in 2023 while her asylum case remains pending.

“So here we are, standing together and doing the very thing for her that she’s done for so many of us — to show up,” Dominguez said.

He also called his cousin “living proof that the reality is much more complicated than any narrative that could be painted.”

The family said Caglianone spent time at the Miramar detention facility before being transferred to the Pompano facility.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz visited the facility on behalf of the family.

She said she had no concerns about the conditions inside but remains worried about those being held there.

“I am very concerned that there are 671 people in this facility that shouldn’t be here, that should not have been detained in the first place,” Wasserman Schultz said.

“We’ll continue to show up until we bring her home,” Dominguez said.

La familia de Claudia Caglianone informó que fue detenida a principios de este mes en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood.

“Cuando la gente escucha sobre personas detenidas, la imagen que les viene a la mente es la de alguien a quien les han dicho que deben temer”, dijo su primo, Gabriel Domínguez. “Cuando yo pienso en eso, pienso en una joven que ha pasado la mayor parte de su vida tratando de hacer lo correcto”.

La familia indicó que Caglianone se mudó a Estados Unidos en 2017, solicitó asilo poco después de llegar y recibió el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) en 2023, mientras su caso de asilo continúa pendiente.

“Así que aquí estamos, unidos y haciendo por ella lo mismo que ella ha hecho por muchos de nosotros: estar presentes”, dijo Domínguez.

También describió a su prima como “la prueba viviente de que la realidad es mucho más complicada que cualquier narrativa que se pueda presentar”.

La familia informó que Caglianone estuvo detenida en el centro de detención de Miramar antes de ser trasladada al centro de Pompano.

La representante federal Debbie Wasserman Schultz visitó el centro en representación de la familia.

Dijo que no tenía preocupaciones sobre las condiciones dentro del centro, pero que sigue preocupada por las personas que permanecen detenidas allí.

“Me preocupa mucho que haya 671 personas en este centro que no deberían estar aquí, que nunca debieron haber sido detenidas en primer lugar”, dijo Wasserman Schultz.

“Seguiremos presentes hasta traerla de regreso a casa”, dijo Domínguez.

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FWC officials said its officers responded alongside crews from U.S. Coast Guard Station Marathon and U.S. Navy Search and Rescue Key West after the three divers became separated from their boat.

Officials said a Navy Search and Rescue helicopter located the divers within minutes.

Video captured the moments that rescue crews brought all three men and their diving gear aboard a patrol vessel before reuniting them with their boat.

Officials said no injuries were reported.

The FWC thanked its federal partners for their role in the successful rescue.

Funcionarios de la FWC informaron que sus agentes respondieron junto con equipos de la Estación Marathon de la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos y del equipo de Búsqueda y Rescate de la Marina de Estados Unidos en Key West después de que los tres buzos se separaran de su embarcación.

Las autoridades informaron que un helicóptero de Búsqueda y Rescate de la Marina localizó a los buzos en cuestión de minutos.

Un video captó el momento en que los equipos de rescate subieron a los tres hombres y su equipo de buceo a bordo de una embarcación de patrullaje antes de reunirlos con su embarcación.

Las autoridades informaron que no se reportaron personas heridas.

La FWC agradeció a sus socios federales por su participación en el exitoso rescate.

The announcement followed hours of speculation about whether Police Chief Shon Barnes would step down, as some of his supporters said he had rebuffed Wilson’s request that he resign.

Wilson said she was appointing Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a law enforcement veteran with more than two decades of experience, as interim chief.

Barnes told The Seattle Times earlier Thursday that whether he remained as chief was “up to the mayor.” He said he was off for the day and spending time with family.

In a written statement, the mayor said she was grateful for Barnes' service. The statement included comments in which Barnes called it an honor to have served the city.

“I hope this transition gives the city and this department the opportunity to return full focus to what matters most, addressing youth gun violence and preventing more tragedies,” Barnes said.

Barnes was out of town at a law enforcement conference when gunfire erupted last weekend at the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers. Three people, including one suspect, were killed, and four people were wounded. One of the injured was a 2-year-old boy.

Dozens of officers were at the event, and at least one saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into a crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender, according to court documents. Police are still searching for at least one other person.

Both the Seattle Police Department and Wilson have faced criticism for slow and confusing communication in the shooting's aftermath.

After an initial social media post announcing that there had been a shooting with multiple victims, it took nearly five hours for police to provide any additional information to the public, including whether there was any ongoing threat. In the meantime, Wilson announced that two people had been taken into custody, a statement she later retracted.

Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis finally provided an update around 11 p.m. Sunday night during news conference that was also attended by the mayor, Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

Barnes was the second Black police chief in Seattle.

Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, rallied to try to save his job Thursday. In an open letter to the mayor's office, they credited him with improving relations between the department and the community, helping reduce gun violence and strengthening the department's operations.

“The tragic fatal shooting at the Bite of Seattle was heartbreaking for our city, but Chief Barnes should not be made a scapegoat for the complex challenges of public safety," the letter said, calling it “the wrong decision at the wrong time.”

Civil rights lawyer James Bible was with a small group of Black leaders who met with Wilson early Thursday.

“I’m hopeful that she will take a step back and make a different decision for now and then create criteria for any future decisions,” Bible said.

Barnes was appointed by Seattle's previous mayor, Bruce Harrell, in December 2024 after serving as chief of the Madison, Wisconsin, police department.

When Wilson — a democratic socialist who once supported defunding police — won the mayor's race last year, she kept Barnes on as chief. That was a signal to the city's business establishment and community groups that she did not intend to take a radically different approach to public safety.

“Seattle had been on a positive course on public safety with police hiring trending up and crime trending down, particularly in the downtown core," Jon Scholes, president of the Downtown Seattle Association, said in an emailed statement. "It’s imperative the next chief of police is able to maintain progress that’s been made and instill confidence in our community.”

Barnes faced some criticism for spending time in Chicago, where his family lives. Sgt. Patrick Michaud, a department spokesperson, said Thursday that Barnes has made four trips to Chicago this year and spent in total about 18 days traveling there. Barnes also has traveled to several police executive and recruitment conferences.

Barnes was named as the chief of police in Seattle five days after he was thrust into the national spotlight because of a shooting at a religious school in Wisconsin. At the time, Harrell said Barnes had demonstrated “impressive leadership capabilities” during an investigation into the shooting.

The resignation comes as Seattle heads into another big festival weekend. Seafair Weekend Festival 2026 — a boating event, air show and festival — starts Friday.

Jefry Julian Chaucanes Vasquez, de 23 años y residente de Miami Gardens, enfrenta una larga lista de cargos graves relacionados con ambos incidentes.

El video muestra a los agentes persiguiendo la Ford Escape, propiedad de un investigador de la Fiscalía Estatal, por la US 1 después de que Chaucanes Vasquez salió de la cárcel bajo fianza en Islamorada el 12 de junio.

Las autoridades informaron que había estado encarcelado por huir de los agentes durante una persecución a 125 millas por hora por la US 1 el 9 de junio.

La persecución terminó cuando el vehículo se estrelló cerca de Marathon.

Hasta el jueves, Chaucanes Vasquez había regresado a la cárcel sin derecho a fianza.

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Jefry Julian Chaucanes Vasquez, 23, of Miami Gardens, is facing a litany of felony charges in connection with both incidents.

Video shows deputies pursuing the Ford Escape, belonging to a state attorney’s office investigator, down U.S. 1 after Chaucanes Vasquez bonded out of jail in Islamorada on June 12.

He had been in jail, authorities said, for fleeing from deputies in a 125-mph chase down U.S. 1 on June 9.

The chase came to a crashing end near Marathon.

As of Thursday, Chaucanes Vasquez was now back in jail without bond.

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In a statement to Local 10 News, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement confirmed that “pursuant to an FDLE investigation, David Lynch was charged with interception and disclosure of wire, oral or electronic communications.”

Multiple sources familiar with the investigation told Local 10 News that a recording device was discovered attached to Lynch’s office telephone after he was terminated from the town. Those sources said the device was turned over to FDLE investigators.

Sources also told Local 10 News that Lynch allegedly recorded conversations involving senior town officials, including the town attorney and the police chief, without their knowledge.

Local 10 News reached out to Lynch by text message seeking comment. The message was marked as read, but he did not respond.

In a statement to Local 10 News, Pembroke Park Town Attorney Jacob Horowitz said the town is cooperating fully with the investigation.

“The Town of Pembroke Park is aware of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation. The Town takes these matters seriously and remains committed to full cooperation with the FDLE. As this is a pending law enforcement matter, the Town is not in a position to comment at this time.”

Horowitz added that additional questions should be directed to FDLE, which is the investigating agency.

Sources told Local 10 News the recording device was found while town employees were clearing out Lynch’s second floor office after his termination.

Lynch’s departure followed a Local 10 News investigation that uncovered more than $64,000 in taxpayer funded payroll advances, described in town records as a loan, that had been issued to Commissioner William Hodgkins. Town records showed Lynch approved the loan without bringing the matter before the town commission.

Commissioners voted in March to suspend Lynch and later terminate his employment, citing financial management concerns and other issues raised during public meetings.

Pembroke Park Mayor Geoffrey Jacobs has also filed a defamation lawsuit against Lynch. That case remains pending.

Before coming to Pembroke Park, Lynch served as mayor of Euclid, Ohio.

Ohio Supreme Court records show Lynch permanently resigned his law license in 2018 while disciplinary proceedings were pending. The court has not publicly disclosed the allegations that led to those proceedings.

The charge of interception and disclosure of wire, oral or electronic communications is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine if convicted.

As of Thursday, Broward County jail records did not show that Lynch had been booked into custody. Sources told Local 10 News that Lynch returned to Ohio following his termination from Pembroke Park.

En un comunicado enviado a Local 10 News, el Departamento de Cumplimiento de la Ley de Florida confirmó que “como resultado de una investigación de la FDLE, David Lynch fue acusado de interceptación y divulgación de comunicaciones por cable, orales o electrónicas”.

Múltiples fuentes familiarizadas con la investigación dijeron a Local 10 News que, después de que Lynch fuera despedido del municipio, se descubrió un dispositivo de grabación conectado al teléfono de su oficina. Esas fuentes indicaron que el dispositivo fue entregado a los investigadores de la FDLE.

Las fuentes también dijeron a Local 10 News que Lynch presuntamente grabó conversaciones de altos funcionarios municipales, incluido el abogado del municipio y el jefe de policía, sin su conocimiento.

Local 10 News se comunicó con Lynch mediante un mensaje de texto para solicitar comentarios. El mensaje aparecía como leído, pero no respondió.

En un comunicado enviado a Local 10 News, el abogado municipal de Pembroke Park, Jacob Horowitz, dijo que el municipio está cooperando plenamente con la investigación.

“El municipio de Pembroke Park está al tanto de la investigación del Departamento de Cumplimiento de la Ley de Florida. El municipio toma estos asuntos con seriedad y mantiene su compromiso de cooperar plenamente con la FDLE. Como se trata de una investigación en curso, el municipio no está en posición de hacer comentarios en este momento”.

Horowitz agregó que cualquier otra pregunta debe dirigirse a la FDLE, que es la agencia encargada de la investigación.

Las fuentes dijeron a Local 10 News que el dispositivo de grabación fue encontrado mientras empleados del municipio vaciaban la oficina de Lynch, ubicada en el segundo piso, después de su despido.

La salida de Lynch ocurrió tras una investigación de Local 10 News que reveló más de $64,000 USD en anticipos de nómina financiados con dinero de los contribuyentes, descritos en registros municipales como un préstamo, otorgados al comisionado William Hodgkins. Los registros municipales mostraron que Lynch aprobó el préstamo sin presentar el asunto ante la comisión municipal.

Los comisionados votaron en marzo para suspender a Lynch y posteriormente despedirlo, citando preocupaciones sobre el manejo financiero y otros asuntos planteados durante reuniones públicas.

El alcalde de Pembroke Park, Geoffrey Jacobs, también presentó una demanda por difamación contra Lynch. Ese caso continúa pendiente.

Antes de llegar a Pembroke Park, Lynch se desempeñó como alcalde de Euclid, Ohio.

Los registros de la Corte Suprema de Ohio muestran que Lynch renunció de forma permanente a su licencia para ejercer la abogacía en 2018 mientras enfrentaba un proceso disciplinario. El tribunal no ha divulgado públicamente las acusaciones que dieron origen a ese procedimiento.

El cargo de interceptación y divulgación de comunicaciones por cable, orales o electrónicas es un delito grave de tercer grado, sancionable con hasta cinco años de prisión y una multa de $5,000 USD en caso de ser declarado culpable.

Hasta el jueves, los registros de la cárcel del condado Broward no mostraban que Lynch hubiera sido ingresado bajo custodia. Fuentes dijeron a Local 10 News que Lynch regresó a Ohio tras su despido del municipio de Pembroke Park.

Human-caused climate change made the hot and dry conditions responsible for Spain's record-sized inferno 20 times more likely to happen, and it doubled the chances of extreme fire conditions for the flames in France, scientists at World Weather Attribution calculated in a rapid analysis Thursday, conducted while fires were still burning. Warming in the past 26 years has tripled the odds of the severe fire risk conditions in Spain and increased the chances in France 40%, the same report found.

At the same time, researchers published a separate study on Thursday — written and edited long before this week's fires began — that found the number of days that Southern Europe's weather reached extreme fire-prone levels has more than doubled compared to decades ago.

Both studies examined changes in the weather that creates fire-prone conditions. The measurements factor in air temperature, drought conditions, humidity and wind.

"The change in these fire weather conditions in Spain is really extremely strong and is, I think, one of the largest changes that I've seen," said Friederike Otto, an Imperial College of London climate scientist who coordinates World Weather Attribution. Spain is having its hottest summer on record, after an incredibly wet January that allowed plants to grow before a severe drought hit, a combination that increased wildfire fuel, the report said.

Spain also had the added problem of land abandonment, which left unmanaged plants and trees to dry out, Otto said. France's Bordeaux region, meanwhile, had thick groves of pines that also burn well when a fire starts, she said.

World Weather Attribution — an international collaboration of scientists who examine extreme events to determine climate change's role, if any — did that study so quickly, the report didn't get peer reviewed, which is the scientific gold standard. But Otto and her colleagues used techniques that are scientifically accepted, and many of their reports are published in peer-reviewed journals later.

Warming world means fires ignite ‘more explosively’

Otto's team calculated how much climate change — from the burning of coal, oil and gas — increased the chances for fires of this intensity to happen. They did so by comparing fire weather severity levels to past measurements for the region and to what they would be if the world was 2.5 degrees (1.4 degrees Celsius) cooler. That is how much Earth has warmed since pre-industrial times.

“This study makes sense and provides numbers to confirm what fire scientists already knew,” said Syracuse University fire scientist Jacob Bendix, who wasn't part of either research. “We have always known that fires ignite more easily and spread more explosively under conditions of extreme heat and drought. And we’ve known for decades that extreme heat and drought are becoming more common due to anthropogenic climate change. So the general outline of these events, if not all the details, was tragically predictable.”

Thursday's other study, in the journal Scientific Reports, finds that there were about 10 extreme fire weather days a year in Southern Europe in earlier decades, but it is now up to around 25 a year, said study author Raúl Cordero, a climate scientist at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. And it is not just more frequent bad fire weather days. Those days are about 50% more intense than they were from 1981 to 2010, his study said.

Fires were decreasing until climate change overwhelmed gains

The number of Southern European fires and amount of land burned had decreased quite a bit from the 1980s to 2018, mostly because of better fire suppression and management techniques, Cordero said. But then things quickly got worse fast because climate change overwhelmed that improvement, he said.

“It doesn't matter how many resources or how much money you have, you just cannot stop the propagation of a fire when the weather is so extreme,” Cordero said. “The climate forcing is so extreme nowadays that it's just amazing.”

University of California Merced fire scientist John Abatzaglou, who also wasn’t part of either research, said, “these findings make clear that climate change is not just a future problem, it’s already here.”

“We need to stop burning fossil fuels,” Otto said. “Because as long as we keep burning fossil fuels, temperatures will increase globally. And that will mean that these fire weather conditions will get worse and worse and worse. And there are hard limits to what we can adapt to.”

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

Following a few days of respite, fears of a wider war have grown, with renewed fighting threatening to engulf even more countries. Jordan said Thursday it intercepted Iranian missiles for the second consecutive day, while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person. Also this week, drones caused fires on ships at an Egyptian port, and Saudi Arabia said it came under fire from Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

The war — which in its early days President Donald Trump said would last four to five weeks, although he warned it could take longer — has caused the price of fuel to spike and roiled the global economy. As months have passed, concerns have deepened about using up the stockpile of weapons the U.S. needs to defend its bases and allies.

The war is unpopular among Americans, and a new AP-NORC poll says Trump’s approval rating on Iran has dipped slightly since last month.

The recent pause in fighting, which began over the weekend and spurred hopes among mediators of diplomatic progress, ended with increasing missile and drone attacks across many countries in the Middle East.

“We note with concern that the security situation remains precarious,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, whose country has been a key mediator.

Talks “are ongoing to normalize the situation, particularly the situation in the Strait of Hormuz,” he told reporters.

The US and Iran trade strikes

An Iranian strike hit a Chinese firm’s building in Kuwait on Thursday, severely damaging the structure and killing a worker, Kuwait’s military said, hours after Jordan’s air defenses shot down five missiles launched from Iran.

No injuries were reported from Jordan’s interception, the country’s state-run Petra news agency said, quoting the spokesman for the country’s armed forces. Both Jordan and Kuwait host American troops.

The attacks came after the U.S. military said it completed “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran” in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan.

U.S. Central Command said U.S. forces struck dozens of targets belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defense sites.

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said three people were killed and two were wounded in a strike on the island of Qeshm, which lies off the Iranian mainland in the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial waterway for the world’s energy supplies that has been at the center of the conflict.

The latest barrage came after the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

Fires reported on two natural gas vessels at an Egyptian port

Also on Wednesday, British maritime security firm Ambrey said drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported.

The office of the Egyptian prime minister said initial investigations showed the fires had been caused by a drone. In a cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said investigators were able to recover traces of the drone and will try to determine where it came from.

Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, has until now been spared direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have denied they were behind the attack.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi didn’t outright deny Iranian involvement but said: “Egypt is an important friend and partner in the region, and its security is of utmost importance to us.”

“We must all be vigilant against Israeli plots and false-flag operations designed to undermine regional peace,” he said on X. “The threat is clear, mutual, and fearful of Muslim solidarity.”

The war has wreaked havoc on the global economy

The conflict has wreaked havoc on the global economy as energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have ground to a near halt. Much of the diplomacy around ending the war has focused on reopening the strait, through which 20% of oil and natural gas shipments passed in peacetime.

The already limited traffic through the strait has plunged to wartime lows during the recent exchange of strikes, from 82 ships during the week of July 13-19 to just 39 from July 20-26, Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a shipping data and analysis firm, said in an webinar.

Fighting elsewhere has squeezed energy supplies further.

Saudi Arabia has accused Iraqi militias of firing drones against its oil facilities over the past days. An umbrella group of Iraqi militias initially denied the allegations, while the Houthi rebels said they had attacked Saudi energy facilities as part of a separate but related conflict.

The Houthis have also declared a blockade of Saudi shipping and threatened to choke off another crucial Middle East trade route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden. That route became even more important during the war, as Saudi Arabia used it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

While some Saudi oil exports are continuing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait despite the blockade, Lloyd’s List Intelligence said much of that oil now follows an expensive and time-consuming workaround: It travels from Saudi Arabia on tankers to the Egyptian city of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea coast before being pumped overland through a pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir. Then it’s loaded on tankers again.

The Suez Canal is not deep enough to handle the largest and most economical tankers when they are fully loaded with oil.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met Wednesday with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly about the private meetings.

They said the Saudi decision to join the U.S. attacks against the Iraqi militias was meant to send a message to Iran that the kingdom would not tolerate Iran or its proxies targeting the Saudi oil industry and other critical infrastructure. At the same time, the defense minister underscored to Trump and Vance that the Saudis want to see a de-escalation in the war and for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Aamer Madhani in Washington; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Fatma Khaled in Cairo; and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed.

The National Transportation Safety Board, in a report released Thursday, also found the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of the company, Bering Air, was inadequate.

Both were contributing factors to the February 2025 crash, which was one of Alaska's deadliest plane crashes this century. The NTSB also determined the pilot did not monitor and maintain adequate airspeed, likely because he was trying to manage the plane's ice protection system while preparing to approach the airport in Nome. And it said the plane was overweight for a trip into icy conditions. The airport itself had temporarily closed its runways for de-icing, the agency said.

The Associated Press sent a message seeking comment to Bering Air. The FAA released a statement in response to questions stating it “takes NTSB recommendations seriously and will carefully review them.”

Recommendations made by the NTSB to the FAA include calling for pilot training on preventing and recovering from loss of control in flight for many charter and air taxi operators. The NTSB also raised prior recommendations, such as expanded use of flight data monitoring programs and broader load manifest requirements.

The NTSB said it found a pattern of underreported weights on Bering Air flight manifests and flights operating above weight limits.

The agency said the FAA failed to recognize the air carrier’s “increased operational complexity and rapid growth” after the pandemic and bankruptcy of its largest competitor as factors warranting increased oversight. The report said the FAA's oversight “failed to identify and address the routine operation of overweight flights.”

Jennifer Homendy, the NTSB chair, in a statement said the tragedy “was not the result of a single failure, but a series of preventable breakdowns that eroded critical safety margins.”

The plane was flying as part of a regularly scheduled commuter flight from the community of Unalakleet to Nome, a 150-mile (240-kilometer) trip. Authorities have said that the aircraft went missing about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Nome. The wreckage was recovered from a drifting ice floe.

The government opened 10 registration centers across Port-au-Prince in neighborhoods considered generally safe as dozens of hopeful Haitians trickled through.

“This may be the first time that I’m going to vote,” said 34-year-old construction worker Vadley Bernadel.

Haiti hasn’t held general elections in more than a decade, and the country hasn’t had a president since President Jovenel Moïse was killed at his private residence in July 2021.

Gang violence has only surged since then, but Haiti’s unelected prime minister is under pressure to hold elections, with Dec. 13 marking the first round.

“Haiti needs someone with a vision, someone who can lead the country in a better direction,” said Bernadel, who decried his country’s multiple crises.

Armed men still control swaths of land

Gang violence has displaced more than 1.4 million people, with armed men controlling an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and the main roads that lead to the country’s Central and Artibonite provinces, which also are under fire.

More than 50% of Haiti’s electorate live in those three regions, and it’s unclear whether all those seeking to vote will be able to register, let alone vote, given the violence.

“The country can hold elections in three months if it chooses to. The question is, what kind of elections?” said Diego Da Rin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.

If the government insists on holding elections on Dec. 13, “a large part of the electorate will be left out," he warned.

Da Rin noted that police and a U.N.-backed mission have seized back areas near the National Palace in Port-au-Prince and made other inroads, but powerful gangs still control vast amounts of territory.

“There has been no significant progress,” he said. “The government will not be able to organize elections in territories controlled by gangs.”

Jacques Desrosiers, president of Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council, said he plans to open more voter registration centers in upcoming weeks, including 20 in Pétion-Ville, considered one of the safest areas.

As for the possibility of opening centers in other communities, he said that lies in the hands of the Haitian government.

Haitians fear being killed as country prepares for elections

Lawyer Francky Cavetan said he does not plan to vote because it’s too risky, but he did visit one registration center out of curiosity.

“Elections are not going to happen because the government and electoral council are lying to the population,” he asserted. “They are making people believe that elections will bring security, but they have to have security before elections.”

More than 5,900 people were killed last year across Haiti, and more than 1,600 others from January to March of this year, according to the United Nations. In addition, 5,500 gender-based violent incidents were reported in the first half of the year, with 70% of cases involving rape, many of them gang rapes, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the U.N. Secretary-General, recently said.

Cavetan questioned how candidates would even campaign. He was also upset because he believes a large number of Haitians are not aware that they will also be asked to participate in a referendum the same day as the elections as the government pushes to change the country’s Constitution.

“They’re not even explaining to people what they’re planning to change in the Constitution,” Cavetan said.

Da Rin echoed that sentiment, noting that the public still doesn’t know what changes the government is seeking.

His biggest concern surrounding the elections is safety, though.

“The challenge for the authorities right now is to organize elections without having defeated the gangs and to minimize their influence on the elections as much as possible,” he said.

Da Rin noted that longtime links between gangs and certain powerful elites in Haiti are still active.

Gangs have long been used to intimidate voters or convince them to select certain candidates, as well as to destroy ballot boxes when some members of Haiti’s elite believed that their candidates might not win, Da Rin said.

“Gangs have been a very important tool for elites to help their candidates win elections,” he said.

At a registration center in the community of Laboule, only three people had signed up an hour after doors opened.

Victor Valensky, a 38-year-old driver of a colorful bus known as a tap-tap, was one of them.

He said he was angry at his country’s situation but also feared gang violence.

“I want to take part in the elections, but I have to make sure I’m safe,” he said. “If I die now, my wife probably won’t be able to support my two kids by herself. … I’m going to be very careful before I step out on election day.”

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

At least this year, he doesn't need to. He's on the field at camp with the New York Giants, and all eyes are on the No. 1 receiver who is starting to regain his previous dynamic form.

Now 10 months removed from tearing the ACL in his right knee and still on a lengthy road back from the injury, Nabers is not yet a full participant in practice. But the Giants' No. 1 receiver is running routes at full speed during individual drills and sparking optimism that he'll be healthy enough to play in a game sooner than later.

“It felt good," Nabers said Thursday after the second practice of camp in the mountains of West Virginia. “I mean, I might not show it. I like to be a person that you never know my facial expressions. I’m always just smooth and calm. But it felt good to be out there with the guys, get a couple throws, just move around.”

Nabers, who turned 23 on Tuesday, sounded more hopeful about his future than he did in early January, when he walked with the assistance of a cane the previous weekend as a precaution and would not commit to being ready for the season opener. Saying at the time, “If my body doesn’t feel right, then I’m not going to go out there," he began a period of lingering pessimism that began to fade a bit this week when he did not land on the PUP list and was a visible part of the team.

“Every time he’s on the field, everybody knows where he’s at,” quarterback Jaxson Dart said Wednesday. “There’s an aura that he has on the field that is exhilarating. It makes me happy. It makes everybody happy just to see him out there.”

The smiles are everywhere over the situation. But with more than seven weeks to go before New York hosts Dallas on Sept. 13 to begin the season, he and team officials are still reluctant to say if Nabers will be ready to go by then.

“No target dates," Nabers said. "Just continuing to listen to the training staff, and they continue to ask me questions. And when I’m ready, I’m ready.”

Progressing to team practice sessions would seemingly be the next step of a process that included significant rehab and even a second cleanup surgery earlier this year. On the prospect of playing in a preseason game to test the knee, Nabers deferred to new coach John Harbaugh, who praised the wideout's efforts to even get to this point.

“I really am impressed with how hard he’s worked,” Harbaugh said. “I just think he’s worked really hard. He deserves to be out there doing what he (is doing). It’s really cool to see.”

Nabers catching passes from Dart in any setting is a positive, given their limited time together last season. Nabers was injured and sidelined for the rest of the season in the second quarter of Dart's first NFL start.

All the two have really been able to do since is talk and watch video together as a way of advancing their rapport before they can play in a real game together again.

“We’re just going to continue to get him in slowly,” Dart said. “He’s doing a great job with how he’s attacking his recovery. I’ve got all the confidence in the world in him and his approach to the game.”

Nabers acknowledged it has not been easy mentally to be away from football, and he has leaned on Dart, as well as new teammate Odell Beckham Jr. and others, to get through those struggles.

“Overcoming an injury is not easy,” starting left tackle Andrew Thomas said. “If anything, (it is good) just for his mental (state) to be back out here with the guys and running around and catching the ball."

Nabers did take joy in surprising other players on Wednesday with just how smoothly he was running and cutting and catching the ball. But after going through a few weeks of that himself, he did not surprise himself.

“I felt like the training staff did a very good job on getting me ready before I even stepped foot out there,” Nabers said. "Those cuts I’ve been doing with the training staff, those routes I’ve been doing with the training staff, so it wasn’t anything (but) normal to me that I was able to go out there and do it full speed.”

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

The Transportation Security Administration said in a statement Friday that the relics were discovered at Gulf Shores International Airport on July 18 after the agent observed what appeared to be a large, opaque item inside a suitcase during an X-ray screening. When he opened the luggage, he found five small cannonballs wrapped in paper towels and notified a supervisor.

“I had never seen anything quite this unique,” TSA Officer Justin Dupree said in a statement from the agency. “I’ve seen inert grenades and training munitions but never an Indiana Jones-esque stolen artifact-type situation.”

The cannonballs — the largest about the size of grapefruits and weighing about as much as a shot put ball — were inactive and didn’t contain any explosive material or active components, the TSA said. Still, cannonballs are artillery munitions and considered prohibited items on planes.

Police eventually determined the cannonballs were stolen from Fort Morgan, based on paint marking applied to the artifacts by fort staff, and that they dated to the American Civil War. The historic Gulf Shores fort played a significant role in several military conflicts, including the Civil War.

The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that a juvenile stole the cannonballs from a storage area in the fort and then placed them in their grandmother’s checked bag. The grandmother told officers she did not know they were stolen.

Spokespersons for Fort Morgan didn't respond to a email seeking comment. The sheriff's office said the institution declined to press charges, and the artifacts were returned to the fort.

Cignetti took over a program that had gone 9-27 the three years before his arrival and led it to College Football Playoff appearances in each of his first two seasons, including a 2025 national title.

He wants his program to maintain the same edge it carried while working its way up.

“We have a way of doing things,” Cignetti sad. “We’ve got guys that have been together, and all we do is win.”

Indiana’s stunning two-year run under Cignetti already has allowed the traditional Big Ten also-ran to shed its status as the Bowl Subdivision program with the most losses in history. That dubious honor now belongs to conference rival Northwestern.

The Hoosiers obviously have bigger long-term goals than that.

They want to keep it going without Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who went to the Las Vegas Raiders with the top pick in this year’s draft after his lone season at Indiana. He was one of a school-record eight players drafted.

“We need to make sure that we keep the same blueprint as last year going into this year, and that includes maintaining the same work ethic,” offensive tackle Carter Smith said.

Indiana did a remarkable job of restocking its roster by getting one of the nation’s top collections of transfer portal talent. Indiana’s list of 18 transfer newcomers includes former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover and ex-Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh.

Marsh got an early indication of Cignetti’s no-nonsense approach, as the former Spartans player showed up for a spring practice in gold cleats and got criticized by his new coach. Cignetti has since praised the work habits of Marsh, who caught 100 passes for 1,311 yards and nine touchdowns over the last two seasons.

Indiana’s chances of earning a third straight playoff bid could depend on Hoover, who threw for 9,627 yards, 71 touchdowns and 33 interceptions over the last three years. He has rather large shoes to fill.

“What separated Fernando was when the game was on the line, those fourth-quarter wins, the last three minutes, four minutes, that’s when he played his best football,” Cignetti said.

Indiana could be on the verge of establishing itself as annual contenders as long as Cignetti sticks around, as the Hoosiers have followed up their portal success by making inroads in high school recruiting. Over the last two weeks, Indiana has gained verbal commitments from 2027 five-star wide receiver Monshun Sales and highly regarded 2028 quarterback Lukas Prock.

Cignetti is more focused now on making sure his current team is prepared for its title defense. Defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker was asked how it felt to enter a season as the hunted rather than the hunter.

“We prepare in a way we wouldn’t think we’re being hunted,” Tucker said. “We’re preparing like we’re predators and we’re hungry. We still have that chip on our shoulder, ultimately.”

Big Ten media may have given Tucker and his teammates some ammo in that regard. A Cleveland.com poll of reporters that serves as the unofficial Big Ten preseason media forecast had the defending national champions finishing third in the conference, behind Ohio State and Oregon.

Cignetti understands the challenge ahead after beating both Ohio State and Oregon on the way to the title last year. Cignetti, who worked as an assistant at Alabama from 2007-10, closed his news conference Thursday by explaining why he believes the Big Ten is college football’s best conference.

“We don’t run a hype machine up here in the Midwest,” Cignetti said. “We believe everything is earned, not given. When we fall short, we say, ‘We fell short.’ We don’t cry a river, whine and complain. That’s why we’re the best.”

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

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On Thursday, Miami-Dade County Circuit Court Judge Laura Gonzalez-Marques sentenced Jones, 25, to 13 years in state prison for his role in the shooting of Officer Erica Socarras on April 24, 2020, in Miami.

“You are a very young man, Sir. And, I hope that you take the time in prison to reflect on the things that you have done, and come out of it differently, because you endangered an officer,” Gonzalez-Marques told Jones during the sentencing hearing.

Gonzalez-Marques also sentenced Jones to a three-year probation and ordered him to stay away from Socarras.

Jones pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted premeditated murder with a deadly weapon, throwing a deadly missile, aggravated assault with a firearm, and solicitation to commit murder.

Socarras, a tactical robbery unit detective in an unmarked Dodge Charger, wasn’t injured during the shooting in Brownsville. A round struck the Taser she had on her gun belt, according to police.

Deputy Chief of Miami Police Albert “Al” Guerra described Socarras as “incredibly courageous” and a “successful” top officer.

“As I sat next to her in the courtroom, I had asked her if the sentencing was adequate for her, and she said, ‘It is adequate,’ and she just wants it to be done already, so she is happy that it has finally come to a conclusion,” Guerra told reporters after the sentencing hearing. “It’s a good conclusion for us, and she is just in good spirits.”

In April, Gonzalez-Marques sentenced Antranard Womble, Jones’s co-defendant, to 15 years in prison for firing at Socarras during the traffic stop at the corner of Northwest 22nd Avenue and 54th Street.

“Mr. Jones unlike Mr. Womble was not in possession of a firearm nor was he identified as one of the shooters in this case,” Attorney Mayra Trinchet, who represented Jones in the case, wrote, according to the court record’s mitigation packet.

Jones, who had been in jail without bond since Aug. 20, 2020, has two pending cases on charges of battery by a detainee upon a visitor or another detainee, according to court and inmate records.

Local 10 News Photojournalist Tim McFarland contributed to this report.

Related story: Man gets prison after pleading guilty to shooting at Miami police officer

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Tevin Dean, 31, has been arrested and faces a dozen felony charges tied to the June 8 incident, according to an arrest warrant.

Dean is accused of acting alongside co-defendant Sheendalie Joseph, who allegedly set up the robbery by letting Dean inside the apartment while the victim was upstairs.

Once inside, police say, Dean brandished a firearm and later held a kitchen knife to the back of the victim’s head, threatening to kill him while Joseph held the phone to the victim’s face in order to gain access. The victim was allegedly forced to strip naked and was bound with duct tape while the pair rifled through his belongings.

Investigators say the two made off with more than $27,000 in cash, property and digital currency. According to the warrant, they got into the victim’s Coinbase account, sold off his cryptocurrency, and sent roughly $1,200 through Zelle to an account belonging to Joseph’s son.

They’re also accused of linking the victim’s debit card to a CashApp account that wasn’t his and attempting several fraudulent transactions, along with stealing additional credit cards from a dresser drawer.

Officials say the victim was left tied up and struggled for nearly half an hour before breaking free.

Police say the pair tried to cover their tracks afterward — deleting seven Ring camera clips just minutes after leaving the scene and factory-resetting the victim’s iPhones before pawning them, wiping out evidence investigators couldn’t recover even with a search warrant.

Dean is charged with home invasion with a firearm, armed kidnapping, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, grand theft, unlawful access of an electronic device, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, criminal use of personal identification, possession of a stolen credit card, and tampering with evidence.

Dean was denied bond by a Broward County judge.

Tevin Dean, de 31 años, fue arrestado y enfrenta una docena de cargos graves relacionados con el incidente ocurrido el 8 de junio, según una orden de arresto.

Dean está acusado de actuar junto con su coacusada, Sheendalie Joseph, quien presuntamente preparó el robo al permitirle entrar al apartamento mientras la víctima estaba en el segundo piso.

Una vez dentro, la policía informó que Dean sacó un arma de fuego y luego sostuvo un cuchillo de cocina en la parte posterior de la cabeza de la víctima, amenazándola con matarla mientras Joseph le sostenía el teléfono frente al rostro para obtener acceso. La víctima presuntamente fue obligada a desnudarse y fue atada con cinta adhesiva mientras ambos revisaban sus pertenencias.

Los investigadores informaron que ambos escaparon con más de $27,000 USD en efectivo, bienes y moneda digital. Según la orden, accedieron a la cuenta de Coinbase de la víctima, vendieron sus criptomonedas y enviaron aproximadamente $1,200 USD mediante Zelle a una cuenta perteneciente al hijo de Joseph.

También están acusados de vincular la tarjeta de débito de la víctima a una cuenta de Cash App que no le pertenecía e intentar varias transacciones fraudulentas, además de robar otras tarjetas de crédito de un cajón de una cómoda.

Las autoridades informaron que la víctima quedó atada y luchó durante casi media hora antes de lograr liberarse.

La policía indicó que ambos intentaron encubrir sus acciones después del robo al eliminar siete videos de una cámara Ring apenas minutos después de abandonar el lugar y restablecer de fábrica los iPhone de la víctima antes de empeñarlos, borrando evidencia que los investigadores no pudieron recuperar ni siquiera con una orden de registro.

Dean enfrenta cargos por invasión de vivienda con arma de fuego, secuestro a mano armada, agresión agravada, privación ilegal de la libertad, asalto agravado, hurto mayor, acceso ilegal a un dispositivo electrónico, uso ilegal de un dispositivo de comunicación de dos vías, uso delictivo de identificación personal, posesión de una tarjeta de crédito robada y alteración de evidencia.

Un juez del condado Broward le negó el derecho a fianza a Dean.

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Steve Lawson, 45, was taken into custody soon after disembarking the Norwegian Getaway at PortMiami on Friday after it arrived from the Bahamas. His arrest came after customs officers searched his phone, according to court documents.

Investigators said the father of seven had more than a dozen videos of young girls being raped and sexually abused, including an hour-long video that showed more than 100 victims.

A federal criminal complaint states that Lawson, who photographs weddings and families, admitted to buying the videos using cryptocurrency while the ship was docked in the Bahamas and it states he claimed he was “enticed to do so after he observed female minors in bikinis on the cruise.”

The Daily Mail wrote an article about Lawson and his family of nine living in a converted school bus traveling across the U.S. in 2019.

That same year, Lawson was seen on Local 10 News after sewage flooded his family’s Plantation home.

In court on Thursday, prosecutors argued that Lawson is a danger to the community and has an addiction.

The federal judge ordered he be held on a $900,000 bond. If he posts his bond, he’ll be prohibited from using any electronics or the internet and can’t work as a photographer.

“We recognize the serious nature of the charges and are committed to working diligently through the legal process to achieve a fair and just resolution of this case,” Lawson’s attorney, Susan Lawson ― no relation ― told Local 10 News in a statement on Thursday.

But Local 10 News has learned that Steve Lawson was not the only person ― or Broward resident, for that matter ― arrested after getting off the Norwegian Getaway that day.

A separate criminal complaint states that customs officers also looked at a phone belonging to Michael William Simmons, 40, of Tamarac, after he disembarked the cruise.

Investigators said he took videos of his daughters’ friends, aged 9 to 11, showering while stationed in Anchorage, Alaska for the Air Force in 2014 and said he admitted to doing so “for his sexual gratification.”

They said he also admitted to buying child sexual abuse videos using an encrypted system designed to conceal a user’s IP address.

It’s unclear whether the two know one another.

Steve Lawson, de 45 años, Leer en español poco después de desembarcar del Norwegian Getaway en PortMiami el viernes, luego de que el crucero llegara desde las Bahamas. Su arresto ocurrió después de que agentes de aduanas revisaran su teléfono, según documentos judiciales.

Los investigadores informaron que el padre de siete hijos tenía más de una docena de videos en los que niñas eran violadas y abusadas sexualmente, incluido un video de una hora de duración que mostraba a más de 100 víctimas.

Una denuncia penal federal indica que Lawson, quien se dedica a fotografiar bodas y familias, admitió haber comprado los videos utilizando criptomonedas mientras el barco estaba atracado en las Bahamas y afirmó que se sintió “tentado a hacerlo después de observar a menores de edad en bikini durante el crucero”.

El Daily Mail publicó un artículo sobre Lawson y su familia de nueve integrantes viviendo en un autobús escolar convertido en vivienda mientras recorrían Estados Unidos en 2019.

Ese mismo año, Lawson apareció en Local 10 News después de que aguas residuales inundaran la vivienda de su familia en Plantation.

Durante la audiencia del jueves, los fiscales argumentaron que Lawson representa un peligro para la comunidad y que tiene una adicción.

El juez federal ordenó que permanezca detenido con una fianza de $900,000 USD. Si paga la fianza, tendrá prohibido usar dispositivos electrónicos o internet y no podrá trabajar como fotógrafo.

“Reconocemos la gravedad de los cargos y estamos comprometidos a trabajar diligentemente durante el proceso legal para lograr una resolución justa y equitativa de este caso”, dijo la abogada de Lawson, Susan Lawson, sin parentesco con él, en un comunicado enviado el jueves a Local 10 News.

Pero Local 10 News supo que Steve Lawson no fue la única persona, ni el único residente de Broward, arrestado tras bajar del Norwegian Getaway ese día.

Una denuncia penal por separado indica que agentes de aduanas también revisaron el teléfono de Michael William Simmons, de 40 años y residente de Tamarac, después de que desembarcó del crucero.

Los investigadores informaron que, mientras estaba asignado por la Fuerza Aérea en Anchorage, Alaska, en 2014, grabó en video a amigas de sus hijas, de entre 9 y 11 años, mientras se duchaban, y que admitió haberlo hecho “para su gratificación sexual”.

También dijeron que admitió haber comprado videos de abuso sexual infantil utilizando un sistema encriptado diseñado para ocultar la dirección IP del usuario.

No está claro si ambos se conocen.

Apple raised the prices of its Macs and iPads last month, citing a memory-chip shortage brought on by the artificial intelligence boom. The company had called the demand spike an “unprecedented challenge” for the consumer electronics industry. While it hasn't yet raised iPhone prices, analysts and consumers expect that to happen later this year.

The maker of the iPhone and iPad said Thursday it earned $29.79 billion, or $2.02 per share, in the April-June period. That is up 27% from $23.43 billion, or $1.57 per share, in the same period a year earlier.

Revenue grew 16% to $$109.42 billion from $94.04 billion.

Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $1.89 per share on revenue of $109 billion, according to a poll by FactSet. Tariff refunds of 11 cents per share contributed to the quarter's earnings.

“Today, Apple is proud to report our strongest June quarter ever, with double-digit revenue growth across iPhone, Mac and Services, and in every geographic segment,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. It was Cook's final earnings call. He announced his retirement in April, after 15 years at the helm of the company. John Ternus, Apple’s head of hardware engineering, will assume the role on Sept. 1.

"I couldn't be more confident in his leadership, in the executive team and the extraordinary people at Apple," Cook said.

Apple continues to generate cash without the massive artificial intelligence spending that its Big Tech peers area are dealing with “and that showed across most parts of the operation,” said Thomas Monteiro, an analyst at Investing.com. “As the market grows more worried about free cash flow trajectories elsewhere in Big Tech, Apple keeps standing out as the safe haven in the storm.”

But he cautioned that memory costs — which are continuing to increase — could challenge Apple in the coming quarters. It also won't have the tariff benefit to boost profit margins again. September's iPhone launch and more price increases should “help cushion the hit,” Monteiro said.

Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple, which recently regained its title as the world's most valuable company from Nvidia, fell $7.52, or 2.3%, to $325.91 in after-hours trading.

Maj. Collin Welch, 40, pleaded guilty Tuesday to stealing about $54,000 in government money and inducing the Mongolian woman and her daughter to remain in the U.S. unlawfully. He’s awaiting sentencing in U.S. District Court in Washington.

Welch made a fake divorce decree to convince his second wife that he was no longer married to his first, according to a statement he signed as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. After moving her to the United States, he forged other government records to convince her that she was in the pipeline for U.S. citizenship and legally staying in the country.

Two deployments — to Afghanistan and Djibouti — and years spent away from his family put a strain on Welch, his lawyer, Gregory Rosen, said in a statement.

“None of that changes the fact that Major Welch accepts full responsibility for his actions,” Rosen said. “That alone speaks louder about his character than any statement of offense, standing alone, ever could.”

The affair began in 2019, when Welch was with the Alaska National Guard and stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. It continued after he returned to Alaska in 2021 and moved to Arkansas the next year. They were married in 2022 in Mongolia.

In 2023, Welch moved to Washington with his family for a role with the District of Columbia National Guard that required extensive foreign travel. He used his government travel card to rent hotel rooms in the Washington area for video calls with his second wife, so she wouldn't know he was living with his family.

He also submitted false reimbursement expenses and lied to his superiors to get authorization for foreign travel to visit the Mongolian woman, according to the statement filed in court.

Welch charged the government for plane tickets for the Mongolian woman and her daughter to move to the United States in 2024. He married her again in Virginia, falsely saying he had never been married before. He paid for their living arrangements in Northern Virginia until they were evicted late last year when he tried to pay the rent with forged checks.

During that time, Welch knew the woman and her daughter had expired tourist visas but faked a variety of records to convince them otherwise. Those included letters from immigration authorities, Social Security cards and a Defense Department letter purporting to say the immigrants were enrolled in military health coverage.

Casi 30 centímetros (un pie) de lluvia cayó en distintas partes de los condados de Columbia y Rensselaer, cerca de Albany, durante un período de 48 horas que terminó la mañana del jueves, informó el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. Albany, la capital del estado, registró 20 centímetros (8 pulgadas) de lluvia en el mismo período.

Los equipos de primera respuesta en Albany y en otras localidades informaron del rescate de varias personas de sus casas y vehículos el miércoles tras el desbordamiento de vías fluviales e inundación de calles. Las cuadrillas también bombearon sótanos anegados. No hubo reportes de muertes ni de heridos, y para el jueves, las aguas de la inundación habían empezado a retroceder.

En fotos y videos publicados en internet aparecen autos varados con el agua hasta las ventanillas de las puertas, tierras agrícolas locales inundadas por las fuertes lluvias y aguas de crecida que se movían rápidamente y se derramaban sobre las carreteras.

El propietario del molino, Andy Klein, contó que un vecino golpeó su puerta principal alrededor de las 8 de la mañana del miércoles en Castleton-on-Hudson para advertirle de la inundación. Un arroyo contiguo anegó su propiedad con aguas de 91 a 122 centímetros (3 a 4 pies) de profundidad y destruyó la parte más antigua del molino, junto a su casa.

“Es un hecho horrible”, manifestó. “El molino ha estado allí durante cientos de años, y es un hecho muy triste. Soy un gran aficionado a la historia, y acabo de ver cómo un edificio se hacía pedazos”.

La planta de agua en Castleton-on-Hudson sufrió daños durante la inundación, lo que llevó a emitir un aviso para que los residentes locales hiervan el agua y reduzcan su consumo, señalaron las autoridades.

Las fuertes lluvias de principios de esta semana también anegaron otras zonas de Nueva York, así como de Nueva Jersey y Pensilvania, inundando calles y provocando rescates acuáticos.

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

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According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, a call was received at 5:48 a.m. involving a crash with injuries near State Road 7 and Riverland Road. Deputies as well as Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue responded to the scene.

According to BSO, the driver was headed south on State Road 7 in the right lane when the crash occurred.

According to investigators, the pedestrian, 58-year-old Bryan Kommes, did not walk in the marked crosswalk when he attempted to cross the road and stepped into the path of the Chevrolet, where he was struck.

BSO said Kommes was rushed to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Investigators said the driver remained at the scene and cooperated with the investigation.

At this time, detectives do not believe excessive speed or driver impairment were contributing factors in the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward (BSO), una llamada fue recibida a las 5:48 a.m. por un accidente con personas heridas cerca de State Road 7 y Riverland Road. Agentes y personal de Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue respondieron al lugar.

De acuerdo con la BSO, el conductor circulaba hacia el sur por State Road 7 en el carril derecho cuando ocurrió el accidente.

Según los investigadores, el peatón, Bryan Kommes, de 58 años, no cruzó por el paso peatonal señalizado cuando intentó atravesar la vía y se interpuso en la trayectoria de la Chevrolet, donde fue atropellado.

La BSO informó que Kommes fue trasladado de urgencia al Broward Health Medical Center, donde fue declarado muerto.

Los investigadores indicaron que el conductor permaneció en el lugar y cooperó con la investigación.

Por el momento, los detectives no creen que el exceso de velocidad o que el conductor estuviera bajo los efectos de alguna sustancia hayan sido factores que contribuyeran al accidente, según la oficina del sheriff.

La investigación continúa.

The Seattle-based company said Thursday that sales in its cloud computing unit called AWS rose 37% during the April-June period, faster than the 28% clip in the previous quarter and marking the fastest rate of growth in 18 quarters.

CEO and President Andy Jassy disclosed to investors on the call that Amazon now expects capital spending to total $220 billion, which also includes outlays on robots, semiconductors and satellites. That's up from the $200 billion investment plan that was announced in February and well above the $128 billion in capital spending for all of last year. Jassy cited the higher cost of memory chips as the main reason for the increase.

Jassy told investors that even at the $220 billion level, Amazon will not have enough capacity to meet all of the demand it has this year.

“I believe this dynamic will also be true in 2027 too,” he added. “In fact, the demand we already have for 2028 is striking.”

Still, shares rose more than 9% in after-hours trading.

Investors had been closely watching Amazon’s quarterly earnings to see if the company’s big spending on AI is starting to pay off.

The Seattle-based company offered a cautious sales outlook for the current quarter.

Amazon was among the last of the tech giants to report its earnings results covering the latest three-month period. The reports offer investors a read on AI spending and cloud computing growth across the industry.

Google parent Alphabet reported better-than-expected revenue for the second quarter last week, fueled by an 82% increase in its cloud business. But the stock tumbled as the tech giant increased its full-year forecast for capital expenditures to a range of $195 billion to $205 billion. That’s up from its previous estimate of $180 billion to $190 billion.

Microsoft, which on Wednesday reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, said growth was strong for its Azure cloud business. The company didn’t announce a big increase in how much it plans to spend on AI investments. That helped to boost shares.

Investors are worried that such spending is eating into companies’ cash flows and may not ultimately be worth it if AI doesn’t deliver as much productivity and profits as promised.

In a statement released Thursday, Jassy said AWS is “booming” and noted that its AI and chips businesses each eclipsed run rates of more than $25 billion. He noted that in stores, the company set record delivery speeds for its Prime members in the first half of the year, noting that 40% more items were delivered either same-day or overnight.

“There’s a lot to be excited about, and we have much more coming for customers in the second half of the year and beyond,” he said.

Amazon’s results from the latest quarter underscored that demand keeps growing for Amazon’s services and technology.

In April, Amazon signed big deals with OpenAI, Anthropic and Meta.

Amazon announced in April what it called a “major expansion” of its partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI one day after the artificial intelligence company said it was loosening its ties to longtime backer Microsoft.

Like other retailers, however, Amazon is experiencing higher tariff costs because of President Donald Trump’s foreign trade policies. Rising shipping costs as the Iran war affects oil and fuel prices also could cut into the company’s e-commerce revenue.

Meanwhile, Amazon has been speeding up order delivery times through a combination of robotics, AI technology and more efficient warehousing. In fact, speedier delivery helped Amazon dethrone Walmart in February from its status as the nation’s largest company by revenue, according to Fortune, which compiles a ranking of the top 500 U.S. corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years.

Amazon announced in May it was rapidly opening small order processing hubs in dozens of U.S. and foreign cities for 30 minute deliveries, catering to people who can’t or don’t want to wait for cough medicine to relieve flu symptoms or tomatoes for tonight’s dinner salad.

The company said Thursday that for the first six months of the year it more than doubled the number of new customers for its online pharmacy service, while same-day prescription deliveries were up nearly five times.

Amazon also pushed up its big four-day sale event known as Prime Day to June from July this year.

Amazon reported net income of $62.65 billion, or $5.75 per share, in the three-month period ended June 30. That compares with $18.16 billion or $1.68 per share, in the year-ago period.

Net sales rose to $200.6 billion from $167.7 billion a year ago.

Analysts were expecting sales of $197.03 billion for the latest quarter.

Amazon said it expects net sales to be in the range of $197 billion to $202 billion. Analysts expect $203.9 billion, according to FactSet.

El jueves, la jueza del Tribunal de Circuito del condado Miami-Dade, Laura Gonzalez-Marques, condenó a Jones, de 25 años, a 13 años de prisión estatal por su participación en la balacera contra la agente Erica Socarras el 24 de abril de 2020 en Miami.

“Usted es un hombre muy joven, señor. Espero que aproveche el tiempo en prisión para reflexionar sobre las cosas que ha hecho y salga siendo una persona diferente, porque puso en peligro a una agente”, le dijo Gonzalez-Marques a Jones durante la audiencia de sentencia.

Gonzalez-Marques también condenó a Jones a tres años de libertad condicional y le ordenó mantenerse alejado de Socarras.

Socarras, detective de la unidad táctica contra robos que viajaba en un Dodge Charger sin identificación policial, no resultó herida durante la balacera en Brownsville. Según la policía, un proyectil impactó el taser que llevaba en el cinturón junto a su arma de fuego.

El subjefe de la Policía de Miami, Albert “Al” Guerra, describió a Socarras como “increíblemente valiente” y una destacada agente.

“Mientras estaba sentado junto a ella en la sala del tribunal, le pregunté si la sentencia era adecuada para ella, y respondió: “Es adecuada”, y que simplemente quería que todo esto terminara de una vez. Está feliz de que finalmente haya llegado a su fin”, dijo Guerra a los periodistas después de la audiencia de sentencia. “Es un buen desenlace para nosotros y ella se encuentra de buen ánimo”.

Gonzalez-Marques ya había condenado a Antranard Womble, coacusado de Jones, a 15 años de prisión por disparar contra Socarras durante la parada de tránsito en la esquina de Northwest 22nd Avenue y 54th Street.

Jones se declaró culpable de intento de asesinato premeditado en primer grado con arma mortal, lanzamiento de proyectil mortal, agresión agravada con arma de fuego y solicitud para cometer asesinato.

Jones, quien permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza desde el 20 de agosto de 2020, tiene dos casos pendientes por cargos de agresión cometida por un detenido contra un visitante u otro detenido, según registros judiciales y penitenciarios.

El fotoperiodista de Local 10 News Tim McFarland colaboró con este reportaje.

Historia relacionada: Hombre recibe condena de prisión tras declararse culpable de disparar contra agente de la Policía de Miami.

Hafley spoke with reporters Thursday before the Dolphins took the field for the second day of training camp, just months after a major offseason overhaul that included the releases of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and linebacker Bradley Chubb.

The team also traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets.

Despite the changes, Hafley said the word “rebuild” does not fit the mindset inside the Dolphins’ locker room.

“I don’t know how you can have a conversation with a competitive player or a competitive coach and have it sit right with them where we’re just going to say, we’re just going to rebuild this year,” he said. “And I mean, it’s just not the mentality of any competitor who’s made it to this level or any coach that’s made it to this level.”

Hafley said the team’s approach is centered around getting better every day while competing.

“Whether it’s practice or whether it’s a drill, I think we all want to win it and our mindset is we need to get better, we need to develop, and everything that we do is going to be about competing to get better throughout the process and we want to win,” he added.

The Dolphins began training camp with a new coaching staff and a new quarterback in Malik Willis, who joined Miami after the offseason departure of Tagovailoa.

Hafley said it is too early to evaluate players after only a few practices and emphasized the importance of consistency over time.

“I just think, guys, it’s going to be really hard to assess anybody in these first couple of practices,” Hafley said. “I think the key to everything is going to be consistency over time.”

One of Hafley’s biggest priorities during camp has been creating more realistic game situations. The Dolphins have spent more time in 11-on-11 drills and less time in 7-on-7 work, something Hafley said better prepares players for the challenges of an actual game.

“I want to just play football,” he said. “I think that’s how you get good.”

Hafley also discussed the return of running back De’Von Achane, who is being eased back into practice after time away from football.

“Well, he (Achane) just came back, so he’s got to build up his reps just like everybody else to get ready to play in a game,” Hafley said. “But we’ve got to gradually increase it, and we’ll do that throughout camp. So it’s just (his) first day back. (He) hadn’t really played football in a while, but I am very glad that he’s back.”

The Dolphins will continue training camp as Hafley works to establish his culture heading into the new season. The first practice open to the public is set for Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

View the Dolphins’ full training camp schedule by clicking here.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward (BSO), la balacera fue reportada alrededor de las 10:12 p.m. cerca de la cuadra 4000 de Southwest 15th Street.

La portavoz de la BSO, Gerdy St. Louis, informó que mientras los agentes y los paramédicos de Pompano Beach Fire Rescue se dirigían al lugar, les notificaron que los padres de la víctima la habían trasladado a una estación de bomberos cercana.

Los paramédicos en el lugar brindaron asistencia a la víctima antes de que fuera trasladada a un hospital local para recibir tratamiento, informaron las autoridades.

La edad y el estado de la víctima aún no han sido divulgados.

St. Louis indicó que detectives de las unidades de Escena del Crimen y Delitos Violentos de la BSO investigan las circunstancias que rodean la balacera.

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According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was reported at about 10:12 p.m. near the 4000 block of Southwest 15th Street.

BSO spokeswoman Gerdy St. Louis said as deputies and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue medics were heading to the scene, they were advised that the victim’s parents had transported the boy to a nearby fire station.

Medics there provided aid to the victim before he was transported to a local hospital for treatment, authorities said.

As of Thursday morning, the boy was listed in critical condition.

The victim’s age has not yet been released.

St. Louis said detectives with BSO’s Crime Scene and Violent Crimes units are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback didn’t get the contract extension he sought and plans to play out the final season of his three-year, $100 million deal.

“I’ve been pretty up front and honest about my feelings about Tampa, it being home for our family, raising kids here,” Mayfield said Thursday. “We love it here. I wanted a deal done and set the deadline and told them it was going to be all ball after that, and I did mean that. I don’t know if they thought I was gonna take some of the offers that they gave.

“I’m at the point in my career, understanding what I’ve brought to this franchise. One, I’m very thankful for the chance they gave me — do not get me wrong on that. But I also know, I really know what I’ve brought to this franchise, leadership-wise and even play-wise. It’s been some of the best years of my career, and I think it’s only going to trend upwards.”

Mayfield, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by Cleveland, revived his career in Tampa Bay after replacing Tom Brady in 2023. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons while leading the Bucs to consecutive NFC South titles. He was an MVP candidate through the first half of last season when the team started 6-2 but struggled with injuries and tailed off.

“It’s disappointing in that regard, to feel disrespected a little bit,” he said. “That’s really the disappointing part to feel undervalued after thinking you’ve earned it. This is not a ‘poor me’ thing. There’s a lot of other people who have it way worse off. But I can sit here and look at other quarterbacks and peers and evaluate myself based on that and put myself in certain categories that I deserved to be compensated for that.

“I think I’m a franchise quarterback. I’ve been told I’m a franchise quarterback. It’s been said publicly from ownership down here and to not have a deal done is very disappointing.”

Mayfield had set a deadline on getting a new contract by the start of training camp. He said he addressed his teammates to let them know he won’t let the issue become a distraction. He also doesn’t need it to motivate him.

“Money should never be the motivation in football,” he said. “It’s how do I help this team win? It’s never going to be the motivation for me. When it comes to having a chip on your shoulder and all that, for me it just puts me in the mindset of betting on myself. That’s something I’m pretty familiar with, and it’s a good place to be. As a highly competitive guy, sometimes you have to put yourself backed into a corner and fight your way out. I have a lot of guys and a lot of staff around me that are with me, so I’m not alone in it. We’re fighting for the same goal, and that’s to be playing in February.”

If Mayfield plays like he did in 2024 — 4,500 yards passing, 41 touchdown passes, 71.4% completion rate, 106.8 passer rating — the Buccaneers likely will have to pay him even more than he commands now. A contract that averages between $50-55 million is considered to be Mayfield’s current range.

“Baker hasn’t missed a beat or changed one bit through anything that’s going on,” offensive lineman Ben Bredeson said. “He’s still our quarterback, he’s still the same leader, friend, guy that we all love. When he says it’s all about ball, he means it. He’s probably one of the most consistent and locked in individuals I’ve ever had the chance to play with. It’s an honor going to work with him every day and no matter what’s happening outside of the building, he has not changed one bit and is ready to go at all times.”

Two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Vita Vea also is unhappy with his contract situation as he enters the final year of his deal. He has missed the first two days of practice with a back injury.

“It’s all about winning here now and what we’re going to do and hopefully gets his back fixed and gets his deal done,” Mayfield said. “Vita deserves that. He’s the anchor of our defense. I hope they take care of him.”

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

La medida añade nuevos motivos a la ley migratoria de Argentina, lo que permite que las autoridades impidan el ingreso, deporten y revoquen visas a personas que se determine que han promovido el odio contra los argentinos en declaraciones orales o escritas, o que hayan profanado símbolos nacionales.

“Frente a las recientes manifestaciones de hostilidad contra la República Argentina y los argentinos, el Gobierno Nacional reafirma que la defensa de la Nación, de sus ciudadanos y de sus símbolos no es negociable”, manifestó la oficina del presidente. “Quien ataque a la República Argentina no es bienvenido en nuestro país”.

La decisión supone un marcado giro para un país que, durante mucho tiempo, se ha enorgullecido de recibir inmigrantes. La Constitución de Argentina fomenta explícitamente la inmigración y, durante décadas, el país ha ofrecido a los extranjeros amplios derechos civiles y un acceso relativamente fácil a la residencia legal, la educación pública y la atención sanitaria.

La oficina de Milei presentó el decreto como una respuesta a semanas de críticas de celebridades, aficionados rivales y usuarios de redes provocadas por decisiones arbitrales controvertidas que alimentaron la especulación de que la FIFA había inclinado el torneo a favor de los campeones vigentes y la superestrella Lionel Messi.

Las condenas a aficionados argentinos ocasionalmente agresivos y al juego brusco del equipo en el campo pronto se ampliaron hasta convertirse en ataques contra la sociedad argentina en su conjunto, lo que amplificó críticas de larga data según las cuales los argentinos se consideran cultural y económicamente superiores a sus vecinos latinoamericanos. Peticiones en línea para expulsar a Argentina del Mundial reunieron cientos de miles de firmas.

La reacción se intensificó cuando jugadores y miembros del cuerpo técnico de Argentina se vieron involucrados en una trifulca después del partido con sus rivales españoles tras la final del Mundial.

El miércoles, la FIFA, el organismo rector del fútbol mundial, inició procedimientos disciplinarios contra la Asociación del Fútbol Argentino por el altercado, así como por presuntos insultos racistas y mala conducta de aficionados. Los jugadores también enfrentaron una investigación de la FIFA por exhibir una pancarta en la que se afirmaba el reclamo de Argentina sobre las Islas Malvinas (conocidas como Falkland en inglés), controladas por Reino Unido, después de la victoria del equipo sobre Inglaterra en semifinales.

Milei, un aliado cercano del presidente de Estados Unidos Donald Trump, ha descrito el aluvión de críticas como una “campaña antiargentina”. La semana pasada, sin aportar pruebas, alegó que los gobiernos de izquierda de Brasil y México, así como el Partido Demócrata de Estados Unidos, habían financiado el esfuerzo para estigmatizar a Argentina con el fin de desacreditar a su gobierno libertario.

Sus acusaciones e insultos desencadenaron una crisis diplomática con el vecino Brasil, que retiró a su embajador en Argentina el fin de semana pasado.

En el decreto del jueves se indica que los castigos no se aplican al desacuerdo ideológico ni a la crítica política, académica o cívica protegida por la Constitución de Argentina.

Pero deja sin respuesta cómo distinguirán los funcionarios la expresión protegida del discurso de odio prohibido, si las autoridades migratorias revisarán la actividad de los extranjeros en redes sociales y con qué rigor se aplicarán las nuevas facultades contra turistas y residentes de larga data.

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

Cameron threw only 72 pitches through six innings with two walks and five strikeouts, with little solid contact by the Twins. Catcher Salvador Perez sprang forward to pick up Ryan Kreidler’s dribbler in front of the plate and make an on-target underhand toss to first base for the second out of the sixth as the 36-year-old tumbled to the grass to keep the feat alive.

But Jeffers delivered a clean single to right-center field on an 0-2 changeup from Cameron.

Cameron still stretched his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 16 by getting the next six outs for his career-long outing with a one-hitter in eight shutout innings. He threw seven shutout frames in relief last Friday after the Royals used an opener in a 2-1 loss at Detroit. This one ended even worse, when Kody Clemens hit a walk-off grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning to give Minnesota a 4-3 victory.

Former Twins right-hander Randy Dobnak pitched seven scoreless innings for the Royals on Wednesday night in a 4-0 victory.

Cameron went 9-7 with a 2.99 ERA in 24 starts last season and finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year award voting. The 27-year-old threw 6 1/3 no-hit innings in his major league debut on April 30, 2025, for a 3-0 win at Tampa Bay.

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

The department’s 27 passport agencies nationwide will start offering the special travel documents next month. They previously had only been available at the Washington, D.C., passport office for in-person applicants.

Trump, whose stern portrait is emblazoned on an inside page, is the first living president featured in the travel document.

The passports are the latest instance of Trump having his name and likeness added to buildings, documents and other highly visible tributes. His image is on a gold-finished commemorative coin celebrating the country’s founding that the U.S. Mint has begun producing, and there are efforts to put Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency, also a first for a sitting president.

“In response to overwhelming demand, the Department of State is making an additional 250,000 of the special commemorative passports available to the public,” it said in a statement. “Americans all across the country will now have the opportunity to apply for one of these additional special passports, known as the ‘Patriot Passport.’”

Passport offices in Centennial, Colorado; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; New Orleans; New York; and Stamford, Connecticut, will offer the Trump passports at one-day special events starting Aug. 8. The list will grow to include other passport offices throughout August.

Those who want the special passport must apply in-person on the day specified on the department’s passport website. Those wanting a traditional passport must apply on different days.

The commemorative passport features Trump’s picture over a gold imprimatur of his signature to an interior page, while the cover carries the words “United States of America” in bold gold print at the top and “Passport” at the bottom — a reversal of the current standard cover.

In addition, a small gold laminate American flag, with the number 250 encircled by stars, is at the bottom of the back cover.

The only presidents featured in current U.S. passports are in a double-page depiction of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Other depictions include the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and scenes of the Great Plains, mountains and islands. Current passports also contain quotations from Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower.

The addition of Trump’s picture and signature to the passport book is the newest step his aides have taken to increase the president’s visibility, including adding his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace building and the Kennedy Center performing arts venue, although that signage was later removed on a court order.

Trump also has made waves with his plans for a new White House ballroom and a massive arch to be built at one of the entrances to Washington from Virginia.

The changes at the National Jamboree, which ends Friday, reflect shifts made by Scouting America since the organization became a target of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over what he calls “woke” policies. Some scouts who had planned to attend the event in West Virginia said they backed out because Scouting America scrapped the inclusion initiatives it previously celebrated.

Hegseth threatened to end the Pentagon's century-old partnership with Scouting America if it did not make changes including refocusing away from diversity initiatives. The organization, previously known as Boy Scouts of America, rebranded in 2024 to emphasize inclusion and the growing number of girls in the scouting ranks.

“Scouting fundamentally is a safe place for young people to have fun,” said Samuel J. Aronson, an assistant scoutmaster who has organized inclusive events at previous national events. “In the absence of these spaces, we’re denying all that, both the safety and the fun, to thousands of young people.”

Thousands attend the National Jamboree

This year, about 15,000 scouts, leaders and volunteers from across the country are attending the 10-day event in the mountains of West Virginia. In addition to activities including mountain biking and kayaking, the gathering hosts leadership programs and educational sessions.

A Scouting America spokesperson said the organization remains “fully committed to welcoming and serving all youth,” but did not address questions about the changes to the jamboree.

The Pentagon made a deal with Scouting America in February but the two sides have given conflicting accounts of that agreement. This month, a gay rights activist obtained the memo outlining the agreement from the Defense Department after filing a lawsuit, arguing that clarity was of public importance.

The six-page document spells out ways the Pentagon will monitor compliance, including that officials from each organization would have “periodic touchpoints and meet” as needed. It was obtained by James Dale, who was expelled from the Boy Scouts in the early 1990s for being gay and later sued over discrimination. He equated the Pentagon's tactics to the actions of a bully.

“They basically have their thumb on the organization, threatening them under constant pressure,” Dale said.

Deal preserves ties between Scouting America and Pentagon

The scouts and the military have long held close ties; The military provides logistical support for the jamboree and some scout troops meet on or near bases.

Asked about the implementation and monitoring of the deal, a Pentagon spokesperson referred to previous comments by Hegseth.

In February, Hegseth posted a video that said his department would “vigorously review” changes made by Scouting America and would cease the military’s longtime support of the organization if it failed to comply by late August.

Some scouts disappointed by changes to inclusion efforts

John Andrew Segebarth, a 21-year-old college student and Eagle Scout, has been disheartened by the agreement. He joined the scout ranks in first grade and said he had been looking forward to staffing the space for LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts at this year’s Jamboree.

Segebarth, who is gay and was elected by peers as a national officer for scouts in 2024, said the removal of inclusive spaces is a sharp reversal for Scouting America. National scouting events in recent years included community spaces for girls, scouts of color, LGBTQ+ scouts and persons with disabilities, according to Aronson.

“Scouting’s kind of walking back on its values that they told me they believed in,” said Segebarth who, along with Aronson, decided not to attend the jamboree this year.

It was at a community tent that Layla Grace found the first place where she could talk openly about being a transgender female. Now a 21-year-old assistant scoutmaster, Grace had also planned to staff the space for LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts in West Virginia this year.

When the spaces were canceled, Grace said she almost didn't go to the jamboree but decided she wanted to be there to help those in need. She wound up volunteering at an area dedicated to addressing issues that include mental health, food security and education.

And she's trying to fill the gap left by the removal of inclusive areas.

“I am wearing so many rainbows on me, my right hand has my nails painted in the lesbian flag and my left hand has my nails painted in the transgender flag,” she said. “I am being as loud as I can to do my best to hopefully make up for the lack of community spaces.”

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Associated Press reporter Ben Finley contributed to this report from Washington.

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A representative for the the mall said the new stores are aimed to give visitors more reasons to enjoy the outlet shopping center.

One of the newest arrivals is Sephora, a longtime request by shoppers, the representative said. Also now open is LandShark Bar & Grill by Margaritaville, the brand’s first location in Miami-Dade County. The company says it serves American fare, seafood and tropical cocktails with live music on the weekends.

Dolphin Mall also recently welcomed Eko Padel & Pickle, which the company says is the brand’s first U.S. location. This indoor sports venue features professional padel and pickleball courts, lessons for players of all skill levels, an on site-cafe, and spaces for private events. Prices start at $30 for one person per hour.

Other recent openings include JD Sports, Miniso, Luli Fama, Primark, and the newly renovated CMX Cinemas Dolphin 19 & IMAX.

Fabletics is expected to open in August, according to the mall, and Pop Mart, a retailer known for collectable designer toys and character collaborations, is expected to open later this year.

Dolphin Mall said the new businesses reflect continued investment in expanding the property’s mix of retail, dining and entertainment experiences for shoppers and visitors.

Un representante del centro comercial indicó que las nuevas tiendas buscan ofrecer a los visitantes más razones para disfrutar del centro comercial outlet.

Una de las incorporaciones más recientes es Sephora, una tienda muy solicitada por los compradores, señaló el representante. También abrió sus puertas LandShark Bar & Grill by Margaritaville, la primera ubicación de la marca en el condado Miami-Dade. La empresa indicó que ofrece comida estadounidense, mariscos y cócteles tropicales con música en vivo los fines de semana.

Dolphin Mall también dio recientemente la bienvenida a Eko Padel & Pickle, que, según la empresa, es la primera ubicación de la marca en Estados Unidos. Este recinto deportivo bajo techo cuenta con canchas profesionales de pádel y pickleball, clases para jugadores de todos los niveles, una cafetería y espacios para eventos privados. Los precios comienzan en $30 USD por persona por hora.

Otras aperturas recientes incluyen JD Sports, Miniso, Luli Fama, Primark y el renovado CMX Cinemas Dolphin 19 & IMAX.

Según el centro comercial, Fabletics abrirá en agosto y Pop Mart, una tienda conocida por sus figuras coleccionables de diseñador y colaboraciones con personajes, abrirá más adelante este año.

Dolphin Mall indicó que estos nuevos negocios reflejan la inversión continua para ampliar la oferta de tiendas, restaurantes y entretenimiento para compradores y visitantes.

The former lieutenant governor made the announcement in a video posted on his Facebook page as democratic socialist Francesca Hong has garnered strong support from the liberal wing of the party.

Barnes’ decision to drop out came a day after the release of a Marquette Law School poll of Wisconsin Democratic primary voters that found Hong leading Barnes and the other candidates by a significant margin, although about one-third of primary voters remained undecided.

“It's become very clear who our nominee is going to be,” Barnes said.

Barnes’ move came on the same day that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that it had asked him about allegations of inappropriate behavior lodged with the state Democratic Party, local party officials and others against him.

The Wisconsin Democratic Party received an anonymous letter in 2024 and again in 2025 making allegations against Barnes, a person with direct knowledge of the party’s actions told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the review.

The party hired a law firm in 2025 to look into claims that Barnes used his position in the party to seek out inappropriate relationships with young adult women, the person said. The review found nothing actionable because the allegations were anonymous and unspecific, the person with knowledge of the probe said.

Barnes' campaign issued a statement saying, “There are no allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing against Mandela.”

Barnes is the third Democrat to withdraw from the race. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her run amid a campaign finance scandal two weeks ago and former state economic development director Missy Hughes dropped out in June.

After Rodriguez ended her campaign, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley rejoined the race with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers.

Crowley made a direct plea to Barnes' supporters to back him.

“There's a place for you in what we're building,” he posted on social media.

Evers told reporters Thursday that he was surprised by Barnes’ move.

“But he needs to do what he needs to do,” Evers said. “I don’t know why he’s getting out. I have to believe it’s something relatively important.”

Evers said he stuck by his endorsement of Crowley, who worked closely with Evers and Republican lawmakers on a deal to increase funding for local communities. Evers chose to endorse him over Barnes, who served as his lieutenant governor in his first term.

Evers said Crowley was the best candidate “even if Mandela was in.”

Hong did not immediately return a text message seeking comment.

Joel Brennan, a long-shot candidate in the race, said, “It’s unfortunate for voters that this primary has gotten more attention for chaos than the stakes of this election."

The shake-up comes after nearly 128,000 voters have already returned absentee ballots and on the third day of in-person early voting. On Wednesday, a judge rejected a lawsuit supported by the Democratic Party seeking to allow voters who have already returned their absentee ballots to cancel them and vote again.

The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who faces only nominal opposition in the Republican primary. Tiffany, who has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, said it's become clear the race will be a choice between a “socialist agenda” or “common sense.”

“This election is not about red versus blue,” he said. “It is about whether Wisconsin stays Wisconsin.”

Barnes ending his campaign comes after he benefited from other candidates dropping out in the Democratic primary race for Senate in 2022 to clear the field for him. He ended up losing by under 27,000 votes that year to Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.

Según la policía de North Miami, el accidente se reportó poco después de las 3 pm en Lost City Brewing Company , ubicada en 12207 NE 13th Court.

Según la policía, el conductor, Eros Emanuel Gehrig, de 53 años, perdió el control del vehículo y chocó contra cinco coches antes de estrellarse contra la fachada del edificio.

“La estructura fue evaluada y se determinó que era segura y que no representaba ningún peligro para la seguridad”, dijo un portavoz del Departamento de Policía Metropolitana de Nuevo México (NMPD) a Local 10 News en un correo electrónico.

El propietario de la cervecería, Chris Campos, declaró a Local 10 News que es un milagro que no hubiera nadie dentro del local en ese momento.

“Falta una hora para que abramos, media hora después de que estuviéramos haciendo algunas reparaciones al refrigerador que está en esta pared”, dijo Campos. “Fue un momento realmente fortuito en el que no había nadie y, la verdad, si hubiera habido gente, habría sido terrible”.

Según el informe de detención, una revisión de los registros reveló que la licencia de conducir de Gehrig en Florida había sido suspendida indefinidamente el 12 de septiembre de 2012.

Fue arrestado bajo el cargo de conducir con la licencia suspendida.

La policía informó que Gehrig fue trasladado al Hospital HCA Florida Aventura para ser evaluado antes de ser ingresado en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Gehrig fue puesto en libertad el jueves por la mañana tras pagar la fianza.

The 2-1 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with a judge appointed by President Donald Trump in the majority, deepened a split between federal appeals courts over the administration's mandatory detention policy.

Four other appeals courts have also rejected it, while the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and Eighth Circuit in St. Louis have sided with the Trump administration.

The expanding circuit split increases the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually take up the issue. The administration last month asked the high court to consider it.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it “strongly disagrees with the Ninth Circuit panel and is confident in its legal position regarding mandatory detention.”

“President Donald Trump and Secretary Mullin are now enforcing the law as it was actually written to keep America safe,” the statement said.

Under previous administrations, most noncitizens without a criminal record who were arrested inside the U.S. were allowed to seek a bond hearing while their immigration cases were pending. Mandatory detention was generally reserved for people arrested at the border.

Last July, immigration officials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to immigrants in the U.S. interior. The move — part of the administration's mass deportation campaign — prompted a deluge of federal lawsuits by immigrants seeking release from custody.

Some federal judges who ordered bond hearings blasted the administration for repeatedly violating their orders.

The Trump administration has argued that Congress changed immigration law in 1996 to allow mandatory detention beyond the border, but previous administrations didn't enforce that provision.

Writing for the majority in Thursday's ruling, 9th U.S. Circuit Judge Daniel Bress rejected that argument.

“Although no reading of the complicated and interrelated textual provisions at issue here is without some shortcomings, the historical understanding of the statute is the better one,” Bress, a Trump appointee, wrote.

He was joined by Judge M. Margaret McKeown, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton.

Judge Carlos Bea, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, dissented, saying the text and purpose of an amendment Congress approved in 1996 support the Trump administration's reading.

Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in human history before it was eradicated in 1980, largely thanks to vaccination. For centuries, the virus had killed about one-third of the people it infected and left most survivors with deep and sometimes disfiguring scars.

Outbreaks struck Asia and Europe and eventually spread to the Americas, where colonial writings, administrative records and missionary reports documented how it killed millions and devastated Indigenous populations who had never been exposed to the virus.

Now there's scientific evidence for the spread: An analysis of Chilean mummies provides the strongest genetic link yet to the virus as it existed outside of the Americas, and provides a better picture of how it reached remote populations through colonization, said geneticist Shigeki Nakagome with Trinity College Dublin.

In the new study, Nakagome and colleagues examined 13 bone samples previously collected from an archaeological site at Camarones, in northern Chile.

Researchers found evidence of two smallpox infections in ancient DNA from the leg bone fragments of an adult man and woman.

From dating the remains and peeking at the genes, scientists concluded the two likely died between 1492 and 1631. Scientists also compared the genes in this version of smallpox to other versions and fit it neatly between European strains from medieval times and later versions. This was important molecular evidence, suggesting that the strains of smallpox infecting people in the Americas evolved first from Europe.

“Nobody would ever question that smallpox came to this hemisphere from colonization, but this proves it,” said Patricia Foster, a biologist at Indiana University. She had no role in the new research, which was published Thursday in the journal Science.

Exactly which population brought smallpox to the Americas from the Old World remains unclear, said the study authors. European settlers came in different waves to the Americas following the explorations of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean in 1492 and Amerigo Vespucci along the South American coast about a decade later. The disease also could have passed through Africa as part of the introduction and expansion of the slave trade.

These smallpox infections in South America were identified in an area with no previous record of the disease, opening new questions about how the virus got so far south — possibly spreading along Indigenous trading networks that had long pre-existed the arrival of Europeans.

Studying various strains of the virus also allowed scientists to pinpoint how it evolved over time, turning off certain genes to become more effective at its deadly mission.

In addition to confirming the history of smallpox, the research also shines a light on the human cost. The two sick individuals studied were between 18 and 35 years old, and the disease is likely what killed them.

The findings point to how devastating the disease was across the Americas, wiping out entire populations and leaving them vulnerable to European conquest, said study coauthor Constanza de la Fuente Castro, a biological anthropologist at the University of Chile.

“It wasn't just cultural or demographic. It's literally written into biological evidence that we can still recover and read today,” de la Fuente Castro said.

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

The crackdown set off after a truck driver, who authorities said was in the country illegally, made an illegal U-turn that caused a crash that killed three people on the Turnpike in Saint Lucie County.

Since then, the industry has been on high alert.

“There’s a lot of disruption in this industry,” said Osvaldo Canto, an instructor with the Commercial Driver License program at Miami Dade College. “In our opinion, it was needed because we were seeing a lot of things going on that were not supposed to be happening.”

Canto said enrollment in the program has boomed. New and experienced drivers want to comply with state and federal requirements.

“They need to have basic English,” Canto said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has been enforcing the executive order. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced states couldn’t issue commercial licenses to drivers who couldn’t speak English. Law enforcement checks the driver’s language skills during traffic stops or inspections.

Luis Garcia is a student in the program at Miami Dade College. He is taking English proficiency courses at MDC.

“I’m originally from Cuba,” Garcia said.

Critics say the increased enforcement unfairly targets immigrants, and it is to blame for a shortage of truck drivers. Canto hopes it will just make the roads safer.

Related story: White House wants veterans to replace immigrant truckers who lost their licenses in crackdown

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Miami opens the preseason Oct. 3 against the Toronto Raptors at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City as part of NBA Canada Games 2026. The game marks the first NBA preseason contest ever played in Quebec City.

The Heat then return home to host the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 8, the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 10 and the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 14 before wrapping up the preseason on the road against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 16.

The announcement comes after one of the most eventful offseasons in franchise history, during which the Heat acquired forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis via trade with the Milwaukee Bucks in late June.

The pair were officially introduced by the team at Kaseya Center on July 16 and said they were eager to begin their new chapter in South Florida.

Miami will hold its annual media day Sept. 28 at Kaseya Center before opening training camp on Sept. 29.

And don’t forget, you can watch Miami Heat games on Local 10 next season as WPLG Local 10 and the Heat announced a newly expanded media rights agreement, making Local 10 the home of HEAT basketball across South Florida! CLICK HERE for more information on how to watch!

Heat fans can also call 786-777-4375 for more information on how to purchase tickets for the 2026-2027 preseason and regular season.

Miami Heat 2026-27 preseason schedule (locations included)

• Oct. 3: at Toronto, 7 p.m. (Videotron Centre)
• Oct. 8: vs. New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. (Kaseya Center)
• Oct. 10: vs. Minnesota, 8 p.m. (Kaseya Center)
• Oct. 14: vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. (Kaseya Center)
• Oct. 16: at Orlando, 7 p.m. (Kia Center)

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week announced it would wrap up the program, which was initially implemented by the Biden administration in 2024 to lower patients' Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to effects of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

While federal officials insist the financial impact on Medicare beneficiaries will be minimal, the decision opens the Republican-led administration to potential political consequences in a high-stakes midterm election year. Voters have identified cost of living as a top concern, and many older adults, who tend to vote in high numbers, are on fixed incomes where every dollar counts. The roughly 25 million Americans with Medicare Part D plans will find out about their 2027 rates in the fall, when they are casting ballots in November's elections.

Democrats slammed CMS's move as part of a pattern of federal attacks on healthcare affordability, alongside federal Medicaid cuts and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies that had reduced premium costs for working-age Americans in that program.

“The Trump administration is actively raising prescription drug costs for 25 million seniors,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X in response to the news, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. “Heartless, cruel, and completely by choice.”

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on Tuesday said ending the subsidy program would prevent billions of taxpayer dollars from being funneled to insurance companies. It cost the agency an estimated $3.6 billion in 2026.

He said most Medicare beneficiaries would see less than a $10-per-month increase, and some would even see lower premiums than beforehand.

“Every Medicare beneficiary still has access to low-cost plans, and we will continue to lower prescription drug prices for every American patient, from more MFN deals to our policy giving seniors access to GLP-1s for $50 a month,” he wrote on social media.

The federal government also negotiates directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower the prices of some of the most expensive drugs in Medicare, through a program created by Congress in 2022.

This week's decision has no impact on the out-of-pocket cap that limits the amount that older adults with standalone Medicare drug coverage spend on their prescription drugs over the course of a year. That was set at $2,100 in 2026 and is projected to rise to $2,400 for 2027.

Part D beneficiaries paid an average of $36 a month this year for their prescription drug premiums with the subsidies in place, according to the healthcare research nonprofit KFF. The subsidies offset the average premium by $16 in 2026, according to the federal Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).

It's not yet known how many Americans the change will effect, or how much more they'll pay. Older Americans have the opportunity to shop for plans each year, and prices vary widely between them. CMS has said it will release information about next year's premiums in September.

AARP Executive Vice President Nancy LeaMond said her organization, which serves Americans 50 and older, had supported the temporary subsidy.

“While it’s too early to know the full impact of this change, it would be unfortunate if this decision made Part D coverage less affordable, just as we’re beginning to see billions in savings from Medicare drug price negotiation,” she said in a statement.

Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at KFF, said the price increases may be marginal for some consumers but impactful for others when combined with higher prices in other areas, like groceries, gas and housing.

“What's going to matter most for consumers is how much more or less they have to pay at the end of a month, and how much they have left after the bills are paid,” she said. “This could just make it more challenging for some people to make that math work.”

Mientras, el presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel defendió ante los diputados la reciente publicación de políticas aperturistas al sector privado en la isla.

Díaz-Canel encabezó el foro legislativo, mientras que el exlíder Raúl Castro lo siguió por teleconferencia.

La reorganización del Estado fue anunciada en junio y contempla reducir de 27 a 20 los ministerios, al tiempo que se producirán algunas fusiones y desaparecerán otros cuyos contenidos serán absorbidos por los restantes. Por ejemplo, el nuevo Ministerio de Agricultura y Alimentación reunirá a los actuales de Agricultura y de la Industria Alimentaria.

En tanto, la nueva ley de vivienda permitirá que los ciudadanos tengan dos viviendas a su nombre en zonas urbanas –hasta ahora sólo se autoriza una— y una de descanso y que los emigrados no pierdan sus propiedades.

Estas sesiones parlamentarias que se convocan pocas veces al año y que comenzaron la víspera se producen en momentos en que la isla enfrenta la casi paralización de su vida económica y social tras un cerco petrolero impuesto por Estados Unidos desde enero . Las consecuencias para la población han sido apagones de más de 20 horas diarias, cortes de internet, desabastecimiento de agua y medicinas y escasez de combustible.

También poco después de la publicación esta semana de una serie de normas gubernamentales con acceso a sectores antes solo reservados al Estado, como la extracción petrolera o la creación de casas de ancianos y que buscan sacar al país de una mayor caída.

Durante su discurso de cierre de las sesiones, el presidente Díaz-Canel hizo énfasis en las hostilidades de Estados Unidos que dijo han llevado a la isla a “un escenario extremadamente complejo y amenazante, propio de una fortaleza sitiada".

Los gobiernos de ambas naciones reconocieron haber mantenido contacto pero se desconoce su contenido. El presidente Donald Trump acusó al modelo de la isla de ineficiente y aseguró que está dispuesto a tomar la isla si esta no se aviene a cambios económicos y políticos.

Al mismo tiempo, Díaz-Canel negó que las medidas aperturistas sean una reacción ante las presiones de Estados Unidos pero reconoció las inquietudes en algunos sectores de la población.

“Existen preocupaciones legítimas y francas sobre el crecimiento del capital privado, la concentración de riquezas y capital por una persona, lo relacionado con los derechos de usufructo, superficie y negocios inmobiliarios, la posibilidad de privatización de empresas estatales, la ampliación y naturalización de la desigualdad… y la falta de mecanismos de participación y control popular", expresó el mandario.

“A todos estos asuntos hay que prestarle atención… las transformaciones que hoy implementamos no son para más capitalismo sino para defender y avanzar en la construcción socialista”, agregó.

Las sesiones del miércoles y jueves sirvieron también para que funcionarios de primer nivel como el primer ministro Manuel Marrero hicieran un recuento de la situación actual.

Marrero aseguró que a raíz de la salida de las cadenas internacionales — luego de las amenazas de sancione de Estados Unidos contra ellas — y de la caída del estratégico sector del turismo –muchas líneas aéreas abandonaron sus rutas a la isla— se encuentran cerrados el 73% de los hoteles.

Además, el viceprimer ministro y titular de Comercio Exterior, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, informó que debido a las sanciones estadounidenses varias empresas navieras se vieron obligadas a dejar más de 7.000 contenedores en puertos del Caribe cargados con alimentos y medicinas para la isla.

The players won't be punished for the bet, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The league posted the initial video from All-Star Weekend, days before Bueckers’ Dallas Wings and Reese’s Atlanta Dream were set to play Wednesday night. The clip featured Bueckers and Reese placing what appeared to be a personal wager on the game. It was presented with the caption, “We did?” with a laughing emoji followed by, “Paige Bueckers on the bet she made with Angel Reese at All-Star Weekend on tonight’s matchup.”

The WNBA moved quickly to delete the message, but not before it was shared on social media.

“While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league’s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies,” a league spokesperson said Thursday. “We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.

“We will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.”

The Wings and the Dream both deferred to the league statement when asked for comment.

The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that any kind of wagering is strictly prohibited and that players can be fined, suspended or even disqualified from the WNBA at the sole discretion of the commissioner.

The Dream rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the Wings 82-81 on Wednesday, with Reese notching 22 points and 12 rebounds and Bueckers finishing with 16 points and six assists.

___

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

La camiseta, diseñada por adidas, presenta una base blanca con detalles en rosa, verde menta y negro. Según el club, el diseño está inspirado en la cubierta arquitectónica del Nu Stadium y refleja tanto el estilo de Miami como la nueva etapa del equipo.

Royal Caribbean aparece en la parte frontal de la camiseta como socio oficial del uniforme del club, mientras que Lowe’s continúa como patrocinador de las mangas. La empresa de tecnología financiera Nu debuta como patrocinador en la parte posterior de la camiseta.

El club celebrará el lanzamiento la noche del jueves con un evento por invitación en el Nu Stadium, que también servirá como presentación oficial del recién fichado mediocampista brasileño Casemiro.

Se espera que los propietarios del club, Jorge Mas y Jose Mas, participen en las actividades, que incluyen una conferencia de prensa y un encuentro con los aficionados.

Además de la camiseta, la colección Cénit incluye prendas de vestir y calzado, entre ellos chaquetas, camisetas, pantalones cortos, pantalones deportivos, zapatos y sandalias.

Está previsto que los jugadores de Inter Miami estrenen el nuevo uniforme el Sabado, cuando reciban al Columbus Crew durante la Noche de Fútbol Juvenil de Lowe’s. Los primeros 10,000 aficionados que ingresen al estadio recibirán una camiseta blanca conmemorativa del evento.

La campaña promocional de la colección, bajo el lema “We’re Home”, cuenta con Lionel Messi, Facundo Mura, Mateo Silvetti y Germán Berterame, y destaca la mudanza del club al Nu Stadium, inaugurado en abril.

La colección Cénit está disponible desde el jueves en las tiendas oficiales de Inter Miami, en distribuidores seleccionados de adidas y en MLSstore.com.

Inter Miami tiene marca de 11-4-2 en la temporada y ocupa el segundo lugar de la Conferencia Este de la MLS, detrás de Nashville (12-3-2).

El próximo partido del club contra Columbus Crew está programado para el sábado a las 7:30 p.m.

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The adidas-designed jersey features a white base with pink, mint and black accents. According to the club, the design draws inspiration from the architectural canopy at Nu Stadium and reflects both Miami’s style and the team’s next chapter.

Royal Caribbean appears on the front of the jersey as the club’s official jersey partner, while Lowe’s remains the sleeve sponsor. Financial technology company Nu also makes its debut as the back-of-jersey sponsor.

The club will celebrate the launch Thursday night with an invitation-only event at Nu Stadium that will also serve as the official introduction of newly signed Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.

Club owners Jorge Mas and Jose Mas are expected to take part in the festivities, which include a press conference and fan meet-and-greet.

In addition to the jersey, the Cénit collection includes apparel and footwear, including jackets, T-shirts, shorts, track pants, shoes and slides.

Inter Miami players are scheduled to wear the new kit for the first time Saturday when they host the Columbus Crew during Lowe’s Youth Fútbol Night. The first 10,000 fans through the gates will receive a commemorative white event T-shirt.

The promotional campaign for the collection, themed “We’re Home,” features Lionel Messi, Facundo Mura, Mateo Silvetti and Germán Berterame and highlights the club’s move into Nu Stadium, which opened in April.

The Cénit collection is available beginning Thursday at Inter Miami team stores, select adidas retailers and MLSstore.com.

Inter Miami is 11-4-2 on the season and sits behind Nashville (12-3-2) in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

The club’s next match against the Columbus Crew is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The blast apparently was triggered by a buildup of methane gas and occurred on the outskirts of the Baluchistan provincial capital of Quetta, government mine inspector Ghani Baloch said.

The bodies of the seven miners initially were recovered hours after the deadly blast, and emergency responders later found 11 more bodies, officials and a provincial disaster management agency said in a statement.

Baloch said rescue operations would continue until all the trapped miners were found, but he indicated that officials believed the death toll likely would rise further.

“The chances of finding anyone alive diminish after methane gas explosions because oxygen levels drop to zero, and rescuers are also proceeding cautiously inside the mine,” Baloch said.

Authorities were handing over the bodies to their families for burial, while relatives of those still trapped waited anxiously for news, Baloch said.

Baluchistan’s Minister for Mines and Minerals Shoaib Nosherwani said the rescue teams were working under extremely difficult conditions. He pledged that the provincial government would go all-out in the continuing response.

Nosherwani expressed condolences to relatives of the victims and said the provincial government would pay compensation of 500,000 Pakistani rupees (about $1,800) to the family of each miner killed in the blast.

He said authorities would conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion, and would review mining safety measures to help prevent similar accidents.

A coal miners’ labor union said it suspected negligence led to the explosion and called for action against those responsible. In a statement, the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation urged the government to strictly enforce safety regulations and take tough action against companies that violate mine safety laws.

Deadly accidents are common in Pakistan’s coal mining industry, particularly in Baluchistan, where many mines lack adequate ventilation, gas monitoring systems and other basic safety measures.

Mine workers and labor groups have long accused mine owners of failing to enforce safety regulations or provide adequate protective equipment.

Despite the risks and low wages, thousands of miners depend on the coal industry for their livelihoods in Baluchistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, where unemployment and poverty remain widespread.

___

Ahmed reported from Islamabad.

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Preacher-turned-fugitive Monte Chitty will now have to register as a sex offender for life. Facing a judge in Marathon on Thursday, the 64-year-old pleaded no contest to sexual battery of a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies first arrested Chitty, then 62, on March 4, 2024, one day after they said he abused the girl.

Graphic texts, searches incriminate pastor

Investigators said while serving as pastor of First Baptist Marathon, located at 200 62nd St., he provided alcohol to the victim ― who believed the beverage was “spiked” ― and she passed out on a couch in his church’s library, later waking up to Chitty performing oral sex on her.

Authorities said Chitty sent the girl graphic text messages afterward acknowledging what happened, including complimenting her genitals using a cat emoji and telling her, “I prefer you pass out after I play not before” and “You can’t even remember what I did.”

He later probed her on what she recollected and described what he did to her, went on to compliment the teen’s breasts and encouraged her to sit on the couch in a way to make it “easier” to perform oral sex on her, deputies said.

Authorities said he admitted to sending the texts.

MCSO detectives later revealed a concerning Google search history, including “how to make sex for a virgin less painful.”

They said the girl told her grandmother what happened after leaving the church and deputies arrested him the next morning.

Escape to Texas; past ‘disturbing incident’ in Alaska

After being bonded out of jail, Chitty skipped out on an April 2024 bond hearing and fled to the small town of Woodville, Texas. U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement captured him days later after he “reportedly approached a Texas church group that was working with the homeless,” prompting a call to police.

He’s been jailed in the Florida Keys ever since his extradition back to South Florida.

Chitty lived in several states before Florida, including Alaska, where he worked in churches and as a law enforcement officer in remote villages.

His arrest in the Keys drew the attention of Alaska media outlets, including the Anchorage Daily News, which reported on an alleged “disturbing incident” by Chitty in Cold Bay, Alaska that led parishioners at a church to chip in to fly a girl out of town. Chitty has no Alaska criminal record.

Prosecutors sought ‘more significant’ sentence

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped charges of lewd and lascivious conduct and a failure to appear charge related to Chitty fleeing to Texas.

In a news release, a spokesperson for the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office said they had “sought a more significant prison sentence.”

But, they said, “the negotiated plea resolved the case without requiring the victim to return to Monroe County or testify at trial, consistent with her expressed wishes.”

“Holding offenders accountable is always our priority, but when justice can be achieved without forcing a victim to relive a traumatic experience in a courtroom, that is a significant consideration,” Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield said in the release. “This resolution accomplishes both by securing a state prison sentence, long-term supervision through sexual offender probation, and lifetime sex offender registration.”

Chitty, as part of the agreement, will spend 10 years on sex offender probation in addition to being on the registry for life. He’ll also have to pay a little more than $3,600 in fines plus court and prisoner transportation costs.

Court records indicate that Chitty plans to move to Texas after he finishes serving time in Florida.

El predicador convertido en fugitivo Monte Chitty tendrá que registrarse como delincuente sexual de por vida. El jueves, ante un juez en Marathon, el hombre de 64 años se declaró culpable de agresión sexual a un menor y de contribuir a la delincuencia de un menor.

Los agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Monroe arrestaron a Chitty, que entonces tenía 62 años, el 4 de marzo de 2024, un día después de que, según ellos, abusara de la niña.

Textos explícitos, registros incriminan al pastor

Los investigadores dijeron que, mientras ejercía como pastor de la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Marathon, ubicada en el número 200 de la calle 62, le proporcionó alcohol a la víctima, quien creía que la bebida estaba adulterada, y ella se desmayó en un sofá en la biblioteca de su iglesia, despertando más tarde con Chitty practicándole sexo oral.

Las autoridades dijeron que Chitty le envió a la niña mensajes de texto explícitos después, reconociendo lo sucedido, incluyendo halagos a sus genitales con un emoji de gato y diciéndole: “Prefiero que te desmayes después de que juegue, no antes” y “Ni siquiera puedes recordar lo que hice”.

Posteriormente, la interrogó sobre lo que recordaba y le describió lo que le había hecho, luego elogió los pechos de la adolescente y la animó a sentarse en el sofá de una manera que le facilitara practicarle sexo oral, según informaron los agentes.

Las autoridades dijeron que admitió haber enviado los mensajes de texto.

Los detectives de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Maricopa (MCSO) revelaron posteriormente un historial de búsquedas preocupante en Google, que incluía preguntas como “cómo hacer que el sexo sea menos doloroso para una virgen”.

Según informaron, la niña le contó a su abuela lo sucedido después de salir de la iglesia y los agentes lo arrestaron a la mañana siguiente.

Escapada a Texas; pasado “incidente perturbador” en Alaska

Tras salir de la cárcel bajo fianza, Chitty no se presentó a una audiencia de fianza en abril de 2024 y huyó al pequeño pueblo de Woodville, Texas. Los alguaciles federales y la policía local lo capturaron días después, luego de que supuestamente se acercara a un grupo religioso de Texas que trabajaba con personas sin hogar, lo que provocó una llamada a la policía.

Ha estado encarcelado en los Cayos de Florida desde su extradición de regreso al sur de Florida.

Antes de mudarse a Florida, Chitty vivió en varios estados, entre ellos Alaska, donde trabajó en iglesias y como agente del orden en aldeas remotas.

Su arresto en los Cayos atrajo la atención de los medios de comunicación de Alaska, incluido el Anchorage Daily News, que informó sobre un presunto “incidente perturbador” protagonizado por Chitty en Cold Bay, Alaska, que llevó a los feligreses de una iglesia a recaudar fondos para pagar el vuelo de una joven fuera de la ciudad. Chitty no tiene antecedentes penales en Alaska.

Los fiscales solicitaron una sentencia “más severa”.

Como parte del acuerdo con la fiscalía, se retiraron los cargos de conducta lasciva e indecente y el cargo de no comparecer ante el tribunal relacionado con la huida de Chitty a Texas.

En un comunicado de prensa, un portavoz de la Fiscalía del Condado de Monroe dijo que habían “solicitado una pena de prisión más severa”.

Pero, según indicaron, “el acuerdo negociado resolvió el caso sin que la víctima tuviera que regresar al condado de Monroe ni testificar en el juicio, de acuerdo con sus deseos expresados”.

“Nuestra prioridad siempre es exigir responsabilidades a los delincuentes, pero cuando se puede lograr justicia sin obligar a la víctima a revivir una experiencia traumática en un tribunal, eso es algo muy importante”, declaró el fiscal adjunto principal Joseph Mansfield en el comunicado. “Esta resolución logra ambos objetivos al garantizar una pena de prisión estatal, supervisión a largo plazo mediante libertad condicional para delincuentes sexuales y el registro de por vida como delincuente sexual”.

Como parte del acuerdo, Chitty cumplirá 10 años de libertad condicional por delitos sexuales, además de figurar en el registro de por vida. También deberá pagar algo más de 3600 dólares en multas, así como los costos judiciales y de transporte penitenciario.

Los registros judiciales indican que Chitty planea mudarse a Texas después de terminar de cumplir su condena en Florida.

Miami abrirá la pretemporada el 3 de octubre ante los Toronto Raptors en el Videotron Centre de la ciudad de Quebec como parte de los NBA Canada Games 2026. El partido marcará el primer encuentro de pretemporada de la NBA disputado en la ciudad de Quebec.

Luego, el Heat regresará a casa para recibir a los New Orleans Pelicans el 8 de octubre, a los Minnesota Timberwolves el 10 de octubre y a los Brooklyn Nets el 14 de octubre, antes de cerrar la pretemporada como visitante frente al Orlando Magic el 16 de octubre.

El anuncio llega después de una de las temporadas bajas más movidas en la historia de la franquicia, durante la cual el Heat adquirió a los delanteros Giannis Antetokounmpo y Bobby Portis mediante un canje con los Milwaukee Bucks a finales de junio.

Ambos fueron presentados oficialmente por el equipo en el Kaseya Center el 16 de julio y afirmaron que están entusiasmados por comenzar esta nueva etapa en el sur de Florida.

Miami realizará su tradicional Día de Medios el 28 de septiembre en el Kaseya Center antes de iniciar el campamento de entrenamiento el 29 de septiembre.

Y no lo olvide, podrá ver los partidos del Miami Heat la próxima temporada por Local 10, ya que WPLG Local 10 y el Heat anunciaron un acuerdo ampliado de derechos de transmisión, convirtiendo a Local 10 en la casa del baloncesto del Heat en todo el sur de Florida. HAGA CLIC AQUÍ para obtener más información sobre cómo ver los partidos.

Los aficionados del Heat también pueden llamar al 786-777-4375 para obtener más información sobre cómo comprar boletos para la pretemporada y la temporada regular 2026-2027.

Calendario de pretemporada del Miami Heat 2026-27 (incluye sedes)

3 de octubre: en Toronto, 7 p.m. (Videotron Centre)8 de octubre: vs. New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. (Kaseya Center)10 de octubre: vs. Minnesota, 8 p.m. (Kaseya Center)14 de octubre: vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. (Kaseya Center)16 de octubre: en Orlando, 7 p.m. (Kia Center)

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The woman's attorney, Matthew Farley, urged the chief judge of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to dismiss the case against Nazira Haji Zada and immediately release his client, who the government alleges is an Islamic State supporter. Judge Joan Ericksen denied Farley’s requests but said Zada's lawyers can renew them as the case proceeds in the nation's capital.

“This entire scheme is in violation of due process and unconstitutional,” said Farley, an assistant federal public defender.

The case against Zada opens a new, untested front for President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign, which has flooded the nation’s federal court system with immigration proceedings, sometimes based on novel or shaky legal foundations.

The court, established in 1996, had never received a petition until this month, when the Justice Department filed an application seeking Zada's removal. The court has a specific authority to conduct deportation proceedings for individuals whom the Department of Justice classifies as “alien terrorists.”

FBI agents arrested her Tuesday at her Fort Worth, Texas, home. She is not charged with any crimes.

“This is a runaround for bringing a criminal case,” Farley said during the court's first-ever public hearing.

Ericksen, a senior judge who sits in Minnesota and was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, acknowledged that the court was operating without a clear blueprint.

“We probably read the same law review articles. There aren't that many,” the judge told Farley.

An FBI memo dated July 15 said it “developed information” that Zada is an IS supporter who had her children pledge their loyalty to the terrorist group. The memo says she “supported” a plot by relatives to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack in the United States.

Zada is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. Court filings identify her as the mother and mother-in-law of two Afghan men who were convicted in Oklahoma for their roles in the 2024 Election Day plot. Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, was sentenced in November to 15 years in prison and court records show he previously agreed to be removed from the U.S. after his release.

Her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, previously worked as a security guard for an American military installation in Afghanistan. He pleaded guilty to conspiring and attempting to provide material support to IS. Prosecutors have said he took steps to advance his attack plans by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family’s assets and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan.

Zada was led into the courtroom by U.S. Marshals Service deputies. Interpreters translated the proceedings for Zada, who answered the judge's questions with head nods instead of words. The judge cautioned that the court was still in the process of building up its “infrastructure.”

“This is not a criminal matter,” the judge told her. “This is a civil matter that arises under the immigration code.”

Justice Department attorney Hayden O'Byrne read aloud a brief summary of the case but noted that the FBI's investigation of Zada involves classified information that cannot be made public. The judge assured Zada that the federal courts routinely handle cases involving classified information, even though her case is the first of its kind.

Eriksen one of five federal judges from different districts across the country who are appointed to the court by the chief justice of the United States.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that Congress created the court to deport “alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place.”

“The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day. The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America,” Blanche added.

He just got quite a confidence boost.

Malnati shot a career-best, 9-under 61 to tie a tournament record in the first round of the final Rocket Classic on Thursday, giving him a two-shot lead.

When Malnati stood on the first tee, his caddie suggested leaving the driver in his bag to play it safe and set up a solid start.

Malnati, though, went against the advice and used his driver to put a tee shot in the middle of the fairway that set up his first of seven birdies on the front nine.

“Even in the beginning before I knew it was going to be a special day, I didn’t feel the same level of like anxiety," he said.

With thoughts of a sub-60 round crossing his mind, he made a 55-foot putt for birdie at No. 11 and was nine under through 13 holes before missing some putts down the stretch in a bogey-free round.

Detroit Golf Club underwent a $16 million renovation, including converting a couple of par-5 holes into par 4s and adding a lot of bunkers, in an attempt to restore Donald Ross’ vision for it more than a century ago, while making it more challenging.

“I don’t think I took advantage of a super easy course,” said the 39-year-old Malnati, who has won on the PGA Tour in 2024 and 2015. “I played great.”

He wasn't alone.

Rickie Fowler and Ryan Gerard shot 63s, putting them two shots back and one stroke ahead of Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn.

Michael Brennan surged up the leaderboard after starting 2 over through four holes with eight straight birdies — one shy of the PGA Tour record. He finished with a 65, putting him four strokes back with a pack of players that includes Keegan Bradley.

Despite significant changes at the course, Malnati and many other players still went low at a tournament that has been a birdie fest since 2019, when a Detroit-based mortgage company ended a decade-long drought in Michigan without a PGA Tour stop that dated to Tiger Woods winning the last Buick Open.

The PGA Tour is moving to a new model for 2028, effectively creating two tours and Detroit organizers are taking an exit. The Rocket Classic wasn't interested in continuing to spend $15 million a year to be part of the second tier and didn't want to double the costs to be part of the elite tier.

“It’s definitely been a bummer to kind of come into this knowing it was the last one,” said Fowler, a Rocket Mortgage spokesman and the tournament's 2023 champion.

Malnati will have to hold off a field that is stronger than usual in Detroit.

Some of the top players in the field, though, did not get off to a good start. Cameron Young, the No. 3 player in the world, shot a 1-under 69 and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark was 1 over.

The Rocket Classic and next week's Wyndham Championship are the last two tournaments left before the top 70 advances to the FedEx Cup postseason.

___

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

But it’s not actually as complicated as it sounds, and it’s all related to the broader war between the United States and Iran, currently focused on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran supports armed groups across the Middle East that allow it to project power far beyond its borders. The U.S. has thousands of troops based in allied Arab countries that have been targets of Iran's retaliation.

Here’s a look at why so many fronts seem to be heating up at once.

A struggle over the strait

The epicenter of the latest violence is the Strait of Hormuz, an elbow-shaped passage running between Iran and Oman that carried a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas before the war.

Iran says it controls the waterway and has attacked ships attempting to use an alternative route overseen by the U.S. military along the coast of Oman.

The U.S. has struck Iran in response, saying the strait should be open to all international traffic, as it was before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. When the U.S. strikes Iran, Iran retaliates by firing missiles and drones against Arab countries hosting U.S. forces, like Jordan and Kuwait.

The exchanges of fire in recent weeks led to the collapse of an interim agreement aimed at winding down the war. That has deepened mistrust on both sides. At this point, Iran appears to be more interested in cementing its control over the strait than in making a deal with the U.S. to lift international sanctions.

Yemen's Houthis are wading in

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who stayed on the sidelines during the initial phase of the war, have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening shipping through another major trade route leading through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea up to Egypt's Suez Canal.

The Houthis also claim to have attacked Saudi oil infrastructure near an East-West pipeline that the kingdom has used to ship millions of barrels of oil since the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed.

The Houthi-Saudi tensions are rooted in a separate but related conflict going back more than a decade that seems to be reigniting. But it also presents a new front on which Iran could pressure a key U.S. ally and potentially choke off more of the world's energy supplies, with effects far beyond the region.

Ambrey, a maritime security firm, has recorded over 10 transits that U-turned in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Houthi naval blockade against Saudi Arabia was announced. Bab al-Mandeb transits have been down 30% since July 21 compared to June, according to the latest Ambrey data.

The Saudis take aim at Iran-backed groups in Iraq

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia accused Iran-backed militias in Iraq of launching drone attacks on its oil facilities for two straight days. In response, U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft bombed militia sites in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

Iraq has close ties to both the U.S. and Iran and has long struggled to balance them. Since the start of the war, it has been in a literal crossfire. The government condemned the U.S.-Saudi strikes, saying they came as it was trying to investigate what had happened.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, a collection of armed groups close to Iran, are officially part of Iraq's security forces but often act autonomously, including by attacking U.S. forces stationed in Iraq.

American forces are due to finish their withdrawal from the country at the end of September, and the Iraqi government has vowed to disarm nonstate actors or incorporate them into the military. But those efforts could stall as the wider war rages.

The remaining U.S. forces are based in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region, which is also home to armed Iranian Kurdish dissident groups. Iran has attacked both over the course of the war.

Drone attack on Egypt signals a possible widening of the war

On Wednesday, a drone attack on Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta set two natural gas vessels ablaze, including a U.S.-owned floating storage facility.

No one has claimed the attack, and the Houthis have denied responsibility.

Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have avoided military involvement in the war.

Israel is on the sidelines, for now

Israel, which took part in the initial weekslong bombardment of Iran and was repeatedly targeted by Iranian missiles earlier in the conflict, has remained on the sidelines since the interim peace deal.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group fired rockets into northern Israel shortly after the outbreak of the war. Israel responded with aerial bombardment and a ground invasion. It has since occupied, depopulated and destroyed large parts of southern Lebanon, saying such measures are necessary to root out militants.

A June 20 truce has largely held. Israel and Lebanon's government are currently implementing the initial stages of an agreement in which Israeli forces would withdraw and Lebanon's army would move in. The deal also states that Hezbollah must be disarmed. The group has rejected the deal and could violently resist any attempt to forcibly disarm it.

Any attack by Iran, Hezbollah or Israel could reignite those hostilities, reopening yet another front.

___

Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario.

Según la Policía de Plantation, los agentes respondieron al área de 7800 NW 11th Court luego de que se reportara la desaparición de un hombre de 76 años.

“Durante la búsqueda, uno de los zapatos del hombre fue localizado en un lago cercano”, publicó el Departamento de Policía de Plantation (PPPD) en redes sociales. “El Equipo de Buceo del Departamento de Bomberos de Plantation y un perro K-9 Bloodhound de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward asistieron a los agentes en la búsqueda del área”.

La Policía confirmó que el hombre finalmente fue encontrado muerto en el lago.

Los detectives ahora investigan las circunstancias que rodean la muerte de la víctima.

Su identidad aún no ha sido divulgada.

Las autoridades llegaron al área de Southwest 103rd Place y 51st Street y encontraron varios vehículos en llamas.

Según funcionarios de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, los bomberos comenzaron de inmediato las labores para extinguir el incendio tras evaluar la situación.

Indicaron que el incendio fue controlado alrededor de las 10 a.m.

Las autoridades informaron que al menos una persona fue trasladada a un hospital cercano para recibir tratamiento, pero no ofrecieron detalles sobre sus lesiones ni su condición.

Esta es una noticia en desarrollo y será actualizada a medida que se disponga de nueva información.

“Este ha sido un año realmente difícil, atípico”, dijo la secretaria de Medio Ambiente, Alicia Bárcena, durante la conferencia presidencial. Agregó que lo que hace más de una década era un fenómeno temporal de sólo unos meses se ha convertido en un problema continuo. “Este año ha llegado a las playas del Caribe mexicano cuatro veces más (sargazo) que en 2025 y tenemos 27 veces más que el promedio histórico", explicó.

Los científicos prevén que la situación empeore porque hasta junio la cantidad total de sargazo observada en todo el mar Caribe ya casi duplicó el récord histórico y alcanzó cinco millones de toneladas, según el Observatorio de Oceanografía Óptica de la Universidad de Florida.

De todo ese sargazo el gobierno calcula que llegan a las costas caribeñas mexicanas unas 9.000 toneladas diarias en los días fuertes y unas 2.600 en los días bajos. La acumulación de esta alga, además de convertir las aguas turquesas en una interminable mancha marron, inunda las playas de un olor pestilente e impacta en la biodiversidad de la zona.

La meta: recoger más sargazo en el mar

Con los recursos actuales de 16 barcos, 18 embarcaciones menores y más de 16.000 metros de barreras sólo pueden recogerse en torno a 1.200 toneladas al día, una cifra que con la inversión prevista para este año y el próximo el gobierno confía en elevar a 1.800 toneladas en 2026 y hasta 4.000 en 2027.

El principal objetivo es recoger el sargazo en el mar y no en la playa, como mayoritariamente ocurre ahora, porque así se evitará que se erosione las playas.

Por eso la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum dijo que los nuevos fondos serán para tener más barcos, más barreras y más equipos de recolección sustentables que eviten que al limpiar las playas se lleven la arena. Uno de los nuevos barcos prevé llegar en breve a la zona y tendrá más del triple de capacidad que el mayor actual.

Además, el gobierno quiere impulsar todos los proyectos de reciclaje de esta alga que van desde su utilización como biofertilizante a bloques para la construcción o sandalias biodegradables. Según el gobierno, ya hay 39 empresas que desarrollan este tipo de productos.

Actualmente, el 83% del sargazo se recoge en las playas y la mayoría lo hacen los municipios o los hoteles más grandes que desde hace años destinan decenas de trabajadores a limpiar sus playas cada mañana.

Organizaciones civiles llevan años pidiendo más recursos y celeridad en la recolección e impulso a una industria que recicle el sargazo.

Cita internacional en octubre

Siempre ha habido sargazo pero desde 2011 su cantidad se ha multiplicado y extendido desproporcionalmente circulando entre Africa occidental y Brasil e inundando el mar Caribe.

Según el Grupo Interdisciplinario para el Estudio del Sargazo, de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, esto se debe a un cúmulo de factores exacerbados por el cambio climático, como el aumento de la temperatura del mar, las alteraciones en las corrientes oceánicas y el incremento en los océanos de sustancias provenientes de la actividad humana como fertilizantes.

Al ser un problema que trasciende fronteras, México quiere coordinar esfuerzos internacionalmente y tiene previsto celebrar un encuentro el 1 y 2 de octubre no sólo con países del Caribe, sino también con como Brasil y Japón y eventuales donantes como la Unión Europea.

Bárcena dijo que la ayuda de Brasil será importante porque la falta de tratamiento del agua en el Amazonas hace que cuando desemboca en el mar tenga más compuestos que alimentan el alga y agregó que Japón ya ha mostrado su disposición a apoyar con barcos balleneros que ya no utiliza y que pueden ser reconfigurados para recolectar sargazo.

Amazon’s fully autonomous Zoox vehicles got approval Thursday to begin charging customers for rides in the specially designed cars that feature four inward-facing seats once they secure state and local approval. Zoox has already been offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco since last year. At least a couple people were waiting at most stops Thursday afternoon for rides up and down the Vegas strip aboard one of the distinctive boxy-shaped vehicles.

“It’s kind of scary at first, but when I just got used to it, it’s really cool and chilling. I really liked the music and how you can adjust the temperature,” Chloe Huu from Ann Arbor, Michigan, said after taking a ride in a Zoox Thursday. But the projected wait time for the ride kept changing, which made it hard to plan.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also proposed a rule last month to allow robotaxis to operate without brake pedals, but that proposal is still pending. Administrator Jonathan Morrison said his agency wants to update the regulations to fit these fully autonomous vehicles while still acting as the “cop on the beat to make sure that this is being done right.”

Most vehicle safety regulations were written decades ago, always with the assumption that there would be a human driver behind the wheel. But Morrison said that things like steering wheels, windshield wipers and side-view mirrors aren't really needed in an autonomous vehicle.

“If you’re going to be developing a standard in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, nobody at that time had this imagination, nobody had a crystal ball that you might have technologies that would enable the vehicle to drive itself,” Morrison said.

Questions remain about robotaxi safety

The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety group raised concerns about Zoox’s plan to operate without a steering wheel or other standard controls because the company didn’t provide detailed evidence to show that its vehicles could operate safely on public roads.

“Lots of promises, lots of glossy language, lots of ‘We believe, we think we’ll do this.’ Yet there really was no data behind the promises, and that’s really concerning to us,” said Peter Kurdock, who is general counsel for the Advocates group.

Morrison said this technology does offer the promise of never driving distracted or drunk like human drivers do, but robotaxis have had some problems. Sometimes they're just weird behaviors like stopping in the middle of the road or struggling to get out of a parking lot. But he said NHTSA responded to the incidents of autonomous cars passing school buses or interfering with first responders, with investigations, recalls and calls to action.

“Sometimes we have seen unsafe behaviors, and we jump on that really quickly again. That’s our job at NHTSA,” Morrison said. But he said Americans shouldn't be terribly worried about the safety of these robotaxis.

“By and large we’re really excited about the promise of this technology and we want to see that promise fulfilled,” he said.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said recently that the limited crash data the government requires autonomous vehicle companies to submit makes it hard to assess the safety record of these robotaxis as they continue to expand across the country.

Most companies don't report how many miles their autonomous vehicles drove, which makes it impossible to calculate a crash rate, according to the IIHS. And there isn't a clear standard for which incidents must be reported. So autonomous vehicle companies are reporting many more minor incidents than human drivers, who tend to only report a crash when there is significant damage or injuries.

Robotaxi industry is expanding quickly nationwide

Zoox and Tesla are working to catch up to the industry-leading Waymo that already operates in multiple cities. Waymo is owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said this approval is an important milestone for autonomous vehicles.

“This achievement reflects a shared commitment to enabling innovation while maintaining the highest standards of safety,” Evans said.

Amazon hopes to eventually produce as many as 10,000 robotaxis a year at a plant near Silicon Valley as it works to challenge Waymo. Amazon paid $1.2 billion to acquire self-driving startup Zoox. Initially, Zoox will only be allowed to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles without steering wheels over the next two years as it works to prove the technology is safe. The company said that more than half a million people have already ridden in its vehicles.

___

AP Transportation Writer Josh Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

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According to Plantation police, officers responded to the area of 7800 NW 11th Court after a 76-year-old man was reported missing.

“During the search, one of the man’s shoes was located in a nearby lake,” the PPPD posted on social media. “The Plantation Fire Department Dive Team and a Broward Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound K-9 assisted officers in searching the area.”

Police confirmed that the man was ultimately found dead in the lake.

Neighbors told Local 10 News that the man who passed away lived in the area for several decades. They said he was a nice man who had a big family living with him.

Detectives are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.

His identity has not yet been released.

Morales negó las acusaciones sobre su presunta participación en las protestas con bloqueos que asfixiaron al país durante más de 50 días entre mayo y junio en reclamo de la renuncia del presidente Rodrigo Paz, quien asumió en noviembre dejando atrás casi 20 años de gobiernos de izquierda.

”¿De qué terrorismo hablan? ¿Qué es terrorismo para el Ministerio Público?… Esto obedece a la instrucción de Estados Unidos”, señaló el exmandatario, de 66 años, en su programa en la radio Kausachun Coca en el Chapare, al centro de Bolivia, donde permanece refugiado desde octubre de 2024 para evadir una primera orden de detención por el supuesto abuso de una menor cuando era presidente (2006-2019).

Según el exgobernante, el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, expresó hace dos semanas que se “perseguirá a grupos de izquierda como terroristas”.

El 16 de julio Rubio convocó a líderes de más de 60 países para participar en un encuentro para combatir la violencia política de izquierda.

El exmandatario, que emergió a la política luego de ser dirigente cocalero, mantuvo durante su gobierno una fuerte tensión con Estados Unidos y en 2008 expulsó al embajador de ese país en Bolivia por presuntamente realizar espionaje.

Por su parte, el vocero presidencial José Luis Gálvez dijo a los medios que todos los bolivianos deben rendir cuentas ante la ley, incluido el expresidente. “Estos son temas de seguridad y tengan la certeza de que respecto a ese tema, primero vamos a actuar y luego vamos a comunicar”, agregó en referencia a la orden de detención de Morales.

El miércoles la Fiscalía boliviana emitió una segunda orden de captura contra Morales por los presuntos delitos de instigación pública para delinquir y alzamientos armados contra la seguridad y soberanía del Estado por supuestamente alentar las protestas que ocasionaron escasez de alimentos y medicamentos, principalmente, en ciudades como La Paz y El Alto.

Los denunciantes son miembros del Comité Cívico de la región de Santa Cruz, el motor productivo de Bolivia, críticos del exmandatario.

El gobierno culpó a Morales de promover las protestas y decretó un estado de excepción en un esfuerzo por terminar con los bloqueos. Durante las manifestaciones el exmandatario incluso pidió que se adelantaran las elecciones.

Por el mismo caso se encuentra detenido un dirigente campesino.

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Authorities arrived at the area of Southwest 103rd Place and 51st Street and said they found several vehicles on fire.

Residents told Local 10 News they heard crackling and saw a Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works vehicle going up in flames.

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials, firefighters quickly began working to extinguish the blaze after assessing the situation.

They said the fire was out around 10 a.m.

Authorities said at least one person was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, but they did not elaborate on that person’s injury or condition.

The emergency appeal comes after a lower court reinstated the damages in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that followed more than two decades of litigation.

The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority said in court documents that paying the hefty judgment now would “destabilize critical government services Petitioners provide in the West Bank, injure innocent citizens, and jeopardize regional security.”

They asked the justices to pause payment as they appeal the reinstatement of the verdict.

The lawsuit was filed by victims of attacks in Jerusalem in the early 2000s that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more. Families brought their lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a law aimed at opening U.S. courts to victims of international terror attacks.

A federal court in New York tossed the original verdict on appeal and continued to rule in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority as Congress revised the law to allow suits to go forward. In 2025, the Supreme Court sided with the families and revived the lawsuits.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to reinstate the verdict in March. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said at the time that the families were pleased and relieved by the decision, saying it would allow “justice to be done.”

They declined to comment on Thursday's petition.

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There are dozens of candidates hoping to be elected to run in the general election on Nov. 3 to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, who can’t seek re-election for a third term.

The deadlines to send vote-by-mail ballots are July 4 for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act voters and July 9–16 for domestic voters. July 20 is the deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation.

The deadline to request that a ballot be mailed is Aug. 6, and early voting is Aug. 8–15.

How to be prepared

SEARCH DATABASES: Check that you are registered to vote, confirm your assigned voting precinct, and research your ballot

• Voter information look-up database
• Miami-Dade voting precinct finder
• Broward voting precinct finder
• Monroe voting precinct finder
• Research your ballot: BallotReady database and Vote database

Frequently asked questions

Who can vote?

To be eligible to vote, the applicant for registration has to be a U.S. citizen, a legal resident, at least 18 years old, and not be mentally incapacitated, or a convicted felon without a restoration of rights.

A military member, a military family member, or an overseas citizen can register and request an absentee ballot with the online Federal Post Card Application.

Are independents allowed to vote in the primary?

Florida is a closed primary election state, so only voters who are registered members of political parties may vote for respective party candidates.

Who can’t vote?

A felony conviction in Florida for murder or a sexual offense makes a person ineligible to vote unless the State Clemency Board restores the right to vote.

How do I know if I am registered to vote?

There is a database online to look up voter information.

Can this be done online?

The voter registration process can be done online. The application requires a Florida driver’s license or identification card, the date when it was issued, and the last four digits of the Social Security Number.

When can one pre-register to vote?

Florida allows 16-year-olds to pre-register, but they won’t be allowed to vote until they are 18 years old.

Are there any restrictions to vote in the primaries?

Florida is a closed primary election state, so only voters who are registered members of political parties may vote for their party’s candidates or nominees.

Independent voters may choose which party’s primary they want to vote in.

Who handles the process?

The Supervisor of Elections in the county of residence.

Can I register by mail and cast a ballot by mail?

Yes, if done on time and there is access to the forms online, a printer, and a post office. In Florida, those eligible are allowed to register to vote or vote by mail.

To vote: U.S. military members, military family members, and overseas citizens can register and request absentee ballot with the Federal Post Card Application as soon as possible.

If done in Miami-Dade, visit this page. If done in Broward, visit this page. If done in Monroe, visit this page.

To register: Download the form to print, fill out, and mail.

Here are the mailing dates to remember if mailing the application to register to vote in Florida:

• Applications for the Aug. 18 state primary have to be postmarked by July 20.
• Applications for the Nov. 5 general election have to be postmarked by Oct. 7.

Here are the mailing addresses for Monroe, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties:

BROWARD

Broward County Elections Office

4650 NW 21st Avenue

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.

MIAMI-DADE

Miami-Dade County Elections Office

2700 NW 87 Ave.

Miami, Fla., 33172

MONROE

Monroe County Elections Office

530 Whitehead Street #101

Key West, Fla., 33040-6577

What is the deadline to drop off my vote-by-mail ballot?

Before 7 p.m., on Aug. 18. In Miami-Dade, sign inside the red box on the back of the vote-by-mail envelope. If you forgot to sign the envelope or the signature does not match, Florida law allows you to submit an affidavit to cure your vote-by-mail ballot. The affidavit must be completed and submitted to the Elections Department along with a copy of your identification by 5 p.m. on the second day after the election.

· Vote-by-Mail Ballot - Signature Cure Affidavit (English)

· Vote-by-Mail Ballot - Signature Cure Affidavit (Español & Kreyòl)

Useful links

• Restoration of voting rights for convicted felons
• For how to check your voter status, visit this page.
• To download the online registration form, visit this page.
• The national 27-page voter registration application with instructions for each state is available here.
• For vote-by-mail ballot information and status lookup, visit this page.
• Find your local election office by searching this database
• Visit the Florida Division of Elections page
• For more information about federal election guidelines, visit this page.
• For more information about early voting and ballot intake stations, visit this page.
• Florida key election dates
• Florida Election Day Voting FAQ
• The Federal Voting Assistance Program
• Where you go before you vote

Useful contacts

• For more information from the Florida Division of Elections, call 1-866-308-6739 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
• For more information in Broward, call 954-357-7050
• For more information in Miami-Dade, call 305-499-8683
• For more information in Monroe, call 305-292-3416

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.66% from 6.58% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the average rate was 6.72%.

Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. As rates rise, that can lead prospective home shoppers to delay buying a home, one reason U.S. home sales have been sluggish this year.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also rose this week. That average rate increased to 6.04% from 5.96% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.85%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Rates have been mostly rising this year as the Iran war has driven crude oil prices sharply higher, fueling expectations of hotter inflation. That’s pushed up long-term bond yields relative to where they were before the conflict began in late February, causing mortgage rates to trend higher.

The 10-year Treasury yield was 4.66% at midday Thursday on the bond market. It was just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now the highest it’s been since July 31, 2025, when it was at 6.72%. As recently as late February, the average rate dropped slightly below 6% for the first time since late 2022.

The latest increase in mortgage rates comes a day after the Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged as it wrestles with how to tame stubbornly high inflation, which has been stuck above the central bank's 2% target for more than five years.

During the central bank's two-day monetary policy meeting this week, three regional Fed bank presidents dissented in favor of higher rates to combat high prices.

That's a signal that Fed members are no longer in lockstep on inflation and that their next move is not going to be a rate cut, said Anthony Smith, senior economist at Realtor.com.

“With the Fed signaling that its next move is more likely a hike than a cut, near-term rate relief looks unlikely,” Smith said. “Because oil remains the primary channel through which the Iran conflict feeds inflation, a de-escalation and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains the clearest path back toward lower rates.”

The central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, but its decisions to raise or lower its short-term rate are watched closely by bond investors and can ultimately affect the yield on 10-year Treasurys.

While average long-term mortgage rates remain lower than they were at this time last year, their upward trajectory has weighed on home sales this year. Seasonally adjusted sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were up 0.7% from January to June compared with the same period last year, but they’re still hovering close to a 4-million annual pace far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2-million.

The trend has extended the national housing market slump that began in 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low.

The latest data on mortgage applications show that the upward trend in mortgage rates has given some would-be homebuyers reason to pause.

Mortgage applications, which include loans to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage, fell 6.4% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

"While incoming economic data will continue to shape the outlook for interest rates, elevated borrowing costs remain a challenge this summer for many prospective homebuyers,” said MBA CEO Bob Broeksmit.

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Lt. Luis F. Correa Jr. of the Homeland Security Bureau received the agency’s Silver Medal of Valor, Lifesaving Award, and Distinguished Deputy of the Month award after rescuing an injured worker during a deadly explosion.

According to the sheriff’s office, the incident occurred on June 15, where Correa was fueling his patrol vehicle at a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue logistics facility. At the same time, two civilian workers were inside a manhole when a fire and explosion erupted in the fueling area, authorities said.

According to MDSO, one worker was killed, while the other suffered critical injuries. Authorities said Correa immediately rushed to the scene, removed the injured survivor from the danger zone, and helped move the victim to a safer location where emergency medical personnel began treatment.

The sheriff’s office credited Correa’s quick actions with helping the injured worker receive medical care as well as risking his own safety.

The agency also recognized William C. Varas as the first-ever MDSO Citizen of the Month. Varas is a Physical Education Teacher at Lighthouse Ministry School, and was honored for saving the life of a student on May 8.

The sheriff’s office said the student accidentally swallowed a water bottle cap that became lodged into their throat, blocking the airway. Varas immediately began performing abdominal thrusts, eventually dislodging the cap and helping the child to breathe again, authorities said.

The sheriff’s office credited his actions, saying it was instrumental in saving the student’s life.

Along with the individual awards, the MDSO Warrants Bureau’s Florida Caribbean Fugitive Task Force was named the unit of the month. The seven-member team, consisting of six deputies and one sergeant, demonstrated the ability to conduct difficult, high-risk operations that led to the apprehension of several dangerous fugitives, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities commended the unit’s teamwork, professionalism and commitment to public safety.

The MDSO June Awards Ceremony will take place on July 30, from 10:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. at the Fred Taylor Headquarters Building in Doral.

El teniente Luis F. Correa Jr., de la Oficina de Seguridad Nacional, recibió la Medalla de Plata al Valor de la agencia, el Premio por Salvar una Vida y el reconocimiento como Agente Distinguido del Mes por rescatar a un trabajador herido durante una explosión mortal.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff, el incidente ocurrió el 15 de junio, cuando Correa abastecía de combustible su patrulla en una instalación logística de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Al mismo tiempo, dos trabajadores civiles se encontraban dentro de un registro subterráneo cuando se produjo un incendio y una explosión en el área de abastecimiento de combustible, informaron las autoridades.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO), uno de los trabajadores murió, mientras que el otro sufrió heridas de gravedad. Las autoridades indicaron que Correa acudió de inmediato al lugar, sacó al sobreviviente herido de la zona de peligro y ayudó a trasladarlo a un lugar más seguro, donde el personal de emergencias médicas comenzó a atenderlo.

La Oficina del Sheriff atribuyó a la rápida actuación de Correa el haber facilitado que el trabajador herido recibiera atención médica, además de destacar que puso en riesgo su propia seguridad.

La agencia también reconoció a William C. Varas como el primer Ciudadano del Mes de la MDSO. Varas es maestro de educación física en Lighthouse Ministry School y fue homenajeado por salvar la vida de un estudiante el 8 de mayo.

La Oficina del Sheriff informó que el estudiante tragó accidentalmente la tapa de una botella de agua, que quedó atascada en su garganta y bloqueó las vías respiratorias. Varas comenzó de inmediato a realizar maniobras de compresión abdominal, logrando finalmente desalojar la tapa y ayudando al menor a respirar nuevamente, indicaron las autoridades.

La Oficina del Sheriff destacó que sus acciones fueron fundamentales para salvar la vida del estudiante.

Además de los reconocimientos individuales, el Grupo de Trabajo de Fugitivos Florida Caribbean de la Oficina de Órdenes Judiciales de la MDSO fue nombrado Unidad del Mes. El equipo, integrado por siete miembros, seis agentes y un sargento, demostró su capacidad para realizar operaciones complejas y de alto riesgo que permitieron la captura de varios fugitivos peligrosos, según la Oficina del Sheriff.

Las autoridades elogiaron el trabajo en equipo de la unidad, su profesionalismo y su compromiso con la seguridad pública.

La ceremonia de premios de junio de la MDSO se llevará a cabo el 30 de julio, de 10:00 a.m. a 11:00 a.m., en el edificio Fred Taylor Headquarters, en Doral.

Elijah Bieniemy was arrested Monday in connection with the late-Sunday shooting. He has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling.

Bieniemy remained in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on Thursday. He had a court date to hear motions scheduled for later in the day, and a preliminary hearing date had been set for Aug. 31. But both appearances have been continued pending a mental health evaluation, according to records available from the Virginia judiciary system.

The sheriff's office in Loudoun County, Virginia, has said the investigation is ongoing. No motive has been provided.

Eric Bieniemy remained away from the Chiefs on Thursday as they continued with their second full-squad workout of training camp. Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck have assumed most of his responsibilities, while coach Andy Reid continues to have a significant role overseeing the offensive system.

“Eric's a big part of this, and so I love having him here,” Reid said, “but right now it's important that he takes care of business, and everybody knows that. So everybody's game is picked up, and they're working hard, and Eric will be back soon enough to jump in there and do his thing. But he's got to take care of that first.”

Reid declined to provide a timetable for Bieniemy's return to the team.

Mia Bieniemy, the coach's 57-year-old wife, has been released from the intensive care unit, where she was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. Reid said that she was “doing better, and great from where she was.”

Eric Bieniemy helped the Chiefs reach three Super Bowls and win two of them, then left to become the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders — the reason the Bieniemy family still has a home in Virginia. The staff there was fired after one season, though, and Bieniemy spent a season apiece at UCLA and coaching running backs with the Chicago Bears.

He was hired to replace Matt Nagy as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City earlier this year.

“We stay in touch with him and keep him abreast of everything that's going on,” Reid said. “He's got the tape (of camp practices). He can watch with whatever spare time he's got there.”

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The Cuban government announced this morning the elimination of 92,000 government jobs. A state worker in Cuba makes on the average $16-$18 per month.

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Meanwhile, Cuba’s Prime Minister Manuel Marrero announced this week that Cuba was creating its first private bank under the Central Bank of Cuba, which is run by the Cuban government, and its president serves on the Council of Ministers of the government.

Why would any foreign investor want to invest in such a system with no protection for their money?

July 29 update: 5 leading economists in Cuba release report entitled ‘A Proposal to Transform the Cuban Economy.’

Five leading economists in Cuba just released a report entitled “A Proposal to Transform the Cuban Economy.” The document lays out a structural diagnosis of the current economic crisis facing the nation and proposes, as a strategic goal, the creation of a social market economy underpinned by a democratic state governed by the rule of law.

While the report is good, the problem that I see is the creation of a democratic state. We must remember that Cuba did not have a democracy before the start of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. To transition a totalitarian state that has had a centralized economy for almost 68 years could take time. Time that Cuba and its population do not have given the current economic crisis.

July 27 update: 73 years after start of Cuban Revolution

Yesterday marked the 73^rd anniversary since Fidel Castro, Raul Castro and their group of rebels attacked the Moncada Military Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. July 26, 1953 is considered the start of the Cuban Revolution.

Like Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”, the Cuban revolution took a path that destroyed the country and “never looked back.” Today, Cuba is at the end of what Fidel called its glory days.

July 24 update: Trump Administration announces series of new sanctions against Cuba

On Thursday, the Trump Administration announced a series of new sanctions against Cuba targeting the government’s military conglomerate Gaesa. However, this time it includes companies like Coral S. A. that took over operations from some sectors of GAESA to avoid U.S. sanctions and keep import operations in Cuba functioning.

The question many academics that follow Cuba like me are asking is whether the U.S. strategy moving forward is to force Cuba to eventually sell some of GAESA’s assets to the U.S.

July 23 update: US continues to send mixed signals as to what will be done with Cuba

This past Monday, the U.S. Department of State issued a 100-page report entitled “Cuba: The Capital of 21^st Century Communism” that outlined why Cuba is a national security threat not only to the U.S., but to the entire world. The Cuban government reacted at once and not only criticized the report but blamed Secretary of State Marco Rubio with threatening the island nation.

On Wednesday at a press conference in the Philippines, Rubio, when asked by a reporter what the U.S. plan was for Cuba, used a much more diplomatic tone and said the U.S. is still willing to negotiate with Cuba.

Washington continues to send mixed signals as to what will be done with Cuba. What we do know is that the strategy used in Venezuela did not bring about regime change.

July 21 update: First humanitarian aid from US will arrive in Cuba

Today, the first humanitarian aid will arrive in Cuba as part of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s offer to help the Cuban people as they experience the worst economic situation since the early 1990’s. Today’s cargo includes 700 hygiene kits and 700 food items to be distributed directly to the Cuban people by Catholic Relief Services Caritas Cuba and other faith-based organizations.

Secretary Rubio wants to let the Cuban people clearly know that the U.S. stands behind them and is willing to continue to help them as part of the U.S. commitment of $100 million in humanitarian aid.

July 20 update: Cuba releases artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara

This past Saturday, Cuba released artist and opposition leader Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara after serving five years in jail. Otero Alcantara was one of the leaders of the San Isidro movement that led to large protests across the island nation five years ago.

Upon arriving in Miami, Otero Alcantara thanked the Cuban American community for its support and asked Cuba to release all political prisoners in jail.

July 16 update: US Department of Defense pays $3 million to US personnel affected by Havana Syndrome

The U.S. Department of Defense has paid $3 million in compensation to U.S. personnel affected by the mysterious condition known as Havana Syndrome, making the first payment under the 2021 Havana Act.

Havana Syndrome first appeared in 2016 when U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers in Havana, Cuba reported unusual symptoms, including intense head pressure, dizziness, nausea, hearing disturbances and memory problems.

July 14 update: New U.S. sanctions increase pressure on Cuba’s military-run economy

The United States on Monday introduced new sanctions targeting companies controlled by GAESA, Cuba’s military economic conglomerate, as well as some of the military brigades responsible for suppressing protests like the ones we saw the other day.

How much longer can the Cuban government hold on? Information continues to reach U.S. officials indicating that there are sectors within the Cuban government that are increasingly concerned about how much longer they can survive without negotiating with the U.S. government before facing a complete collapse of their system.

July 10 update: Does Raul Castro’s grandson have the full authority to negotiate for the Cuban government?

As I expected, there seems to be a small crack within the inner circle of the Cuban government. Some have criticized Raulito (Raul Castro’s grandson) for offering to negotiate directly with President Trump. The criticism comes as to whether he has the full authority to negotiate for the Cuban government or is he just negotiating for the Castro family?

Yesterday, the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) backed Raulito’s efforts, but the military leadership has remained quiet.

July 8 update: United Nations has no legal right to lift U.S. embargo on Cuba

Every year, Cuba argues in front of the United Nations that the U.S. economic embargo is the cause for their economic problems. Each year, Cuba loses more support for their argument. The United Nations has no legitimate or legal right to lift the embargo. The U.S. Congress can only lift the embargo.

The Cuban government propaganda machine has failed. Most Cubans on the island, including economists on the island, blame the Cuban government for their current poor economic conditions.

July 6 update: Raul Castro’s grandson says Cuba is willing to negotiate with US

Reuters reported earlier this morning that Raul Castro’s grandson Raulito, known as “El Cangrejo,” announced that Cuba is willing to negotiate with the U.S. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether Raulito is negotiating on behalf of the Castro family or the Cuban government?

We know that Cuba has been selling some of their assets, including some belonging to the military economic conglomerate GAESA in the last couple of weeks. Cuba’s attempt to invite foreign investment has not attracted many takers for the fear of losing their money.

July 2 update: Cuba’s culture of fear complicates a Democratic transition

When we talk about Cuba, we usually concentrate on their centralized political and economic system. However, we fail to recognize that individuals that have lived under totalitarian regimes have had to survive under a culture of fear. Such system of government creates a psychological set of attitudes and values that help define the daily behavior in order to align the people’s wants and needs to the restrictions imposed by the government.

To break such behaviors could take years of psychological training and change. Therefore, transitioning a totalitarian state to support a transition to some form of a Democratic government could take time.

Dr. Andy S. Gomez’s June updates can be viewed by clicking here.

Dr. Andy S. Gomez is Local 10’s Cuba Analyst. Gomez is considered one of the leading scholars on Cuba. He worked in higher education for 32 years before retiring from the University of Miami in 2012.

The department selected investment firm Brookfield Asset Management to develop and operate the data center at the government-owned Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. In March, the department announced a similar project at its Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Ohio.

Both are undergoing extensive cleanup, decontamination and decommissioning after decades of fueling the nation's nuclear weapons and power plants. The project is in line with the Trump administration's efforts to make artificial intelligence superiority over China a top national security and economic priority.

The federal government is transforming former DOE sites into “engines of innovation and economic growth” to “ensure the United States wins the A.I. race,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement Wednesday.

“There will be a lot of new natural gas power plants, a large data center, thousands of jobs and tens of billions of dollars of investment in rural western Kentucky,” Wright said on the Fox News show “Fox & Friends.”

Earlier in July, the Department of Energy said it had picked engineering contractor Amentum to negotiate a lease to develop an AI data center and on-site power plant at South Carolina's Savannah River Site, a massive complex where the federal government once produced materials used in nuclear weapons, primarily tritium and plutonium-239.

Real estate, energy and data center services are cornerstones in the investment portfolio of New York-headquartered Brookfield, which reports that it has more than $1 trillion in assets under management.

A Brookfield spokesperson estimated that 30% of the $100 billion in spending would go toward construction of the data center and power components, with the rest of the money being spent on the equipment in the data centers, including servers, routers and semiconductor chips.

Discussions were ongoing with commercial partners to use the data center space, Brookfield spokesperson Simon Maine said.

Other partners in the Paducah project are power generation and transmission giant NextEra Energy and local utilities.

Florida-based NextEra Energy will build and own the power generation components, which are to include 2 gigawatts of natural gas-fired generation, upgrades to transmission networks and 2.6 gigawatts of battery energy storage to support a new 1.8 gigawatt AI data center campus, the department said.

The plant would be the largest gas-fired power plant in Kentucky. A single gigawatt, according to a general industry standard for utilities, can power about 750,000 homes.

A power service agreement must be approved by state utility regulators, and excess electricity would be delivered to the regional grid. Construction was expected to be complete in 2031, the department said.

Cleanup is continuing at the roughly 3,550-acre Paducah plant site, which was on a list of 16 federal sites released last year as locations where the department could invite technology companies to build data management and storage capacity.

It shut down in 2013 and the gaseous diffusion process to enrich uranium is considered obsolete.

The department has projected that cleanup at the Paducah site would be completed in 2065 at a cost of about $17 billion, including demolishing buildings, disassembling uranium converters, removing refrigerant and treating a large plume of groundwater contamination.

In the meantime, the department is working on plans to provide some of the uranium waste being stored for decades at the Paducah site to a pair of companies seeking to use newer technologies to re-enrich it for use in power plants.

Group raises questions about projects

A newly formed group called Protect McCracken County has raised questions about the uranium enrichment and data center projects, saying that the work is being carried out beside a river that 5 million people downstream drink from without an independent study of the impact.

Byron Gary, a senior attorney for the environmental and public health advocacy group Kentucky Resources Council, said any plans to develop the contaminated Paducah site or to withdraw water from the water table underneath it must be carefully executed.

He said the construction of a such a large gas-fired power plant — which emits planet-warming greenhouse gases — would have implications for climate change and that his organization would want to be certain that regular ratepayers are not forced to subsidize the power plants and transmission upgrades there.

Gary also said his organization will want to make sure that the Department of Energy does not circumvent permitting processes as a way to get around environmental protection laws.

“There shouldn't be a justification to get around that and end up potentially dumping a lot more burden on a rural community that can’t afford it,” Gary said.

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Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter.

After failed negotiations forced the delay of a committee vote to advance Blanche's nomination, Trump suggested he was holding firm against pressure from Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. They have expressed concerns about the controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, which a judge denounced as an exercise in self-dealing.

The senators said the Justice Department seemed interested in reaching an agreement with them, but the White House wouldn't budge to aid the confirmation of Trump's loyal former personal attorney, who has aggressively pursued the administration's priorities as acting attorney general. Instead, Trump said in a social media post that he might pull Blanche's nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis leave office next year.

“I think as far as Blanche and the Department of Justice, we were pretty much on the same page,” Cornyn said Thursday. “But then when the president got wind of it, he wasn’t willing to go along with it.”

Hours after Trump's post, however, Blanche held a meeting with Cornyn and Tillis and the two sides were back to working collaboratively, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations around Blanche’s confirmation.

Cornyn and Tillis have said they won't back Blanche's nomination without additional assurances in writing about the settlement, which included a deal to drop tax claims against the president and a now-scrapped plan to create a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” meant to compensate Trump allies.

With all Democratic senators opposed, just one Republican holdout on the Senate Judiciary Committee could sink Blanche’s chances for confirmation. And even if Blanche makes it through the Senate Judiciary Committee, it’s unclear if he has enough Republican support to be confirmed by the full chamber.

Cornyn wrote in a social media post Thursday that the president is “mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.”

While the Justice Department dropped plans for the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” after bipartisan outrage about the potential of payouts going to violent Jan. 6 rioters, officials have said that another piece of the settlement — granting Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits — remains in place.

Though Blanche has repeatedly insisted that the “Anti-Weaponization fund” is dead, skeptical lawmakers have pushed for a commitment in writing — especially since Trump has expressed continued support for the idea. But the senators suggested the White House is resisting putting it in writing.

“The president’s getting bad advice. He should listen to Blanche and others who think if it’s dead, it should be rendered completely dead,” Tillis told reporters about the fund.

Another sticking point was the settlement's audit immunity provision that said the U.S. government is “forever barred and precluded” from scrutinizing or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump Organization’s current and past tax examinations. Cornyn and Tillis have pressed the administration to modify the agreement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.

While the majority of Republican senators oppose the settlement, the main pushback to Blanche has come from Cornyn, who lost his seat earlier this year when Trump opposed him in a GOP primary. Trump has also frequently targeted Tillis, who announced last year that he would not run for re-election and has criticized the administration over the pardons of Jan. 6 rioters and other matters.

Though it would be politically embarrassing for the Trump administration, pulling Blanche’s nomination would likely have little practical impact on the management of the Justice Department.

Blanche, who took the reins of the department after Pam Bondi's firing in April, can still lead the agency as either acting attorney general or deputy attorney general, the No. 2 post to which he was confirmed last year. The deputy attorney general, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the law enforcement agency, can perform the duties of the attorney general if that post is vacant.

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Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

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Jinx, who recently recovered from a bad cold, is described as an affectionate and adventurous kitten who loves to climb, play and cuddle.

“She’s the most outgoing kitty cat,” Humane Society of Broward County spokesperson Cherie Wachter said. “When I opened her kennel door, she got out, crawled up on my shoulder and was sitting there.”

Wachter said Jinx has an easygoing personality and even remained calm during the ride to the TV studio, making her stand out from many other kittens.

The shelter is also caring for a large number of dogs, particularly those weighing 40 pounds or more. One of them, Angel, is a 6-year-old bully breed mix who is house-trained and gets along with children, cats and other dogs.

The Humane Society of Broward County encourages anyone considering adding a pet to their family to visit the shelter and meet the animals currently available for adoption.

Click here for more information on how to adopt a pet.

Jinx, que recientemente se recuperó de un fuerte resfriado, es descrita como una gatita cariñosa y aventurera que disfruta trepar, jugar y acurrucarse.

“Es la gatita más extrovertida”, dijo Cherie Wachter, portavoz de la Sociedad Protectora de Animales del condado Broward. “Cuando abrí la puerta de su jaula, salió, se subió a mi hombro y se quedó sentada allí”.

Wachter dijo que Jinx tiene una personalidad tranquila e incluso permaneció calmada durante el trayecto al estudio de televisión, lo que la hace destacar entre muchos otros gatitos.

El refugio también está cuidando a una gran cantidad de perros, especialmente aquellos que pesan 40 libras o más. Uno de ellos, Angel, es un perro mestizo de seis años de raza bully que está entrenado para hacer sus necesidades fuera de la casa y se lleva bien con niños, gatos y otros perros.

La Sociedad Protectora de Animales del condado Broward invita a cualquier persona que esté considerando incorporar una mascota a su familia a visitar el refugio y conocer a los animales que actualmente están disponibles para adopción.

Haga clic aquí para obtener más información sobre cómo adoptar una mascota.

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Florida, Power & Light announced in a news release that Ashley Vargas-Fonseca was selected as a recipient for FPL’s first ever Drones in School Scholarship.

The $5,000 scholarship recognizes her academic achievements and passion for drone technology. Ashley, a recent graduate at George T. Baker Aviation Technical School, completed multiple robotics competitions that boosted her team to first place at the Florida Drones in School State Championship and Drones in School National Championship.

This fall, Ashley will attend Santa Fe College in Gainesville, where she plans to major in electrical engineering.

“I’m having trouble with my tuition, as of now, but knowing that I have this scholarship in my hand will definitely be a weight off my shoulder,” Ashley said.

This scholarship is a part of FPL’s commitment to prepare and support STEAM education and prepare for the next generation of innovators.

Florida Power & Light (FPL) anunció en un comunicado de prensa que Ashley Vargas-Fonseca fue seleccionada como la primera beneficiaria de la beca Drones in School de FPL.

La beca de $5,000 USD reconoce sus logros académicos y su pasión por la tecnología de drones. Ashley, recién graduada de George T. Baker Aviation Technical School, participó en múltiples competencias de robótica que llevaron a su equipo a obtener el primer lugar en el Campeonato Estatal de Florida de Drones in School y en el Campeonato Nacional de Drones in School.

Este otoño, Ashley asistirá a Santa Fe College en Gainesville, donde planea especializarse en ingeniería eléctrica.

“En este momento tengo dificultades para pagar mi matrícula, pero saber que tengo esta beca definitivamente me quitará un gran peso de encima”, dijo Ashley.

Esta beca forma parte del compromiso de FPL de impulsar la educación STEAM y preparar a la próxima generación de innovadores.

The 49-year-old Green discussed his diagnosis this week on Tyler Dunne’s “Go Long” podcast.

“I know unfortunately there’s a day we eventually, where our clock stops ticking,” Green said. “The way I look at it, my clock is going to stop ticking when I want it to stop ticking.”

Green said it’s similar to the approach he took while running the ball during a 12-year NFL career in which he rushed for 9,205 yards and 60 touchdowns. His last season was 2009.

Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.

“I knew something was going on long before that,” he said.

Parkinson’s is a neurologic disease that robs people of control over their movements. It typically starts with tremors and is characterized by slow movement, a shuffling gait, stiff limbs, balance problems and slurred speech.

Green said he sometimes sleepwalks and has no recollection of it afterward. He called his short-term memory “trash,” but said his long-term memory is better.

He expressed optimism about his long-term outlook while pointing out he exercises regularly and has a “super clean” diet.

Green rushed for at least 1,163 yards each season from 2000-04 while playing for the Packers. He earned four straight Pro Bowl appearances from 2001-04.

He rushed for 8,322 yards as a Packers player, the highest total in the franchise’s storied history. He set a Packers single-season record by rushing for 1,883 yards in 2003.

Green’s NFL career began with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected him out of Nebraska in the third round of the 1998 draft. He spent two seasons with Seattle before getting traded to Green Bay in April 2000.

He played for the Packers from 2000-06, spent 2007-08 with the Houston Texans and returned to Green Bay for one last season.

Green’s announcement comes two years after former Packers teammate Brett Favre disclosed that he has Parkinson’s disease. Green said he spoke with Favre a couple of weeks ago to catch up but added that he planned to call the Hall of Fame quarterback to let him know “he has a brother right behind him.”

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According to the Miami Police Department, officers responded to the Bay of Pigs Monument, located at 806 SW 13th Ave. in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood, on Wednesday after a city parks employee was alerted to the monument being damaged.

The monument, which has been in place since 1971, is owned by the city.

Investigators said that after reviewing surveillance footage, they found that the vandalization occurred on Sunday night when a man was seen breaking the monument.

That man has since been identified as Jean Carlo Rojas.

Police said the impacted part of the monument, which was described as “the gray missile,” suffered damages that would cost $1,000 to repair.

As officers were retrieving the surveillance footage, they realized the suspect was still in the area, standing on the sidewalk near the monument, and quickly took him into custody.

Official documents identify Rojas as a construction worker who is currently homeless.

He is facing a felony charge of criminal mischief on a memorial or historic property.

According to jail records, Rojas was already out on felony bond for a separate case in which he was charged with battery on a police officer, firefighter or corrections officer and resisting an officer without violence.

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

Según el Departamento de Policía de Miami, los agentes respondieron el miércoles al Monumento de Bahía de Cochinos, ubicado en 806 SW 13th Ave., en el vecindario de Little Havana, luego de que un empleado de parques de la ciudad fuera alertado sobre daños en el monumento.

El monumento, que se encuentra en ese lugar desde 1971, es propiedad de la ciudad.

Los investigadores informaron que, tras revisar los videos de vigilancia, determinaron que el acto de vandalismo ocurrió la noche del domingo, cuando un hombre fue captado dañando el monumento.

Ese hombre fue identificado como Jean Carlo Rojas.

La Policía indicó que la parte afectada del monumento, descrita como “el misil gris”, sufrió daños cuya reparación costaría $1,000 USD.

Mientras los agentes recopilaban los videos de vigilancia, se dieron cuenta de que el sospechoso aún se encontraba en el área, de pie en la acera cerca del monumento, por lo que fue arrestado de inmediato.

Los documentos oficiales identifican a Rojas como trabajador de la construcción y actualmente sin hogar.

Enfrenta un cargo grave de daños criminales contra un monumento conmemorativo o propiedad histórica.

Según los registros de la cárcel, Rojas ya se encontraba en libertad bajo fianza por otro caso en el que fue acusado de agresión contra un oficial de Policía, un bombero o un oficial correccional, y de resistirse a un agente sin violencia.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, con la fianza pendiente de ser fijada.

Gilbert police had recommended negligence charges. But Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt was unlikely.

“The family had multiple childproof locks and safety measures in place, and multiple adults were present in the home, all of whom believed someone was watching the child,” Mitchell said Wednesday. “Additionally, the investigation found no evidence that the parents exhibited any obvious signs of impairment.”

First responders were dispatched to the home on Feb. 8 in response to a reported drowning. They performed life-saving measures on the 18-month-old child before taking him to a hospital where the boy was pronounced dead about an hour later.

But about five hours later, police were notified that the child was breathing, and he was flown to another hospital. The boy survived.

Earlier this month, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where the child was initially taken, called it “a heartbreaking situation” but declined to release further details.

The hospital said it conducted a "thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.”

Gilbert police officers who were at the hospital said they saw possible signs of life multiple times, but the child was still taken to a “cold room,” which serves as a morgue, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The records also indicated tension between officers and a doctor who reportedly told one, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.”

If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this month. The chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Republican President Donald Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if he ordered CDC to do something that was unsupported by science and good public health practice.

But when the committee met last week, Cassidy said he had spoken with Schwartz after that hearing and to others who knew her.

“I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not,” said Cassidy, whose support was necessary for the nomination to go forward.

The committee's near party-line vote Thursday moved Schwartz’s nomination ahead.

Among those who opposed her was Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent.

“The issue at hand is not complicated," Sanders said last week. "Will we have people in the Trump administration who have the guts to stand up to people who are anti-science and into conspiracy theories?”

The CDC has faced more than a year of unrest

The CDC has been in turmoil since Trump returned to office last year.

Largely due to layoffs and resignations, the agency has lost 3,000-plus employees, more than one-quarter of its workforce. Morale has plummeted as a succession of mostly temporary leaders have come and gone. The front office has been staffed by political appointees with little or no training in medicine or public health.

When Schwartz was nominated in April, public health experts were cautiously optimistic, citing her background. They also noted she was the choice of Trump and not Kennedy, a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before he was tapped to oversee the CDC and other federal health agencies.

Kennedy had promised not to change the nation’s vaccination schedule but later attempted a substantial rewrite of vaccine recommendations for kids. Some of those efforts were put on hold this year by a federal judge.

Kennedy’s actions have rankled Cassidy, a physician who initially expressed doubts about Kennedy as Trump's pick to be health secretary. Cassidy ultimately signed off on Kennedy after the nominee promised not to change the nation’s childhood vaccine recommendations.

Public health groups seek reassurance

At Schwartz’s hearing, Cassidy and some other senators asked her what she would do if Kennedy or other political appointees instructed the CDC to make changes that were not supported by science. Schwartz pledged to “never betray the science,” but she repeatedly declined to dissent from some of the actions Kennedy has taken.

The National Public Health Coalition, an organization of former and current CDC workers, was not reassured by her responses and said senators should require specific written commitments from Schwartz on scientific independence, evidence-based vaccine policy, conflicts of interest and other issues.

“The public needed to hear clear commitments about how she would protect CDC guidance from political pressure," the group said in a statement. “Too often, her stated commitments were incomplete, vague, or missing.”

At the hearing, Schwartz said she was unaware that CDC programs that worked to prevent smoking and promote vaccinations had been curtailed. She declined to commit to taking down a CDC website that suggests a link between childhood vaccines and autism. She said she had not seen it, though she agreed existing medical evidence has not found a link.

Last week, Cassidy said that “as a sign of good faith” officials at the Department of Health and Human Services had modified the page. But this week, it continued to argue that “vaccines do not cause autism” is not an evidence-based claim, despite numerous studies that have found no such link.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, interpreted Schwartz's performance as someone trying to please different factions. He disagreed with how she answered several questions, but continued to support her nomination.

Schwartz is qualified, might be able to rebuild the CDC’s depleted command structure and could start to rebuild public trust in the agency by focusing on bipartisan concerns such as foodborne disease outbreaks, he said in a recent interview.

Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a former top CDC official who resigned in August, echoed that.

If Schwartz is not confirmed, “it will mean a continued rudderless journey for CDC," he said.

For Kennedy, "having to start over is probably what he wants — many more months with no one stopping him from pursuing the same anti-science and anti-vaccine efforts he has been pursuing,” Jernigan said.

The CDC has had several leaders under Trump

Schwartz was the third Trump nominee for the office in the past 18 months.

The first was a former Florida congressman, Dr. David Weldon. His Senate hearing in March 2025 was canceled an hour before it was to begin. Weldon said at the time that he had been told not enough senators were willing to vote for him.

The White House then moved on to Susan Monarez, who had been serving as the CDC’s acting director. Monarez was confirmed by the Senate, but she was ousted in less than a month. Trump administration officials said she was not aligned with the president's agenda so they terminated her.

Since then there have been a series of HHS officials as acting CDC director.

The committee also advanced a controversial health nominee

The CDC position is one of a number of leadership vacancies among federal health agencies, including surgeon general and commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Also unfilled is the job of assistant health secretary for preparedness and response. That official oversees preparations and response to public health emergencies and disasters and is involved in decisions about funding next-generation vaccines against pandemic flu or other infectious disease threats.

Trump wants Sean Kaufman in that post, and the Senate committee on Thursday approved the nomination by a party-line vote.

In LinkedIn postings, Kaufman has made comments cheered by vaccine skeptics, arguing against hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns and saying he served as an expert witness to advocate for people who refused the COVID-19 vaccine. He also supported a Trump administration decision last year to cancel projects to develop vaccines using mRNA technology.

“Mr. Kaufman has said some pretty stupid things and irresponsible things regarding immunization,” Cassidy said.

But Cassidy said he spoke to HHS officials and was assured that personnel changes are being made at the department to provide “better oversight to ensure that science, not ideology, is driving decision-making.”

Cassidy also said he has been assured that if Kaufman is confirmed, "he will not be involved in vaccine policy and nor will he be the ultimate decision-maker on certain issues.”

Sanders, who voted against Kaufman, said: “I think the American people are owed better than what President Trump has nominated.”

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

“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision,” Mason jr. wrote on the Grammys' official Instagram page.

On Wednesday, all seven BTS members — RM, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook and Jin — shared the same note on Instagram, stating that they would not be submitting their comeback album, “ARIRANG” or its songs for Grammys.

“We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” they wrote, just over a month after the Recording Academy announced five new Grammy categories, which include best Asian pop music performance.

According to the rulebook, the category recognizes releases across K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and beyond. But some fans viewed it as a racialized barrier for Asian performers.

In his statement, Mason jr. stated that the new category was created in order to celebrate more voices across the Asian music industry — not to separate those artists from other awards.

“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia,” he wrote. “More categories mean more artists' work is recognized. It's never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.”

He added a reminder that submitting in a genre category — such as the new Asian pop award — does not exclude an artist from submitting to the general field categories like album, song and record of the year.

“Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive,” Mason jr. said. “An artist can absolutely pursue both.”

BTS has never won a Grammy, though they’ve been nominated for five: three times in the best pop duo/group performance category as well as album of the year (for their contributions to Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres”) and best music video for “Yet to Come.”

In fact, no K-pop act had ever won a Grammy before this year, when “Golden” from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” took home the trophy for best song for visual media. It capped a highly visible night for K-pop at the Grammys — an institution where the genre has long been undercelebrated despite its massive international following.

“We’re working through some things,” Belichick said before the morning’s first official practice. “We’re at a particular time of year now where there are certain things that are in play and certain things that aren’t in play that won’t happen until later in the calendar year at some other point.

“Again, we’re taking it day to day, and working through the things that are on the table now.”

The school announced Monday that Lombardi had been placed on leave but didn’t provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren’t permitted to address the topic “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.” On Thursday morning, about 30 minutes before Belichick spoke to reporters, UNC released another statement that said its Office of University Counsel was conducting an investigation — an announcement coming just shy of a month from kickoff to Year 2 of the Belichick era in Chapel Hill.

Two people with knowledge of the situation said a human resources complaint from a former employee is involved with Lombardi’s leave. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the school isn’t commenting publicly about the specific reasons of the case.

According to university policy, the length of an administrative leave shouldn't exceed 30 days but can vary based on issues under review.

“We're going to let that process play out,” athletic director Steve Newmark said Thursday morning of the investigation while declining to discuss specific details. “It's paramount for us to do what's right to make sure it's a full and fair review, and that we don't do anything to compromise the integrity of the process.”

Speaking later after a regularly scheduled morning meeting of the UNC trustees, chancellor Lee Roberts said Thursday that the school learned of “some concerns” last week.

“If something has gone wrong, we want to know about it,” Roberts said. “If something needs to be fixed, we will be sure to fix it. There’s a standard of excellence here that all of us are entrusted with adhering to.”

Roberts added later: "It’s distressing to me and everyone else in the administration entrusted with leadership at this remarkable university that this is something that we have to have to spend time on.”

Belichick didn’t specify exactly how Lombardi’s duties have been divided among the staff, including referencing “a few adjustments” when asked about his own daily tasks.

At the college level, GMs across sports generally work what amounts to front-office roles dealing with roster construction and negotiations over player compensation, with the heaviest work coming in the offseason. In that sense, the football focus centers now more on the on-field work for a roster Lombardi helped put together ahead of the Aug. 29 opener against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.

UNC hired Belichick in December 2024, hoping the man who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles could thrive as a first-time college coach.

Belichick immediately hired Lombardi, who was in attendance for Belichick's introductory news conference. Lombardi’s career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013. And he secured a three-year deal paying him $1.5 million in base salary through the 2027 season, making him the country's highest-paid GM, according to a USA Today salary database.

A few months into Belichick’s tenure, Lombardi said the goal was running a college program in a way similar to the NFL, saying the Tar Heels “consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team” because of the staff connections to the pros. That confident statement didn't align with the on-field results, with the Tar Heels having more more double-digit losses (five) than total wins (four) in Belichick's debut season.

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

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“He has his Heisman trophies right here,” Byrd said. “So this is a young man that had a future and once that accident happened, everything went away.”

Demetrius Byrd, once a standout football player at Miami Central Senior High School who helped lead LSU to a national championship in 2005, is now in jail, accused of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Demetrius Byrd’s mother blames a head injury from a car crash, just before he was set to be drafted into the NFL, for triggering mental illness.

“Everybody is against him, everybody wants to hurt my son, in his mind,” Sharon Byrd said. “Everyone wants to hurt him.”

Demetrius Byrd, 40, appeared before a judge Tuesday to answer to the charge.

“He had a silver multi-tool in his right pocket,” the judge said.

Police said Demetrius Byrd was on a Miami-Dade Transit bus Monday in Miami Beach, causing a disruption near Abbott Avenue and Indian Creek Drive.

They said a male passenger tried to calm him down, but that only escalated the confrontation.

“He opened his multi-tool to a blade and asked the victim if he wanted to die and walked towards him with a blade in his hand,” the judge said.

The bus driver called police, which led to Demetrius Byrd’s arrest.

“My son don’t need jail, he needs help mentally,” Sharon Byrd said.

Despite her plea for help, Demetrius Byrd’s mother said she is not giving up on her son.

“There’s nothing vicious about him and anyone who knows him will tell you that. That’s not my son,” she said.

“I can’t wake them up — I can’t get them up!” he frantically told the officers who, along with firefighters and paramedics, gave jurors firsthand accounts on Thursday of the aftermath.

The murder trial has centered on Clancy’s mental state at the time. Her lawyers do not dispute that she strangled the children with exercise bands. But they say she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

Prosecutors say Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, acted intentionally and is criminally responsible for the deaths in January 2023.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

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The testimony came after jurors spent two days listening to testimony from Patrick Clancy and his anguished 911 call. He was still on the phone when he discovered the bodies of 3-year-old Dawson, 5-year-old Cora, and 8-month-old Callan, minutes after returning home from an errand his wife asked him to run.

Patrick Clancy has said in interviews that he forgives his ex-wife, whom he viewed as ill rather than evil. The trial marks the first time he has seen Lindsay Clancy since the killings.

She remains paralyzed from the waist down after using multiple methods to try to end her life that night. She says a voice told her, “This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyer.

Officers Stephen Hall and Brian Josephine testified Thursday that they were each dispatched separately to the house in Duxbury, a coastal town south of Boston. Hall said they arrived to find Patrick Clancy yelling for help from behind the home.

Patrick Clancy testified earlier this week that his injured wife told him the kids were in the basement, but she didn't say they were dead.

When the officers followed the sound of his screams downstairs, only 8-month-old Callan had a faint pulse, Josephine testified.

“Based on my training experience from previous incidents, I knew it wasn’t going to be good,” Josephine said. They began rendering aid with help from firefighters.

PJ Hussey, a fire department supervisor, arrived in time to glimpse through a basement window as Patrick Clancy unwrapped an exercise band from his child's neck.

“It turned very chaotic very quickly” as more ambulances rushed to the house, Hussey testified. Duxbury firefighter and paramedic Jennifer Stratton said the infant never regained a pulse.

If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

In opening arguments Monday, her attorney said she had bipolar disorder, and that antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child worsened her condition.

Patrick Clancy testified about his wife’s deteriorating mental health in the months leading up to the killings. He said she told him about intrusive thoughts of harming the children, as well as thoughts of suicide.

She sought care from experts in postpartum mood disorders and was put on multiple psychiatric medications. When nothing worked, she checked into a psychiatric hospital. She killed the children 19 days after she was discharged.

Clancy and her ex-husband accuse her medical providers of failing to properly diagnose, treat and monitor her, according to lawsuits filed earlier this year.

“Aquí tiene sus trofeos Heisman”, dijo Byrd. “Este joven tenía un futuro prometedor, pero tras el accidente, todo se esfumó”.

Demetrius Byrd , quien fuera un destacado jugador de fútbol americano en la escuela secundaria Miami Central y ayudó a LSU a ganar un campeonato nacional en 2005, ahora está en la cárcel, acusado de agresión con agravantes con un arma mortal.

La madre de Demetrius Byrd atribuye la enfermedad mental a una lesión en la cabeza sufrida en un accidente automovilístico, justo antes de que su hijo fuera seleccionado en el draft de la NFL.

“Todos están en su contra, todos quieren hacerle daño a mi hijo, en su mente”, dijo Sharon Byrd. “Todos quieren hacerle daño”.

Demetrius Byrd, de 40 años, compareció ante un juez el martes para responder a la acusación.

“Tenía una multiherramienta plateada en el bolsillo derecho”, dijo el juez.

Según la policía, Demetrius Byrd viajaba el lunes en un autobús de Miami-Dade Transit en Miami Beach , provocando una interrupción del servicio cerca de la intersección de Abbott Avenue e Indian Creek Drive.

Según los informes, un pasajero intentó calmarlo, pero eso solo intensificó la confrontación.

“Abrió su multiherramienta en una hoja y le preguntó a la víctima si quería morir, y caminó hacia él con la hoja en la mano”, dijo el juez.

El conductor del autobús llamó a la policía, lo que condujo al arresto de Demetrius Byrd.

“Mi hijo no necesita ir a la cárcel, necesita ayuda psicológica”, dijo Sharon Byrd.

A pesar de su súplica de ayuda, la madre de Demetrius Byrd afirmó que no se dará por vencida con su hijo.

“No tiene nada de malo, y cualquiera que lo conozca te lo confirmará. Ese no es mi hijo”, dijo.

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Over the years, studies have shown data collected by hurricane hunters, which drop thousands of instruments each year into the core of hurricanes and surveil the structure of storms by way of 3-dimensional radar, help to improve track and intensity forecasts by an average of 10 to 20 percent.

For a four- to five-day forecast, that amounts to a reduction in track error of about 25 miles. With coastal evacuations costing about $1 million per mile, this improvement from hurricane hunters alone is estimated to save taxpayers about $25 million for each hurricane impact.

Now, in new research published earlier this month, NOAA scientists for the first time evaluated the forecast improvements from hurricane hunter data after landfall, including for predictions of catastrophic flooding.

Researchers analyzed 10 high-profile hurricanes from 2017 to 2020 — including Hurricanes Harvey (2017) and Florence (2018) which brought catastrophic and deadly inland flooding to parts of Texas and the Carolinas respectively — and found significant improvements in post-landfall rainfall forecasts from data collected by hurricane hunters before landfall when each storm was still over open water.

The research team credited improvements in the inland track forecast from data collected by hurricane hunters in ultimately improving the rainfall forecasts for the storms included.

This is consistent with preliminary results from other studies that have examined the improvements to rainfall forecasts from aircraft reconnaissance during Atmospheric River events over the U.S. West Coast and Canada.

Bipartisan support for expanding the hurricane hunter fleet

The new research from NOAA shows just how valuable data from hurricane hunters are for forecasting potentially deadly hazards before and after landfall, and Congress is taking note.

In June, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill that would authorize $2.5 billion to expand the aging fleet of NOAA hurricane hunter airplanes — 50 years old this season — from 3 now to a minimum of 6 and up to a maximum of 9 crewed aircraft, plus $45 million each year for routine operations and maintenance of the upgraded fleet.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell who introduced the bill both cited the need for critical data to improve forecasts and support earlier warnings in statements issued last month.

The push to expand hurricane hunters comes a year after the Trump administration proposed eliminating the scientific office of NOAA that supports the life-saving work of its hurricane hunter missions, including crucial data collection and ensuring hurricane hunter data is included in NOAA’s state-of-the-art hurricane models.

At the time the administration proposed a significant reduction in flight hours for hurricane hunter aircraft for this hurricane season — a 52% and 33% reduction from flight hours in 2023 and 2024, respectively – largely due to the elimination of its research laboratories and related goals.

Despite the request last summer from the administration to severely cut or wholly eliminate budgets for hurricane forecasting, bipartisan Congressional committees have continued to both reject and rectify NOAA’s budget during its appropriations process, providing full funding (and then some) for NOAA’s weather enterprise, including its research laboratories and cooperative institutes critical to hurricane forecasting.

No Atlantic candidates on the horizon

As we covered in Wednesday’s newsletter, the Atlantic will be dealing with historically high wind shear for at least the next week or two, which should keep things quiet to open August.

Some of the AI models — including the European AI ensemble and Google’s DeepMind ensemble — are picking up on a disturbance over the far eastern Atlantic (between Africa and the Caribbean) as we approach the middle part of the month.

For now, the signal is very weak (less than 10%), but a low signal this far out (10+ days) is worth checking back on in the weeks ahead.

For now, it’s nothing we need to worry about.