Shortly after 1:40 a.m. on Friday, during the Miami-Dade County commission’s second budget hearing that started Thursday afternoon, Commissioner Kionne L. McGhee described several violent video games he has played.

With that experience, McGhee, 48, the commission’s vice chairman, said he allowed his 6-year-old daughter to play Grand Theft Auto, a popular action-adventure video game franchise, with his supervision.

“My daughter, driving the car, she stops at the traffic light,” McGhee said about players’ ability to make choices.

Commissioner Juan Carlos “JC” Bermudez said he was concerned about Grand Theft Auto VI players who may choose to commit crimes and how this can impact the county’s reputation.

“If there is any money in the future, that money should go to the sheriff’s office,” said Bermudez, who represents District 12.

Christopher Hudtwalcker, the mayor’s chief of staff, said Rockstar Games was paying “close to $1 million” for the Kaseya Center sign, and there were negotiations for other signs at other county properties as part of “the biggest cultural phenomena of the year.”

Anthony Rodriguez, the commission’s chairman, said he needed more information about the marketing deal. Hudtwalcker committed to providing more information before the next commission meeting.

Commissioners will have to consider how the deal’s revenue could be used to develop the Dan Paul Plaza, also known as Parcel B, a county-owned waterfront property behind the Kaseya Center.

Rockstar Games plans to release GTA VI on Nov. 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The fictional game’s protagonists are Jason Duval, a U.S. Army veteran who works for drug runners, and his girlfriend Lucia Caminos, a fighter who really doesn’t want to go back to prison.

Grand Theft Auto VI’s trailer released in 2025

Grand Theft Auto VI’s trailer released in 2024

Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East on Friday. Full coverage can be found here.

Iran says it struck an oil tanker on the Strait of Hormuz

Iran said it struck a Togo-flagged oil tanker, the Trend, for what it called an “illegal attempt” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the state broadcaster reported, citing the Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The Associated Press could not immediately confirm the report.

The Guard's navy warned that unauthorized passage through the strait would result in the “destruction” of offending vessels, the broadcaster said. Tehran has asserted control over the waterway since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28.

Separately, a monitor overnight reported a ship “security incident” 16 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, which lies on the other side of the strait. The crew was safe and no environmental impact had been confirmed, United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.

The U.S. military has been guiding some commercial ships through the strait off Oman as the risk of Iranian attacks continues.

South Korea says it might expand naval unit in the region

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said his government is considering expanding the operations of a naval unit deployed in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen and Somalia to protect his country’s vessels and oil shipping routes.

But he stressed that South Korea would not take action drawing it into the U.S.-Iran conflict, pushing back on recent pressure from the Trump administration to get more involved. South Korea has deployed the anti-piracy Cheonghae Unit for years.

The growing threat by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen to shipping in the region has alarmed countries and markets, even though the rebels have said they are only targeting the assets of neighboring Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter.

Lee noted the threat to South Korea’s economy and the need to protect its ships but said “there will be no troop deployment that involves or intervenes in the war. I can state that clearly.”

Deadly collapse in Gaza draws attention to poor shelter

The deadly collapse this week of a multistory building in Gaza has drawn new attention to the hardships facing Palestinians nearly a year after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas promised to kickstart reconstruction.

Many displaced residents have moved back into some of the hundreds of thousands of homes damaged by the fighting despite the risk of weakened foundations and unstable walls suddenly giving way.

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This piece will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

Authorities spread the election over the weekend in a bid to boost turnout among the 111 million eligible voters and even allowed electronic balloting. Polls opened Friday and will close Sunday.

The Kremlin wants the parliamentary election — the first since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — to underline public support for the war and give a veneer of legitimacy to its action. It has sought to avoid any political risks by stamping out even the slightest sign of dissent.

“Your choice and resolve will once again demonstrate that millions of people stand behind our fighters, that we are a united people, bound by shared values, historical memory, and love for the Motherland,” President Vladimir Putin told the nation before the vote.

The main Kremlin party, United Russia, is all but assured to retain its overwhelming control of the lower house, the State Duma. Several smaller parties of the “systemic opposition” that vote in sync with the government on all key issues also are expected to retain their presence.

Voters cast two separate ballots, filling half of the Duma’s 450 seats by selecting political parties listed on the ballot. The rest are contested in single-seat constituencies, with voters choosing individual candidates.

Russia has silenced anti-war voices

The liberal Yabloko party, the only registered political entity that dared to criticize the war, was removed from the ballot last month by Russia’s Supreme Court, and only has a few dozen candidates in the single-constituency races. Additionally, some anti-war politicians have been imprisoned or forced to flee abroad ahead of the campaign.

The election follows a summer of Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on oil refineries that triggered a widespread fuel crisis. Warehouses belonging to online retailers Wildberries and Ozon also were attacked. The damage has exacerbated problems for the Russian economy and brought the war home for millions.

For the first time, the parliamentary election includes residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed after the war began. Voting also is taking place in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

Authorities in Kyiv denounced the voting in the Russian-held areas as illegal and urged foreign governments and international organizations not to recognize the election, warning Ukrainians that taking part in organizing the balloting could carry criminal liability.

But as talks faltered, plans for rebuilding stalled. Many residents have since moved back into some of the hundreds of thousands of homes damaged by the war despite the risk of weakened foundations and unstable walls suddenly giving way.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 21 people were killed in the collapse in Gaza City on Wednesday. Um Mohammad Adas, whose relatives were among the dead, said the fallen building had become a shelter of last resort.

“Now, they are lying in the street homeless and with absolutely nothing,” she said of her family members who survived the collapse. “Even the clothes they are wearing were borrowed.”

Families living in similar structures said they couldn’t afford any other shelter.

“We don’t have money to go somewhere else,” Ahmad Arafat said on a street full of rubble near his home. “And we can’t afford to buy tents like other people.”

Other people who have moved back into debris-filled buildings with sloping floors and cracked ceilings in Gaza City said they don't have options.

“What forces people to live in these places is that there is no shelter other than this shelter. I mean, there are no tents, no basic necessities,” Alam Zakout said outside the damaged building where he and his family live. “Come on, you tell me, where am I supposed to go? I have nothing other than this house.”

The collapse this week wasn't the first involving unsafe dwellings in Gaza, but the high death toll underscored the dangers in a territory where the vast majority of the population lacks adequate shelter.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that during the first week of September there were collapses at five shelters, a category that can include standalone homes or units in larger buildings.

More than 2,000 additional buildings were at risk of collapse, the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works said in a statement Wednesday.

Dangers in Gaza persist without reconstruction

Israel has said it will not permit any rebuilding in Gaza until Hamas disarms, leaving more than 1 million people to live in unsafe displacement sites, according to a joint damage assessment released in April by the World Bank and United Nations. Many are crowded into sprawling tent camps lacking basic sanitation.

The assessment said 76% of residential units had been damaged or destroyed, calling the loss of the enclave's housing stock “catastrophic.”

“People are choosing to stay in dangerous buildings because the idea of living in a tent is worse, and there are very few tent supplies available if they want to leave those buildings,” said Shaina Low, a Norwegian Refugee Council spokesperson. “No tent supplies are getting into Gaza. People are willing to risk it because there isn’t a suitable alternative.”

The council is among the aid groups that have long warned about Gaza's shelter crisis. Nearly three years of war have damaged more than 320,000 homes, affecting 1.7 million of the territory’s 2.1 million people, according to a report published last month.

The council's surveys found 72% are staying in buildings that have sustained some damage. In one Gaza City neighborhood sampled, 22% of buildings were at risk of imminent collapse.

The buildings can be dangerous at any time, but engineers and humanitarian groups warn they are especially at risk of collapse during bouts of bad weather, when rain can flood through cracked concrete and exposed rebar, further weakening already damaged structures. The report found 71% of those surveyed had experienced flooding since the start of the previous winter, both in tents and buildings.

Aid groups say more shelter materials needed

Norwegian Refugee Council and other aid groups recently reiterated calls for Israel to allow more shelter and reconstruction materials into Gaza, noting Israel had twice rejected the entry of timber and emergency shelter kits in late August and early September for security reasons.

They have called for timber, emergency shelter kits, excavators and other equipment needed to clear dangerous debris. Israel has long restricted the entry of materials it considers “dual use,” saying they could be commandeered and used by militants.

COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing aid distribution in Gaza, said in a statement that it “regularly facilitates and encourages the entry of shelter supplies into the Gaza Strip in coordination with international organizations.”

“At the same time, there is a genuine security concern that Hamas may use some of the components intended for the construction of shelters to strengthen its capabilities and rebuild its terrorist infrastructure,” COGAT said.

The war was sparked after the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, in which militants killed about 1,200 people and took 251 people hostage. An October 2025 ceasefire reduced the intensity of the fighting, but Israel has continued to carry out strikes, killing at least 1,375 people since the agreement went into effect, according to local health officials.

The nearly three-year Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 73,821 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants, but says women and children make up around half the toll.

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Metz reported from Jerusalem.

La Red Nacional de Defensa de los Derechos Humanos señaló que su informe está respaldado por entrevistas con jueces, funcionarios policiales, civiles armados, el exjefe de una comisaría y más de 100 víctimas y sus familiares.

El informe ofrece el relato más completo de los ataques que las pandillas lanzaron recientemente contra la antes pacífica comunidad agrícola de Kenscoff, cerca de Puerto Príncipe, en los cuales al menos 164 personas fueron asesinadas, más de 70 secuestradas y decenas desaparecieron.

Reforzar la seguridad podría haber limitado las muertes

En su informe, publicado el miércoles, el grupo de derechos humanos sostuvo que un “refuerzo oportuno” de la seguridad podría haber evitado o limitado los asesinatos.

“El hecho de que no se haya respondido es aún más preocupante, dado que la información disponible indicaba la existencia de una amenaza grave e inminente para la población”, indicó.

Un portavoz de la Policía Nacional de Haití no respondió de momento a una solicitud de comentarios.

El grupo de derechos humanos señaló que Kenscoff siguió siendo vulnerable después de un ataque en enero de 2025, el cual dejó al menos 139 personas muertas o desaparecidas: “Se habían puesto de relieve graves fallas institucionales que contribuyeron a la perpetración de esta masacre. No sorprende que la seguridad nunca se restableciera realmente en la ciudad”.

Señaló que los soldados y las unidades especiales de policía asignados a Kenscoff tras el ataque de 2025 fueron retirados posteriormente “por razones que siguen siendo completamente desconocidas”.

Se recortó el personal de seguridad

En general, la seguridad en la zona se redujo un 60%, según el informe.

Las pandillas atacaron Kenscoff de nuevo en julio, y luego se replegaron, pero a finales de agosto lanzaron un ataque aún mayor. Una semana antes de que comenzara la masacre, se retiró un vehículo blindado debido a falta de personal, “dejando una nueva puerta para bandidos terroristas armados y debilitando aún más la ciudad”, concluyó el informe.

Las solicitudes del exjefe de la comisaría de Kenscoff para contar con dos camiones blindados adicionales fueron ignoradas antes del ataque, añadió.

Días antes de la masacre, el grupo indicó que “terroristas armados” utilizaron drones de vigilancia para rastrear movimientos y posiciones de las fuerzas del orden. Desplegaron exploradores en la zona, y luego se infiltraron y comenzaron a vigilar las carreteras, “identificando a individuos que probablemente representaran una amenaza para ellos”.

El grupo de derechos humanos indicó que funcionarios del gobierno les comentaron que no escucharon planes sobre el ataque, pero sí notaron la presencia de drones sobre la ciudad horas antes de que comenzara.

Uso de troncos para bloquear carreteras

Otra señal de advertencia: se usaron troncos para bloquear carreteras horas antes de la masacre.

Una de las primeras víctimas fue un hombre de 21 años, al que le ordenaron cargar piedras para bloquear una carretera antes de que le dispararan en la cabeza, señaló el informe.

Entre los muertos había casi dos docenas de personas de entre 65 y 90 años; 36 mujeres y siete niños, incluido uno de 4 años. Había agricultores, dos pastores y un director escolar que fue decapitado.

A un hombre que trabajaba en la comisaría de Kenscoff le fueron arrancados los ojos y cercenados los brazos, según el informe.

Integrantes de las pandillas mataron a personas que se refugiaban en una escuela y una iglesia, utilizando los cuerpos como barricadas mientras la policía y civiles los enfrentaban durante horas.

El informe indicó que hombres armados realizaron varios ataques antes de entrar en Kenscoff para atraer a la policía y debilitar sus defensas.

El grupo de derechos humanos identificó a las víctimas y la forma en que murieron, al tiempo que pidió al gobierno que brinde ayuda financiera, médica y psicológica a los sobrevivientes y a sus familias.

El informe critica la pasividad policial

Entre enero y agosto de este año, las operaciones de seguridad habían logrado reducir la violencia en Kenscoff en un 66% antes del ataque, según la organización sin fines de lucro Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.

Pero el informe criticó lo que calificó como pasividad policial y el “desdeñoso desinterés” de altos mandos policiales por proteger Kenscoff. También cuestionó por qué una nueva fuerza de represión de pandillas respaldada por la ONU “sigue siendo apenas perceptible sobre el terreno, y su contribución a las operaciones de seguridad sigue siendo difícil de identificar”.

Un portavoz de dicha fuerza no respondió de momento a una solicitud de comentarios el jueves por la noche.

La fuerza indicó a finales de agosto que estaba relevando a la policía haitiana en ciertas zonas para liberar unidades y así reforzar la seguridad en Kenscoff.

El grupo de derechos humanos señaló que a mediados de septiembre se lanzó otro ataque armado en la localidad.

El alcalde de Kenscoff emitió un comunicado el martes en el que advirtió que los drones siguen sobrevolando su comunidad y que se están publicando en internet videos y mensajes inquietantes como amenazas.

“La convergencia de estas diversas señales no debe trivializarse ni ignorarse bajo ninguna circunstancia”, escribió. “Después de más de 20 meses de sufrimiento, desplazamiento, pérdida de vidas y trauma causados por la violencia de pandillas armadas, el pueblo de Kenscoff no puede ser sometido a nuevas tragedias que podrían haberse evitado”.

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El reportero de The Associated Press Evens Sanon en Puerto Príncipe contribuyó a este despacho.

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

The decision came at a suddenly convened Pardons Board meeting, a week after the board deferred Najib’s latest clemency application to a future meeting. It marked an unprecedented use of house arrest as a form of royal clemency in Malaysia and could renew debate over royal powers, the rule of law and the treatment of Malaysia’s most prominent corruption convict.

A statement issued by the Legal Affairs Department under the Prime Minister's office said Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar has granted a “conditional pardon” for Najib during a Pardons Board meeting. Najib will be allowed to serve the remainder of his prison term under house arrest until Aug. 23, 2028, if he pays the 50 million ringgit fine ($12 million) imposed by the court, it said.

The statement said Najib must also follow conditions set, failing which the pardon will be forfeited. No details were provided.

Najib, 73, has been imprisoned since August 2022 after Malaysia’s top court upheld his conviction in a graft case linked to the multi-billion dollar looting of the state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

He was originally sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined 210 million ringgit ($51.5 million) in 2020 for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) channeled into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB.

In January 2024, a Pardons Board chaired by the then-king halved his sentence to six years and reduced his fine to 50 million ringgit.

Najib has maintained the previous king, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah, also issued an addendum order allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest. But the High Court ruled that the alleged house arrest order was not enforceable because it had not been raised or discussed by the Pardons Board at its January 2024 meeting.

The house-arrest order also raises questions about a separate graft sentence for Najib.

In December 2025, Najib was found guilty for abuse of power and money laundering related to over $700 million channeled into his bank accounts from 1MDB, in his main trial tied to the fund. He was sentenced to another 15 years in prison and fined 11.4 billion ringgit ($2.8 billion), which is to take effect after his existing sentence ends. He is appealing that conviction.

House arrest had been discussed as part of broader criminal-justice reforms in Malaysia. In 2024, the government said proposed legislation allowing home detention in certain circumstances was aimed at reducing prison overcrowding and recidivism, not designed specifically for Najib.

Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after he took office in 2009. Investigators allege at least $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib’s associates through layers of bank accounts in the U.S. and other countries. The funds were allegedly used to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases that included hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewelry.

A national outrage over the 1MDB scandal led to the historic 2018 election defeat of the party that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.

Despite his conviction, Najib still holds clout in his party, the United Malays National Organization, which is now part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's unity government that took power after the 2022 elections.

During a campaign stop Wednesday in Gastonia, North Carolina, to stump for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Michael Whatley, Trump resurrected a 1988 George H.W. Bush presidential campaign ad featuring Willie Horton, a Black man convicted of rape and assault after his release through a Massachusetts prison furlough program.

A grainy black-and-white prison photo of Horton was used in the ad targeting then-Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, who was ahead of Bush in the polls. On Wednesday, Trump evoked the Horton ad in an effort to convince voters Democratic former Gov. Roy Cooper, Whatley's opponent in the Senate race, is soft on crime.

“Willie Horton was a bad guy, really bad guy,” Trump said, before comparing Dukakis's release of Horton to the pretrial release of a Black man who faces a murder charge for last year's killing of a white Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Same thing as this, same as, same exact thing,” the president told the crowd in Gastonia.

It’s the second time Trump has invoked Willie Horton while campaigning for his party. Last month during a speech in Las Vegas, Trump called the Charlotte killing a “Willie Horton — modern day” tragedy.

“After the Willie Horton ad dropped, Bush established a lead in the polls and never looked back,” said Andra Gillespie, political scientist at Emory University outside Atlanta. “They showed the picture, and you ascribed race onto it. It wasn’t sufficiently condemned as racism.”

A spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, which organized the Gastonia campaign rally, defended Trump's reference to Horton.

“Roy Cooper emptied prisons and released thousands of violent monsters onto North Carolina streets,” RNC National Press Secretary Natalie Baldassarre said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The results had deadly consequences, and every Democrat who supports abolishing or defunding the police, paroling criminals, and implementing lax bail policies will have to answer for their dangerous records in November.”

Trump paints North Carolina as a ‘dangerous state’

Wednesday’s rally referenced the Aug. 22, 2025, killing of white 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska on a commuter train in Charlotte.

Decarlos Brown Jr., who is Black, faces murder and other charges in Zarutska’s stabbing, which was captured on video. Court records showed that at the time of the attack, Brown had 14 prior cases in Mecklenburg County, including serving five years for robbery with a dangerous weapon. Doctors had diagnosed him with schizophrenia.

Republicans and other influential voices in Trump’s Make America Great Again movement claimed the attack showed how Democratic elected leaders in large cities across the U.S. failed to protect residents, while some conservative commentators suggested Democrats were ignoring an unfounded “black-on-white” crime problem.

“He should have been locked up for many, many years,” Trump said Wednesday of Brown.

“Nobody used to think of North Carolina as a dangerous state, criminally dangerous,” Trump added while blaming Cooper. “It was apple pie, right? Now, it’s one of the most violent, one of the worst in the whole nation.”

According to 2024 FBI crime data, North Carolina ranked 19th for statewide violent-crime rates in a 50-state comparison.

During the Gastonia rally, a mosaic of mug shots was displayed on a large screen for the crowd. Trump claimed Cooper had cut a deal with “radical activists” to release “some of the worst criminals in the nation into North Carolina.”

“He released these people. This is just a small group of them,” the president said, pointing to the mug shots that overwhelmingly featured Black people.

Although it is unclear under what circumstances the people in the mug shots were released, state corrections officials have said Brown was not released early from prison or under Cooper’s COVID-era prisoner-release settlement that Trump referenced.

Before fatally stabbing Zarutska, according to court records, Brown had been on a pretrial release over a misdemeanor offense that was ordered by a magistrate after Cooper left office.

‘Tapping into anger’

Republicans are under pressure to win over swayable voters as the November midterms approach with Democrats pushing to gain control of the House, the Senate, or both. Some political strategists say part of the ploy of adding Horton to the North Carolina Senate campaign is to rile up Trump's base.

“He’s tapping into the anger to remind Republican voters of what he thinks their first principles are in hopes that will be successful for Republican candidates,” Gillespie said.

“He’s doing this to try and divert attention away from criticism of how he’s governing at the moment,” she added. “Democrats want to make the story of this election Trump’s low approval numbers, the war in Iran, inflation, being preoccupied with things that don’t make a whole lot of sense when there are really serious things going on in the country.”

Dewey Clayton, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Louisville, said Trump and other Republicans may be thinking that what worked before in the 2016 and 2024 elections presumably will work again in this year's midterms.

“It was very effective,” Clayton said. “You do not necessarily have to look at it as racial, in and of itself, although (race) clearly becomes a component. In 2026, talking about ads going back in the 1980s? I'm sure he had consultants that were basically saying this is tried and true.”

The GOP may need the push in November, Gillespie warns. “I think the motivation by going back to these old strategies is there is real concern about Republican enthusiasm and you might see lower Republican turnout,” she said.

Rhetoric attempts to divert voters' attention from rising costs

The tactic speaks to desperation by Trump and the Whatley campaign, according to Morgan Jackson, a partner with Nexus Strategies in Raleigh.

“Trump brings up Willie Horton to stoke racial division, something he's used for the last 10 years,” said Jackson, who is chief strategist for Cooper's campaign. “It is very clear from the president's speech last night their only goal is to sow division and hate and lies. Michael Whatley doubles down in support of that effort.”

Jackson also said Trump and Whatley are trying to change the election's message of “rising inflation and the cost of everything.”

“They want to use inflammatory rhetoric, hate speech and lies to sow division in a chance to win an election,” he said. “By referencing Willie Horton, they are showing their hand very clearly.”

The AP sent an email Thursday seeking comment from Whatley's Senate campaign.

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Williams reported from Detroit. AP videojournalist Erik Verduzco in Gastonia, North Carolina, contributed.

Election administrators say they’re prepared and confident the vote will be accurate and secure. Nevertheless, President Donald Trump has continued with efforts to denigrate certain voting methods and reshape how U.S. elections are run, through court challenges, an expansive federal hunt for noncitizen voters and a pressure campaign to force election officials to share sensitive voter data.

Friday marks the start of early voting in Virginia. Voters in a handful of other states, including Idaho, Minnesota and South Dakota, are able to cast absentee ballots in person, typically at a local election office or voting center. More expansive early voting is scheduled to begin in those and other states in the coming weeks.

The Nov. 3 election includes votes for governor and state legislature in most states and will determine whether the U.S. House and Senate maintain their Republican majorities. If Democrats retake Congress, it will alter the trajectory of the final two years of Trump’s term, likely leading to investigations and other oversight efforts.

The start of early voting comes at a time of deep angst among many Americans about issues including rising gas and grocery prices, the war in Iran, the looming risks of artificial intelligence technology and Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement campaign.

It also follows an unprecedented spate of mid-decade redistricting for the U.S. House that began when Trump urged the Republican-controlled legislature in Texas to redraw its congressional map to help the party. California and other states followed.

The changes affect millions of people: Research shows 1 in 10 Americans this fall are residents of a different congressional district than in 2024.

Those partisan efforts are expected to continue ahead of the 2028 elections after a landmark ruling earlier this year from the Supreme Court weakened the federal Voting Rights Act’s protections against racially discriminatory redistricting.

As the start of early voting approached, Trump was focused on efforts to assert federal control over election administration, even as the Constitution bestows the power to run elections on the states and, in some cases, Congress. The Supreme Court rejected Trump's bid to restrict mail ballots this week, but several of his administration's other efforts to influence the voting process and mine state voter lists for illegitimate voters are ongoing.

Trump for years has raised the specter of widespread noncitizen voting in U.S. elections, and this year is no exception. But despite his administration's insistence that hundreds of thousands of people are illegally on voting rolls across the country, research continues to show noncitizen voting is exceptionally rare.

David Becker, executive director and founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the president continues “his disinformation campaign and his attack on election officials.” But he said he thinks despite that and other challenges, “ultimately the process will hold as it has in past years.”

Voting rights advocates have encouraged voters this year to cast mail ballots early, in part because of concerns about recent changes in U.S. Postal Service operations that could delay the application of postmarks to ballots.

“Voting early, whether in person or by mail, is good for all of our communities because it gives voters options, eases lines on Election Day and can even mean faster results,” said Hannah Fried, co-founder and CEO of the voting rights group All Voting Is Local.

In a press briefing Thursday, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon urged people not to be swayed by stories they might have seen or read that cast doubt on election operations. They would be able to vote “just like they always have,” he said.

“I just want to reaffirm that Minnesota’s elections are fundamentally free, fair, accurate, honest and secure,” he said.

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Swenson reported from New York and Raza reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Associated Press writer Mike Catalini contributed from Philadelphia.

The quarterback quickly put his stamp on Highmark Stadium by throwing three touchdown passes and running for two more scores in a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night in the first regular-season game at the $2.1 billion facility.

And the only time Allen felt emotional was just before kickoff, during the performances of the U.S. and Canadian national anthems.

“I caught myself taking it all in an understanding how cool what I get to do. My job is the coolest in the world,” Allen said. “It’s everything I ever wanted, to be the quarterback of an NFL franchise. I’m just very fortunate to have ended up in Buffalo.”

After rewriting many of Buffalo's scoring and passing records during his first eight seasons across the street at the old Highmark Stadium, the 30-year-old Allen looked at home at the team’s new digs.

Allen scored the first touchdown at the new stadium on a 1-yard plunge 5:51 minutes in. His second rushing TD, a 2-yard run, was the 83rd of his career tying him for 18th on the NFL list with Jim Taylor. And his sixth career five-TD outing, followed a four-touchdown performance in Buffalo’s season-opening 36-31 win at New Orleans.

“Anytime the ball’s in his hands, good things happen. And yeah, love that guy,” said Bills coach Joe Brady, who was so confident in his offense, he elected to take the opening kickoff after winning the coin flip.

“I wanted us to take the ball in this environment and set the tone,” Brady said. “That was the start that we needed.”

The Bills scored on each of their first four possessions with Josh Palmer’s 43-yard TD catch, followed by Dawson Knox’s 2-yard reception and Dalton Kincaid’s 16-yarder.

Allen finished 20 of 31 for 248 yards, and added 69 yards rushing. James Cook had 134 yards rushing and put the game away with a 1-yard TD run with 2:50 left.

Buffalo’s 41 points were the third-most by a team in its regular-season stadium debut, behind only Dallas, which scored 44 in its first game at Texas Stadium in 1971, and Miami scoring 42 in its first outing at Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987.

The Lions were undone by an injury depleted defense, and a banged-up offensive line that had difficulty opening holes for Jahmyr Gibbs and protecting Jared Goff.

“You play an opponent as potent as this, you don’t have the luxury of spitting and sputtering early,” coach Dan Campbell said of Detroit falling behind 21-0 with 11:48 left in the second quarter. “We needed to play. It didn’t have to be spotless, but it certainly needed to be a lot cleaner than that.”

The Lions’ defense got off to a dreadful start in allowing Bills to score 27 points and gain 299 yards in the first half alone, and 446 overall.

After rallying to cut Buffalo’s lead to 34-24 on Sam LaPorta's 1-yard TD catch four minutes into the fourth quarter, the Lions offense stalled on their next drive. Backed up at their own 10, the Lions went three-and-out and forced to punt after Goff had two passes tipped by Deone Walker, and Gibbs was stopped for no gain.

The Bills responded by putting the game away on Cook's TD.

Goff finished 26 of 38 for 327 yards and four touchdowns, with Amon-Ra St. Brown having nine catches for 142 yards and two scores. Gibbs also scored on an 11-yard catch but was limited to 52 yards rushing. Sam LaPorta also scored on a 1-yard catch.

“I think we knew what type of game it was going to be, and we dug ourselves in that hole,” Goff said. “Against a team like that with the offense they have, it was really tough to get back int it.”

St. Brown and Gibbs have now scored in the same game 22 times to move into a tie for fourth place in matching the Cleveland receiver/running back combo of Paul Warfield and Leroy Kelly

The Lions troubles began on Buffalo’s second drive when two defenders converged on DJ Moore in the flats and allowing Allen to find Palmer wide open deep for a 43-yard touchdowns. On Buffalo’s next drive, a holding penalty against Rock Ya-Sin, negated Skyler Gill-Howard’s interception of a tipped pass.

Injuries

Lions: DB Avonte Maddox hurt his right foot during a three-player collision in the end zone in the second quarter and did not return.

Bills: Starting DL Ed Oliver was ruled out after hurting his hip during pre-game warmups, leaving the Bills with four healthy linemen. ... WR DJ Moore was ruled out after hurting his shoulder and head when Ya-Sin landed on the player attempting to make a catch in the end zone.

Up next

Lions: Host the New York Jets on Sept. 27.

Bills: Host New England on Sept. 27.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

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Victory restaurant and lounge in Miami’s Midtown area was ordered shut for the second time with inspectors finding a dead rodent and dozens of rodent droppings.

A well-known name, Golden Corral in Hialeah, was also closed after inspectors found live and dead roaches, rodent droppings and food being held at unsafe temperatures.

And for the first time on dirty dining, a rehabilitation facility, Club Fellowship in South Miami-Dade was ordered shut after inspectors found rodent droppings, dozens of live roaches and other violations.

All three will be allowed to reopen following a re-inspection that finds the problems have been corrected and the kitchens meet state standards.

Below is a list of the specific violations.

**VICTORY RESTAURANT & LOUNGE

MIDTOWN MIAMI

3252 NE 1ST AVE

MIAMI

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 9/14

17 VIOLATIONS FOUND

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 7/7 (RODENT ISSUE)

“Dead rodent present. Observed a dead rodent at second floor storage next to freezer upstairs.”

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 25+ droppings at second floor storage near stairs. Observed approximately 10+ droppings at second floor by AC unit pipes. Next to freezer upstairs storage. Repeat Violation.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed one dead roach at storage by stairs.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed can opener soiled at prep table.’

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed floor under counter soiled by bar area hookah.”

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

“Carbon dioxide/helium tanks not adequately secured. Observed second floor storage by alcohol storage. Repeat Violation.”

“Employee beverage container on a food preparation table or over/next to clean equipment/utensils. Observed employee drink container stored by dishwasher.”

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

“Equipment in poor repair. Observed reach in cooler gaskets torn at drawers by cook line.”

“Floor area(s) covered with standing water. Observed standing water at floor by bar area. Repeat Violation.”

“Straws provided for customer self-service not individually wrapped or in an approved dispenser. Observed straws provided for customer self-service not individually wrapped at bar area. Employee stored properly. Repeat Violation.”

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

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed hand sink at hookah bar area used as a dump sink. Repeat Violation.”

“No currently certified food service manager on duty with four or more employees engaged in food preparation/handling.”

“No measuring device available for measuring utensil surface temperature when using hot water as sanitizer in a dish machine.”

“Ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite and held more than 24 hours not properly date marked. Observed cooked white rice stored inside walk in cooler not dated.”

**CLUB FELLOWSHIP

(REHABITITATION CENTER)

9827 EAST HIBISCUS STREET

MIAMI

ORDERED SHUT 9/14

8 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed more than 30 rodent droppings on the floor of the kitchen area, close to the reach in cooler by the kitchen entrance.”

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed approximately 18 live roaches crawling on the kitchen floor under the rubber matt. Observed another 6 live roaches crawling on the floor of the kitchen by the oven.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 6 dead roaches on the floor of the kitchen area.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed can opener soiled.”

“Employee wearing jewelry other than a plain ring on their hands/arms while preparing food. Observed employee wearing a watch while engaged in food preparation.”

“No handwashing sign provided at a hand sink used by food employees. Observed at the kitchen area.”

“Water draining onto floor surface. Observed the water of the dishwasher machine dumped onto the floor of the kitchen area due to improper sewage disposal.”

“Non-pitting surface rust on food-contact equipment. Observed a rust shelf by the 3 compartment sink.”

**GOLDEN CORRAL

1734 WEST 49TH ST.

HIALEAH

ORDERED SHUT 9/14

11 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 6 rodent droppings under hot holding units at buffet.”

““Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 2 live roach crawling on hot food dispenser at buffet line. Also observed 2 live roaches crawling under rack by dishwashing area. Observed 2 live roaches at kitchen/preparation area.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 1 dead roach on dishwasher drain board. Observed 1 dead roach on floor at meat room. Observed approximately 3 dead roaches under equipment at kitchen/ preparation area.

“Accumulation of dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, or other pests, in control devices. Observed approximately 10 dead roaches on device inside hot holding unit at buffet line. Observed approximately 8 dead roaches on device on cold holding unit at buffet line.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed soiled with food debris and grease waffles maker at buffet line.”

“Accumulation of debris on exterior of ware washing machine.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed soiled with food debris gasket on unit at pizza assembly. Observed soiled with food debris and grease cans rack at kitchen area.”

“Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. Observed soiled with food debris shelves at walk in cooler.”

“Dented/rusted cans present. See stop sale. Observed 2 rusted tomatillo sauce cans and five dented and rusted creamy mushroom sauce cans on rack at kitchen area, operator discarded during inspection.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed hush puppies mix (58F - Cold Holding) in reach in cooler across fryer, as per operator less than 1 hour due preparation, operator moved to walk in cooler for rapid cooling. Also observed Buffet line: potato salad(46F - Cold Holding); chicken salad (45F - Cold Holding); coleslaw (45F - Cold Holding); cut melon (46F - Cold Holding) as per opera less than 2 hours, operator moved to walk in cooler and add ice for rapid cooling.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed baked potatoes (128F - Hot Holding) on standing unit at kitchen area, as per operator less than 1 hour, operator proceed to reheated.”

The Titans, wearing gray and purple, got on the board first when Zachary Katz found Jahmir McCall for a touchdown.

Later, Katz came back with another big play. He faked the handoff before finding Jaden Daniels, who broke free and took off down the field.

True North was on its way to its first win, leading 40-13 late in the fourth quarter.

Earlier Thursday afternoon, HML faced South Miami.

Miami Lakes trailed 6-0 in the first quarter but was driving. Jahvarie Grant finished the drive with a touchdown to tie the game at six.

South Miami answered with a long scoring drive of its own, capped by Quantez Smith’s touchdown. The extra point put the Cobras up 14-6.

South Miami held on for a 34-20 win and improved to 3-2.

In a neighborhood rivalry between Ely and undefeated Deerfield Beach, neither team could score after a long lightning delay, sending the game into overtime.

The Bucks came up empty on their possession, and the Tigers took advantage, walking it off on a touchdown pass.

Ely blanked Deerfield Beach 6-0.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 gained 1.4% to 65,000.72 in afternoon trading after the Bank of Japan raised the benchmark interest rate to 1.25% from 1.0%, a 31-year high.

The move had been widely figured in, coming after the Federal Reserve also raised its key rate this week. Pressures have been coming from the U.S. for Japan to raise rates because of concerns about the weakening yen.

The nations intervened together recently to prop up the yen. But the efforts haven't had a big impact.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar rose to 157.23 Japanese yen from 155.95 yen. The euro cost $1.1484, up from $1.1480.

South Korea's Kospi jumped 2.7% to 6,893.98. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 declined 0.2% to 8,719.50. Hong Kong's Hang Seng edged up nearly 1.0% to 24,837.05, while the Shanghai Composite added 0.9% to 3,909.81.

Falling oil prices and easing pressure from the bond market helped Wall Street reverse many of its losses from the prior day.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.1% for just its second rise in the last nine days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 316 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.7%.

Wall Street stocks got a boost after the price for a barrel of Brent crude oil slid from the nearly $110 it reached earlier in the week on worries that the war with Iran will keep oil bottled up in the Middle East instead of going to customers worldwide.

In Asian trading, Brent, the international standard, lost 1.27% to $103.49 a barrel. Benchmark U.S. crude slid 0.93% to $100.96 a barrel.

Brent is still more expensive than the $72 per barrel that it cost earlier this summer, but the recent drop helped pull yields lower in the bond market and removed some pressure on stocks. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.93% from 5.01% late Wednesday.

The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised the short-term interest rate that it controls, the federal funds rate, by a quarter of a percentage point for its first hike in more than three years. Officials also signaled they may raise the federal funds rate one more time this year as they try to get high inflation in the U.S. under control.

The signals sent Wall Street on a roller coaster. Stocks initially remained higher for the day after the Fed made its announcement Wednesday. They then slid sharply before recovering a chunk of the losses before trading ended.

On the upside for markets, the shift to higher interest rates built confidence that the Fed is committed to getting inflation back to its target of 2%. On the downside for markets, higher rates undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 85.95 points to 7,637.76. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 316.14 to 51,778.04, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 439.87 to 26,418.30.

___

AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed to this report.

The Bank of Japan has been trying to normalize monetary policy after decades of keeping interest rates near or below zero to try to encourage more borrowing and spending to counter deflation and pull Japan's economy out of the doldrums. Inflationary pressures are rising because of the war in Iran, which has sent oil prices soaring in recent months. That is a big negative for resource-poor Japan, which virtually imports all its oil.

The rate increase, coming at the end of the two-day monetary policy board meeting, was expected, widely figured into recent global markets.

The raise comes after the U.S. Federal Reserve also raised its key rate this week. It raised its benchmark interest rate Wednesday for the first time since 2023 in an effort to quell stubbornly high inflation.

The U.S. has also been pressuring Japan to raise rates because of concerns about the weakening yen. Analysts say the Bank of Japan could raise interest rates another time later this year, or possibly early next year.

The nations intervened together recently to prop up the yen. The U.S. dollar is trading at about 155 yen. It reached above 160 yen earlier this year.

The Bank of Japan has set a target inflation rate of about 2%. Inflation is about that now in Japan, although some consumers complain that the recent surge in prices is too much, especially in gas and oil-related products.

Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose after the Bank of Japan decision was announced.

___

Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama

Commissioners are working to balance the budget while keeping services in place without raising taxes.

“The problem that we have this year is that we have had to be able to balance a budget, make sure that we try to continue our services and not increasing taxes, that’s my priority,” County Commissioner Rene Garcia said.

One of the major sticking points is funding for the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz is asking for an additional 6% in funding, on top of the roughly $55 million increase already proposed.

Cordero-Stutz says she needs at least $1 billion to operate the office and hire more deputies.

“Without the requesting funding there will be no additional hires, zero,” Cordero-Stutz said.

Under the proposed budget, the sheriff’s office would receive about $1.2 billion. But Cordero-Stutz says that would not cover the office’s operational needs, including new deputies, 911 call takers, dispatchers and investigative personnel.

“Under the proposed funding, the consecuencia are immediate, all 6.5 academy classes currently scheduled for next year will be cancelled. That means we will not be bringing in the new deputies we desperately need,” she said.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, however, says her proposed budget fully funds the sheriff’s office and its needs, including money to hire 200 new positions.

Commissioners say they’re working toward a compromise.

“What we are saying is we are closing up those vacant, we all want to support the sheriff, we want her to bring in new recruits, and I think we will come to a middle ground,” Commissioner Raquel Regalado said.

Another major issue is public transit.

Miami-Dade residents have pushed back against proposed bus service cuts.

Ahead of the final vote, Levine Cava said her administration moved money around to help protect early-morning bus service.

Late-night routes could still be at risk.

Garcia said one option could be a small fee increase, which he said has not happened in more than 13 years.

“Apply maybe a small fee increase, which we have not seen in over 13 years. So it’s important to balance all those things out, and hopefully we will be able to keep the system where it is right now. There may be some reductions, but at the end of the day, the early morning routes is what we need to protect and save,” Garcia said.

Regalado said she has also proposed changes to MetroConnect that she says could free up millions of dollars for bus service.

“I brought an item from MetroConnect that’s also in this proposal that actually flips the way we do MetroConnect. That would save us potentially $3.5 million that we can now apply to the buses,” Regalado said.

Commissioners and the mayor are expected to take a final vote early Friday morning.

The shooting happened just before 6:30 p.m. along Southwest 203rd Street near 123rd Avenue.

Neighbors described hearing several gunshots.

“All I heard was a pop pop pop, that was it. I didn’t pay any mind to it. Cause nothing ever happens,” said Ivonne Aguilar, a neighbor.

Investigators said the victim was sitting in a car with another person when the two got into some sort of dispute.

“The subject in the vehicle we’re having a verbal discussion, at which point the victim exited his vehicle and the suspect discharged multiple rounds towards the victim, which ended up striking the victim,” said Daniel Castillo with MDSO.

The shooter later drove away, while the victim was airlifted to Jackson South, according to deputies.

Several neighbors told Local 10 the victim is a teenager.

“I talked to a lot of my neighbors here and supposedly one of my friends one in this neighborhood got shot. So he got airlifted out of here and from there we’re just trying to figure out the situation,” said Frank Miranda, a neighbor.

Sky 10 captured deputies arriving at a second location about a mile away along Southwest 117th Court.

Deputies were seen standing outside an efficiency behind a home with their guns drawn. So far, detectives have not confirmed whether that second scene is related to the shooting.

No arrests have been made and the shooter has not been found as of Thursday night.

The 41-year-old former ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi, with capacity for short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft and helicopters, was welcomed with a military ceremony upon its arrival at a naval base in North Jakarta’s Tanjung Priok seaport.

Italy in March agreed to give the carrier, which was retired in 2024, to Indonesia in a move aimed at boosting Italy’s broader defense engagement with the Southeast Asian country. Italy is seeking deals on submarines and aircraft, and gifting the carrier to Indonesia also saves it the cost of decommissioning the ship.

“We intend to use the ship primarily for military operations other than war, although it can also be deployed for combat missions if necessary," Indonesian Navy chief Adm. Muhammad Ali told reporters after the ceremony. He said the carrier could serve the navy for another 15 to 20 years and could accommodate 14 helicopters or more, depending on their size.

Indonesia will become the second country in Southeast Asia with an aircraft carrier. Thailand’s HTMS Chakri Naruebet was commissioned in 1997 after being procured from Spain along with carrier-capable AV-8S Matador jump jets.

Ali said the carrier will be commissioned into the navy next week as the KRI Sriwijaya, honoring the Srivijaya empire, a maritime kingdom based in Sumatra that became one of Southeast Asia’s dominant naval and trading powers between the seventh and 13th centuries. Previously, the navy would name the carrier as KRI Gajah Mada.

Defense development was one of the top priorities for President Prabowo Subianto's administration, as he has advocated an expansion of the military through the purchase of submarines, frigates, fighter jets, and missiles and pushed for more defense cooperation with various countries.

But the Garibaldi acquisition has raised questions about whether Indonesia needs an aircraft carrier at all and whether the government should be spending millions of dollars to refurbish and operate an aging warship.

Indonesia's Finance Ministry approved $450 million in financing for the aircraft carrier program in 2025. However, some lawmakers have warned the overall bill could be far higher. TB Hasanuddin, a member of Parliament’s Commission I, said the cost of retrofitting the carrier alone could reach 16 trillion rupiah (about $900 million).

Indonesia to convert the Garibaldi for handling disasters

Unlike major naval powers that use aircraft carriers to launch fighter jets far from home shores, Indonesia views the vessel as a mobile command center and support hub for helicopters, uncrewed aircraft and maritime operations across its thousands of islands.

Speaking during a disaster management meeting early this month, Prabowo said the vessel would help authorities combat forest and peatland fires that regularly blanket parts of Southeast Asia with hazardous haze.

“We will refurbish it and convert it into a carrier for helicopters and drones,” Prabowo said in a video briefing. “This will greatly help our disaster response.”

He also outlined plans to operate drones from the ship and use it as a mobile platform that could be rapidly deployed to help in the event of natural disasters. Monsoon flooding, earthquakes and volcanic activity are common across Indonesia.

Caution over costs and operational challenges

Operating a carrier is extremely costly, however, and experts have questioned whether Indonesia's leadership has thought through whether one is necessary for the country's defense or disaster-relief needs.

The acquisition comes as Southeast Asia’s largest economy faces growing fiscal pressures. Prabowo’s government has been funding an ambitious free nutritious meals program and other costly initiatives while economists have warned about slowing growth, weaker state revenue and widening budget constraints, prompting closer scrutiny of major government spending projects.

“The plan to acquire the Garibaldi must be based on genuine operational needs and our ability to operate it, rather than being driven by pride or other considerations,” said Muhammad Fauzan Malufti, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

He said policymakers must weigh not only the vessel’s acquisition and modernization costs, but also the navy’s ability to sustain its operations, including personnel, maintenance, fuel, weapons systems and supporting infrastructure.

Fauzan said the government should be transparent about those considerations, particularly given the vessel’s age. He cited Thailand’s carrier as a cautionary example, saying it has spent much of its service life in port because of operational and budget constraints.

“The bottom line is that this should not be forced. Otherwise, the benefits could be outweighed by the costs,” Fauzan said. “The money might be better spent on other priorities, such as increasing the number of frigates in the fleet.”

Military analyst Khairul Fahmi of the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies said aircraft carriers are not a priority for Indonesia, which is focused on preventing adversaries from operating freely in the country's territorial waters.

“Indonesia has a greater need for submarines, frigates and asymmetric weapons systems to protect its maritime sovereignty,” he said.

But he added that if Indonesia is seeking to position itself as a major maritime nation, "an aircraft carrier can be both a symbol of national power and a multifunctional platform capable of supporting a wide range of military and non-military missions.”

First, a broken wrist prompted surgery that involved pins and rods and physical therapy. A broken shoulder followed. Imaging tests resulted in the diagnosis.

“The bone has become demineralized because of certain medical conditions. The most common would be postmenopausal women,” said April Tschumy, an orthopedic nurse practitioner who specializes in trauma and general orthopedic conditions at Baptist Health Orthopedic Care.

Tschumy provides individualized plans to orthopedic patients and focuses on preventive medicine and improving patient outcomes. Most plans include weight training to help stimulate bone growth.

“You want to try to build what’s called peak skeletal mass,” Tschumy said.

Bone density gains decline over time, but Tschumy said calcium consumption can make a difference. Milk, yogurt, cheese, eggs, canned salmon, kale, collard greens, almonds, figs, prunes, and dates are all good sources.

Tschumy also prescribes bone-building medications such as TYMLOS, or generic abaloparatide, an anabolic bone-growing therapy that slows down bone loss.

“There are cells that break down bone, and then there are cells that build bone, so some of the medications can actually target the cells that build that bone, so that you are able to reverse loss and improve the bone quality as well,” Tschumy said.

The plan worked. A recent bone density scan showed improvements. I had a 7% increase in the left hip and a 6% increase in my spine. The hard work paid off.

Tips to remember

• Resistance training and balance exercises
• Calcium and vitamin D-rich foods
• Avoid smoking tobacco
• Avoid soda, especially dark-colored ones, which can block calcium absorption
• Experts recommend bone density screening for all postmenopausal patients who are 65 or older
• A walking regimen may be helpful

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Attorney General Jay Jones demanded that DHS confirm in writing whether it had directed anyone to access Virginia voters' information without first obtaining permission from those voters.

“Virginia Election Code does not permit disclosure of this protected information to the federal government without a court order,” he wrote in the letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. The state explicitly limits its voter lookup tools to individuals who attest under penalty of law that they are looking up their own records.

The AP has asked DHS for comment on the letter.

Jones also asked Mullin to preserve all related records, including access logs, correspondence and training materials mentioned in the whistleblower report.

The anonymous report, published Monday by Democratic Senate leaders, includes transcripts of a DHS training for a group of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staffers, who it says were forced in late August to drop other work, complete a less than two-hour training and begin running DHS-provided lists of people through state voter registration systems to find “unlawful voters.”

The whistleblower contends that agents have been asked to review 40 individuals per day, giving them about 12 minutes to determine whether each person is a legal voter and create federal records of anyone who is not.

President Donald Trump's administration has alleged that noncitizen voting could be a significant source of fraud in the November midterm elections, even as research shows voting by people who are not citizens is extremely rare. The Justice Department has sued to force the release of detailed voter data in 30 states and the District of Columbia, though it has not yet succeeded in those cases.

Lugo Rivero, 28, was accused of sexually assaulting the woman during a professional massage at 3:15 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2025, at Massage Envy at 13721 SW 152 St., records show.

Lugo Rivero “slid his hands underneath the victim’s underwear ... The victim stopped the massage and exited the room ... began to cry,” a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.

Massage Envy fired Lugo Rivero, and deputies questioned him and arrested him on Dec. 15 in Hammocks, according to MDSO deputies’ arrest report.

Court records show Miami-Dade prosecutors filed a case against Lugo Rivero on Dec. 16 on a misdemeanor charge of battery, and a judge ordered him to stay away from the victim.

Records show Lugo Rivero was released on Dec. 22 on a $10,000 bond, and a judge ordered house arrest.

Lugo Rivero accepted a plea deal with adjudication withheld. And on May 4, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Michelle Urbistondo sentenced him to probation until May 4, 2027.

FDOH records show Lugo Rivero has been licensed since Dec. 11, 2023, and is licensed until Aug. 31, 2027. The record shows no discipline, no public complaints, or emergency actions.

Related court document

Related state record

Claude is leading 26% of Anthropic's model research and development, which the company said means it can complete most of a given task “end-to-end from a high-level prompt" while still being under human supervision. The model is not yet working completely autonomously.

Still, about 90% of the company's research and development is done in “collaboration” with Claude, which Anthropic said means the model can do “large chunks of work under close human direction.”

The announcement came as some leading figures in AI, led in large part by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, are calling for a slowdown in the technology’s development over safety concerns.

As leaders consider pacing AI's development, “we should do everything possible to minimize the gap between what frontier labs know and what the public knows,” the company said in a blog post. “This means better measuring the development of AI, reporting on it publicly, and giving society an opportunity to decide how to use this information.”

The company said that models accelerating their own development could make it “more challenging for humans to understand or control these systems." It argued that sharing these metrics could lead to better understanding of how close leading AI labs are to reaching recursive self-improvement, or a model's ability to autonomously build its successor.

Anthropic also urged other AI developers to share similar metrics on a regular basis, encouraging the use of a public methodology so the numbers could be compared over time, and potentially across labs.

It was unclear from Anthropic's disclosure how close the company believes it is to achieving recursive self-improvement, but the pace at which Claude has increasingly contributed to research and development is notable. The portion of work Claude “leads,” or does in large part while remaining under human supervision, was none in February. Six months later, it was leading a quarter of research and development work, reaching that benchmark in August.

The company also shared details of agent oversight measures it has in place, noting that there were approximately 30,000 agents doing research and engineering work as of August. Oversight measures are crucial for seeing how often agent misbehavior is detected by monitoring systems, the company said. Anthropic recently committed to setting up external third-party evaluators who will be embedded within the company to monitor safety efforts.

An Anthropic researcher kicked off much of the recent dialogue around AI safety when he resigned last week with a dire warning about the threats the technology poses to humanity. Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Elon Musk and other tech leaders have since supported the idea of slowing down development, but other tech leaders and President Donald Trump have pushed back.

A key member of the winning U.S. team in Germany, Reese reached 30 points on a free throw with 5:38 remaining and grabbed her 10th rebound a few seconds later for her WNBA-record 30th double-double of the season. She finished a point shy of her career high, playing 25 minutes in the blowout for the playoff-bound Dream.

Rhyne Howard set a WNBA season record with 129 3-pointers. She made her only 3-pointer of the game — in nine attempts — with 6:45 left in the fourth to break Sabrina Ionescu’s record set in 2023 — reaching the mark in just 40 games.

Howard finished with 10 points. Allisha Gray also had 10 for Atlanta (27-14) to break her own franchise record for points in a season with 782.

Olivia Nelson-Ododa led Connecticut (10-31) with 13 points — all in the first half. Connecticut was outscored 31-11 in the third and 27-13 in the fourth.

Reese made a 3-pointer from the corner midway through the third for her 10th field goal in 13 attempts. It was it 61-40 following a 16-5 run.

Atlanta announced before the game that Brionna Jones would miss the remainder of the season due to a left leg injury suffered Aug. 13.

Up next

Sun: Host Minnesota on Sunday.

Dream: Host Chicago on Saturday night.

___

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

On his way out of office at year's end after nearly a decade, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres — known for doom-and-gloom speeches about the state of the planet — said Thursday he finds hope and possibility in the coming years. But that, he says, is only if the world’s governments can finally cooperate on curtailing conflict, upending inequality and grappling with the arriving juggernaut of artificial intelligence.

“I believe in a number of fundamental things that need to be done, and need to happen for the world to be better — and I’m determined to fight to make those things happen,” Guterres told The Associated Press in a sit-down interview four days before world leaders convene for their annual meeting at the U.N. General Assembly.

His message to leaders and ministers from the U.N.’s 193 member nations coming to U.N. headquarters was no-nonsense: You need to very seriously analyze the fact that the world is facing at least three existential problems -- runaway artificial intelligence, galloping climate change, and escalating inequality that is becoming a serious driver of instability and conflict.

Guterres also warned that the “huge geopolitical divide” and paralysis in the Security Council have created an environment of impunity with powerful countries flouting international law and the U.N. Charter. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the attacks on Iran by the United States, both veto-wielding council members, are examples.

“Many countries say, ‘If superpowers can violate the law, why can’t we?’” the secretary-general said. “And so what we are seeing around the world is more and more situations in which countries simply do not care. They do whatever they want, knowing that there will be total impunity.”

Behavior by nations, he says, is adding fuel to the fire

The violations and impunity have caused death and enormous destruction, he said, and the combination of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the broader Middle East conflict are having “a dramatic impact” on the world economy. Food and energy prices are going up, interest rates are rising and developing countries face enormous difficulties in responding to the needs of their people.

He expressed hope that these problems will force people to realize that the obstacles can’t be eliminated alone and require international cooperation.

That's especially true, he said, with reforms of the institutions formed by the victorious World War II powers — the U.N., especially the Security Council, and the major global financial institutions, the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. They must be overhauled to reflect the realities of the 21st century world where there are emerging economies and powers, he said, and their importance must be reflected in global institutions.

As U.N. chief, the secretary-general has no army, no intelligence service and not much money. But, Guterres said, he has two powers — to speak out on global issues and to convene the world’s nations.

Because of geopolitical divides, Guterres said the United Nations has “no leverage” on promoting peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. But he said he has been firm in defending the U.N. Charter and the territorial integrity of countries, and in condemning “horrible violations of human rights.”

He condemned Hamas’ “intolerable” attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and he also condemned “the horrible situation that Israel has created in Gaza with levels of death and destruction that have no parallel in the history of the United Nations.”

The United Nations is not “in a transactional approach to politics,” he stressed. It must be “a reference of values and principles for the whole world, because someone must affirm that the law of force cannot prevail over the force of law.”

“That, of course, sometimes limits our capacity to negotiate an agreement because one of the sides is a clear violator that doesn’t like to listen to the truth. But that will never, never make us move away from what are the values in which a civilized society must be based,” the U.N. chief said.

He says the AI revolution is sure to loom over this year's UNGA leaders' meeting

This year’s global gathering is also certain to spotlight the future of the U.N. and the threat of AI getting out of human control.

Guterres has called for international cooperation and guardrails for AI, which he called “a universal problem.” To deal with the escalating problem, he said, countries developing AI at “a higher capacity” should exchange information, establish mechanisms for transparency, have some guardrails and “help create what ideally would be a multilateral mechanism to guarantee that risks can be avoided.”

As for the United Nations., it has serious financial issues, largely due to the U.S. failure to pay billions of dollars to its regular operating budget and the separate budget for the U.N.’s far-flung peacekeeping operations. But it has avoided a financial meltdown and is in the throes of major reforms, which the Trump administration has pressed for.

Even with less resources, Guterres said, the U.N. has been able to maintain its activities, “and I think we demonstrated that we have the best control of public expenditure in any organization of any country in the world.”

Guterres has dealt with U.S. President Donald Trump for nearly six of his 10 years at the helm of the U.N., and he stressed the importance of the U.S.-U.N. relationship, which he said has sometimes been difficult, sometimes easier. Now, he said, the U.N. is cooperating with the U.S. on peace negotiations in the Western Sahara and other parts of the world.

When he meets Trump on Tuesday, the opening day of the global gathering, Guterres said he plans to raise peace in Ukraine and the Middle East, “and I hope that these two objectives might be able to unite the efforts of not only the U.S. and the U.N. but the whole of the international community.”

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Edith M. Lederer has covered international affairs for The Associated Press for more than a half century.

Cardoso, 53, who was reportedly removed from the classroom in April and lost his job in May, was accused of abusing girls from Aug. 1, 2023, to April 9, records showed.

Cardoso appeared in court on Thursday. He has been behind bars since Sept. 11, when Miami-Dade Schools Police Department officers arrested him.

Court records show Cardoso faced three charges on Sept. 12. Miami-Dade prosecutors have filed 10 more charges since, and said detectives were investigating additional cases.

The alleged abuse included molestation and showing the third-grade students photos and videos of sexual acts, according to prosecutors.

One of the images Cardoso allegedly showed the girls showed him naked, and another showed the sexual abuse of a boy, according to the police arrest report.

On Thursday night, court records showed Cardoso faced 13 charges:

• Five counts of dissemination of obscene material to a minor
• Five counts of offenses against students by authority figures
• Two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation involving a victim under the age of 12 by a defendant who is 18 years of age or older
• One count of lewd or lascivious conduct with a person under 16 years old

Attorney Michael Mirer, the defense attorney who is representing Cardoso, asked Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Zachary James to release him on bond.

“My client is adamant that he is not guilty, the allegations are false, and he will look forward to his day in court,” Mirer said.

James denied Cardoso bail on the two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation involving a victim under the age of 12 by a defendant who is 18 years of age or older.

Miami-Dade corrections held Cardoso at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center near Doral, according to inmate records. A judge ordered him to stay away from five victims.

As the case unfolded, a spokesperson for M-DCPS told Local 10 News that Cardoso was “permanently precluded from seeking or obtaining future employment” with the district.

Court records show Cardoso’s next hearings are at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 12 and 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 30.

Related report: Miami-Dade elementary teacher showed porn to, inappropriately touched students: Police

Klay succeeds Dinaw Mengestu, who resigned in July in the wake of a PEN report that drew upon interviews with dozens of Jewish and Israeli writers about the “widening cultural isolation” they had faced since the war began. Mengestu, who had been president for less than a year, posted on Instagram that the report's emphasis showed a continued trend of bias against Palestinians and undermined his belief that PEN was capable of changing.

“I argued that the organization would defend free expression equitably and equally,” he wrote. “This report makes clear that will not happen.”

Two years ago, so many writers were unhappy with PEN's response to the war — alleging that the leadership was slow to criticize the deaths of Palestinian writers and journalists — that the organization was called off its annual awards ceremony and “World Voices” festival because of participants dropping out. The CEO at the time, Suzanne Nossel, has since left, replaced by co-CEOs Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf and Summer Lopez.

Klay is an Iraq War veteran whose debut book, the story collection “Redeployment,” won the National Book Award for fiction in 2014. He has expressed support for the PEN study on Israeli and Jewish writers, but has criticized Israel's treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. The “violence is unchecked, indiscriminate and targets innocent civilians,” he wrote on X in August, quoting a New York Times story. In March 2024, he wrote a piece for the Atlantic headlined “U.S. Support for Israel’s War Has Become Indefensible.”

In a statement released by PEN on Thursday, Klay said he held a “broad faith in cultural exchange, in sustained efforts to understand other people, other cultures, and other ideas, including uncomfortable ones, and to the creation of a more open and egalitarian public square.”

Turns out, Brady got to see both in a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thursday night in the Bills' first regular-season game at Highmark Stadium.

Fireworks. Two national anthems. A packed house. And a win.

“The atmosphere was incredible,” Brady said. “It was the game Buffalo deserved.”

The 41 points were the third-most by a team in its regular-season stadium debut, behind only Dallas, which scored 44 in its first game at Texas Stadium in 1971, and Miami scoring 42 in its first outing at Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987.

Josh Allen accounted for five touchdowns, including the first one, by scoring on a 1-yard run six minutes in. A sell-out crowd arrived early, and about 1,000 fans still lingered long after the final horn in cheering on Allen and left tackle Dion Dawkins as they were being interviewed at the Prime TV booth along the sideline.

Among those on hand was former Bills quarterback-turned-broadcaster Ryan Fitzpatrick. He opened the day by throwing passes across the international border — from one boat to another on the Niagara River — to former Bills receiver Stevie Johnson.

And the Bills honored their cross-border fanbase by having both the U.S. and Canadian anthems performed with both country’s flags displayed on the field.

The Toronto musical group Barenaked Ladies was greeted by a loud cheer before singing “O, Canada.” They were followed by Hawaiian-born actress and singer Auli’i Cravalho performing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” U.S. pop group OneRepublic also performed at halftime, while set up on a platform in the stands at the north end of the field.

“It was crazy. I don’t really get starstruck, but there was a few times I looked up like, this is crazy,” defensive tackle Deone Walker said.

The festivities began with an elaborate light show with fans wearing bracelets that blinked, followed by a fireworks display as the Bills offensive starters were introduced, with Allen greeted by a roar and chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!”

And the Bills even rolled out a new green grass carpet, by choosing to resod the entire field ahead of schedule following their preseason finale against Pittsburgh on Aug. 27. They did so after the original turf, which had been laid down in October, showed signs of wear and tear, and with large divots having to be replaced during two preseason games and two practices.

Bills players indicated after practicing in the stadium on Tuesday that the grass felt firmer, and noticed a larger infill of sand. That was evident in pregame warmups when clumps of sand came up when players made hard cuts on the field.

During the opening drive, an on-field official was spotted having to tamp down a clump of grass that came up at the 30.

Otherwise, there were few other noticeable issues.

“I thought it held up extremely well tonight,” Allen said.

The only other apparent hiccup occurred when the teams lined up prematurely for the opening kickoff, and then stayed in formation for several minutes during a commercial break.

The field was painted for the first time, with the word “BILLS” in large white block letters featured prominently in both end zones over red-painted grass. The team’s charging Buffalo logo was also added at midfield.

The new stadium has a capacity of just over 60,000, about 12,000 less than the old facility which now lies in rubble across the street.

What’s different is the layout, with the new facility’s seating structure built more vertically in placing viewers more on top of the action. The new building also features a canopy, which helps project crowd noise directly on to field.

“It was great. It was beautiful. Everything was awesome,” edge-rusher Greg Rousseau said, before crediting the team’s owner Terry Pegula. “Shout out Pegula for an amazing stadium.”

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The Atlanta Falcons’ All-Pro is impressive on camera, too.

Robinson studied acting in college and has looked like a natural in a few television roles, including a Colgate commercial.

It helps to have fellow Texas alum Matthew McConaughey give him advice. Robinson is also close to Outer Banks star Jonathan Daviss.

“It’s been great. My best friend, he’s an actor; Jonathan Daviss. He’s about to do a movie. ... So just seeing his process has been awesome,” Robinson said on AP’s “Football Unfiltered.” “But then with Matthew, we talk all the time just about life and just how everything’s going. But then seeing what he’s doing and seeing how he’s still doing it at a high level, I think he’s about to come out with a show.

“It’s been pretty special like having that relationship with him, just how much that we’ve grown in that space and the influence that he has on me and in acting and all the things that he’s accomplished. I think it’s something that I want to continue to keep doing down the line and get better at, but having those guys in my corner has been pretty cool, too.”

Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 scrimmage yards last season in his third year in the NFL. He made his second Pro Bowl and was named first-team AP All-Pro running back and second-team at All-Purpose behind Christian McCaffrey.

The two do-everything backs are friends and workout partners in the offseason.

“He’s a big brother to me and we talk a lot” Robinson said about McCaffrey. “We talk about random stuff, talk about, obviously football, like from week to week. But just having him is super cool, man. His experience is second to none in this league and the things that he’s done has been incredible. And so for having him as a mentor, as a guy that can have my back and can teach me little things on the field, it’s been fun to learn from him and I’m gonna continue to learn for him. And hopefully I can even him some things on the field that he might have never heard of or never seen before. It’s that kind of relationship that I feel can always get us better.”

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Watch “Football Unfiltered with Rob Maaddi” here or listen here

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The change increases the probability that Leavitt will be under center when No. 7 LSU visits No. 8 Mississippi on Saturday night in a game that is the focus of the college football world because of Tigers coach Lane Kiffin's return to the place where he coached the previous six seasons.

Leavitt's initial listing came four days after a 45-14 victory over Louisiana Tech, from which the dual-threat Arizona State transfer emerged without an apparent injury. Kiffin also did not mention Leavitt's health during his regularly scheduled press conference on Monday.

But Leavitt, who has run for five touchdowns and passed for two scores in two games with the Tigers (2-0), did not practice Wednesday because of a “physical issue,” a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity on Thursday because the Tigers' practice was not open to media.

According to the SEC, starters were listed as “doubtful” the Wednesday before a game 46 times in 2025. Four times they wound up playing on Saturday.

One notable example was that of then-Missouri QB Beau Pribula (now with Virginia), who played against Oklahoma on Nov. 22 after being listed as doubtful the previous Wednesday.

When Kiffin was coaching Ole Miss in 2024, he had as many as 26 players on an injury report before a game against Georgia. Many of the players on the report wound up in the lineup for a 28-10 victory over the then-No. 2 Bulldogs.

Kiffin has since gained a reputation for using injury reports to practice gamesmanship, listing any player with an ailment on the report in order to leave upcoming opponents uncertain about which players they should prepare to play.

SEC policies say a player should be listed “doubtful” if his chances of playing are 25%, questionable if 50% and probable if 75%.

Coaches can face discipline if they are found to be using injury reports in a deceptive way, or if they miss reporting deadlines.

The SEC has yet to punish a coach since it began requiring what it calls “availability reports” in 2024.

Injury reports in college football have become more common since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling struck down a federal ban on sports betting, leaving regulations of the practice up each state.

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A video shows Castro, a grandmother, standing behind her wheelchair when the impact catapulted her through the air and into a parked blue Ford Mustang in Lauderdale Lakes, according to deputies.

Matthew Karim, a defense attorney, said Magri, 49, who didn’t have a valid driver’s license, left the scene of the crash — not realizing Castro had been injured.

“She had no idea,” Karim said on Thursday, the fourth day of Magri’s jury trial in Broward.

Magri, who was born in New York and lived in Broward, had four prior convictions for driving on a suspended license in 1999, 2001, 2002, and 2022, and she fled after the crash on Jan. 30, 2023, within the 3300 block of North State Road Seven, according to prosecutors.

“Magri fled the scene on foot without identifying herself or rendering aid to any of the parties involved ... denied any possession or involvement ... stated that she was with her mother,” Chandler Greetham, a Broward Sheriff’s Office detective, wrote on April 12, 2023, according to an arrest warrant.

Fire rescue personnel took Castro to the Broward Health Medical Center, where she died after suffering a traumatic brain injury and a spinal fracture, records show.

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Magri on July 18, 2023, at Flanagan’s Restaurant, at 2600 Davie Boulevard, in Fort Lauderdale, records show.

Broward prosecutors filed the felony case against Magri on July 20, 2023, according to court records. Broward County Circuit Judge Andrew Siegel has been presiding over the case.

On Aug. 8, 2023, Magri pleaded not guilty to three charges: Leaving the scene of a crash with death, a first-degree felony; failure to remain at the scene of an accident, a third-degree felony; and driving while license revoked, a third-degree felony.

“This woman has not apologized for what she has done and has shown no remorse or asked for forgiveness. I feel she has shown no empathy and does not feel bad for what she has done. I am struggling to understand how to go easy on a repeat offender who has no respect for the law. She needs much more than house arrest ... She needs to spend 25 years in prison,” Castro’s son, Luis Rodriguez, wrote in a 2024 letter to Siegel after he allowed house arrest.

Magri was set to appear in court for a hearing at 8:30 a.m. on Friday.

The confidence and experience gained from that run? Invaluable.

Dwelling on it beyond that at the start of preseason camp? Not so much.

“You have to keep building, we understand that,” Carolina top-line center Sebastian Aho said Thursday. "Three months ago we were playing some amazing hockey and we were able to accomplish something we dreamed of for a long time.

“But at the same time, it doesn’t really help us today.”

Monday marked three months since the Hurricanes shut out the Vegas Golden Knights in a road Game 6 to win the Cup for the second time in franchise history. In the time since, they've celebrated with a parade that brought a six-figure crowd to downtown Raleigh and gotten their individual days to spend with hockey's cherished trophy.

The team that has returned from that long celebration is largely the same as the one that ended last season with three straight victories under face-of-the-franchise coach Rod Brind'Amour.

Top goaltender Frederik Andersen is gone after signing a one-year deal with Edmonton. And rising defenseman Alexander Nikishin isn't in camp as a restricted free agent still awaiting a deal after working in Carolina's third pairing; general manager Eric Tulsky issued a statement Wednesday saying the team wouldn't comment on Nikishin's status.

The Hurricanes are also waiting on the recovery of top-line forward Seth Jarvis from shoulder surgery, taking place in June with a potential recovery time of 4-6 months. Jarvis is back to skating, but Thursday was a little different having more people on the ice and having to “be careful bumping into people."

But everything else is in place to contend again, including the team reaching a one-year extension on Tuesday with captain and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jordan Staal through the 2027-28 season.

“I wanted to keep playing with these guys,” Staal said. “I have too much fun with this group and everything we've built here.”

For years, the Hurricanes had been the Eastern Conference contender that couldn’t get past the conference final, notably being swept by Florida in 2023 and then losing to the Panthers again in a five-game series in 2025. That marked the third time in a seven-season playoff run that the Hurricanes had hit the same ceiling.

But the Hurricanes swept Ottawa and Philadelphia in the first two rounds last spring, then recovered from a Game 1 loss to Montreal to win the Eastern Conference Final in five games on the way to a dominant 16-3 postseason run.

“The good part is they’ve done it, so they understand what it takes,” Brind'Amour said. "The passion and the grit and everything that you have to bring to win in this league, that doesn’t disappear now that you won. It actually probably magnifies and you have to figure out how to find that little more of an edge.

“Not that we ever got easy nights, I think every team prepared for us, but I think we’re that much more of a target.”

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

“There’s an injunction so we’re not doing anything,” postmaster general David Steiner told The Associated Press in an interview.

Steiner, a onetime chief executive of Waste Management, has spent most of the past year atop the postal service navigating political and financial challenges. He’s pressing Congress for changes that would help him resolve what he has called a “liquidity crisis.”

And Trump’s efforts to largely eradicate mail voting turned the postal service into an unlikely arbiter of who is eligible to vote just months before this year’s critical midterm elections, a role Steiner seemingly had little interest in playing. Unlike Trump, who was sharply critical of the Supreme Court decision and ridiculed some of the justices, Steiner offered no assessment of the court’s action.

Steiner also declined to take a position on Trump’s policy, presenting himself as the leader of an “independent agency of the executive branch” whose influence over the president’s order was limited to operational concerns.

“I don’t get to decide what rules that are put on us that I decide to accept or not accept,” he said. “I looked at it more from the execution side.”

The postal service has asserted its independence in the past, including during a 2019 standoff when the first Trump administration sought to pressure the agency as the president was in a dispute with Amazon. Steiner said he wouldn’t get into the “nuance” of that.

But the pressure has grown so intense at points that it’s fueled talk of whether Steiner might resign, a notion he denied.

“There’s no truth to that,” he said. “I think I know the motivation behind it. I think it’s somebody that would like to see me out of a job.”

Inserting the Postal Service into elections

The executive order Trump signed in March directed several federal agencies to develop state citizenship lists. Those lists would have been delivered to an online portal at the Postal Service, which would have been allowed to send mail ballots only to voters who were cleared through the process. Steiner said he knew about the order about a month before it was unveiled but said his focus was largely on implementation, not the policy’s merits.

A whistleblower report released earlier this month by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., argued the system was hastily built and riddled with errors.

Steiner said he read “portions” of the whistleblower report and acknowledged the obstacles associated with building such a massive platform quickly. Still, he said he had confidence in colleagues working on the project and had planned to unveil it around Sept. 15.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that we worked fast,” he said. “My personal opinion is it was a monumental task and I’m very proud of our IT department for being able to do it that fast.”

In addition to the voter list, Trump’s order would have required states to adopt a uniform envelope style that included barcodes, something states said would have been arduous so close to the election.

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, a memo sent to all postal service employees Wednesday and obtained by the AP said the agency will “not be enforcing any of these new rules in the 2026 federal election.”

“First and foremost, for Election Mail it is business as usual,” according to the memo. “We continue to follow established protocols, and we remain entirely focused on our core mission: delivering the mail safely and securely for voters and election officials across the country.”

Though the Supreme Court rejected Trump’s executive order for this year’s election, Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated he might rule in favor of the administration if the issue comes back before the court at a later time.

Steiner encourages voters to cast ballots early

Steiner said the postal service would still encourage the use of envelopes and barcodes in future elections, which it has long recommended. He said such changes wouldn’t be required but those who don’t comply may have to pay more.

“If you use the barcode in the envelope, we’ll charge you a lower price,” he said. “If you don’t, we’re going to charge you a higher price because it’s harder for us to process.”

While the postal service isn’t moving forward on Trump’s order, there are still concerns about postmark delays that could have an impact on this year’s elections. The number of ballots rejected for late postmarks has soared in the vote-by-mail states of Washington and Oregon, according to recently released data highlighting concerns about recent changes in postal service operations.

Steiner said there were no plans to alter those operations and encouraged voters who use mail to get their ballots in early.

“We say seven days,” he said. “Everything is solved if people vote early.”

The family says Fernando Acuna has no criminal record and is now being held while his immigration case is pending.

The woman, who asked that her identity be protected because she fears she could also be targeted, says her doctors have told her to avoid stress.

“My doctors have told me the least I need to have is stress,” she said.

But she says the arrest of her husband has made that nearly impossible.

The family says Acuna was dropping off his younger son when ICE agents approached him.

“My dad was dropping off my little brother. A family friend came to pick him up for soccer practice. And ICE agents ambushed him,” his son Fernando Acuna said.

The family says they were not expecting immigration agents because Acuna has no deportation order and no criminal history.

“We didn’t even suspect that it was ICE or anything immigration because, like I said, my dad has no deportation order. My dad has zero criminal history,” his son said.

The woman suffers from AVM, a rare brain deformity affecting less than 1% of the population. She has had multiple strokes and surgeries over the years as she continues her treatment.

The family says the surgeries and treatment she has received in the U.S. would not have been available to her in Ecuador.

“These are surgeries that you were told you would never be able to get in Ecuador,” she said. “No, it’s not possible over there.”

Twenty-five years ago, Acuna left his soccer career in Ecuador and brought his wife to South Florida for treatment.

The couple originally came to the U.S. on a medical visa, but that visa expired.

The family says they most recently petitioned for deferred action in 2023, and that request is still pending.

Now, the family is fighting to have Acuna released.

“Mercy for my husband,” his wife said.

“We want my dad to be able to fight his case from home,” his son said.

The family describes Acuna as a hardworking husband and father who has spent years caring for his wife.

“My dad dropped everything to save my mom’s life,” his son said. “He’s worked two jobs for over 15 years.”

“I want to stand up for him because he did it for me,” his wife said.

The family says they hope Acuna can return home while he fights his immigration case.

Local 10 reached out to the State Department for the latest on Acuna’s visa petition. The department has yet to respond.

Russia will pretend the attacks are “accidental” in order to “paralyze or at least weaken the motivation of NATO countries" to rush to the defense of the member state coming under attack, Tusk said in a speech to the Polish parliament.

“There is a real risk that drones or other types of projectiles will enter the territory of one or several countries on the eastern flank and even cause destruction," Tusk warned.

“The official narration will be that it’s an accident and there is no reason for NATO to think about a response,” he added.

He said Russia was more dangerous because it was increasingly using jet-powered drones, which fly higher and faster and thus are more difficult to detect by air defense before reaching their targets.

Tusk has been for months warning that Russia might be preparing a more serious hybrid attack against a NATO country. His warnings have gotten increasingly specific as he received intelligence from NATO, Ukrainian and U.S. secret services, including the CIA, he said.

In recent days, Tusk has said Russia was now focusing on attacking border crossings between Ukraine and its European neighbors in order to disrupt delivery lines to Ukraine. Four such incidents happened on Poland's border with Ukraine in the past week and several others took place in the last weeks on Ukraine's border with Moldova.

Tusk said at the moment Russia was not ready for any peace talks “without the total capitulation of Ukraine.”

“They are convinced the winter will be tragically critical for Ukraine,” Tusk said. He said last winter Poland stepped in with deliveries when Ukraine's energy infrastructure came under attack, but if border crossings are destroyed, it will be much harder for Warsaw to offer such help this upcoming winter.

“Russia's goal is to destroy as much as possible the economy and logistics of Ukraine,” Tusk said, adding that intelligence indicates continuous attacks of “very high frequency and intensity” on six main Ukrainian cities should be expected in the near future.

Tusk announced on Thursday he would travel to Ukraine overnight to Friday, in what can be seen as an act of defiance against Russia after European leaders narrowly escaped a drone strike on a train near the Polish-Ukrainian border on Sunday. Officials usually keep their travel plans to Ukraine secret for security reasons.

In Kyiv, he said he would discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy how to defend against the new types of drones as well as discuss with partners including Slovakia about further sanctions against Russia.

On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that “major progress is being made toward establishing a U.S. Army base in Poland” after a U.S. delegation was in Poland last week to visit several possible locations.

“If this happens, the location will be announced very soon,” Trump wrote. “This will be a historic step for our Great U.S./Polish Alliance.”

Poland has for years sought to host a permanent U.S. base as a strong guarantee of its security in the face of the rising Russian threat.

Poland’s high defense spending and major U.S. arms purchases have persuaded the Trump administration to consider putting a permanent base in Poland even as it reorganizes and reduces its overall military presence in Europe.

In May, the U.S. unexpectedly withdrew troops from the total of around 10,000 stationed in Poland, causing confusion among European allies and nervousness in Warsaw. But officials in both Poland and the U.S. soon said the withdrawal was temporary and Poland was not expected to suffer from the U.S. troop reorganization.

Hughes would prefer if everyone would relax about his contract situation, too.

As the star defenseman and Olympic gold medalist reported to his first training camp with the Minnesota Wild without an extension, raising the anxiety level at least within the fan base. Hughes said after the team's first practice on Thursday that he's plenty satisfied with the direction and state of the organization and simply hasn't gotten around to thinking hard about the next phase of his career.

“With planning out my future, I don’t do that. I don’t really plan out my summer,” Hughes said. “Just kind of went about it and enjoyed it.”

Hughes is in the final year of his current deal with a $7.85 million salary cap hit. His agent, Pat Brisson, and Wild general manager Bill Guerin have begun talks about a new contract, but for Hughes the start of the regular season on Oct. 1 is just a superficial deadline.

“I don't feel stressed to do something before the season,” Hughes said. “And that's not saying that something won't happen, but that's just how it is.”

Fellow defenseman Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche set the bar for annual average value at $20.5 million by signing the richest deal in league history last month, but Hughes might well top that, particularly on a shorter-term contract.

Hughes has fueled some speculation about desiring to play with younger brothers Jack and Luke, who are both with New Jersey, but he's only 26 and should have ample time left to link up with them down the road.

“I’m really happy here. I love the guys. I love the team, and I fit in really well,” Hughes said. “Obviously, there’s a draw to play with those guys at some point, but I think Jack said it perfectly: I’m not going to sacrifice a great spot for me to play with them.”

Left wing Marcus Foligno, whose older brother Nick was acquired by the Wild right before the trade deadline last season, has been reminding Hughes that he can wait to figure out where to play with Jack and Luke. Marcus is 35 and Nick will turn 39 next month.

“It's the best when it’s toward the end of the career,” Foligno said. “You do it too early, you don’t appreciate it as much. It’s great when you’re just hanging on.”

After arriving in Minnesota near midseason in a trade with Vancouver, Hughes helped lead the U.S. national team to the gold medal at the Olympics in Italy about two months later. Then in just 48 games with the Wild, he set the franchise defenseman record with 53 points and was an integral part of their first-round victory over Dallas that was the first playoff series win in 11 years.

Guerin was general manager of the U.S. team, too, so he's developed a strong relationship with Hughes, who offered no hint of dissatisfaction, impatience or uncertainty on the subject of wanting to re-up with the Wild.

“I have so much trust in Billy. He’s a great GM. He’s always going to address the needs of the team. It’s not like I have to freaking poke at Billy to do something,” Hughes said. “Billy’s kind of a shark. He’s going to be trying to make our team better at every point he can.”

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Friday will feature a cloud/sun mix with the possibility of more unsettled weather. There may be some showers in the mix during the morning, followed by afternoon storms. Temperatures will be seasonable-- lows in the upper 70s, highs in the upper 80s.

Some senators from both parties say they were left deeply unsettled Thursday after the Pentagon's top policy adviser, Defense Undersecretary Elbridge Colby, failed to provide an expected update on the Trump administration's National Defense Strategy at a classified briefing.

The lawmakers also say they were unsatisfied with Colby's answers to questions ranging from inquiries about the Iran war to growing concerns that President Donald Trump could deploy troops to polling places during November's midterm congressional elections. Colby acknowledged that discussions about deploying the National Guard were taking place.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, a Nevada Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Colby “was not forthcoming” and “did not really address our concerns or issues.”

Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican also on the committee, described the classified briefing as “just sort of dodge and punt.”

“It’s very peculiar to have somebody come in for a congressionally mandated update and not have a statement,” Cramer said.

Colby, who has supporters and detractors on Capitol Hill, was expected to provide a required briefing on the National Defense Strategy, a comprehensive document that provides guidance for the military. Released in January, the blueprint reinforces Trump’s “America First” philosophy of favoring nonintervention overseas and questioning decades of strategic relationships with allies in Europe.

Under the annual National Defense Authorization Act approved by Congress, he was required to provide the Senate Armed Services Committee with the classified briefing on implementation of the strategy no later than Sept. 15.

“It was not what we had expected,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican on the committee.

“Let’s just put it that way,” he said. “They owe us a report, and we did not get the report.”

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona said he was able to ask about the strategy for the Iran war in Iran and the decision-making that has left the U.S. with what he described as a “munitions deficit.” Experts say military contractors will need about three years to replenish stockpiles of certain advanced weapons, such as defensive missile interceptors.

“You walk out with more questions than when you went in, and for me, that was the case today,” Kelly said.

At one point, Colby was asked directly if he ever had any discussions about deploying the National Guard for voter security on Election Day. He told senators that he had heard about some of those discussions taking place but that he wasn’t leading on the issue.

“Never once said ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” Cramer said.

The idea of deploying troops has been gaining attention as the midterms draw closer. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., recently pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to confirm that they won’t send troops to polling places.

Caine responded to Slotkin in a letter last month that said there are “no plans to send Federal military personnel or Federalized members of the National Guard to polling places during the 2026 elections.”

Colby did not receive criticism from all lawmakers who attended Thursday's briefing.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., called it a “constructive, substantive” briefing that “answered all my questions.”

Asked if he was satisfied with the briefing, Sen. Roger Wicker, a Mississippi Republican who is chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he would not be answering questions about the classified session.

“You understand,” he said.

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The Miami Beach Police Department said that a perimeter had been established near Mount Sinai Medical Center.

A large police presence could be seen near the hospital during the 4 p.m. hour on Thursday.

Police provided an update around 5:30 p.m. that the suspect had been located and taken back into custody.

Officers then said there was no danger to the public.

According to police, the suspect was initially arrested on Wednesday and later required medical attention, so he was admitted to Mount Sinai on Thursday afternoon.

After being admitted, police said the suspect “somehow managed to break away” but he was found on hospital grounds soon after.

Police said internal affairs would be investigating the incident.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated as new information is made available.

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It was happening Thursday morning in the area of the 15700 block of southwest 140th Street.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, an agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement who was on duty was inside his car when someone who was standing on the street began to strike the window of the agent’s vehicle.

Deputies said the agent got out of his car and an altercation between the two began immediately, with the individual slamming the agent to the ground and climbing on top of him.

During the altercation, deputies said the agent discharged his firearm, striking the individual.

Crews with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded and pronounced the individual deceased at the scene.

A nearby school, Jorge Mas Canosa Middle School, was placed on a temporary lockdown that has since been lifted.

Officials with Miami-Dade County Public Schools told Local 10 News the lockdown was due to “non-school related police activity in the area.”

Video obtained by Local 10 News shows two men scuffling in the area near the school, and at one point in the video, what sounds like a gunshot is heard.

Soon after, MDSO deputies converged on the area, where a body could be seen covered by a tarp in the road.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said one person was treated at the scene but was not transported to an area hospital.

The FDLE agent has been placed on administrative leave, the agency confirmed, as is standard procedure.

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar released the new ad as she seeks re-election in Congressional District 27.

“Mr. President, some of your immigration and enforcement efforts have gone too far,” she says in the video.

A Message to President Trump on Immigration | María Elvira Salazar pic.twitter.com/memcf4jags

— María Elvira Salazar 🇺🇸 (@MaElviraSalazar) September 17, 2026

Salazar is pushing for a fourth term in Congress and issued the rare rebuke of the White House’s aggressive immigration polices during Trump’s second term.

Salazar is facing a challenge from former local television anchor Elliot Rodriguez in this November’s election.

In recent months, multiple forecasters have moved the seat from solid Republican to likely Republican.

Following the ad’s release, Rodriguez put out a video of his own, which said, in part:

“The people of District 27 know that Maria Elvira Salazar has been a pathetic rubber stamp for Donald Trump while they both have made life unaffordable, slashed health care benefits, and shoved several of her constituents into Alligator Alcatraz, while she makes millions on suspect Congressional stock trading, and now she’s pretending she wants to fight him. It’s not going to work for Maria, and this is yet another reason why the voters of the district will end her political career on November 3rd.”

🚨Breaking news: @MaElviraSalazar is lying, again! She’s been a pathetic rubber stamp for Trump while they made D-27 unaffordable, slashed health care, terrorized immigrants and shoved constituents into Alligator Alcatraz. Now, before the election, she pretends to fight Trump. 🤦🏼‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/mpK0NBDcvS

— Eliott Rodriguez (@ERodforCongress) September 17, 2026

The sharp rebuke from Salazar comes as republicans are growing increasingly concerned the administration’s immigration policies will degrade gains the GOP made with Hispanic voters in the 2024 election.

During her time in congress, Salazar has been a strong supporter of many Trump policies, but has broken ranks on numerous occasions over the immigration crackdown.

Since being elected in 2020, her signature issue has been a bi-partisan immigration reform bill called the Dignity Act, which would create a seven-year work program for long-term undocumented immigrants, providing work authorization and deportation protections.

According to Data USA, nearly three in four residents in District 27 are Hispanic.

In February, Trump endorsed Salazar but the White House has not yet commented on the new advertisement.

Inicialmente, las autoridades dijeron que existía temor de que hubiera un arma en el campus después de que ocurriera una pelea, pero posteriormente los agentes aclararon que no hubo ninguna pelea ni evidencia de que alguna vez hubiera un arma en el campus.

“La investigación determinó que no ocurrió ninguna pelea y que nunca hubo un arma de fuego en el campus de Plantation High School”, escribió la policía en un comunicado. Dijeron que los agentes registraron los terrenos de la escuela después del reporte de una posible arma, pero no encontraron ninguna.

No se reportaron heridos.

La policía dijo: “Alguien había mencionado algo sobre un arma, lo cual fue transmitido a otra persona, quien se lo comunicó a un maestro. Al mismo tiempo, un grupo grande de personas caminaba por el pasillo y pudo haber escuchado lo mismo, y todos comenzaron a correr”.

El incidente inicialmente provocó una respuesta policial y el establecimiento de un perímetro alrededor de la escuela mientras los agentes investigaban un reporte de que un estudiante podría haber estado en posesión de un arma. La policía dijo que el estudiante fue localizado de inmediato, pero no se encontró ningún arma.

Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado Broward confirmaron que la escuela, ubicada en 6901 NW 16th St., recibió la autorización de las autoridades y reanudó su horario normal.

Sky 10 sobrevoló la escena alrededor de la 1:20 p.m. mientras la policía establecía un perímetro alrededor del campus. Durante la investigación, no se permitió que nadie entrara o saliera del área mientras los agentes buscaban evidencia de un arma.

Una vez que los agentes confirmaron que no había ninguna amenaza para los estudiantes o el personal, la policía dijo que retiraron el perímetro y levantaron el cierre de emergencia.

El Departamento de Policía de Miami Beach dijo que se había establecido un perímetro cerca de Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Se pudo observar una gran presencia policial cerca del hospital durante la hora de las 4 p.m. del jueves.

Los agentes no proporcionaron información sobre el sospechoso ni indicaron si existía algún peligro para el público.

Esta es una noticia de última hora que será actualizada a medida que haya nueva información disponible.

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Prosecutors filed a felony case against Shauntay Poole, of Fort Lauderdale, on Wednesday, over the school board’s accusations, according to Broward County court records.

Sgt. Thomas Honan, a detective with the Broward Schools Police special investigations unit, listed Poole’s place of employment for 28 years as the “Broward District Schools,” according to an arrest report in the case.

From September to February, Poole faced questions about “discrepancies involving cash funds from fundraising and other school-related activities,” Honan wrote, according to the Sept. 16 arrest report.

Honan included Ryan Smith, the director of BCPS Business Support Center in Sunrise, and Mark Howard, the principal of MacArthur High School in Hollywood, as witnesses in the case involving outstanding deposits, according to the police report.

Poole “failed to account for or provide documentation for the ten outstanding cash deposits she collected ... totaling $4,491.80 ... These funds were required to be transferred to Brink’s for transport and deposit into the school’s JPMorgan Chase bank account,” Honan wrote, according to the arrest report.

Honan reported Poole declined to provide a reason “for the missing funds,” and he suspected that she had “failed to remit the cash funds for deposit.”

The staff directory for McArthur High School, at 6501 Hollywood Boulevard, listed Poole, also known as Shauntay Cunningham-Poole, as the bookkeeper III.

A 2022 Broward County Public Schools ' audit report and a 2017 BCPS audit report listed Cunningham-Poole as a bookkeeper for the Whiddon-Rogers Education Center, at 700 SW 26 St., in Fort Lauderdale.

Broward corrections booked Poole on Wednesday at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale. She faced a charge of third-degree felony grand theft of more than $750 and less than $5,000. Her bond was $2,500.

“This offense is one where an automatic bond is set and she didn’t have to go through magistrate court. A court appearance will be scheduled with the assigned judge,” Aaron Savitski, a spokesman for the Broward County State Attorney’s Office, wrote in an e-mail to Local 10 News on Thursday.

Court records show Broward County Circuit Judge Francis Viamontes was set to preside over the case.

Read the police report’s narrative:

Related report

Related links

• Justice Department: Broward County School Board employee charged with bribery and extortion
• FBI: Former Broward County School Board member indicted on public corruption charges

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

Smart, 59, was a 22-year-old high school media coordinator when she began an affair with the 15-year-old boy who later fatally shot her husband, Gregory Smart, in Derry in 1990.

The shooter was freed in 2015 after serving a 25-year sentence. Though Smart denied knowledge of the plot at the time, she was convicted in 1991 of being an accomplice to first-degree murder and other crimes and was sentenced to life without parole. Her trial was one of the first in the nation to be broadcast live on television from start to finish.

She didn't take responsibility for her husband’s death until 2024, saying she spent years deflecting blame “almost as if it was a coping mechanism.”

Smart filed a petition for habeas corpus relief in January seeking to overturn her conviction over what her lawyers claimed were several constitutional violations. After holding a hearing in July, Merrimack County Superior Court Judge James Kennedy on Thursday granted the state's motion to dismiss the petition, saying her arguments already were or could have been raised during earlier appeals, and even if they hadn't, lacked merit.

Among other things, Smart’s lawyers argued that prosecutors misled the jury by providing them with inaccurate transcripts of surreptitiously recorded conversations between Smart and her student intern that included words that were not audible on the recordings.

Among the words they claimed weren’t audible but appeared in the transcript was the word “killed” in the sentence “you had your husband killed,” the word “busted” in the sentence “I’m gonna be busted,” and the word “murder” in the sentence “this would have been the perfect murder.”

In the petition, Smart's lawyers described a forensic study suggesting that providing transcripts to juries along with muffled audio can lead listeners to believe the written text, even when it's inaccurate.

But Kennedy said the study's legal relevancy was “dubious" given that it wasn't published or available to read in full and that even the description given by Smart's attorneys failed to identify any inaccuracies. The judge also rejected Smart's arguments that the verdict was tainted by media attention and by faulty jury instructions.

Smart’s trial was a media circus and one of the first high-profile cases in the U.S. about a sexual affair between a school employee and a student. The student, William Flynn, testified that Smart told him she needed her husband killed because she feared she would lose everything if they divorced and that she threatened to break up with Flynn if he didn’t kill her husband.

Flynn and three other teens who participated in the plot cooperated with prosecutors, and all have since been released.

The case inspired Joyce Maynard’s 1992 book “To Die For” and the 1995 film of the same name, starring Nicole Kidman and Joaquin Phoenix.

El ex jefe de gabinete del gobernador, el actual fiscal general republicano James Uthmeier, enfrenta su primera prueba electoral para conservar el cargo al que fue nombrado por el gobernador Ron DeSantis. Uthmeier se enfrenta al ex legislador estatal demócrata Jose Javier Rodriguez.

“Me postulo para devolver la Fiscalía General al pueblo”, dijo Rodriguez. “Voy a enfrentar el crimen, los costos y la corrupción”.

Es una contienda que se desarrolla bajo la sombra de la investigación de Hope Florida.

“En el centro del escándalo de Hope Florida está el fiscal general”, dijo Sean Foreman, politólogo que enseña historia y gobierno en Palmer Trinity School y Barry University.

Un gran jurado determinó que el estado “malversó” $10 millones USD de fondos de los contribuyentes, desviados a través de la Hope Florida Foundation, una organización benéfica promovida por la esposa del gobernador, hacia comités de acción política, que luego canalizaron millones a “Keep Florida Clean”, un PAC que financiaba una campaña para oponerse a una medida electoral destinada a legalizar la marihuana recreativa. Ese PAC era presidido por Uthmeier.

“Todo parecía fluir a través de las instrucciones de James Uthmeier”, dijo Foreman.

Aunque el informe señaló que había “evidencia insuficiente para acusar penalmente a alguien”, en parte porque “nadie asumiría la responsabilidad”, el gran jurado dijo que puede “ver claramente que el dinero de los contribuyentes fue utilizado indebidamente con fines políticos”, razón por la cual persisten las dudas éticas.

“Muchos abogados analizaron ese proceso. Yo no era fiscal general en ese momento, pero hubo varios abogados que lo aprobaron”, dijo Uthmeier.

Foreman dijo que los demócratas ven las elecciones como una oportunidad para investigar más a fondo.

“Así que, mientras el fiscal general desestima ese caso y dice que el gran jurado no tiene cargos, sigamos adelante, los demócratas realmente esperan ganar los cargos de fiscal general y gobernador para poder reabrir ese gran jurado y ver si pueden obtener respuestas concretas sobre si hubo actividad delictiva y quién debería rendir cuentas”, dijo.

Eso podría ser una tarea difícil para los demócratas en un estado donde los republicanos tienen los números de su lado, con más votantes registrados y mayores fondos de campaña.

“Los republicanos siguen estando en una posición sólida”, dijo Foreman. “Incluso con acusaciones de corrupción, incluso con preguntas sin respuesta, los republicanos están en buena posición para ganar simplemente en una boleta genérica de demócrata contra republicano debido a la dinámica actual de Florida”.

Otro tema clave en esta contienda, según Foreman, es la protección al consumidor.

“Así que el trabajo principal del fiscal general, además de hacer cumplir las leyes en todo el estado, es realmente ser un vigilante para los ciudadanos y, en particular, defender a los consumidores frente a las empresas. Y ahí es donde entra la protección al consumidor”, dijo Foreman. “Hay algunas quejas de que Uthmeier no ha sido lo suficientemente firme en la protección de los consumidores, que ha presentado muchas demandas contra empresas, pero podrían responder a su propia agenda política en lugar de a los intereses de la gente de Florida. Así que hay mucha actividad en ese sentido, pero algunos consideran que está mal dirigida y que no se está enfocando en los consumidores”.

Foreman dijo que esa es una crítica que Rodriguez, el candidato demócrata, ha estado señalando. Uthmeier, por su parte, sostiene que está siendo firme contra el crimen y protegiendo a los ciudadanos, persiguiendo casos de abuso sexual infantil y tráfico de personas, e impulsando medidas para responsabilizar a las empresas de inteligencia artificial y redes sociales por la forma en que los niños las utilizan, según Foreman.

Rodriguez expuso sus propias prioridades para el cargo.

“Mi mensaje como próximo fiscal general es que nadie está por encima de la ley, incluido el propio gobierno estatal”, dijo Rodriguez. “Me postulo para devolver la Fiscalía General al pueblo. Ha pasado mucho tiempo desde que tuvimos un fiscal general que realmente se enfocara en la gente de Florida. Voy a enfrentar el crimen, los costos y la corrupción. Mis prioridades son muy claras: necesitamos proteger a los niños de amenazas como las grandes empresas tecnológicas y todas las drogas sintéticas que están llegando a las calles. También necesitamos a alguien que nos defienda, que luche contra las compañías de seguros, que luche contra las empresas de servicios públicos, que vaya tras los propietarios corporativos y que haga cumplir el salario mínimo. Hacer estas cosas que en otros estados la gente tiene fiscales generales que los defienden cuando los están perjudicando, eso no sucede aquí. Así que eso es lo que los floridanos pueden esperar”.

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The governor’s former chief of staff, Republican incumbent James Uthmeier, is facing his first election test to hold the seat Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to. Uthmeier is facing off against former state Democratic lawmaker Jose Javier Rodriguez.

“I am running to restore the attorney general’s office to the people,” Rodriguez said. “I am going to tackle crime, cost, corruption.”

It’s a race playing out in the shadow of the Hope Florida investigation.

“At the center of the Hope Florida scandal is the Attorney General,” said Sean Foreman, a political scientist who teaches history and government at Palmer Trinity School and Barry University.

A grand jury determined the state “misappropriated” $10 million in taxpayer dollars, diverted through the Hope Florida Foundation — a charity championed by the governor’s wife — to political action committees, which then funneled millions to “Keep Florida Clean,” a PAC funding a campaign to oppose a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana. That PAC was chaired by Uthmeier.

“Everything seemed to flow through James Uthmeier’s directions,” Foreman said.

While the report said there was “insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally,” in part because “nobody would take responsibility,” the grand jury said it can “plainly see that taxpayer money was misused for political purposes” — which is why ethics questions remain.

“Many lawyers looked at that process. I was not attorney general at the time, but there were multiple lawyers who signed off on it,” Uthmeier said.

Foreman said Democrats see the election as their opening to dig deeper.

“So while the attorney general is dismissing that case and saying the grand jury doesn’t have any charges, let’s move on, Democrats really are hoping to win the attorney general and governor’s seats so they can reopen that grand jury and see if they can get some real answers about if there was criminal activity and who should be held accountable,” he said.

That could be a tall order for Democrats in a state where Republicans have the math on their side — more registered voters and a bigger war chest.

“Republicans are still in a strong position,” Foreman said. “Even with allegations of corruption, even with unanswered questions, Republicans are in good shape to win just on a generic ballot of Democrat versus Republican because of the dynamics of Florida now.”

Another key issue in this race, according to Foreman, is consumer protection.

“So the main job of the Attorney General, other than to enforce laws across the state, is really to be a watchdog for citizens, and in particular to stand up for consumers against businesses. And so that’s where the consumer protection comes in,” Foreman said. “There are some complaints that Uthmeier has not been strong enough in protecting consumers, that he has raised a lot of lawsuits against businesses, but they might be for his own political agenda rather than for the people of Florida. So there’s a lot of activity there, but some feel that it’s misplaced and that it’s not focusing on consumers.”

Foreman said that criticism is one Rodriguez, the Democratic candidate, has been pointing out. Uthmeier, for his part, argues he’s being tough on crime and protecting citizens — going after child molestation and human trafficking cases, and pushing to hold AI and social media companies accountable for how children use them, according to Foreman.

Rodriguez laid out his own priorities for the office.

“My message as the next attorney general is that no one is above the law, including the state government itself,” Rodriguez said. “I am running to restore the attorney general’s office to the people. It has been a very long time since we had an attorney general that actually focuses on the people of Florida. I am going to tackle crime, costs, corruption. My priorities are very clear — we need to protect kids from threats like big tech, all the synthetic drugs hitting the streets. We also need someone advocating for us, fighting the insurance companies, fighting the utilities, going after corporate landlords, enforcing minimum wage. To do these things that in other states people have attorney generals to stand up for them when they are getting screwed — that doesn’t happen here. So that is what Floridians can expect.”

It was a tragedy compounded by the subsequent fatal crash of a TV news helicopter that had been covering the collision.

Bailee Lynn Rios was speeding and impaired when she drove her 2004 Ford Expedition the wrong way down a busy avenue and struck a vehicle before plowing into a city bus on Tuesday, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman told a news conference.

Rios, 36, faces two charges of second-degree murder in the deaths of the two people on the bus, identified as Daniel Castillo, 46, and Gage Weida, 31.

Rios was being held on $4.1 million bail and is scheduled to appear in court Friday. Online court records did not list a lawyer who might speak on her behalf, and the public defender’s office said it had not been appointed to represent her.

Reached Wednesday, her mother Cindy Rios said she was shocked and saddened by the string of events. She said she had not spoken to Bailee Lynn Rios since her arrest and had not been contacted by law enforcement. She could not immediately be reached Thursday for additional comment.

The news helicopter crash killed both people on board, pilot George Marciniw and reporter Eliana Moreno, and a man on the ground, Edy Gutierrez Mejia. At least four cars and two storage containers burned after the helicopter caught fire.

In surveillance footage obtained by NBC4 Los Angeles, the helicopter can be seen dropping out of the sky on a slight diagonal angle and landing behind a few trees and other objects. Moments later, a large plume of black smoke and flames erupt from the crash site.

Hundreds gathered in the Chatsworth neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday evening for a candlelit vigil honoring the victims of both crashes. Friends and family members brought photos of their loved ones and joined in prayer.

Crash victim liked people-watching on bus, daughter says

Castillo’s daughter, Johaunna Castillo, said he was on the way home from his job at a car parts warehouse Tuesday, on the same bus he took every day.

“The back was his favorite seat,” she said. “He liked people-watching.”

While she moved to Georgia with her mother and siblings as a teen and now attends college there, she spent her school breaks and summers in LA with her father. When they were apart, he called her after work every single day.

“He would just tell me about all the people he’s met and all the things that happened on the bus,” she said.

That day, he told her he was getting on the bus and would call her when he was walking home. But the call never came.

She said her father was a hard worker, and a bright and lively person who touched anyone he interacted with. His co-workers, friends, and even many people who only knew him in passing have reached out to share “how much of a light that he was,” she said.

“That’s who he was and that’s how he should be remembered — someone who brought a lot of joy and love into people’s lives,” Johaunna Castillo said. Hundreds have donated to an online fundraiser for funeral expenses.

Clues to helicopter crash may lie in broadcast video

There were no immediate details on what caused the helicopter to go down, but investigators said significant clues could come from the last seconds of video the crew broadcast. In it, an alarm could be heard inside the helicopter’s cockpit as it lost altitude.

National Transportation Safety Board investigator Fabian Salazar said Wednesday that the video is “probably the most important evidence that we have discovered so far.”

Just after the beeping starts, a woman’s voice says “uh oh.” The helicopter moves quickly away from the bus crash site and starts losing altitude. The woman says “You can’t pull up?” before the video stops as the chopper nears the ground.

Aviation safety expert Jeff Guzzetti said the alarm suggests a potential loss of engine power and a dangerous decrease in the main rotor speed. He said the pilot appeared to be trying to perform an emergency maneuver to use the wind to force the rotor to spin again.

The NTSB is also investigating the bus collision.

Moreno and Marciniw both worked for Angel City Air, a helicopter contractor, and provided aerial coverage for NBC4 and Telemundo 52.

Moreno, born in Orange County, joined Angel City Air in 2010, the same year she earned a broadcast journalism and political science degree from Chapman University. She reported for several news outlets and began flying with Marciniw in 2023, NBC4 said.

Marciniw grew up in Southern California and graduated from Burbank High School in 1974.

There have been at least eight fatal crashes involving news helicopters in the U.S. since 2000, killing 16 people, according to a review of federal accident records and news accounts.

Since the U.S. won gold at the Olympics in February, three members of that team asked for a trade and another was the subject of serious trade talk that did not materialize. Brady Tkachuk asked out of Ottawa and wound up in Florida to play with brother Matthew; Connor Hellebuyck could soon join him crossing the border after going public with his trade demand to leave Winnipeg; and Dylan Larkin's future in Detroit is in limbo following his desire for a fresh start.

Zach Werenski, who remains in Columbus, and fellow Americans on that team laugh at the idea that their group chat orchestrated all this. It is a bit of a coincidence it happened at the same time, but players get why people are making the connection between the trade requests and the Olympics.

“If you look at it from an outsider’s perspective, like I understand it because it’s like a lot of American guys, obviously, and the whole situation with the Olympics and winning and guys asking out and whatnot,” Werenski said. “For a lot of us, that gold medal was the first taste of winning, and I think that’s just what amplifies in your mind is like, ‘I want to do this more.’”

Why players are asking for trades

Larkin has declined to share which teams he’s willing to be traded to, would not say if his request to be moved still stands or if he wants to stay with the team. The Red Wings own the longest active playoff drought in the league, having not made it since Larkin’s rookie year in 2015-16, a first-round exit.

In Hellebuyck’s 10 years in Winnipeg, the Jets have not been past the second round since 2018 and he criticized team leadership after last season came to a close without a trip to the playoffs. He has said only that “moving on” is best for him and his family.

Tkachuk was the Senators’ captain and brushed off the notion that his request had anything to do with wanting to play in the U.S. instead.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a big differential from Canada to (the) U.S.,” Tkachuk said. “I think every individual’s thought process, decision is a little bit different.”

Teaming up with his brother makes the move more understandable to U.S. Olympic teammate and ex-Senators teammate Jake Sanderson.

“The way I look at it, I’m not surprised that Brady would want to go play with his brother,” Sanderson said. “I don’t think anybody should be surprised, so I don’t blame him for that.”

For Werenski, it is about chasing the Stanley Cup. He won the Norris Trophy as the league's top defenseman last season but in a decade with the Blue Jackets have made the playoffs just five times and advanced only once.

“You see your friends having success and guys winning Cups and you’re so happy for them, but you want that to be you,” Werenski said. “You put so much work in and so many hours and time and all this and you want to be in those games and have a chance at it, right? There’s a lot of great players that will never win a Stanley Cup. But you want a crack at it. You want a chance to play for it.”

What other moves could be coming

There has been plenty of buzz about the Hughes brothers wanting to play together like the Tkachuks; they've said so. Quinn, who was dealt across the border from Vancouver to Minnesota in December before starring for the U.S. in Milan, does not have a contract beyond this season and could soon become the highest-paid player in the NHL, with the Wild or elsewhere.

“It is my life: I’m not going to do anything to make someone else happy," Hughes said. "Everyone’s got to do what makes them happy, and then where the chips fall, they fall.”

The hockey landscape could look much different a year from now, depending on what Hughes does and if U.S. Olympic captain Auston Matthews decides he'd like a change of scenery. On Wednesday, Matthews said his intent was always to stay in Toronto, and he has two years left on his contract.

Players are exercising power with requests

Larkin and Hellebuyck each have five seasons remaining on deals signed in 2023. Despite being signed long term, each took the risk of asking for a trade.

“Players now, I feel like, hold a whole lot of the cards,” said Buffalo's Tage Thompson, who played with them at the Olympics. “And if they feel like it’s the best decision for them, that’s, I think, the route players are starting to go.”

Werenski said he's happy where he is. Sanderson affirmed he's good in Ottawa, where he's signed through 2032.

What happens to others with gold medals displayed in their homes remains to be seen. But golden goal-scorer Jack Hughes doesn't attribute this trend to what he and his teammates accomplished.

“Even if the Olympics happened or didn’t, I think those things would still unfold how they did with the guys that are requested to leave or whatever happened," Hughes said. "But definitely pretty funny with how everything shook out.”

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Los fiscales presentaron el miércoles un caso por delito grave contra Shauntay Poole, de Fort Lauderdale, por las acusaciones de la junta escolar, según los registros judiciales del condado Broward.

El directorio de personal de McArthur High School, ubicada en 6501 Hollywood Boulevard, en Hollywood, incluyó a Poole, también conocida como Shauntay Cunningham-Poole, como contable III.

Un informe de auditoría de 2022 de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado Broward y un informe de auditoría de BCPS de 2017 incluyeron a Cunningham-Poole como contable del Whiddon-Rogers Education Center, ubicado en 700 SW 26 St., en Fort Lauderdale.

Las autoridades penitenciarias ingresaron a Poole el miércoles en la cárcel principal del condado Broward, en Fort Lauderdale. Enfrentó un cargo de robo mayor de tercer grado por más de $750 USD y menos de $5,000 USD. Su fianza fue fijada en $2,500 USD.

El juez de circuito del condado Broward Francis Viamontes estaba programado para presidir el caso.

Esta es una noticia en desarrollo. Local 10 News tiene pendiente una solicitud para obtener el reporte de arresto del caso.

Enlaces relacionados

• Departamento de Justicia: Empleado de la Junta Escolar del Condado Broward acusado de soborno y extorsión
• FBI: Ex miembro de la Junta Escolar del Condado Broward acusado formalmente por cargos de corrupción pública

A directive sent to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees this week says imperiled animals or plants must be intentionally targeted for their killing to be considered illegal.

That's a sharp turnaround from past practice at the wildlife service, which historically held people liable even for accidentally harming protected species such as grizzly bears, manatees and spotted owls.

Former Fish and Wildlife director says the change ‘creates a huge loophole’

Experts said the change would allow timber companies to log forests in the Pacific Northwest even if they knew that doing so could kill imperiled birds nesting in the trees, or for developers to build a dam knowing it would kill salmon.

“This cuts against the entire history of the Endangered Species Act,” said Dan Ashe, who led the Fish and Wildlife Service under former President Barack Obama.

“It just creates a huge loophole,” added Ashe, who is now president of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. “It completely relieves people of any responsibility for their actions, even consequences that can be easily predicted.”

Encouraged by Republican lawmakers and industry lobbyists, officials under Trump have moved to dismantle key parts of the endangered species law and make companies exempt from its regulations. Administration officials have said they are returning the law to its original intent, following a 2024 Supreme Court decision that limited the authority of federal agencies to interpret environmental statutes passed by Congress.

States and conservation groups have filed numerous lawsuits seeking to turn back the changes.

The directive follows a rule change defining ‘harm’ under Endangered Species Act

The new interpretation of what it means to harm — or “take” — a species was detailed in a Sept. 14 directive from Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik.

“Felling a tree is not a take of the bats roosting in it unless the tree is felled for the purpose of killing or capturing them,” Nesvik wrote, adding that the bats would only be impacted “indirectly and accidentally.”

The directive, reported earlier by The New York Times, leans heavily on a dissenting opinion from former Justice Antonin Scalia in a 1995 Supreme Court case. It comes on the heels of a new rule from the wildlife service in July that narrowed the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act, or ESA.

Nesvik's directive will guide how that new rule is put into action, according to a Thursday statement from the Interior Department, which includes the Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Under the guidance, the ESA’s prohibition on ‘take’ continues to prohibit conduct including harassing, pursuing, hunting, shooting, wounding, killing, trapping, capturing or collecting protected wildlife,” Interior Department officials said.

Some companies may still seek permits

For decades, the government had defined harm to imperiled animals broadly to include encroachments on places where they live. Environmentalists warn the recent moves, if allowed to stand, will speed extinctions by letting protected species be killed and opening the door to habitat destruction.

“This is basically a free-for-all,” said Noah Greenwald with the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. “It's a radical reinterpretation that would put polluters and other industry before the natural world.”

Federal officials have long worked with companies and individuals to minimize harm to species by crafting habitat protection plans and issuing permits for some incidental killings.

Under the new interpretation of the law, the only people needing such a permit would be those acting directly against animals, such as hunters, trappers, anglers and perhaps pesticide users, said Sandi Snodgrass, an attorney with Holland and Hart in Denver whose clients include developers, energy companies and utilities.

But Snodgrass said some companies may still seek permits to guard against changes by future administrations or to protect themselves against citizen lawsuits.

The Endangered Species Act is credited with bringing back iconic animals — including the bald eagle, American alligator and California condor — from the brink of extinction.

Republicans rolled back several provisions of the law in Trump’s first term, only to have those moves reversed under Democratic President Joe Biden, then revived yet again during Trump's second term.

Ocurría la mañana de este jueves en el área de la cuadra 15000 de Southwest 140th Street.

Una escuela cercana, Jorge Mas Canosa Middle School, fue puesta bajo cierre temporal, que desde entonces fue levantado.

Funcionarios de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado Miami-Dade dijeron a Local 10 News que el cierre se debió a “actividad policial en el área no relacionada con la escuela”.

Un video obtenido por Local 10 News muestra a dos hombres forcejeando en el área cerca de la escuela y, en un momento del video, se escucha lo que parece ser un disparo.

La policía aún no ha proporcionado información oficial sobre lo ocurrido o lo que está investigando.

Según Bomberos y Rescate de Miami-Dade, una persona fue atendida en el lugar, pero no fue trasladada a un hospital del área.

It was Kennedy's first time appearing at the Children's Health Defense conference since he became secretary. Kennedy took leave from the group when he launched his bid to become president in 2023, but his speech Thursday served as a sort of homecoming, offering him a platform from which to hail the administration's steps to scale back vaccine guidance and reassure the activists in attendance that he was working to turn their priorities into policy.

“Let me be clear: You have a strong and steadfast friend in the White House. We've accomplished in 19 months things that would have seemed unthinkable two years ago,” he said.

The speech, peppered with questions about long established vaccine safety, also highlighted how once fringe views on vaccines have been given a prominent pulpit under the Trump administration.

Kennedy boasted about the administration's moves to downsize the childhood vaccination schedule and reshape a key vaccine advisory board — steps that have since been halted by a judge.

Kennedy lauded Trump for pushing ahead with attempts to overhaul vaccine guidance, including an executive order last month calling for spacing out the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, against medical groups' recommendations.

That executive order and now Kennedy's keynote speech at the Children's Health Defense conference mark a pivot by the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services, who earlier this year had appeared to be moving beyond vaccine efforts and toward a less contentious agenda on healthy food ahead of November’s midterm elections. HHS promoted the speech on its social media channels.

Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, chaired Children’s Health Defense for years. He served as the group’s chief legal counsel and expanded it. After becoming health secretary last year, Kennedy moved at a blistering pace to overhaul public health guidance and revamp long-held precedents in vaccine policymaking.

Critics, among them many of the country's top medical associations, have said the moves risk stoking vaccine hesitancy and sowing confusion among Americans who endured a crisis of trust in their public health agencies following the COVID-19 pandemic. That public confidence continues to erode.

“We have not taken vaccines away from anybody. We have preserved access. But we have started asking the questions that you and millions of American parents have been asking for years,” Kennedy told the group.

Mary Holland, the CEO of Children’s Health Defense, referred to Kennedy as “Bobby” and said the group has “gratitude beyond words” to the HHS secretary for “recognizing there are real consequential issues around childhood vaccinations.”

Kennedy's appearance Thursday comes as the country faces its worst year for measles since 1991 and has seen seven reported measles-associated deaths in the last two years — more than the combined total of reported deaths over the previous three decades.

Pennsylvania officials have reported four measles-associated deaths this year. None of the four were vaccinated, according to the state health department. When state officials last month announced the first two of those deaths, it ignited a public feud between Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kennedy.

Shapiro blasted Kennedy's appearance on the social media site X Thursday, saying Kennedy “chose to spend his time today addressing the premier vaccine-denial conference in America.”

Shapiro said the HHS secretary should have encouraged people to get vaccinated for measles, "yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he pushed a narrative that continues to stoke fear and mistrust.”

A representative from the White House did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment on Kennedy’s appearance at the event.

Following Kennedy onstage Thursday was Andrew Wakefield, an author of a since-discredited study that linked the MMR vaccine to autism, which has fueled the anti-vaccine movement even though it was retracted.

Widespread scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is no link between vaccines and autism.

Shaughnessy Naughton, founder of 314 Action, a group that recruits scientists to run for public office, said Kennedy's decision to give a speech at the conference shows “the lack of seriousness he brings to HHS.”

"With a deadly measles outbreak killing people in Pennsylvania, the best thing Kennedy can do for Americans is step aside.”

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Stobbe contributed from New York.

Led by head coach Paul Maurice, the Panthers are healthy and excited to get back to their winning ways after suffering through an injury-plagued season a year ago that saw Florida fail to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Players were split into two groups during the first day of practice, with many of the team’s expected Opening Night roster going out with group one.

That included Panthers captain Sasha Barkov, who missed the entire 2025-26 season after suffering a knee injury during his first training camp practice almost exactly one year ago.

Barkov looked like his usual self during Thursday’s practice, much to the delight of his coaches and teammates.

One of the new faces on the ice was goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

He was actually drafted by the Panthers all the way back in 2008 and made his NHL debut in Florida a couple years later, but only played 43 games in a Florida sweater before he was traded to Vancouver in the 2014 deal that brought Roberto Luongo back to the Cats.

Twelve years and 535 games later, Markstrom is back in South Florida ready to help the team that brought him into the league win another Stanley Cup or two.

“Ever since I got here over a month ago, I’ve been super impressed with the team and the organization and what (owner) Vinny Viola has done to this franchise, its really impressive,” Markstrom said.

NBC announced Thursday that Brunson will appear in the season’s fifth episode, which is scheduled to air Nov. 5. Details on Brunson’s exact role weren’t revealed.

Brunson already is set to host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” on Sept. 26. He made an appearance Monday in the opening of the Emmy Awards telecast that was hosted by “Law & Order: SVU” star Mariska Hargitay.

Hargitay is a Knicks fan who attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals as New York rallied from a 29-point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-106, a victory that sparked the franchise to its first title since 1973. Hargitay and Brunson hugged on the court after the game.

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

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Initially, authorities said a there was fear of a gun on campus after a fight occurred, but officers later clarified that there was no fight or evidence a gun was ever on campus.

“The investigation determined that no fight had occurred and no firearm was ever on the Plantation High School campus,” police wrote in a statement. They said officers searched the school grounds after the report of a possible weapon but did not find a gun.

No injuries were reported.

Police said, “somebody had mentioned something about a gun, which was relayed to another person, which was relayed to a teacher. At the same time a large group of people were walking in the hallway and might’ve heard the same thing and they all started running.”

The incident initially prompted a police response and perimeter around the school as officers investigated a report that a student may have been in possession of a weapon. Police said the student was located immediately, but no weapon was found.

Broward County Public Schools confirmed that the school, located at 6901 NW 16th St., received an “all-clear” from law enforcement and resumed its normal schedule.

Sky 10 was over the scene at about 1:20 p.m. as police established a perimeter around the campus. During the investigation, no one was allowed to enter or leave the area while officers searched for evidence of a weapon.

Once officers confirmed there was no threat to students or staff, police said they cleared the perimeter and lifted the lockdown.

The U.N. Security Council sanctions are still in effect, which freeze Iran’s assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalize any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program, among other measures.

Using a provision in the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered the “snapback” mechanism, which reimposed the sanctions on Sept. 27, 2025. It restored the Security Council sanctions committee and authorized a panel of U.N. experts to monitor implementation.

The United States had drafted a resolution to extend the U.N. expert panel’s mandate for a year. The proposal was defeated by a vote of 11-2, with Somalia and Pakistan abstaining, because of the Russian and Chinese vetoes.

It comes as the Trump administration is pursuing a wider campaign to isolate Tehran from its remaining economic partners as the more than six-month-old war in Iran has hit a stalemate. Separately, Thursday, the administration went after digital currency networks that it says are illegally providing sanctioned Iranian entities with access to the international financial system.

The Treasury and State Departments announced that they had targeted two companies — BitBank and the Pishtaz Simorgh Electronic Trade Co. — and three associates of BitBank’s previously sanctioned chief, Babak Zanjani, who are accused of playing a role in helping Iran evade sanctions.

At the United Nations, Iran's U.N. mission thanked China and Russia for vetoing the U.S. resolution, saying on social media that the countries “prevented yet another cynical attempt by the United States and its allies to abuse the Security Council for their political purposes.”

Since Israel and the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025, U.N. nuclear inspectors have been unable to verify the status of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium. The U.N. nuclear watchdog has said Iran maintained a stockpile of 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90%.

U.S. deputy ambassador to the U.N. Jennifer Locetta said the United States wasn’t surprised by the vetoes on Thursday because the experts “would have shined the light" on prohibited cooperation between Iran and its partners.

She said the vetoes are part of a broader effort to prevent expert monitoring of sanctions, and even the appointment of panel members, “to stifle reporting that implicates their own activities in support of rogue regimes.”

In March 2024, a Russian veto ended U.N. monitoring of sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear program. In Mali, sanctions were terminated, and Locetta said that in Yemen and the Central African Republic expert appointments have been delayed or refused.

While the panel of experts for Iran was authorized a year ago and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres proposed members, they were never approved.

“Without an independent panel of experts, this council loses its principal source of impartial, evidence-based reporting on sanctions violations, creating a monitoring gap that only benefits the Iranian regime and those who profit from evading those measures,” Locetta warned.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia reiterated Moscow’s claim that the “snapback” of sanctions against Iran was illegal, and therefore the resolution to extend the mandate of the panel of experts “was deeply flawed and did not have any legal basis.”

Russia and China had strongly urged the U.S. and its allies not to put the resolution to a vote, which would only increase tensions in the council, Nebenzia said, but Washington “decided to opt for confrontation.”

French U.N. Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont, the current council president, said implementing sanctions is “a crucial instrument to encourage Iran” to return to its nuclear obligations. France will study how to ensure sanctions are enforced, he said.

One possibility would be to follow what happened after the North Korea panel of experts was abolished: establishing a monitoring team that includes France, Germany, the U.K. and the United States.

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Associated Press writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

El beneficio mensual mínimo por familia de Bolsa Familia subirá el próximo mes de los actuales 600 reales (117 dólares) a 691 reales (134 dólares). En el decreto se indica que los pagos se ajustan por la inflación acumulada desde marzo de 2023.

La medida incrementará el poder adquisitivo de algunos votantes, que decidirán en octubre si le conceden a Lula un cuarto mandato no consecutivo o eligen al senador Flávio Bolsonaro, hijo del expresidente Jair Bolsonaro, en una previsible segunda vuelta. Las encuestas muestran que, actualmente, ambos están empatados.

“Bolsa Familia es fundamental en nuestra estrategia para cuidar a las familias más vulnerables, garantizar ingresos para que las personas salgan de la pobreza y no sufran inseguridad alimentaria”, afirmó el ministro de Hacienda, Dario Durigan.

Agregó que el gasto adicional se absorbería dentro de las asignaciones presupuestarias existentes y no representaría un nuevo desembolso.

La medida costará 5.800 millones de reales (1.100 millones de dólares) este año y alrededor de 22.000 millones de reales (4.300 millones de dólares) el próximo, indicó la secretaría de comunicación del gobierno brasileño en un comunicado. El beneficio promedio aumentará de 675 reales (132 dólares) a 777 reales (151 dólares), agrega el comunicado.

Millones de familias recibirán el nuevo monto a partir del 19 de octubre. La posible segunda vuelta está programada para el 25 de octubre.

Tras el anuncio, el diputado Marcos Antônio Pereira Gomes —un aliado del senador Bolsonaro conocido como Zé Trovão— pidió al tribunal electoral de Brasil que suspenda el decreto, alegando que equivale a una medida electoral que viola la ley brasileña, según artículos de la prensa local compartidos por Trovão en redes sociales.

Algunos jueces del máximo tribunal de Brasil también integran el tribunal electoral del país. El juez del Supremo Tribunal Federal André Mendonca, designado por Bolsonaro y que enfrenta acusaciones de sesgo político, supervisará el caso presentado por Trovão, informó la prensa local.

Algunos miembros del Supremo Tribunal Federal de Brasil han acusado recientemente a Mendonca de divulgar selectivamente partes del caso Banco Master, que ha involucrado a jueces y políticos, incluido el principal rival de Lula en estas elecciones, el senador Bolsonaro, y el juez Alexandre de Moraes, quien supervisó el caso que llevó a la condena de 27 años de cárcel para el expresidente Bolsonaro por intento de golpe de Estado.

Los críticos alegan que Mendonca ha retrasado deliberadamente la divulgación de partes de la investigación relacionadas con el senador Bolsonaro. Mendonca niega las acusaciones.

Lula introdujo el programa Bolsa Familia al inicio de su primer mandato en 2003. Proporciona ayuda financiera a familias de bajos ingresos condicionada a la asistencia escolar de los niños y a requisitos de salud, como las vacunaciones.

Bolsa Familia fue objeto de miles de estudios académicos en Brasil y en el extranjero, que reportaron reducciones significativas de la pobreza, la desigualdad y la mortalidad infantil. Los investigadores también hallaron un mayor acceso a la atención básica de salud y señalaron que la asistencia escolar también mejoró.

Bolsonaro sustituyó el programa por Auxilio Brasil antes de la votación de 2022, en lo que analistas consideraron ampliamente como un esfuerzo por cambiar la marca del popular programa asociado con Lula para impulsar sus posibilidades de reelección. Lula derrotó a Bolsonaro.

La semana pasada, Lula firmó un decreto y una medida provisional destinados a reducir los precios de los combustibles, mientras la guerra entre Estados Unidos e Irán eleva el costo de llenar el tanque de gasolina. El costo del combustible es un tema particularmente sensible para los votantes.

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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.

Sgt. Derek Gutierrez, a public affairs specialist with the 149th Fighter Wing at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, said the pilot was receiving medical treatment at a local hospital. Gutierrez declined to release details about the pilot’s identity or any injuries, citing military policy.

The pilot was conscious and speaking to law enforcement at the hospital, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael D. Shea said in a press briefing.

The plane was participating in training exercises at a National Guard base in Alpena, about 190 miles (305 kilometers) north of Detroit.

Another pilot told air traffic controllers that he believes his wingman hit a bird and crashed, according to audio posted by www.liveatc.net.

“We have a possible Mayday. My wingman I believe may have taken a bird,” the pilot reported. The controller offered to direct him to a nearby airport in Frankfort or Traverse City, but the pilot said his wingman had already crashed.

Gutierrez said he hadn't heard anything about a possible bird strike, and said the crash is under investigation.

“Once we get some more information and it's approved, we can release it to you,” he said.

Nathan Smith was working at a construction site about a mile from the crash. He said he started recording the passing fighter jet because something about its flight path struck him as odd.

“It was strange to see a jet flying that low and slow,” Smith said. “A few seconds after the video cuts, I heard a loud ‘bang,’ which I believe now to be the pilot ejecting, but I didn’t think of that at the time.”

Wendy Sobeck said she and her husband heard a “very loud crash” down the road, minutes from their rural home.

“We thought there was a car accident outside our house. We saw big billowing black smoke. We couldn’t tell what it was, so my husband got into his pickup truck and saw what happened,” Sobeck said. “You could see the plane debris in the field. Explosions kept happening.”

Fred Sobeck, 65, said he drove down the road and saw a “big fireball in the field” near a house and a camper, which were not hit.

“Police told me to get out of there because of explosions,” he said.

Emergency officials first directed nearby residents to shelter in place, but a short time later the Michigan State Police evacuated people within one mile because of a hazardous chemical spill related to the crash. The state police did not release details about the nature of the spill, but F-16 jets use hydrazine, a toxic chemical, as a component of emergency power unit fuel.

By Thursday evening, the evacuation order had been lifted and residents were able to return to their homes near the crash site, according to Grand Traverse County Emergency Management.

The jet was one of several F-16 aircraft from the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, taking part in the Michigan training exercises, Gutierrez said.

The military began flying the first F-16s in 1979. There have been at least 14 “Class A mishaps” involving F-16s since 2000, according to the Air Force Safety Center. The Class A mishap designation is generally used when the damage totals more than $2 million, when an aircraft is destroyed or when a service member is killed.

In December, an F-16C Fighting Falcon with the Air Force’s elite Thunderbirds demonstration squadron crashed in the Southern California desert, and the pilot in that crash was also able to eject safely.

___ Associated Press reporters Josh Funk, Laura Turbay and Philip Marcelo contributed.

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The proposals come after Miami commissioners voted 4-1 last week to continue using the historic waterfront building at 3500 Pan American Drive for City Commission meetings, even as much of the city government prepares to move to a new administrative complex near Miami Freedom Park.

The building, constructed in 1933 as a Pan American World Airways seaplane terminal, has served as Miami City Hall since 1954.

The Museum of Miami and Pan Am had previously pitched potential uses for the site.

The Museum of Miami proposed preserving the historic terminal while building a dedicated museum nearby. The museum said the site could become a civic campus featuring Miami history, community programming and continued government functions.

Pan American World Airways, LLC proposed using some offices in the building for its sales, marketing and corporate communications teams while allowing commissioners to continue meeting on the ground floor. The company also proposed incorporating Pan Am memorabilia into the building and, eventually, operating 12-seat, all-electric seaplanes from the waterfront.

The proposals and renderings have now been submitted to the city as part of letters of intent and formal proposals.

For now, however, the city says it is not entertaining a different use of the Dinner Key facilities.

The historic building has been at the center of a debate over how Miami can preserve its architectural and aviation history while accommodating the city’s future administrative needs. Commissioners supporting continued City Hall use have emphasized the building’s civic role and its connection to Miami’s history as an international gateway.

The Sept. 10 resolution by District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo called for continued use of the building as City Hall and for regular commission meetings to remain there. District 1 Commissioner Miguel Gabela was the lone vote against the measure, citing concerns about potential duplication of taxpayer-funded facilities.

The State Department said Thursday that it had approved visas for Iran’s “core delegation,” along with essential staffers to participate in the U.N. meetings. The core delegation includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, according to U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to visa privacy laws.

The move is unusual due to the more than six-month-long conflict between Iran and the United States and no sign that agreements to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or return to talks on Iran’s nuclear program are close. It also comes as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have stepped up attacks on Saudi infrastructure and shipping in the Red Sea, another major maritime route in the region where impediments have helped drive a surge in global oil prices.

In addition, Iran remains the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, according to the United States, which has imposed significant sanctions against the country and launched a new campaign in recent weeks aimed at severing “critical financial lifelines."

As the host country for the United Nations headquarters, the U.S. is generally limited in what it can do to prevent foreign leaders from coming to the General Assembly. However, it has in the past denied visas to — or discouraged applications from — leaders involved in active conflicts with the United States.

For last year's U.N. meetings of world leaders — which took place before the Iran war began on Feb. 28 but after the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025 — the State Department also approved a limited number of visas for Iranian diplomats but also imposed rigid restrictions on the delegation's movements.

Those included severe limitations on how far Iranian officials could travel in New York City from their U.N. mission and barred them from shopping at wholesale membership stores, such as Costco and Sam's Club.

The decision on the Iranian visas was announced just a day after the State Department denied visas to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation to come to the General Assembly.

“Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level week," the State Department said. "The delegation will be under travel restrictions and will face prohibitions on the purchase of luxury and other goods per our policy. The delegation is smaller than last year.”

The department accused the Palestinian Authority — which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank — of trying to “internationalize” the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza by bringing cases to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court as well as continuing to pay stipends to prisoners jailed in Israel for attacks on Israelis.

The Palestinian Authority condemned the move and called Israel’s actions “the real threat to the two-state solution and prospects for peace.” It also said it remained committed to long-stalled negotiations but defended its efforts to gain Palestinian recognition through international bodies and courts.

“Punitive measures and restrictions imposed on Palestinian officials do not contribute to advancing peace or combating violence,” the authority’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “Rather, they weaken the Palestinian partner committed to a political solution and encourage forces working to undermine the two-state solution and impose the reality of occupation, settlement and annexation by force."

The U.S. does not recognize the Palestinian Authority as the government of a full U.N. member state. The U.N. General Assembly, however, along with various U.N. agencies and organizations, does.

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Associated Press writer Sam Metz in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Harris was a defensive tackle and Wright played tight end for Mississippi during its run to a College Football Playoff semifinal last season. Both had tryouts in the NFL this summer after going undrafted. They then tried joining former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin at LSU and sued for the right to regain their college eligibility.

After the Southeastern Conference passed a rule barring pros from heading back to college to play and a Louisiana court put that restriction on hold, LSU left both players off its roster as it opened its season.

The NFL’s letter noted both Harris and Wright “were eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, returned to college and participated with their college football team after the opening of NFL training camp, and therefore, they are ineligible to visit, try out with or be signed by NFL clubs during the 2026 season.”

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the memo, which was dated Wednesday.

Harris and Wright were the only players mentioned in the letter. The NFL acknowledged this list didn’t include all 2026 draft-eligible players who returned to college and said teams should contact the league’s player personnel department with any questions about a player’s eligibility.

The letter also noted it is each team’s responsibility to verify a player’s eligibility. Discipline for eligibility violations can include fines and/or the loss of draft picks.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Postgame video showed Messi pointing at Garber and speaking to him before walking away. He then appears later in the video pointing at him and talking to him again. Another video showed them pointing at each other as they spoke.

MLS declined comment on the matter. Inter Miami didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The exchange came after Inter Miami defeated Cruz Azul 2-0 to win the Campeones Cup. Messi scored the 100th goal of his Inter Miami career during the game.

This victory gave Inter Miami another trophy three years after Messi’s arrival. Miami won the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and MLS Cup in 2025.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

But on Wednesday, the Fed's rate-setting committee unanimously agreed to a rate hike, and nearly all policymakers signaled that a second increase later this year would likely be appropriate.

So what changed?

In short, the renewed fighting in the Middle East has pushed up gas prices again. And there are signs the economy is still growing at a healthy pace even as inflation stays stubbornly high. All three factors appear to have pushed the committee from wait-and-see mode to determined action.

Yet the Fed's move doesn't necessarily mean Americans will pay significantly higher costs for mortgages or other borrowing in the short-term, because financial markets appear reassured by the Fed's commitment to fighting inflation. On Thursday, the 10-year Treasury yield even slipped a bit, a likely sign of reduced inflation worries among investors.

The Fed's increase “alleviates concerns around the Fed taking sticky inflation seriously,” Oscar Munoz, head of U.S. economic research at TD Securities, said. “And that they’re ready to act, not just talk about it but actually act.”

The Fed increases the short-term rate it controls to slow borrowing and spending and ideally cool inflation. The Fed's rate can influence longer-term costs such as mortgage rates, but the Fed doesn't directly control them.

Warsh throws in towel on ‘temporary’ shocks

For months, Fed officials have considered whether higher oil and gas prices from the Iran war would just amount to a temporary hit to inflation. If so, it might not make sense to hike rates: By the time higher borrowing costs started to slow the economy, the gas price shock could be over and inflation would fall back to the Fed's 2% target on its own.

But with the Iran war now in its seventh month, Fed officials are no longer counting on it being a temporary shock.

At the Fed's previous meeting July 29, its statement said inflation was elevated “in part reflecting supply shocks that have driven price increases in certain sectors, including energy.”

But its latest statement Wednesday dropped that reference to supply shocks, and instead noted that consumer and business spending “has been resilient.”

And at his news conference Wednesday afternoon, Warsh said, “our judgment about ... the geopolitical situation has changed.”

Gas prices, meanwhile, have continued their steady march higher, reaching $4.44 a gallon Thursday, according to AAA. That's 38 cents higher than a month ago. Diesel prices have hit record highs at $6.40, which will push up shipping costs for many types of goods.

The Fed thinks the economy can take it

Whenever the Fed increases interest rates, it raises concerns that higher borrowing costs will ultimately weigh down the economy so much that a recession results. Yet Warsh emphasized that the economy is healthy and has continued to grow despite repeated blows from things like higher gas prices, tariffs, and higher interest rates.

“Our decision comes at a time when the American economy appears to be strengthening,” Warsh said. “New hiring, private-sector earnings, business capital investment — each of these markers has improved in recent months and is pointing in a good direction.

“Consider the geopolitical landscape of shocks and uncertainty, and you begin to appreciate the resilience of the U.S. economy,” he added.

Bigger paychecks sought

While the economy may be showing signs of acceleration, stubborn inflation has eroded Americans' take-home pay. Inflation has now risen faster, on a yearly basis, than average incomes for five months, making it harder for Americans to afford necessities such as gas, food, and rent.

Warsh said the “least well-off” have the “most to gain” from steady growth and stable prices.

If the Fed can get inflation to its 2% goal, when Americans “get their wages, they can put their head above water and deliver real take home pay increases,” Warsh said.

Trump attacks on Fed are misguided, economists say

President Donald Trump renewed his criticisms of the Fed Wednesday night and called for much lower interest rates, but did not attack Warsh, whom he appointed as chairman earlier this year. That's a big change from Warsh's predecessor, Jerome Powell, who was the subject of repeated personal attacks from Trump, as well as a criminal investigation, which was later dropped.

“The board is very hostile. They’re very political. They’re doing the wrong thing. They’re a bunch of politicians,” Trump said, referring to the 12 Fed officials on the central bank's rate-setting committee. “They’re raising rates to make Trump do as bad as they can possibly do.”

Yet economists argue Trump's criticisms are misguided. They note that beyond the Fed, there are multiple reasons why longer-term interest rates have jumped in the past two months. The 10-year Treasury, for instance, strongly influences mortgage rates and this week topped 5% for the first time since 2023. Meanwhile, the weekly average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate home loan climbed to just below 7% — its highest level in over 19 months.

Wall Street investors are demanding higher rates to hold bonds, partly because inflation remains elevated. Investors need higher interest rates to offset the impact of higher prices.

Surging investment in AI data centers has also lifted borrowing costs as large tech firms have issued hundreds of billions of dollars in bonds to finance the buildout. The flood of bonds has also pushed up rates.

Warsh also cited stronger economic growth, which typically raises interest rates as more businesses expect higher returns from new projects so they step up their borrowing to expand.

But Warsh did not mention another driver of rising interest rates that many economists point to: High and accumulating U.S. government debt, which recently topped $40 trillion and has grown sharply under Trump. Nor did he cite tariffs, something his predecessor, Powell, frequently highlighted.

Agentes de la policía de Hialeah arrestaron a Jose Cremades en 2002, 2012 y 2016, y agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade lo arrestaron en 2019 y 2022, según registros judiciales. Los fiscales presentaron cargos de hurto mayor en tercer grado en los cinco casos.

Cremades fue declarado culpable en cuatro de los cinco casos y sentenciado a libertad condicional, según registros judiciales. Su período de libertad condicional más reciente terminó el 25 de julio de 2024. El martes, volvió a estar tras las rejas.

La niña de 4 años dijo a su madre el sábado que “el hombre mayor que había estado junto a ella en el Lowe’s ubicado en 1650 West 37th St. la había tocado” después de que “le levantó la falda”, según el reporte de arresto de un agente de policía.

El martes, durante una entrevista forense en el Kristi House Children’s Advocacy Center, la niña dijo que Cremades “usó sus dedos para meterlos debajo de su vestido y tocarla varias veces”, escribió un agente de policía, según el reporte.

“Estamos haciendo todo lo posible para ayudar a las autoridades locales”, escribió un portavoz de Lowe’s en un comunicado el miércoles.

Videos de vigilancia mostraron a Cremades “agachado” junto a una exhibición de mercancía donde estaba la niña de 4 años antes de que ella corriera hacia su madre, y “caminando detrás” de otras dos niñas “mientras se desplazaban por la tienda”, según el reporte de un agente de policía.

La madre de la niña dijo a los agentes que ella y su hija de 4 años habían asistido al taller infantil de la tienda y que estaba pagando una compra en la caja cuando su hija se alejó de su lado, según el reporte policial.

Agentes de la policía de Hialeah arrestaron a Cremades el martes y fiscales de Miami-Dade presentaron tres nuevos casos en su contra el miércoles. Dos de los casos fueron por hurto menor y el otro por abuso lascivo y lujurioso.

Cremades compareció el miércoles ante la jueza del Circuito del Condado Miami-Dade Mindy S. Glazer. La jueza le negó la fianza y le ordenó mantenerse alejado de la tienda Lowe’s de Hialeah y de la víctima del caso de abuso lascivo y lujurioso.

Cremades, quien nació en Cuba y vive cerca de O’Quinn Park en Hialeah, permanecía el jueves en el Centro de Detención Metrowest con una orden de retención del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos, según muestran registros policiales y de reclusos.

La jueza del Circuito del Condado Miami-Dade Laura A. Stuzin presidía el caso de delito grave por abuso lascivo y lujurioso. La jueza del Circuito del Condado Michelle Roth presidía los casos de delitos menores por hurto.

Reporte relacionado: Hombre comparece ante tribunal acusado de abusar sexualmente de niña de 4 años en Hialeah

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Hialeah police officers arrested Jose Cremades in 2002, 2012, and 2016, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested him in 2019 and 2022, according to court records. Prosecutors filed third-degree grand theft charges in all five cases.

Cremades was convicted in four of the five cases and sentenced to probation, according to court records. His most recent probation ended on July 25, 2024. On Tuesday, he was back behind bars.

The 4-year-old girl told her mother on Saturday that ″the old man who had been next to her at the Lowe’s at 1650 West 37th St., had touched her” after he “lifted her skirt,” according to a police officer’s arrest report.

On Tuesday, during a forensic interview at the Kristi House Children’s Advocacy Center, the girl said Cremades “used his fingers to reach under her dress and touch ... several times,” a police officer wrote, according to the report.

“We are doing everything we can to assist local law enforcement,” a spokesperson for Lowe’s wrote in a statement on Wednesday.

Surveillance videos showed Cremades “crouched down” at a merchandise display where the 4-year-old girl was before she ran toward her mother, and “walking behind” two other girls, “as they moved through the store,” according to a police officer’s report.

The girl’s mother told police officers she and her 4-year-old daughter had attended the store’s kids workshop, and she was paying for a purchase at the register when her daughter left her side, according to the police report.

Hialeah police officers arrested Cremades on Tuesday, and Miami-Dade prosecutors filed three new cases against him on Wednesday. Two of the cases were petit theft, and the other was for lewd and lascivious molestation.

Cremades appeared before Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer on Wednesday. She denied him bond and ordered him to stay away from the Lowe’s store in Hialeah and the victim of the lewd and lascivious molestation case.

Cremades, who was born in Cuba and lives near O’Quinn Park in Hialeah, was at the Metrowest Detention Center on Thursday with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s hold, police and inmate records show.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Laura A. Stuzin was presiding over the felony lewd and lascivious molestation case. County Circuit Judge Michelle Roth was presiding over the misdemeanor theft cases.

Related report: Man appears in court accused of sexually abusing 4-year-old girl in Hialeah

A U.S. government official said Abu Zubaydah, who wore a neatly trimmed beard and glasses, had “probably” served as one of Osama bin Laden's most trusted facilitators. The roughly 20-minute hearing offered rare visibility into the secretive military court proceedings of a suspect who had been tortured at CIA black sites during the U.S. war on terrorism and whose case still has not been resolved 25 years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Zubaydah's unidentified government-assigned representative and his private attorney, Annika Conrad, both acknowledged he had known bin Laden, the 9/11 mastermind. But they said Zubaydah was never a member of the militant group that bin Laden founded.

Conrad argued that Zubaydah poses no security threat to the United States and that it can no longer justify his detention. She said Zubaydah should be approved for transfer out of Guantanamo, which would kick off a multiyear process that includes finding a country to accept him.

Lawyer describes lasting injuries from torture and says Zubaydah could be monitored if released

Conrad said Zubaydah is prepared to accept a range of security measures, including continuous monitoring. Conrad said he has the financial and personal support of his family, has rejected any extremist views “and simply wants to live a life of peace.”

She also argued that a chief military prosecutor for U.S. Military Commissions, which oversees the 15 men still held at Guantanamo Bay, has said that it is unlikely that Zubaydah will be charged. The Office of Military Commissions declined to comment.

Zubaydah's attorney said the most the government can offer is a “probable association” to bin Laden after more than two decades and noted that Zubaydah declined a direct request from bin Laden to work for al-Qaida.

Conrad also cited the torture that Zubaydah experienced, describing him as “a greatly injured man” who lost his left eye and his ability to write in English and “frequently struggles to recall words.”

Zubaydah’s detention is being reviewed by a U.S. government panel of senior defense, intelligence and homeland security officials. The Periodic Review Board was created under the Obama administration to evaluate prisoners and determine if they could be released without posing a threat to national security.

The review panel did not immediately decide on the case

The review panel issued no immediate ruling Thursday. A live video feed of the unclassified portion of his hearing at Guantanamo was made available to reporters at Fort Meade, an Army base in Maryland.

Detainees are not permitted to speak at their review hearings, and Zubaydah sat in silence next to his attorney and the government representative. Dressed in a gray suit jacket and patterned gray tie, he often pressed his left index finger to his left temple or fidgeted with something in his hands. A worn-looking book sat in front of him.

Zubaydah’s lawyers, Conrad and Ahmed Almudallal, said in a statement before the hearing that he may never face charges.

“For the first time in over two decades, the military’s Chief Prosecutor believes it is unlikely our client will ever be charged,” the attorneys said. “This is a major change in circumstances that warrants he be cleared for transfer.”

Almudallal and Conrad said Zubaydah has "no intent to engage in violence against the United States in the future.”

“Now, at 55 years old, he’s eager to re-connect with his family and live out the rest of his days as a free person,” they said. “Twenty-four years in prison plus being ‘patient zero’ in the US government’s torture program has been punishment enough.”

He was first in the CIA's ‘enhanced interrogation’ program after 9/11

Zubaydah was thought to be a high-ranking member of al-Qaida when he was captured in Pakistan in 2002. A Palestinian born in Saudi Arabia, Zubaydah was tortured abroad before being transferred to Guantanamo in 2006.

The U.S. later dropped the claim that Zubaydah was one of the most senior figures in al-Qaida, although it has continued to regard him as a security risk. Zubaydah’s lawyers have repeatedly said over the years that he was not an al-Qaida member and point to waterboarding and other harsh treatment he experienced in the early 2000s.

Zubaydah was the first person in the CIA’s detention and interrogation program following 9/11 and subjected to what is now widely viewed as torture. He was held at CIA black sites in Poland and Lithuania, according to the European Court of Human Rights.

Zubaydah was waterboarded more than 80 times in a month at one point and confined over 11 days in a coffin-size box, among a raft of other mistreatment, a Senate report found.

In 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit by Zubaydah, who was seeking testimony from two former CIA contractors as part of an investigation into his treatment when he was held in Poland. The court rejected his case because the government said it would expose state secrets, despite much of the information having been widely reported.

In January, a lawyer for Zubaydah said the British government had agreed to pay a “substantial sum” to settle a lawsuit that said U.K. intelligence agencies were complicit in his torture. Attorney Helen Duffy said the confidential settlement was symbolically and practically significant for the “intolerable suffering” that Zubaydah endured.

A British parliamentary committee found in 2018 that U.K. security and intelligence services were aware Zubaydah was being tortured but continued to provide questions for the CIA to ask him without seeking assurances of his condition.

Schroyer, who has little experience in immigration, is close to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former U.S. senator from Oklahoma.

The White House offered no comment in a brief statement.

The latest setback comes as the agency remains under withering scrutiny over its handling of enforcement operations. Critics have question how ICE has recruited and trained officers as it raced to hire thousands to carry out Trump’s promise of mass deportations. Officers have shot and killed multiple people, including two American citizens in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Sen. Rand Paul, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had refused to hold a hearing on the nominee until DHS provided him with information he had been seeking about civilian deaths during ICE enforcement operations.

“I don’t have a concern with who the nominee was. I had asked them to give me an update on the internal investigation into civilian deaths,” Paul, R-Ky., told The Associated Press.

“And I’m still waiting.”

When Mullin took over DHS in March, he pledged a lower-profile approach to immigration enforcement, pulling back on the aggressive, tumultuous crackdown on the streets of large cities that sparked widespread public condemnation.

Arrests have continued to accelerate, reaching nearly 51,000 in August, the highest single monthly arrest total during the second Trump administration.

Paul said he intended to hold a hearing on Schroyer’s nomination but it never came to that. He only heard about the nomination being withdrawn when the White House made it public Thursday.

ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed leader since the Obama administration. David Venturella, a former executive at a private prison operator, returned to the agency as acting director earlier this year after Todd Lyons resigned.

When Trump nominated Schroyer in June, Trump said on his Truth Social platform that his pick was “a PATRIOT with real operational experience” and a “proven leader with DECADES of experience locking up the worst of the worst.”

The administration did not indicate when it might announce another pick for the position.

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Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said they took 42-year-old Ketsia Pierre Paul of northwest Miami-Dade into custody on Monday.

According to investigators, officials at the girl’s school contacted the Department of Children and Families after observing “multiple marks on her neck, arms and chest which appeared to be burn marks.”

Authorities had the girl examined by the Child Protection Team, who advised deputies the girl was “covered in scars, scarred abrasions, and a keloid scar, which were consistent with being hit with a telephone charging cord.”

When detectives spoke with the girl, they said she told them she was being abused at home “almost daily” with a phone charging cord, but was afraid to say who her abuser was, only that her abuser’s name started with the letter “K”.

Deputies wrote in Pierre Paul’s arrest report that she was the only person who lived with the girl whose name began with the letter “K”.

When investigators spoke with Pierre Paul, she admitted to seeing the injuries on the child, but said she “never sought out medical attention or to inquire who was harming her child,” according to her arrest report.

Jail records show she is facing felony charges of aggravated child abuse with great bodily harm and child neglect with great bodily harm.

As of Thursday afternoon, Pierre Paul was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $7,500 bond.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer Christian Castro, handcuffed and dressed in an orange jumpsuit, stood quietly in a glass enclosure in a Minneapolis jail courtroom for the hearing. He faces a separate hearing Friday in federal court for charges that he lied to investigators about the January shooting.

Judge Paul Scoggin set bail at $400,000, or $200,000 if Castro agreed to a series of conditions, including that he sign a waiver saying he wouldn’t fight extradition back to Minnesota if he leaves the state while out on bail.

Castro, 52, signed the waiver during the hearing but was still listed as a county jail prisoner late Thursday afternoon.

He was arrested Wednesday in downtown Minneapolis by officers with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension on state charges of assault and false reporting of a crime stemming from the shooting of Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis.

Castro's attorney, Daniel Gerdts, declined to comment after the hearing.

Christian Castro's arrest happened months after Minnesota charged him

In both the federal and state cases against Castro, prosecutors say he shot 24-year-old Sosa-Celis in the leg while firing through the front door of a Minneapolis home. They say Castro later falsely reported that he had been attacked with a broom handle and a snow shovel before firing his gun.

Minnesota prosecutors charged him in May but were thwarted in their efforts to bring him from his home state of Texas, where he had been arrested.

In the end, Castro came to Minnesota on his own to face federal charges in an indictment announced early this month.

“Castro invented a story to justify shooting through a front door into a house with multiple people in it,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, the prosecutor handling the state case, told reporters after Thursday’s hearing. “His appearance in a Hennepin County courtroom today is a critical step in our efforts to hold him accountable for that shooting.”

Friday's hearing, in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, involves the separate federal case in which he is charged with making false statements to investigators regarding the shooting. Castro’s defense attorneys in that case have said he plans to plead not guilty.

It’s the first Justice Department prosecution of a federal officer for actions taken during this year’s massive Operation Metro Surge, which brought thousands of agents to the Twin Cities and led to sweeping protests, arrests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.

The Trump administration says only federal authorities have jurisdiction

Minnesota authorities have battled President Donald Trump's administration over who should handle any charges against Castro. The Department of Homeland Security has called Minnesota’s prosecution of Castro “unlawful and nothing more than a political stunt,” saying only federal authorities have jurisdiction.

Authorities, including Minnesota’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, arrested Castro in Cameron County, Texas, on May 29, after a Minnesota judge issued a nationwide warrant. Under Texas law, Castro could be detained for 90 days, during which Minnesota sought his extradition. But Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott last month refused to sign an extradition warrant.

Castro was then released in Texas and soon after was indicted on the federal charges. He then turned himself in to federal authorities and returned to Minnesota on his own.

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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Sosa-Celis’ middle name and the location of Friday's federal court hearing.

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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

The NBA champions put individual game tickets for the 2026-27 season on sale this week. The get-in price for the Oct. 20 season opener against Philadelphia was more than $1,000.

“We are pausing Knicks individual ticket sales due to a mistake in our pricing. We are rolling back to last year’s prices plus an average increase of 12%. We will restart sales with new prices shortly, and anyone who already purchased individual tickets will be refunded the difference," Madison Square Garden Sports said in a statement.

There is generally a ticket increase after seasons when the Knicks made the playoffs. Owner James Dolan has not raised them when the team does not.

“Our intention was never to overcharge our loyal fans, and we thank everyone for their support of the Knicks and their patience as we get this right,” MSG said.

The process for purchasing season tickets began months ago and was not affected. "Fan first" sales for those who sign up to get priority for single-game tickets at face value was on Monday and Tuesday, and general public sales began Wednesday.

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

Other works cited this week by National Book Foundation judges include a story collection by Louise Erdrich, the latest novel from Norway's Karl Ove Knausgaard and a middle grade novel by Chanel Miller.

The foundation released lists of 10 nominees in five competitive categories: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, books in translation and young people's literature. Judges will pare the finalists to five in each category, to be announced Oct. 6. Winners will be revealed during a Nov. 18 ceremony in Manhattan, when honorary medals will be presented to Salman Rushdie for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and Perri Klass for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community.

James' novel, which also was on the long list for the Booker Prize, is a fiction nominee for the National Book Award, with others including Erdrich's “Python's Kiss,” Edwidge Danticat's “Dèy,” Valeria Luiselli's “Beginning Middle End” and Alexander Maksik's “Passengers.”

Miller, whose other books include her acclaimed memoir about being a victim of sexual assault, “Know My Name," is a young adult nominee for “The Moon Without Stars.”

Knausgaard's “The School of Night,” translated from the Norwegian by Martin Aitken, is on the translation long list, along with Taiwanese author Ping Lu's “To the East of the East” and Indonesian Intan Paramaditha's “Night of a Thousand Hells,” among others.

Nonfiction nominees include Colin Asher's “The Midnight Special: The Secret Prison History of American Music” and Camonghne Felix's “Let the Poets Govern: A Declaration of Freedom.” Layli Long Soldier's “We,” Victoria Chang's “Tree of Knowledge” and Richie Hofmann's “The Bronze Arms” were among the poetry nominees.

The video for the United Russia party came to light this week, days before Ovechkin's Washington Capitals held their annual media day. The NHL's career goal-scoring leader is back with the Capitals for a 22nd season.

Ovechkin is seen in the commercial standing behind Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Longtime Soviet hockey star Viacheslav Fetisov also participated.

“I’m Russian, and I support my country," Ovechkin said Thursday. "I’m for peace and love, and I hope in the world it doesn’t matter who you are, I hope everybody understands everybody wants peace, and everybody hope everything’s going to be OK in the world.”

Ovechkin said he did not hesitate to participate in the ad.

“They asked me to do that. I say yes," he said. "So it’s as simple as that.”

Capitals general manager Chris Patrick addressed the issue, but only briefly.

“I would say it's a difficult situation, and I understand why people are upset,” Patrick said. “That's probably the most I should say about it as a general manager of a hockey team, and not someone well versed in geopolitical issues.”

Ovechkin previously voiced support for the Russian president in 2017 when he started a social movement called the “Putin Team.” At the time, he told reporters from the AP and The Washington Post, “I just support my country."

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ovechkin said, “Please, no more war,” when asked about the situation. Asked then about his relationship with Putin, Ovechkin said: “He’s my president, but I’m not in politics. I’m an athlete.”

That type of response has never satisfied some of Ovechkin's most vocal critics, such as Dominik Hasek, the Hall of Fame Czech goalie who has called for the NHL to suspend the contracts of Russian players. After Ovechkin and Fetisov participated in the commercial, Hasek called it support for the war.

On Thursday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Latvia announced Ovechkin's inclusion on a list of “personae non gratae” and prohibited his entry into that republic, a NATO member bordering Russia.

Russia’s parliamentary election this week features United Russia, plus nine other parties that all support Putin’s policies. The only party that opposed the war in Ukraine has been barred from the ballot.

Ovechkin's defenders have wondered how safe it would be for him to show dissent toward Putin and the Russian government. Both the Capitals and the star forward certainly tried to emphasize the fact that he intends to live in Russia in the future.

“I’m going to stay there. I’m going to live there, my kids are going to live there, family. So I’m for peace and love, and I hope everything’s going to be OK,” said Ovechkin, who turned 41 on Thursday. “My home is Russia. D.C. is my second home. I have lots of friends. I grew up here as a person and I love D.C. This is my second home. So I hope everything’s going to be OK, and how I said — peace and love for everybody.”

There was speculation last season would be Ovechkin's last, but he chose to stay with the Capitals for at least another year — and he remains noncommittal about what the future might hold after 2026-27.

“I'm focusing right now on training camp,” Ovechkin said. “I have to make the team.”

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Esta semana ha llovido en el norte y el centro-norte de Vietnam, y algunas zonas han recibido más de 50 centímetros (19,7 pulgadas), según el departamento de prevención de desastres.

Más de 2.000 viviendas han quedado sumergidas, muchas rutas están bloqueadas y más de 1.000 hogares han quedado aislados. Las provincias de Ninh Binh y Thanh Hoa, que incluyen zonas de llanura y colinas al sur de la capital, Hanói, están entre las más afectadas.

Vietnam figura entre los países del mundo más vulnerables al cambio climático y es propenso a las inundaciones. Una serie de tormentas severas el año pasado impulsó al país a buscar nuevas formas de prepararse para las inundaciones y gestionarlas.

En la provincia de Thanh Hoa, los estudiantes tuvieron que quedarse en casa porque las inundaciones impedían el trayecto a la escuela, informaron los medios estatales.

Las fuertes lluvias e inundaciones han sumergido o dañado unas 10.014 hectáreas (24.745 acres) de arroz y otros cultivos, con las mayores pérdidas reportadas en las provincias de Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa y Nghe An. También han perecido miles de cabezas de ganado y aves de corral.

“El diluvio ocurre todos los años”, declaró el residente de Ninh Binh Tran Ngoc Tai a la cadena nacional VTV, y añadió que la gente estaba preparada con agua potable y alimentos.

Muchas calles de Hanói estaban profundamente inundadas la mañana del jueves, con casi un metro (3,2 pies) de agua en algunos lugares, lo que alteró el tráfico y dificultó a los residentes llegar al trabajo, llevar a los niños a la escuela o salir de sus casas.

Las precipitaciones desde la noche del miércoles hasta la mañana del jueves superaron los 15 centímetros (5,9 pulgadas) en algunas zonas, informaron los medios estatales.

Muchas escuelas secundarias y universidades de Hanói permanecieron cerradas o pasaron a clases en línea la tarde del jueves debido a las inundaciones.

El aumento del caudal del río Bui, en las afueras del suroeste de Hanói, amenazó con inundar viviendas, lo que llevó a las autoridades a desplegar a cientos de soldados para ayudar a los residentes a trasladar sus pertenencias a zonas más elevadas, informaron los medios estatales.

Una masa de aire frío se desplaza hacia el sur y podría traer fuertes lluvias al sur, incluyendo Ciudad Ho Chi Minh, capital financiera del país, según el Centro Hidrometeorológico Regional del Sur.

Los meteorólogos pronostican lluvias generalizadas hasta el 21 de septiembre. Las autoridades han advertido sobre inundaciones en zonas bajas y a lo largo de vías fluviales. Ciudad Ho Chi Minh podría recibir de 10 a 20 centímetros (4 a 8 pulgadas) de lluvia, y otros lugares aún más.

Vietnam sufrió repetidas inundaciones severas en 2025. La tormenta tropical Wipha trajo fuertes lluvias e inundaciones en julio, seguida de más inundaciones y deslizamientos en agosto cuando golpeó la tormenta tropical Kajiki. El tifón Bualoi causó al menos 26 muertos en septiembre. En octubre, las ciudades históricas de Hue y Hoi An, en el centro de Vietnam, se inundaron, junto con gran parte del norte del país.

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

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Umbrellas were a common sight as people waited at bus stops and made their way to work and other morning destinations.

For some Fort Lauderdale residents, however, the heavy rain can mean more than a wet commute. Rising water can quickly lead to flooding around homes and yards.

A resident who lives near Northwest 13th Street and Ninth Avenue said rising water can wash out his entire yard during periods of heavy rainfall.

The downpours also can overwhelm storm drains, causing water to collect on streets and in low-lying areas.

In some neighborhoods, the flooding began to recede once the rain eased, allowing standing water to drain away.

Broward County officials said all available vacuum trucks have been deployed to clear stormwater systems and assist with flooding in high-risk areas.

The county also has pumps ready for use in low-lying areas and said crews will continue flood-control operations throughout the day.

Las propuestas llegan después de que los comisionados de Miami votaran 4-1 la semana pasada para continuar utilizando el histórico edificio frente al mar, ubicado en 3500 Pan American Drive, para las reuniones de la Comisión de la Ciudad, incluso mientras gran parte del gobierno municipal se prepara para trasladarse a un nuevo complejo administrativo cerca de Miami Freedom Park.

El edificio, construido en 1933 como una terminal de hidroaviones de Pan American World Airways, ha servido como Ayuntamiento de Miami desde 1954.

El Museum of Miami y Pan Am habían propuesto anteriormente posibles usos para el lugar.

El Museum of Miami propuso preservar la histórica terminal mientras construye un museo dedicado en las cercanías. El museo dijo que el lugar podría convertirse en un campus cívico que incluya la historia de Miami, programas comunitarios y la continuidad de funciones gubernamentales.

Pan American World Airways, LLC propuso utilizar algunas oficinas del edificio para sus equipos de ventas, mercadeo y comunicaciones corporativas, mientras permite que los comisionados continúen reuniéndose en la planta baja. La compañía también propuso incorporar objetos históricos de Pan Am en el edificio y, eventualmente, operar hidroaviones totalmente eléctricos con capacidad para 12 personas desde el frente marítimo.

Las propuestas y representaciones gráficas ya fueron presentadas a la ciudad como parte de cartas de intención y propuestas formales.

Sin embargo, por ahora, la ciudad dice que no está considerando un uso diferente para las instalaciones de Dinner Key.

El histórico edificio ha estado en el centro de un debate sobre cómo Miami puede preservar su historia arquitectónica y de aviación mientras atiende las futuras necesidades administrativas de la ciudad. Los comisionados que apoyan que continúe utilizándose como Ayuntamiento han enfatizado el papel cívico del edificio y su conexión con la historia de Miami como puerta de entrada internacional.

La resolución del 10 de septiembre del comisionado del Distrito 2, Damian Pardo, pidió que el edificio continúe utilizándose como Ayuntamiento y que las reuniones regulares de la comisión permanezcan allí. El comisionado del Distrito 1, Miguel Gabela, fue el único que votó en contra de la medida, citando preocupaciones sobre una posible duplicación de instalaciones financiadas por los contribuyentes.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the long-running dispute over whether the state should use the new Republican-drawn U.S. House districts, just as the state did in its August primary. But it wasn't immediately clear what the impact would be, even if the panel rules in favor of the new map. That's because the U.S. Supreme Court previously blocked the enforcement of a lower court order favoring the map pending a potential appeal and eventual decision by the high court.

Missouri currently is set to run its November election with the same congressional districts it used in 2024 and 2022, following prior decisions by both the Missouri Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court.

Local elections officials said in a court filing that they already are printing ballots with those districts and face a Friday deadline under federal law to mail absentee ballots to overseas citizens and military voters. State law requires absentee ballots to be available to all other voters by next Tuesday.

To try to change districts at this late date would be “practically impossible” and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the filing by the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities.

Republicans press for a map switch

An attorney representing Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Onder and state Sen. Rick Brattin — the GOP nominee in one of the congressional districts — suggested to appeals court judges that there still is time to revert to the Trump-backed map.

As he had argued in lower courts, Missouri Solicitor General Lou Capozzi urged the appeals panel to rule that the U.S. Constitution forbids a referendum petition from suspending a congressional map passed by lawmakers until a statewide vote can be held on it — though that's exactly what Missouri's top court has ruled is required under the state constitution.

The appeals court judges indicated they would rule quickly, noting any decision they make is likely to be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“We’ve got to decide, and then they’ve got to decide, and then the poor election officials have to deal with where everything is,” said Judge James Loken, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush.

Loken pointedly questioned the attorney for the group People Not Politicians, which gathered petition signatures forcing the new Trump-backed map to a statewide vote. As attorney Chuck Hatfield argued it was too late for the appeals panel to try to make changes to the election, an exasperated Loken eventually cut him off, declaring: “You’re out of time, dang it!”

The two other panelists — judges David Stras and Justin Smith — are both Trump appointees. Prior to his June appointment, Smith was an attorney who represented Trump as he unsuccessfully appealed a $5 million jury verdict in a lawsuit filed by the writer E. Jean Carroll to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Missouri redistricting battle took many twists

Missouri’s redistricting battle has been the longest, most complex and confusing among roughly a dozen states that sought to change their U.S. House districts over the past year. Trump spurred the unusual spate of mid-decade redistricting when he urged Republican-led states to redraw districts to gain an edge in the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress and affect his agenda.

Missouri lawmakers passed a new congressional map last September that significantly reshaped a Kansas City-based district held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver. Brattin won a Republican primary to challenge Cleaver. Republicans hoped the map could help them win seven of the state’s eight House seats — one more than they currently hold.

But opponents submitted thousands of petition signatures in December seeking to force a statewide vote on the new districts. Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins waited until August — on the same day that the primary was held under the new districts — to reject the petition. He asserted that referendum petitions aren’t allowed for congressional redistricting.

The Missouri Supreme Court reversed Hoskins’ finding in September, barring the new map from being used until voters can decide whether to uphold or reject it in a November referendum. The court said the state must instead use the districts approved in 2022.

But that wasn’t the end of the matter. A federal judge in St. Louis later issued a conflicting order barring the use of anything other than the new Trump-backed map. That judge said it could violate federal rights to switch districts between the primary and general elections. The U.S. Supreme Court halted that judge’s order last week, but the 8th Circuit appellate court proceeded to hear arguments on the issue Thursday.

Los paraguas fueron una imagen común mientras las personas esperaban en las paradas de autobús y se dirigían al trabajo y a otros destinos durante la mañana.

Sin embargo, para algunos residentes de Fort Lauderdale, las fuertes lluvias pueden significar más que un trayecto mojado. El aumento del nivel del agua puede provocar rápidamente inundaciones alrededor de viviendas y patios.

Un residente que vive cerca de Northwest 13th Street y Ninth Avenue dijo que el aumento del nivel del agua puede inundar por completo su patio durante períodos de fuertes lluvias.

Los aguaceros también pueden sobrecargar los desagües pluviales, provocando que el agua se acumule en las calles y en áreas bajas.

En algunos vecindarios, las inundaciones comenzaron a disminuir una vez que amainó la lluvia, permitiendo que el agua estancada drenara.

Funcionarios del condado Broward dijeron que todos los camiones de succión disponibles han sido desplegados para despejar los sistemas de drenaje pluvial y ayudar con las inundaciones en áreas de alto riesgo.

El condado también tiene bombas listas para ser utilizadas en áreas bajas y dijo que las cuadrillas continuarán las operaciones de control de inundaciones durante todo el día.

When officers pulled the vehicle over for inspection, in Baerum, west of the capital, in April 2025, they discovered tens of thousands of American Eagle silver coins. A second van that arrived shortly afterward was found to be carrying tens of thousands more.

The total take: Nearly 67,000 coins worth at least 25 million Norwegian krone (about $2.65 million), officials said.

On Thursday, the economic crime unit Okokrim announced that three Norwegians have been sentenced to prison over the illegal possession of the coins.

The convictions on charges of aggravated money laundering followed allegations that proceeds from a “major investment scheme" in the United States had been converted into millions of dollars worth of coins.

The three Norwegians — two men and a woman — were convicted in connection with organizing the scheme and storing the coins, and sentenced up to 2-1/2 years in prison.

Two Britons facing charges were acquitted. Both sides can appeal, and the verdict is not final.

“It is gratifying that the silver has been recovered and that a verdict has now been handed down, enabling the victims of the fraud in the U.S.A to have the misappropriated assets returned to them,” Public Prosecutor Jon André Hvoslef-Eide said in a statement.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Hvoslef-Eide said the victims, who he did not identify, could only have the assets returned once the judicial process had been completed.

An earlier hoard of 79,500 silver coins was found in 2019. Investigators were still searching for more missing U.S. silver coins, at the request of American authorities, when they made their discovery in 2025, Hvoslef-Eide said.

The U.S. Mint produces American Eagle coins for collectors in a variety of metals, including gold, silver and palladium, each with a different value. Because the price of silver has risen significantly in the past year, the Norwegian haul is even more valuable than when it disappeared.

He’s returned three decades later with far more numerous and somewhat smaller instruments at his disposal as music director of the New York Philharmonic.

“It’s a lot about that bubbling energy, this city,” he said this week at his office in David Geffen Hall.

Now 45, Dudamel took over as music and artistic director last week after 17 celebrated seasons leading the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He is the 27th man to head the New York orchestra, following luminaries that included Gustav Mahler, Willem Mengelberg, Bruno Walter, Leonard Bernstein and Pierre Boulez.

A product of Venezuela’s El Sistema music education program, Dudamel was a violinist with the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela when he played at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in October 1995 and traveled with the orchestra by bus for a concert at the United Nations.

“They said we were going to cross a tunnel that is under the river, and we were: `Like, what?’ That was kind of another world,” Dudamel said. “I remember before getting to the river, there were the Twin Towers. Then I saw Statue of Liberty, and then they took us to the U.N. And then they took us to the toy store. We were like in paradise.”

High-profile start mixing genres

Dudamel's early schedule is a whirlwind. An opening concert at Radio City Music Hall on Sept. 10 was hosted by actor Liev Schreiber and featured Lizzo, St. Vincent, Joaquina and Aaron Tveit. The celebration continued with an after-party high atop Manhattan in the Rainbow Room.

“Gustavo Dudamel is not an easy person to describe,” Schreiber told the concert crowd. “Imagine if you added a teaspoon of Billy Joel, an ounce of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a cup of Tito Puente to a dash of Barbra Streisand.”

Dudamel shifted downtown the next day for a Sounds of Remembrance performance at the World Trade Center arts center for the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“Music belongs so profoundly to moments like this,” Dudamel said softly. “Music cannot undo what happened. But when words can no longer reach where we need them to go, sometimes music can. It can give sorrow a voice.”

Subscription concerts started this week with Sergei Prokofiev’s Fifth Symphony, which he conducted for his New York Philharmonic debut on Nov. 29, 2007.

“There are not borders. There are bridges," Dudamel said. “A symphonic orchestra can also be immersed in a pop, folk, musicals. We are all in the same space. I think that is the message.”

Just a month into his tenure, the orchestra embarks Oct. 9 on a two-week, 10-show European tour, then returns in November to Carnegie Hall, its home from 1891 to 1962, for concert performances of Puccini's “Tosca.”

“There’s this chemistry and passion that he brings to the table, which is infectious,” said Sherry Sylar, associate principal oboe since 1984. “When he’s rehearsing, he addresses the orchestra as `My dears.’ He’ll start to give you a constructive criticism, but it’s always with that as the address to the orchestra. Nobody has ever done that before. It just sort of changes the way you accept the criticism or suggestions.”

Celebrity beyond classical music

While he usually has a car with a driver, Dudamel also walks around New York and takes the subway when there is heavy traffic, getting recognized at times.

With his dark mop of black hair and Giorgio Armani conducting suits, Dudamel is so much the image of a 21st century conductor that Gael García Bernal's character for the “Mozart in the Jungle” television series was patterned after him.

Still, he is somewhat traditional: He prefers listening to music on vinyl records and frequented The Record Collector on Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles for additions to his collection. He thinks his first record was of Daniel Barenboim leading the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Tchaikovsky's “1812” overture.

“I love the sound of the LPs,” Dudamel said. “I destroyed some of them because I was stopping, because I was rehearsing conducting. My father was so angry."

Dudamel also maintains a home in Madrid and remains undecided whether to seek an apartment on New York's Upper West Side, near the orchestra's Lincoln Center home, or in the Chelsea neighborhood downtown. He's become a fan of some of the city's top restaurants, mentioning Cosme, Milos, Mercado Little Spain and Casa Ora, renowned for its Venezuelan cuisine.

Repositioning the orchestra, on stage as well as commercially

Ticket revenue for this season has increased by 8% through the same time last year and seats sold in September are up 20% vs. 2025. Subscription package revenue is at $12.4 million, rising from $11.3 million.

One of Dudamel's first changes was to move the second violin section from his left to his right, opposite the first violins, and to switch the double basses from his right to his left — a formation he used in LA. He's shifted the entire orchestra closer to the front of the stage at David Geffen Hall and had their seats bunched closer together.

“It feels like giant chamber music,” violinist Alina Ming Kobialka said. “It’s nice to have the brass and not 500 miles away from us.”

Dudamel has a five-year contract and will spend about 15 weeks with the orchestra each season. He began his first rehearsal on Labor Day, Sept. 7, with a short speech to the musicians, some of whom played in his New York Philharmonic debut.

Dudamel recalled then music director Lorin Maazel took the unusual step to personally introduce him at his first rehearsal in 2007. Dudamel was aware of the orchestra’s reputation then as a difficult ensemble.

“I was very afraid,” he remembered thinking. “I’m going to be shaking for the very first few minutes. But at the end it was such a beautiful and wonderful journey,”

So she expressed her milk sitting at a dining table when none of her colleagues were eating meals there.

One day, the CEO of the private ambulance company she worked for paid a surprise visit to the station and introduced himself to Fernandez while she was pumping.

“This is his first impression of me, and I was in a panic,” Fernandez said, recalling how she told the CEO she could not shake his hand because hers probably had milk on it. She worried the awkward exchange might have career consequences. “Am I going to get fired? Or is this going to impact my future here if I move up within the company?” she thought.

Many women encounter discrimination during pregnancy and after childbirth, despite state and federal laws designed to protect them. As a result, pregnant and postpartum workers often worry about how hiring managers or employers will view them if they disclose a pregnancy or request job modifications as new mothers.

“Their employer is required to provide them accommodations, if those are available, and see if there’s a different job that they can do while they’re pregnant,” said Cortney Shegerian, co-founder of Shegerian Conniff, a Los Angeles law firm that represents workers alleging pregnancy discrimination and breastfeeding rights violations. “That oftentimes is seen by the employer as a big inconvenience, as something that they just don’t want to deal with.”

These are suggestions from legal experts and workers for ensuring pregnancy-related employment needs are respected before and after a baby is born.

Know your rights under the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

Under a U.S. law that took effect in 2023, employers with at least 15 workers are required to make reasonable health and safety accommodations so employees who are pregnant or have recently given birth can remain in their jobs.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act entitles women to seek a wide range of changes at work, including help with physically demanding tasks like lifting heavy objects, flexible scheduling to attend medical appointments and reduced exposure to hazardous chemicals, according to guidance published by A Better Balance, a nonprofit legal advocacy organization that promotes gender and racial equality in workplace policies.

The law also protects those who are trying to get pregnant through in vitro fertilization and pregnant workers with medical conditions such as severe nausea and vomiting, A Better Balance President Inimai Chettiar said. Some religious employers were exempted in federal court from the requirement to accommodate workers’ fertility treatments.

For nursing mothers, the law guarantees breaks and a private space other than a bathroom for lactation needs.

“Your employer cannot force you on leave or retaliate against you for requesting accommodation,” Chettiar said. “And the employer has to prove that it would be an undue hardship for them to deny the accommodation, and that’s a really high legal standard. They have to prove it would cause them significant difficulty or expense.”

Weigh the best time to tell your employer about your pregnancy

Deciding when to tell a manager or a potential employer about a pregnancy is one of the first considerations for most women.

“The sad reality is that pregnant workers still need to tread really carefully, and in our experience pregnancy discrimination is still insidious and rampant,” Chettiar said. “But I want to also emphasize that you do have rights as a pregnant worker.”

To access the protections of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, your employer needs to know you have a need related to pregnancy, childbirth or a related medical condition. But that doesn't mean your supervisor or co-workers do; some companies allow you to discuss requests directly with the human resources department, according to A Better Balance.

“If you do decide to tell your workplace what’s going on, keep track of how it goes, take notes, put things in writing, especially if you’re worried that they could retaliate,” Chettiar added.

Shegerian recommends informing employers about a pregnancy when it's far enough along that you would tell friends. For many people, that's after the first trimester.

“Let them know, ‘Listen, I’m pregnant … and feeling fine so far but I’m due on such-and-such date, and I’m not sure about my leave yet, but I’ll keep you posted,’” Shegerian said.

If a doctor advises modifications to your duties or work environment, get the specific advice in writing, and let your employer know as soon as possible, Shegerian suggested.

Decide how to handle job interviews

Women may be reluctant to mention pregnancies out of fear the information might hurt their chances for promotions or new jobs. A disqualification on that basis counts as discrimination under the law, Shegerian said.

“I would hate for the illegal thing to happen, which is that an employer automatically says, ‘This person is going to be out in nine months … and we just don’t want to deal with that, so let’s take her out of the pile,'” she said.

Amy Green had three miscarriages before she started receiving daily hormone injections to help maintain another pregnancy. The shots made her feel ill, but she was well enough by the end of the first trimester to look for work as a school counselor.

A 1978 amendment to the groundbreaking Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited workplace discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions. Green still worried she wouldn't be considered for jobs and wore a loose tank top and a cardigan to conceal her condition. She needed work, especially the health insurance.

“There's no right answer,” Green said, adding that disclosing might increase the risk of not getting hired but withholding could create the impression of intentional deception. “We’ve built this process for women where there’s no good choice.”

After your child's birth or miscarriage, you still have rights

Protections don't end with a pregnancy. Women can request paid or unpaid time off to recover from miscarriages or for medical conditions such as postpartum depression.

They are also entitled to breaks and private spaces for expressing breast milk. With no space available at her dispatch station, Fernandez, the EMT, used rooms in hospitals to pump when she was out delivering patients.

Then a manager told Fernandez her pumping breaks interfered with the needs of hospital and patient customers. If a transport call came in while she was pumping and she couldn't respond immediately, it would be passed to another medical service; the manager gave Fernandez two weeks to pick a new shift to work.

She panicked, not knowing how she would manage childcare if her hours changed. She called a help line at A Better Balance and learned that imposing schedule changes because of lactation was considered retaliation, which both the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and a law that took force in 2022, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act, prohibit.

In the end, Fernandez got to stick with her original schedule.

“If my ambulance service … is willing to accommodate my breastfeeding needs, there’s no reason why any other job should not be willing to,” Fernandez said.

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Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

El hallazgo de Timothy Allen Smith elevó a tres el número de muertos por las inundaciones que devastaron la zona de Phantom Ranch, en el fondo del cañón, y dañaron la tubería de agua que abastece al Borde Sur.

Smith, de 53 años, era piloto y vivía en Star Valley, en el oeste de Wyoming. Sus restos fueron encontrados el lunes cerca de Crystal Rapids, en el río Colorado, que atraviesa el cañón.

Los restos de los dos compañeros de Smith -- Brent Rosenkranz, de 42 años, y John Giusti, de 46, ambos de Granbury, Texas -- fueron hallados anteriormente.

Smith creció en Granbury y vivía con su esposa en Star Valley Ranch, a unos 64 kilómetros (40 millas) al suroeste de Jackson.

Él, Rosenkranz y Giusti estaban en un viaje de senderismo, pesca y campamento cuando las inundaciones arrasaron el Gran Cañón.

Durante el diluvio, los equipos de búsqueda utilizaron visión nocturna y otros equipos para encontrar a personas varadas. Usaron el sistema de permisos del Parque Nacional del Gran Cañón y revisaron matrículas de vehículos para rastrear a quienes seguían desaparecidos. Más de 80 personas fueron rescatadas.

Pronto, Smith fue el único que permanecía desaparecido. En un video de Facebook de ese momento, su esposa, Carrie, y sus hijos agradecieron a la gente por el apoyo y las oraciones.

Carrie Smith publicó en Facebook el martes por la mañana que la familia sabía que se había encontrado un cuerpo un día antes y pidió que oraran con ellos.

Smith confirmó en una publicación de Facebook el jueves que los restos habían sido identificados como los de su esposo.

“Mi familia ha esperado mucho durante las últimas tres semanas… esperando y con la esperanza de que Tim (papá) volviera a casa, esperando y preguntándonos si los restos encontrados eran Tim (papá)”, escribió. “Ya no tenemos que esperar; Tim fue encontrado hace dos días por los guardabosques del Parque Nacional del Gran Cañón. No de la manera que esperábamos, pero sabemos que estaba haciendo algo que amaba con John y Brent”.

Añadió: “Sabemos que estos tres hombres amaban al Señor y eran una luz brillante para Él. El impacto que sus vidas tuvieron en los demás todavía se refleja a diario en nuestras familias”.

El Servicio de Parques Nacionales y el Departamento del Interior no respondieron el jueves a correos electrónicos en que se solicitaban comentarios. Las agencias no han identificado públicamente los restos hallados esta semana.

Las inundaciones comenzaron el 29 de agosto durante la temporada de monzones cuando los cielos despejados pueden dar paso rápidamente a tormentas eléctricas y lluvias intensas. Un paisaje desértico puede canalizar el agua hacia torrentes repentinos por barrancos y cañones que antes estaban secos.

La lluvia cayó sobre parte de una zona quemada del Borde Norte que quedó tras un incendio forestal provocado por un rayo en julio de 2025. El fuego destruyó el histórico Grand Canyon Lodge, cabañas y otras estructuras.

Los parajes chamuscados pueden agravar inundaciones repentinas porque tienen menos vegetación para absorber la escorrentía.

Las inundaciones dañaron una tubería que atraviesa el cañón y suministra agua a millones de turistas y residentes. La falta de agua obligó a suspender todos los alojamientos nocturnos hasta que pudiera restablecerse la tubería. El Servicio de Parques Nacionales declaró recientemente que esperaba restablecer el suministro de agua en el cañón en cuestión de semanas después de determinar que la mayor parte de un proyecto de tubería casi terminado no resultó dañada durante el suceso.

Muchos senderos y zonas de alojamiento siguen cerrados, y se ha cortado el agua en el interior del cañón, lo que ha motivado avisos para que los excursionistas lleven su propia agua o dispositivos de filtración.

Otra inundación repentina golpeó el cañón a lo largo de Bright Angel Creek y el río Colorado durante una tormenta el miércoles, informaron funcionarios del parque. No se reportaron heridos. Las autoridades indicaron que los esfuerzos por reducir al mínimo el personal en el cañón antes de la tormenta, así como las alertas por inundaciones repentinas, permitieron que los equipos se pusieran a salvo. Se estaban realizando evaluaciones de daños.

_________________________________

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

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said his ruling would “avoid any confusion on that score given more recent events,” including the building’s sudden closure to the public on Wednesday.

Matt Floca, the Kennedy Center’s executive director and chief operating officer, said he closed the iconic performing arts center temporarily due to “acute risks to public safety resulting from continued structural deterioration” of the aging building. The building will be closed for at least seven days to “assess existing safety risks in those portions of the main building exhibiting severe structural deterioration,” Floca said.

The temporary closure, which occurred without notice, is separate from a vote Tuesday by the Kennedy Center’s board to close the center indefinitely for repairs, Floca and other officials said. The closure was based on an inspection of the roof terrace canopy and a partial ceiling collapse earlier this month, Floca said. The closure may be extended after evaluation next week, he added.

Trump said the Kennedy Center could be ‘ripped down’

Trump, who was named the Kennedy Center’s chairman last year by loyalists on the board, said Wednesday that his efforts to restore the aging building deserve recognition, “because frankly, if we don’t do that, it’s going to close. It’ll end up being ripped down. It’s in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape.”

The announcement of the closure came in response to a court case filed by a Democratic congresswoman who is a trustee and sought an emergency court hearing to prevent what she called the building’s “unlawful closing.”

Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat and an ex officio member of the Kennedy Center board, has led efforts to block Trump’s name from being added to the building. Beatty had a verbal confrontation with the Republican president Tuesday during a virtual board meeting.

Beatty's lawyers said in a court filing Thursday that the board members' “rationale that they are only temporarily closing the Kennedy Center is a plain pretext to justify shutting down the Center permanently. The facts before the Court are deeply concerning.”

Cooper denied a request by Beatty's legal team to hold a hearing to clarify the board's actions and intent. But he agreed to their request “to make crystal clear” that his order prohibits demolition of the building without 30 days’ notice.

The Trump-aligned board, chaired by the president, voted to close the center after Cooper blocked the institution from returning Trump’s name to the building.

Congress has allocated $257 million to cover the repairs, but Trump said they only would happen if the board was permitted to move forward with plans to add his name to the building.

Barbra Streisand calls the dispute ‘painful to witness’

On Thursday, Barbra Streisand, a Kennedy Center honoree in 2008, questioned the closing of the center for repairs and called the controversy surrounding its operation “galling and painful to witness.”

Of Trump’s attempts to add his name to the center, she said in a statement to The Associated Press: “You can easily imagine my indignation at seeing this revered institution become the subject of such a bitter struggle over one man’s name and unchecked ego.”

The Kennedy Center board voted in August to inscribe Trump's name on the Kennedy Center’s facade so it would read “The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.” If the Trump Kennedy Center Fund reached $100 million, another inscription would be added reading “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.”

The plaza in front of the Kennedy Center would also have been renamed in Trump’s honor.

All of those proposals were shot down Tuesday by Cooper, who ruled that nothing could happen “without Congress’s blessing.”

Cooper ruled in May that the Kennedy Center illegally added Trump’s name to the building, ordering it removed. The institution’s leaders complied in June but left a tarp and scaffolding in place where Trump’s name was once displayed.

Streisand told AP she was deeply honored to be included in the 31st annual class of Kennedy Center Honorees, adding, “for me, and for so many artists, that honor represented something larger than a career recognition. It represented a belief in the importance of art to the life of a democracy.”

Lawmaker warns of ‘massive backlash’ if Trump moves to demolish building

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers from both parties called the dispute an unnecessary distraction and said they hope the building will not be torn down.

“I’d be very, very surprised if that actually happened,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S. D.

Asked if Congress would try to stop it, Thune said, “I hope we won’t get to that point.”

Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona said Trump was “being selfish and is mad that they’re not putting his name on it.”

Trump does not seem to realize “how many people love and value both the memories of the Kennedy family as well as obviously of what the Kennedy Center means to this country,'' Gallego said. He predicted a “massive backlash” if Trump tries to demolish the building, as he did with the White House East Wing.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, called the dispute a “false crisis” and said, “worrying about what (the building) is named is kind of silly.”

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Associated Press writers Glenn Gamboa in Cleveland and Mary Clare Jalonick and Nathan Ellgren in Washington contributed to this report.

“Los deberes los tenemos que hacer nosotros, nuestras Fuerzas Armadas y nuestra policía”, dijo el mandatario en declaraciones a radio Élite al explicar que el gobierno enfrenta a unos 80.000 integrantes de bandas criminales.

Noboa afirmó que para la lucha contra estas redes delictivas Ecuador ha recibido la cooperación de Estados Unidos, que entregó equipos, asistencia económica, información e inteligencia; de Italia y de otros países europeos, así como de Argentina, Brasil, Israel, Corea del Sur y Japón.

A su vez destacó la iniciativa Escudo de las Américas, una coalición de países afines en la región para ejecutar acciones conjuntas contra los cárteles impulsada por el mandatario estadounidense Donald Trump. "Por fin hay un acuerdo continental sobre la lucha contra el narcotráfico”, expresó Noboa.

Pero la alianza con Estados Unidos ha sido cuestionada por su falta de efectividad para disminuir el delito.

“Hay que revisar indicadores de inversión social, qué tipo de oportunidades laborales se están generando” para neutralizar la influencia delictiva, destacó Diego Pérez, catedrático de la Escuela de Seguridad y Defensa del Instituto de Altos Estudios Nacionales. En diálogo con The Associated Press añadió que “las dinámicas de criminalidad en ningún país se revierten con mano dura”.

Desde 2021 las disputas entre bandas locales asociadas con cárteles de Colombia y México por rutas de distribución de drogas han desencadenado una escalada criminal en Ecuador y el aumento de delitos como el sicariato, el secuestro y la extorsión.

Noboa atribuyó el crecimiento del narcotráfico en Ecuador a que “no había control en la frontera con Colombia y no había tampoco control al ingreso de armas en la frontera sur” con Perú. De acuerdo con organismos internacionales, la mayor parte de la droga que llega a Ecuador procede de esos países.

El presidente señaló que en el sur colombiano, fronterizo con Ecuador, hay “un récord de siembra de coca", especialmente en la zona de Nariño y Putumayo, por lo que "nosotros terminamos afectados directamente, debido a lo permisivos que fueron gobiernos anteriores en Colombia".

El área sembrada con coca en Colombia en 2024 alcanzó las 261.000 hectáreas, de acuerdo con el último informe disponible de la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito.

Desde inicios de año, alrededor de una docena de barcos pesqueros ecuatorianos han sido hundidos por Estados Unidos en el océano Pacífico acusados de ser estaciones de combustible flotantes al servicio del narcotráfico. Organismos internacionales señalan que un 70% de la cocaína mundial es exportada desde Ecuador.

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The girl told her parents a man had molested her on Sept. 12 at at the Lowe’s at 1650 West 37th St., records show.

Hialeah police officers arrested Jose Cremades on Tuesday after surveillance video showed him crouching down near the girl, according to police.

Cremades faced a charge of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy S. Glazer denied him bond. Cremades also had an immigration hold.

Local 10 News reached out to Lowe’s for comment, and they responded with the following statement:

“Safety is our top priority and we are doing everything we can to assist local law enforcement. Because this is an active investigation, we ask that you reach out to the Hialeah Police Department.”

Lowe's

Kyl died Wednesday night from a neurological disorder, said Gordon James, a communications professional who is a longtime friend of the Kyl family. Kyl had withdrawn from public life in December 2025 after announcing he had been diagnosed with dementia.

Kyl spent almost three decades in Congress, serving in both chambers, and watched his party undergo a drastic transformation, with his career spanning Ronald Reagan’s presidency to President Donald Trump’s first term.

“Arizonans are mourning the loss of former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl,” Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a post. “Throughout his decades of public service in the House and Senate, he was a dedicated statesman who always cared deeply for our state.”

Former Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, who considered Kyl a mentor, described the former senator in a February 2025 interview with The Associated Press as a true statesman and a “workhorse” among Washington, D.C.’s “showhorses.”

“If you saw him on the plane, he was sitting in the aisle, in coach, and he was reading,” Ducey said. “And he was reading potential bills or Senate business.”

Kyl returns briefly to Senate to fill McCain seat

Kyl rose to a leadership position during his last full term in the Senate, when his Republican colleagues selected him as minority whip. After retiring from politics in 2013 and becoming a lobbyist, Kyl returned to Congress briefly in 2018, when Ducey appointed him to fill the vacancy left by the late U.S. Sen. John McCain.

His appointment drew high praise from Trump, who said he was looking forward to working with “the extraordinary senator.” Kyl stayed for less than four months before rejoining lobbying firm Covington and Burling.

“At the federal level, and I regret to say that this is the case, but probably a lot of my better achievements were in preventing bad things from happening (rather) than forcing good things to happen,” Kyl said in a 2012 conversation with former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

Lawyer with expertise in water gets elected

Kyl was born in Oakland, Nebraska, on April 25, 1942, and grew up in a rural farming district in Iowa that his father represented in the U.S. House. At 18, he headed southwest to attend the University of Arizona, where he met his wife, Caryll, and earned a law degree.

Before being elected for the first of his four terms in the House in 1987, Kyl was a key participant in shaping Arizona’s 1980 groundwater code as a lawyer representing a large water utility. The first-of-its-kind code created a regulatory framework for managing groundwater in the drought-stricken state, largely centering on the state’s population centers, including Phoenix and Tucson.

In 2004, Kyl authored legislation that provided one of the largest tribal water rights settlements, which, after a decades-long battle, gave the Gila River Indian Community enough water to fill nearly 313,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools annually. Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who later served as majority leader, called Kyl's work ethic “legendary” in a 2012 floor speech and said Kyl had labored mostly behind the scenes for 15 years to advance the settlement.

Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said he had long admired Kyl and appreciated the advice he offered when Flake started his political career. “The government needs people who are willing to serve a cause greater than their own self-interest, and that personified Jon,” Flake said. “He was a true public servant.”

Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy takes its name from him. Its director, Sarah Porter, said Kyl was generous with his time and an effective member of the state’s congressional delegation who took a practical approach to water policy. “He’s always sort of cared about the public good and been able to think about, ‘What will this mean for the generations to come?’” Porter said, adding that Kyl remained “quite a dynamo” until recent years, as his wife battled health problems.

‘Giant’ in the Senate kept Republican caucus together

Ducey said Kyl was a “giant” in the Senate, further describing him as serious, engaging, forthright and thoughtful. His biggest impacts, Ducey said, came from the way he kept the Republican caucus together in opposition to Obamacare and his staunch support of Israel.

Kyl also backed legislation to authorize construction of a fence stretching hundreds of miles along the U.S.-Mexico border. He later joined with Democrats to support a bill that would provide a path to citizenship and temporary guest-worker status for those in the U.S. without authorization. The proposal ultimately failed.

As a lobbyist, Kyl helped guide the confirmation of Trump-picked U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. When Kyl returned to the halls of Congress in 2018, he was known as Kavanaugh’s chief Sherpa — an informal but widely known term for a nominee’s guide to the political tundra in the Senate.

In a statement disclosing his dementia diagnosis, Kyl harkened back to the words of Reagan, when the former president revealed his own Alzheimer’s diagnosis and said he was starting a journey that would lead him to the end of his life.

Kyl said he shared Reagan’s confidence for Arizona and the nation’s future, and that despite his diagnosis, he was a “very fortunate man.”

____ Video journalist Nathan Ellgren in Washington and former Associated Press writer Sejal Govindarao contributed to this report.

They will be available starting Oct. 1 in the U.S. and a week earlier in China.

“I’m just super excited,” she told The Associated Press in Germany last week. “I look down at my feet and I’m, man, I’m wearing my shoes. There’s not many people that get a Nike signature shoe.”

Clark will be the fifth active player to have a signature shoe, joining fellow Nike athletes Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson. Angel Reese has one with Reebok and Breanna Stewart with Puma. Sheryl Swoopes was the first women’s basketball player to have her own one in 1995. Elena Delle Donne’s signature shoe debuted at the same time as Stewart in 2022. They were the first players with signature shoes since Candace Parker in 2011.

“I don’t even think that’s something I dreamed about as a kid, because it felt so far away from something that I could ever achieve," Clark said of having her own shoe. "I was always a kid that wanted the coolest shoes and I’m so excited.”

The shoe will sell for $140, putting it around the same as Wilson and Ionescu's shoes. It will be available in "Caitlin Blue" and "Warning Code Yellow" when it first comes out.

“I hope when people put the shoe on, they can feel a part of me,” Clark said. “I hope more than anything, it gives people confidence that they can dream to achieve whatever they want and they feel like they can be me in the shoe.”

Clark, who gifted the shoes to her Indiana Fever teammates when she returned from helping the U.S. win a gold medal at the women's FIBA World Cup, said a lot of her personality has come through in the shoe with the colors that she wears.

“It’s just been really cool and a fun process. I hope everybody knows that I put a lot of time and effort into it. It’s not just like Nike mocked this up and I check the box,” she said. “This was something that was super important for me because I really want my fans to feel connected and to feel like they can play just like how I play.”

Clark said there are many more colors coming down the road. They'll also be a signature line of apparel coming out as well with T-shirts, jackets and sweatshirts.

“It’s been a really fun process and it never gets old," Clark said. "Lacing up your shoes that have your logo on it and that you designed and have a Nike swoosh — I don’t think it gets much better than that, to be honest."

___

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

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Officers with the Homestead Police Department said they took Rebecca Bouie, 37, and Jamaury Elijah Benoit, 19, into custody on Monday after they said the 8-year-old victim reported the abuse while she was at school.

According to police, the child said her mother, Bouie, and brother, Benoit, “hit her with a belt on her arms, legs and abdomen,” according to an arrest report, which also stated, “The victim has multiple healed patterned markings on her arms, legs, and abdomen consistent with having been struck with a belt.”

The victim also told police that Benoit would “bound her wrists and ankles together with shoelaces” and left her like that for at least an hour, the arrest report states.

Additionally, records revealed that in January, Benoit was arrested for child abuse on the same victim and was issued a non-expiring stay away order, which said he could not have any contact with the victim.

Investigators then discovered that at some point after the order was issued, Bouie allowed Benoit back into the home where the victim also lived.

Jail records show Bouie is facing felony charges of child abuse with no great bodily harm and child neglect with no great bodily harm, while Benoit was charged with a felony count of aggravated child abuse or torture with great bodily harm and a misdemeanor charge of violation of a domestic violence injunction.

As of Thursday morning, both were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, with Bouie on a $5,000 bond and Benoit’s bond listed as “to be set.”

Agentes del Departamento de Policía de Homestead dijeron que detuvieron el lunes a Rebecca Bouie, de 37 años, y a Jamaury Elijah Benoit, de 19, después de que la víctima de 8 años reportara el abuso mientras estaba en la escuela.

Según la policía, la menor dijo que su madre, Bouie, y su hermano, Benoit, “la golpearon con un cinturón en los brazos, piernas y abdomen”, según un reporte de arresto, que también señaló: “La víctima tiene múltiples marcas con patrones ya cicatrizadas en los brazos, piernas y abdomen, compatibles con haber sido golpeada con un cinturón”.

La víctima también dijo a la policía que Benoit le “ataba las muñecas y los tobillos con cordones de zapatos” y la dejaba así durante al menos una hora, señala el reporte de arresto.

Además, los registros revelaron que en enero Benoit fue arrestado por abuso infantil contra la misma víctima y recibió una orden de alejamiento sin fecha de vencimiento, que establecía que no podía tener ningún contacto con la víctima.

Los investigadores descubrieron entonces que, en algún momento después de que se emitiera la orden, Bouie permitió que Benoit regresara a la vivienda donde también vivía la víctima.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Bouie enfrenta cargos graves de abuso infantil sin lesiones corporales graves y negligencia infantil sin lesiones corporales graves, mientras que Benoit fue acusado de un cargo grave de abuso infantil agravado o tortura con lesiones corporales graves y un cargo menor por violación de una orden judicial por violencia doméstica.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, ambos permanecían detenidos en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, con una fianza de $5,000 USD para Bouie, mientras que la fianza de Benoit figuraba como “por determinar”.

The town is Hesperia, California, and the producers wanted Chang to try an Indian restaurant near a windshield repair store. But Chang spots a Mexican cantina that looks promising.

He naturally chooses to eat at both, freaking out his camera crew.

“I just wanted to taste things. When I see something, I’m like, ‘Oh, that looks interesting. I would like to taste that,’” he says in an interview. “To the dismay of the producers and the team, they’re like, ‘No, no. We got to go here.’ I was like, ‘You don’t understand. I told you guys that if we’re going to do the show, everything’s on the table.'”

“Everything's On the Table” might be a good alternative title for the six-part “The Detour with David Chang,” where the famed founder of the Momofuku global restaurant chain pairs with a companion and hits the open road, eating his way through America. It begins airing Sunday.

What's the show about?

Chang chows down on Filipino food in South Las Vegas, bites into a traditional Czech puff pastry in Texas and tries Haitian food for the first time in Miami. The show's motto is: “All we’ve got is a destination. Everything else is a detour.”

He's paired by friends and strangers alike, from “American Fiction” director and writer Cord Jefferson to comedian, actor and writer Cristela Alonzo, who shows him her Texas. In Tennessee, he rides with Christina Tosi, the Milk Bar creator, who is almost a surrogate sister.

The show is about exploring and connecting with locals to find hidden gems, like the spot that serves killer Cuban fritas at a laundromat. Or the chefs who take barbecue and combine Asian flavors, creating oak-smoked pulled pork with Penang curry. Or the family serving Honduran food truck breakfast that helps heal Chang's terrible rum hangover.

“I love going out to eat, but as I get older, staying inside, not doing as much, is also nice. And I think that over the past few years, I’ve certainly been calcified,” says Chang. “Anytime you get out of your comfort zone or your little bubble, I think it’s a good reminder that there’s so much other stuff out there.”

Eating choices don't follow the algorithm

Chang joins a crowded field of celebrity travel hosts, which includes Daniel Dae Kim, Tony Shalhoub, Rainn Wilson, Eugene Levy, Stanley Tucci,Orlando Bloom, Zac Efron, José Andrés, Chris Hemsworth, Will Smith, Eva Longoria and Ewan McGregor. Awkwafina is on deck.

All owe a debt to Anthony Bourdain, who inspired millions to share his delight in food and the bonds it created. Bourdain died in 2018. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development, notes that Chang is the first chef to host a CNN original series since Bourdain.

“Dave isn’t setting out to define American food or find the ‘best’ restaurant in every city. It’s almost the opposite,” she says. “He gets in the car, talks to people and follows recommendations that take him somewhere he didn’t expect to go. At a time when an algorithm can tell you where to eat, where to stay and what to see, there’s something really appealing about just getting a little lost and seeing what you find.”

The seed of the series was planted when Chang and executive producer Morgan Neville were chatting one day about what it was like to discover new indie rock bands back in the old days before the internet and influencers, and the joy when you found one.

“I felt like that was sort of how I felt about food as well,” says Chang. “Listen, it’s easier to eat than ever before. But, in some ways, it is harder to find something that is meaningful to you.”

He finds twists on brisket and Ethiopian food

One show highlight is the delightful way he ends up at an Ethiopian restaurant in Las Vegas after listening to the recommendation of a taxi driver. Eating slow-cooked chicken and injera — the sour, spongy flatbread — reminded Chang of how good that cuisine is.

“I will die on the hill that Ethiopian food is one of the world’s greatest cuisines. There’s nothing like it, and it’s a singular approach to texture, flavor, and the kind of food that everyone loves these days — communal dining, where everyone can eat the same thing but customize it themselves.”

He learns that in Texas the Holy Trinity is brisket, ribs and sausage, but some local chefs are also putting their own spins on classic dishes. Like pitmaster Chuck Charnichart at the eatery Barbs in Lockhart, who adds serrano glaze on her ribs and zests fresh limes over them. “It feels like I have a front-row seat to Dylan going electric,” Chang says in admiration.

Throughout the series is Chang's gentle humor and willingness to try and do anything, dropping references to the painter Rothko, musician John Coltrane and director Terrence Malick along the way. And, of course, always popping corn nuts.

“When you think about it, I’m getting paid to go eat and hang out with friends,” he says, laughing. “I have nothing to complain about. And it’s a nice reminder that this is literally a dream job.”

Un hombre de 28 años fue arrestado el miércoles luego de que, según agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward (BSO), presuntamente hiciera amenazas de bomba contra dos escuelas del condado Broward antes del inicio de la jornada escolar.

Las autoridades policiales notificaron a Pioneer Middle School, ubicada en el 5350 SW 90th Ave. en Cooper City, y a Larkdale Elementary School, en el 3250 NW 12th Place en Lauderhill, sobre las amenazas contra sus planteles, confirmaron funcionarios de la Junta Escolar del Condado Broward.

Según la policía de Lauderhill, el sospechoso, identificado como Christopher Matthew Wilkens, dijo a los investigadores que llamó al 911 para hacer una falsa amenaza de bomba contra ambas escuelas.

La Junta Escolar aseguró que todos los estudiantes y el personal están a salvo, y que las dos escuelas mantuvieron su horario habitual.

De acuerdo con la Junta, agentes de BSO y el Departamento de Policía de Lauderhill investigaron las amenazas de inmediato.

Los investigadores indicaron que Wilkens no tiene ninguna relación con Larkdale, pero no confirmaron si tiene algún vínculo con Pioneer Middle School.

La policía informó que Wilkens enfrenta un cargo de amenazar con lanzar, proyectar, colocar o detonar un artefacto destructivo.

Aún no se ha dado a conocer información sobre su fianza.

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Pioneer Middle School, located at 5350 SW 90th Ave. in Cooper City, and Larkdale Elementary School, located at 3250 NW 12th Place in Lauderhill, were notified by law enforcement about threats toward their schools, Broward County School Board officials confirmed.

According to Lauderhill police, the suspect, who they identified as Christopher Matthew Wilkens, told investigators that he called 911 to make a fake bomb threat to both schools.

School board officials said all students and staff are safe, and both schools followed their normal schedules.

They said the threats were immediately investigated by BSO deputies and the Lauderhill Police Department.

Investigators said Wilkens has no connection to Larkdale Middle School but did not confirm whether he has a connection to Pioneer Middle School.

Wilkens is facing two charges of threatening to throw, project, place or discharge a destructive device and one charge of false report of a bomb.

Wilkens appeared in bond court Thursday, where a judge set his bond at $45,000. He was also ordered to wear a GPS monitor, prohibited from possessing firearms, weapons or ammunition, and barred from returning to any school in Broward County.

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Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as 44-year-old Yoanny Herrera Nieblas.

Deputies said the incident happened Sept. 8 at his home in the 14900 block of Southwest 53rd Lane in the county’s Kendall West neighborhood.

While conducting a child abuse investigation, deputies determined that the girl was at home taking a shower when Herrera Nieblas entered the bathroom and confronted her about her “poor behavior in school,” according to an arrest report obtained by Local 10 News on Thursday.

Herrera Nieblas then “proceeded to utilize the plastic bathroom squeegee to strike the victim multiple times on the buttocks,” the report states.

As a result, the girl sustained visible bruising to her buttocks that was present for more than three days, according to the report.

After being advised of his Miranda rights, Herrera Nieblas told investigators that his daughter had “ongoing behavioral issues in school,” according to the report.

He told investigators that the school had recently notified him that his daughter “stuck her middle finger up to the teacher.” During bath time, he also asked her about the incident, and she admitted what she had done, according to the report.

The report states Herrera Nieblas told investigators he had tried “verbally discipling” the girl multiple times but had not observed a change in her behavior. That was when he “escalated the discipline to spanking her with the plastic bathroom squeegee,” according to deputies.

Jail records show he is facing one count of child abuse with no great bodily harm.

As of Thursday morning, Herrera Nieblas was no longer listed as an inmate on the Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation website. His bond information wasn’t immediately available.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade identificaron al sospechoso como Yoanny Herrera Nieblas, de 44 años.

Los agentes dijeron que el incidente ocurrió el 8 de septiembre en su vivienda, ubicada en la cuadra 14900 de Southwest 53rd Lane, en el vecindario Kendall West del condado.

Mientras realizaban una investigación por abuso infantil, los agentes determinaron que la niña estaba en su casa bañándose cuando Herrera Nieblas entró al baño y la confrontó por su “mal comportamiento en la escuela”, según un reporte de arresto obtenido por Local 10 News el jueves.

Herrera Nieblas entonces “procedió a utilizar el limpiavidrios de plástico para baño para golpear a la víctima varias veces en los glúteos”, señala el reporte.

Como resultado, la niña sufrió moretones visibles en los glúteos que permanecieron durante más de tres días, según el reporte.

Después de ser informado de sus derechos Miranda, Herrera Nieblas dijo a los investigadores que su hija tenía “problemas continuos de comportamiento en la escuela”, según el reporte.

Dijo a los investigadores que la escuela le había notificado recientemente que su hija “le mostró el dedo medio a la maestra”. Durante la hora del baño, también le preguntó sobre el incidente y ella admitió lo que había hecho, según el reporte.

El reporte señala que Herrera Nieblas dijo a los investigadores que había intentado “disciplinar verbalmente” a la niña varias veces, pero no había observado un cambio en su comportamiento. Fue entonces cuando “intensificó la disciplina y le dio nalgadas con el limpiavidrios de plástico para baño”, según los agentes.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrenta un cargo de abuso infantil sin lesiones corporales graves.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, Herrera Nieblas ya no figuraba como recluso en el sitio web del Departamento de Correcciones y Rehabilitación de Miami-Dade. La información sobre su fianza no estaba disponible de inmediato.

Yes, the British-Irish writer-director of “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “In Bruges” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” has been here before. But McDonagh's latest, “Wild Horse Nine,” is also something different and more provocative.

The film, which has played to standing ovations across the Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festivals, stars John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell as CIA officers who have recently laid the groundwork for the 1973 coup in Chile. But they're now taking a trip to Easter Island, as one says, “to see the heads” — the Moai stone sculptures. Chris (Malkovich) is dying of cancer and increasingly loose-lipped about his colorful CIA past, including a presidential assassination.

Their conversation, as is typical in McDonagh's brilliant, barbed dialogue, is laced with deeper ruminations on regret and death, with more absurd digressions mixed in. In one memorable scene, Chris traces a connection between democracy, homosexuality and good cheese.

“I wanted those guys to feel like an old married couple in a way,” McDonagh says.

He recently met a reporter for coffee in Toronto to talk about “Wild Horse Nine” and why he's so eager for the conversation it might generate. Searchlight Pictures releases the film Nov. 6.

AP: You wrote “In Bruges” after a trip to the Belgian city. This came out of a trip to Easter Island. How important is travel to your writing?

McDonagh: Very much. I love to travel. I like traveling alone. It always prompts some kind of thinking. Bruges was just a weekend trip for fun and the town became a character literally while I was there. Fifteen years ago I went to Easter Island with the hope that something similar would happen to the Bruges scenario. It looked like a beautiful backdrop to some kind of story to tell but it took a bunch of iterations of it before it became what you saw.

AP: Do you feel like being removed from regular life frees you?

McDonagh: Maybe things seem much more cinematic. I never had any desire to write something set in London, for instance, and I never have. I don’t see it with fresh eyes. I do like traveling around America. I used to get trains around America a lot. It feels like a CinemaScope window across the West. I feel like finding the place is going to be key to my next project, which I don’t have right now. Part of that is: Where do you want to spend six months of your life? South of France sounds good! And where is cinematic that hasn’t been captured before?

AP: Do you tend to start with two characters talking? Some of your films are centered on odd couples.

McDonagh: The odd couple talking thing, I did three or four versions of that. They were talking fine but there was no purpose or reason for them to be there. But I had always been fascinated with what the CIA did in Chile in the 1970s. When I thought about that, everything fell into place. It wasn’t just two cranky old guys talking.

AP: I've never seen a CIA agent character like Malkovich's character — a guy who just wants to spill all the beans.

McDonagh: I don’t think they’re as classy as John. I think we’re painting way too good a picture of the CIA. He’s erudite. He’s got a sense of humor. He regrets stuff. And I don’t think they do.

AP: He's ready to be up front about some of the U.S.'s underhanded dealings. Do you feel like it's a time for frankness about America's darker side?

McDonagh: Even while we were still editing it, it felt more and more like it was a commentary on the modern day, especially with a lot of the recent stuff that Trump’s been doing. It wasn’t the direct purpose of it, but I kind of liked that it felt that way. The tragic thing is: history keeps repeating itself, and more and more stupidly and less and less secretively. They kept their horrible stuff secret back then. It’s like they don’t care what people think about it anymore. I think that’s a darker place we’re in now. Shame doesn’t come into it.

AP: There's a moment in the film when Malkovich's character suggests peaceful protest marches have no effect. What do you think?

McDonagh: Whether or not I agree with it or not is for a later chat. I’m not saying the pacifist version is wrong or doesn’t work at times. But I do think the CIA and KGB and most vicious governments around the world are more happy with polite protest marches.

AP: You had twice before, for “Seven Psychopaths” and your play “A Behanding in Spokane,” tried to work with Malkovich. What drew you to him?

McDonagh: He can be ultra dangerous and you feel scared of him more than most. Maybe Joe Pesci. I was scared the first time I had a Zoom with him. But also his dexterity with comedy. But mostly knowing that in the silent moments you’d see acres of sorrow and regret when he’s seemingly not doing anything — when he’s just looking out of a window or listening to a Dictaphone or smoking a cigarette.

AP: Was it at all purposeful to have Malkovich playing a memoir-writing CIA officer like he did in the Coen brothers’ “Burn After Reading”?

McDonagh: Not at all. In fact, I had kind of forgotten that whole section of that film until I rewatched it a few months ago. I hope that they don’t think I stole the whole memoir-of-a-CIA-guy bit from him. (Laughs) But John’s so good at everything that history is going to repeat itself.

AP: As much acclaim as Malkovich is rightly getting, Rockwell is also great even if his performance is less eye-catching.

McDonagh: It’s not but it’s completely generous. I think it’s still one of his best-ever performances. It’s not as showy as some of the previous things I’ve done with Sam or some of Sam’s other brilliant work. But there aren’t many who could convey the love that’s there without bawling his eyes out. You feel like it’s an equal two-hander at the same time as John’s character will always be the lead.

AP: Do you identify more with either of their characters?

McDonagh: John’s got a lot of me. I like the outrageousness and the danger of where he goes sometimes. In my more sarcastic, anarchistic moments, I find that sort of stuff funny. He’s an awful guy, he’s done awful things. But on top of that, I do feel like he says a lot of funny stuff that I agree with — even if it’s just cheeses. (Laughs) A scene like that, you know you’re being naughty but I think the principle of it is actually sort of loving and weirdly pro-democratic, pro-gay and pro-cheese.

AP: Coming out of the pandemic, you talked about committing to writing a movie every year.

McDonagh: That’s gone away! (Laughs) I realize after a year or two I’m fundamentally lazy. But this feels like a quite short time between.

AP: Well, choosing to make a movie on Easter Island probably doesn't speed things up.

McDonagh: But it does combine vacation time on an island with making a movie. (Laughs) That’s what I’m going to do next. Tahiti, 1900, two blokes.

More of the same is on the way Friday into the weekend as a storm system north of the Bahamas moves into Florida and stalls out for a few days. This will give us rounds of thunderstorms, especially in the afternoons. Some storms could be severe with damaging winds, hail, and intense lightning. This wet pattern will last well into next week.

Mauricio Pochettino picked 13 newcomers Thursday for the first roster of his second term as U.S. coach, dropping the team's top star and picking a forward who could become the youngest American national team player in 20 years.

“It’s a completely different approach than it was in the past,” Pochettino said from New York during an online news conference. “The World Cup is in four years. We need to work with different objectives and goals.”

Midfielder Yunus Musah, a 2022 World Cup veteran who hasn't played for the Americans since March 2025, also was among 28 players selected for friendlies against Peru (Sept. 26 in Orlando, Florida), Chile (Sept. 29 in St. Louis), Mexico (Oct. 3 in Glendale, Arizona) and Canada (Oct. 6 in St. Paul, Minnesota).

A two-time World Cup veteran who turns 28 on Friday, Pulisic failed to score during last summer's tournament. He missed one of the Americans’ five matches because of a calf injury and left two others early.

Pulisic came off in the second half of the 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 because of a microfracture of his right tibia and fibula, and he didn't make his season debut for AC Milan until last weekend.

Pochettino didn’t give a reason for why he didn’t pick Pulisic.

“It’s not a point that now the first camp of this new cycle I start to explain why it’s one, why it is not another," Pochettino said.

Sullivan made his Major League Soccer debut at 14 with Philadelphia in July 2024 and has six league goals this season. He is set to transfer to Manchester City when he turns 18.

“He deserved all the praise that he’s getting I think because he’s performing well, he’s playing well, he’s giving assists and scoring goals," Pochettino said. “He is special because he is 16 years old playing in this level in MLS.”

Sullivan will be two days shy of his 17th birthday when the Americans play Peru and could become the youngest U.S. national team player since Freddy Adu debuted at 16 years, 234 days against Canada on Jan. 22, 2006.

Sullivan was in the stands for the World Cup loss to Belgium in Seattle.

“Thinking of that Belgium game, I think I could come into that game on the right side and make a difference," he said on Alexi Lalas’ State of the Union podcast earlier this month.

Others who could debut are 17-year-old midfielders Adri Mehmeti and Mathis Albert; 18-year-old defenders Peyton Miller and Neil Pierre; 18-year-old forward Julian Hall; 19-year-old midfielder Zavier Gozo; 19-year-old forward Justin Ellis; 20-year-old goalkeeper Diego Kochen; 20-year-old right back Frankie Westfield; 20-year-old midfielders Cole Campbell and Brooklyn Raines; and 25-year-old goalkeeper Brian Schwake.

“This for me is a great opportunity to meet these guys, to see them, to analyze, to see the things to improve in the way that they can evolve,” Pochettino said. “They need to make the mistake, but we need to be there to try to fix that.”

Also showing assurance, Gozo spoke of this year's World Cup last month on “The Late Run” podcast.

“I do think I deserved to be there,” he said.

Twelve players are from Major League Soccer.

Two players have just one previous appearance: 22-year-old goalkeeper Chris Brady and 25-year-old defender George Campbell.

Just 13 players return from the 26-man World Cup roster: goalkeeper Matt Freese and Brady; defenders Sergiño Dest, Alex Freeman, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson and Austin Trusty; midfielders Tyler Adams, Sebastian Berhalter, Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman; and forward Ricardo Pepi.

Folarin Balogun, who hasn't played for Monaco this season after a possible transfer to Everton fell through, also was not selected. Pochettino cited what he said was a minor leg injury.

Others from the World Cup roster who were dropped included goalkeeper Matt Turner; defenders Max Arfsten, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream and Joe Scally; midfielders Weston McKennie and Cristian Roldan; and forwards Brenden Aaronson, Tim Weah, Haji Wright and Alejandro Zendejas.

“Now it’s not what I did in the past,” Pochettino said. “Now is about today. Football is about today, soccer is about today.”

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Chris Brady (Chicago), Matt Freese (New York City), Diego Kochen (Lyngby), Brian Schwake (Nashville).

Defenders: George Campbell (West Bromwich Albion), Sergiño Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Villarreal), Peyton Miller (New England), Neil Pierre (Philadelphia), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (Cincinnati), Auston Trusty (Celtic), Frankie Westfield (Philadelphia).

Midfielders: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Sebastian Berhalter (Middlesbrough), Zavier Gozo (Crystal Palace), Adri Mehmeti (New York Red Bulls), Yunus Musah (AC Milan), Brooklyn Raines (New England), Gio Reyna (Strasbourg), Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen).

Forwards: Cole Campbell (SV Elversberg), Justin Ellis (Orlando), Julian Hall (New York Red Bulls), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven), Cavan Sullivan (Philadelphia).

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While the small low-pressure system has a well-defined spin and an uptick in thunderstorms near its circulation compared to Wednesday, 98L looked far from healthy early Thursday, with spates of strong northerly wind shear quickly toppling over thunderstorm activity trying to build around its center.

Forecast models are all over the place with 98L, with some models quickly dissipating it to the northwest over the next few days while other model guidance tracks it south, developing it over the weekend, then slowly loop it back northeast later next week ahead of an approaching cold front.

Regardless, the environment around 98L isn’t exactly primed for significant development in the short term. Strong wind shear should be an inhibiting factor until the weekend, but thereafter repeated incursions of dry air will put up extra hurdles.

Bottom line on 98L: expect this one to fester over the open central Atlantic into next week with a modest development shot by the weekend. Interests in Bermuda should continue to monitor the forecasts but for now the odds of significant strengthening are low. 98L poses no threat to the U.S.

Wake up call for the Atlantic basin to end September?

We’ve been professing it until we’ve turned blue in the face this season, but the Atlantic hurricane season is as dead as we’ve ever seen it beyond its traditional mid-September peak.

Overall activity as measured by the Accumulated Cyclone Energy or ACE is at an astonishingly low 4.4 ACE units. By this point in an average season, we’re at over 70 ACE units. We’ve never seen a hurricane season in the modern, reliable record (since 1950) with as little activity through Thursday by a wide margin. And with no hurricanes to boot (a record we discussed in last Friday’s newsletter).

Over the past decade we have noticed a trend toward later peaking hurricane seasons, something I discussed with the Washington Post in an article published Wednesday. Whether or not this is a longer-term trend linked to other climate factors is something we’ll need additional research to determine, but if recent history is any indication, we should expect relative hurricane activity to peak later than it has in previous seasons.

Our longer-range models are beginning to pick up on perhaps a late September wake-up call for the Atlantic, with a busier look to the basin coinciding with rising air bleeding into the western Atlantic for the first time in a while.

It’s too soon to discuss specifics, but we’ll want to watch the southern Gulf and western Caribbean as a possible Central American Gyre takes shape by the end the month, something we previewed in Wednesday’s newsletter. We’ll revisit the trends as we get into next week, but for now odds remain quite low.

Aunque el pequeño sistema de baja presión tiene una circulación bien definida y un aumento de tormentas eléctricas cerca de su circulación en comparación con el miércoles, 98L lucía lejos de estar saludable a primeras horas del jueves, con episodios de fuerte cizalladura del viento del norte que rápidamente derribaban la actividad de tormentas eléctricas que intentaba desarrollarse alrededor de su centro.

Los modelos de pronóstico muestran escenarios muy diversos para 98L, con algunos modelos disipándolo rápidamente hacia el noroeste durante los próximos días, mientras que otros modelos lo desplazan hacia el sur, desarrollándolo durante el fin de semana y luego haciéndolo girar lentamente de regreso hacia el noreste a finales de la próxima semana, por delante de un frente frío que se aproxima.

De cualquier manera, el entorno alrededor de 98L no está precisamente preparado para un desarrollo significativo a corto plazo. La fuerte cizalladura del viento debería ser un factor inhibidor hasta el fin de semana, pero después de eso, repetidas incursiones de aire seco presentarán obstáculos adicionales.

En resumen sobre 98L: se espera que este sistema permanezca sobre las aguas abiertas del Atlántico central hasta la próxima semana, con una posibilidad moderada de desarrollo para el fin de semana. Las personas en Bermuda deben continuar monitoreando los pronósticos, pero por ahora las probabilidades de un fortalecimiento significativo son bajas. 98L no representa una amenaza para Estados Unidos.

¿Un llamado de atención para la cuenca del Atlántico al cierre de septiembre?

Lo hemos estado diciendo hasta quedarnos sin aliento esta temporada, pero la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico está tan inactiva como nunca la hemos visto después de su tradicional pico de mediados de septiembre.

La actividad general, medida por la Energía Ciclónica Acumulada o ACE, se encuentra en un sorprendentemente bajo nivel de 4.4 unidades ACE. Para este punto de una temporada promedio, estamos por encima de las 70 unidades ACE. Nunca hemos visto una temporada de huracanes en los registros modernos y confiables, desde 1950, con tan poca actividad hasta este jueves, y por un amplio margen. Y además, sin huracanes, un récord que analizamos en el boletín del viernes pasado.

Durante la última década hemos observado una tendencia hacia temporadas de huracanes que alcanzan su pico más tarde, algo que comenté con The Washington Post en un artículo publicado el miércoles. Determinar si se trata o no de una tendencia a más largo plazo vinculada a otros factores climáticos requerirá investigaciones adicionales, pero si la historia reciente sirve de indicio, deberíamos esperar que la actividad relativa de huracanes alcance su pico más tarde que en temporadas anteriores.

Nuestros modelos a largo plazo están comenzando a detectar quizás un despertar del Atlántico a finales de septiembre, con una cuenca que luce más activa coincidiendo con aire ascendente que se desplaza hacia el Atlántico occidental por primera vez en algún tiempo.

Es demasiado pronto para hablar de detalles específicos, pero tendremos que vigilar el sur del Golfo y el Caribe occidental ante la posible formación de un Giro Centroamericano para finales de mes, algo que adelantamos en el boletín del miércoles. Volveremos a analizar las tendencias a medida que avancemos hacia la próxima semana, pero por ahora las probabilidades siguen siendo bastante bajas.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade dijeron que detuvieron el lunes a Ketsia Pierre Paul, de 42 años y residente del noroeste de Miami-Dade.

Según los investigadores, funcionarios de la escuela de la niña se comunicaron con el Departamento de Niños y Familias después de observar “múltiples marcas en el cuello, brazos y pecho que parecían ser quemaduras”.

Las autoridades hicieron que la niña fuera examinada por el Equipo de Protección Infantil, que informó a los agentes que la niña estaba “cubierta de cicatrices, abrasiones con cicatrices y una cicatriz queloide, que eran compatibles con haber sido golpeada con un cable de cargador de teléfono”.

Cuando los detectives hablaron con la niña, dijeron que ella les contó que sufría abusos en su casa “casi a diario” con un cable de cargador de teléfono, pero que tenía miedo de decir quién era su abusador y solo indicó que el nombre de la persona comenzaba con la letra “K”.

Los agentes escribieron en el reporte de arresto de Pierre Paul que ella era la única persona que vivía con la niña cuyo nombre comenzaba con la letra “K”.

Cuando los investigadores hablaron con Pierre Paul, ella admitió haber visto las lesiones de la menor, pero dijo que “nunca buscó atención médica ni trató de averiguar quién estaba lastimando a su hija”, según su reporte de arresto.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrenta cargos graves de abuso infantil agravado con lesiones corporales graves y negligencia infantil con lesiones corporales graves.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, Pierre Paul permanecía detenida en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza que figura como “por determinar”.

Hamilton's denial follows a report Tuesday in Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera which said Hamilton had asked for changes to Ferrari's trackside staff and that his relationship with team principal Fred Vasseur was strained.

“I've seen some of the stories that have gone out and I want to clear it up here. I've never asked for anyone on my team to be replaced. Everyone I work with works hard every day, and their dedication is what moves us forward,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of himself with dozens of Ferrari staff members.

“I always try to empower and lift people to be the best versions of themselves or at least see the best in themselves. I may not always achieve that but it's my intention and what I'm here to do. We all work together and that will continue.”

Hamilton has sometimes questioned Ferrari's strategy over the radio this year, including asking whether he was being used as a “guinea pig” in last month's Dutch Grand Prix, and protesting that teammate Charles Leclerc was allowed to hold him up.

After that race, he said the messages came from a desire to win and added it was “difficult” to see rival team Mercedes “execute straight away” on strategy decisions.

The seven-time champion got his first win with Ferrari at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in June and remains third in the standings, but a retirement in last week's Spanish Grand Prix left him 101 points off standings leader Kimi Antonelli. That also marked five consecutive races without a podium finish for Hamilton.

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They talked to the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach among a lengthy list of interviewees.

“Our scope was broad, so we looked into a lot of stuff,” lead investigator Nate Huff said Thursday.

And when the probe concluded, Belichick’s son had joined a longtime confidant of his father's in resigning from the program.

The school released a statement Thursday morning saying Steve Belichick’s resignation as defensive coordinator would be effective in late October at the conclusion of a medical leave, which was announced early in preseason camp. That made him the second high-profile resignation amid the probe, the other being general manager Michael Lombardi earlier this month.

According to UNC's statement, the school's investigation “determined that certain actions demonstrated a disregard for Carolina's values and standards of conduct.” The school didn’t reveal specifics of those actions found by the review, nor had it discussed details of the investigation launched in late July.

“The investigation also found that these actions were isolated in scope and not a systemic failure,” the school said in a statement that also announced a player suspension following a Tuesday traffic stop.

In an interview later Thursday with The Associated Press, The Assembly and WRAL of Raleigh, Huff along with UNC general counsel Paul Newton wouldn't discuss detailed findings or conduct by specific individuals. But Huff — an attorney and former federal prosecutor — confirmed his team looked into allegations tied to drugs, relationships and NCAA issues.

“This was not a circumstance where we were targeting any individual person or any specific people," Huff said. "We were looking program-wide — football program-wide.”

More than 60 interviews were conducted, including of Bill Belichick

Newton said the probe launched “based on the concerns raised by a limited number of former employees."

“We took those concerns seriously,” he said.

That led the Office of University Counsel to hire Huff as independent counsel to run the investigation, which included more than 60 interviews.

“At no point did I feel like the university counsel's office or university leadership or athletics leadership was limiting or steering me,” Huff said. "I felt they were the people to whom I would go to to get the access I needed to get to the bottom of all this. And that was my experience.

“So my team and I were able to immerse ourselves in Carolina football and its compliance and its culture, and in these allegations.”

Huff said investigators told interviewees that “just because we're asking about something doesn't mean we think that it happened or that it's real. It just means it's part of our job."

Interviewees included the 74-year-old Bill Belichick, who won those six Super Bowl titles before making his NFL-to-college transition in December 2024 with Lombardi as an immediate hire. The probe ran throughout preseason camp, then continued as the Tar Heels beat TCUand East Tennessee State to start Belichick's second season.

“He made his whole staff and himself available to me during football season,” Huff said. "And these coaches that I talked to, people that I talked to in that building, the only thing they were asking me was, ‘When do you need me?’ and ‘Where do you need me to be?’

“So I was able to investigate football in the middle of football season fully. And I had access to people, even people like coach Bill Belichick.”

The probe had hovered over the Tar Heels since late July

In Belichick’s first news conference after Lombardi’s Sept. 3 resignation, he faced questions that largely dealt nothing with football. Belichick said he believes his program “totally” has an atmosphere of following rules, saying: “Obviously everybody’s responsible, including me, for doing things properly. And we intend to do that.”

That same day, UNC vice chancellor for communications Dean Stoyer — who released Thursday’s statement — said the school “continues to support Bill Belichick and the Carolina football program.”

The school announced its probe in late July in the days after putting Lombardi on paid administrative leave. The same day Lombardi resigned, WRAL of Raleigh cited anonymous sources in reporting the type of questions asked of some interviewees, with some focusing on Steve Belichick.

Additionally, Lombardi attorney Tom Mars told The Athletic that the school’s probe now included questions into potential “inappropriate” relationships that didn’t involve his client. Mars didn’t return a call or email from the AP regarding that comment at the time.

UNC said that “all necessary corrective actions are now underway” and that it considers the investigation to be “resolved.” While declining to discuss specific findings, Huff said the school's corrective steps “are likely to include or address issues related to relationships.”

“The ‘risk' always of bringing an investigation to ‘conclusion' is that there are going to be those that will say, ‘Oh, you didn’t do enough. You should've looked at something else,'" Newton said. “The safe harbor there is that we're always open to anyone who wants to express new allegations, concerns, whatever. And if they're credible, we'll take proper corrective actions in the future. So this door is essentially never closed.”

The school also announced Thursday that freshman receiver Keeyun Chapman is suspended indefinitely after he was arrested Tuesday night during a traffic stop. He faces a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon, according to the arrest report from the Chapel Hill Police Department.

UNC visits Clemson on Saturday.

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The discovery of Timothy Allen Smith brought the death toll to three from flooding that devastated the Phantom Ranch area at the canyon bottom and damaged the water pipeline serving the South Rim.

Smith, 53, was a pilot from western Wyoming's Star Valley. His remains were found Monday near Crystal Rapids on the Colorado River that runs through the canyon.

The remains of Smith's two backcountry companions, Brent Rosenkranz, 42, and John Giusti, 46, both of Granbury, Texas, were found earlier.

Smith grew up in Granbury and lived with his wife in Star Valley Ranch, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Jackson.

He, Rosenkranz and Giusti were on a multiday hiking, fishing and camping trip when flooding swept through the Grand Canyon.

During the two-day deluge, searchers used night vision and other equipment to find people in need of rescue. They relied on the Grand Canyon National Park's permit system and checked vehicle license plates to track those still missing. More than 80 people were rescued.

Soon, only Smith was missing. In a Facebook video at the time, his wife, Carrie, and their children thanked people for their support and prayers.

On Tuesday morning, Carrie Smith posted on Facebook that the family was aware a body had been found a day earlier and asked others to pray with them.

Smith confirmed in a Facebook post on Thursday that the remains had been identified as her husband’s.

“My family has done a lot of waiting over the last three weeks … waiting and hoping Tim (Daddy) would come home, waiting and wondering if the remains found were Tim (Daddy),” she wrote. “We no longer have to wait, Tim was found two days ago by the Rangers at Grand Canyon National Park. Not in the way we had hoped, but we know that he was doing something he loved with John and Brent.”

She added, “We know that these three men loved the Lord and were a shining light for Him. The impact their lives had on others is still being shown to our families daily.”

The Coconino County medical examiner confirmed Smith's identity, the National Park Service said in a statement Thursday that thanked the searchers and extended condolences to relatives and friends of the three men.

The flooding began Aug. 29 during the summer monsoon, or rainy, season when clear skies can quickly give way to thunderstorms and heavy rain. A desert landscape can funnel water from a deluge into sudden torrents that rage down previously dry gullies and canyons.

The rain fell on part of a North Rim burn area left after a lightning-caused wildfire in July 2025. The fire destroyed the historic Grand Canyon Lodge, cabins and other structures.

Burn areas can worsen flash flooding because there's less vegetation to absorb runoff.

The flooding damaged a pipeline that supplies water to millions of tourists and residents. Insufficient water caused all overnight lodging to be halted until the pipeline could be restored. National Park Service officials said recently that they expected to restore a reliable water supply in the canyon in weeks — not months — after determining most of a near-complete pipeline project was not damaged during the flash flood.

Many hiking trails and lodging areas remain closed, and water has been shut off in the inner canyon, prompting advisories that hikers bring their own water or water filtration devices.

Another flash flood hit the canyon along Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River during a storm Wednesday, park officials said. No injuries were reported. Authorities said efforts to minimize personnel in the canyon before the storm, as well as flash flood warnings, enabled crews to reach safety. Damage assessments were underway.