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Elon Musk’s rocket company, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., is steering some of its initial public offering of stock directly to what are called “retail” investors. These are people who buy stocks in a brokerage account on their phone, not pension funds or other big “institutional” investors routing orders to their professional trading desks.

Here are some things to keep in mind as the IPO approaches:

A chunk of SpaceX stock will go to regular investors

Most IPOs offer only 5% to 10% of the total offering to retail investors, according to Fidelity. In this case, though, it could be up to 30%. SpaceX expects retail investors to participate in its IPO through Charles Schwab, Fidelity, Robinhood, SoFi and E-Trade by Morgan Stanley.

At Fidelity, investors with as little as $2,000 in their accounts could potentially snag SpaceX shares in the IPO. That’s down from account minimums of $100,000 or even $500,000 that Fidelity has for other equity offerings.

Demand from investors may be so high in this IPO that not everyone indicating interest will actually get a share.

Trying for a short-term flip has risks

Given all the hype around SpaceX, temptation could be high to grab shares in the IPO and sell them quickly if a frenzy sends its price spiking. But brokerages have policies to block investors from future offerings if they dump shares bought in an IPO quickly, like within a couple weeks.

Big swings in price may be possible

Potentially high interest from retail investors following the IPO is one reason SpaceX is warning that its stock price could be volatile. These investors aren’t known for moving as meticulously as a pension fund, which is trying to build money for payments it must make years or decades in the future.

It’s retail investors, after all, who helped drive GameStop and other “meme stocks” to market-bending heights in 2021 that professional investors called irrational.

IPOs can see a big first-day bounce, but that may not last

The typical IPO has seen a 7% jump in its first day of trading, from 1980 through 2025, according to Jay Ritter, an IPO expert and a professor at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business.

But IPOs tend to lag similar-sized peers in the ensuing five years, not including their first day of trading. They do so by an average of 3.6% per year, according to Ritter.

SpaceX has debt and has been losing money

It’s very expensive to launch things out of the earth’s atmosphere and to construct huge AI data centers, and SpaceX has built up $29.1 billion in debt, as of the end of March.

The company also lost $4.9 billion last year and another $4.3 billion through the first three months of 2026. It acknowledges that it “may not achieve profitability in the future.”

Over the long term, a stock’s price tends to track with how much profit the company is making.

You don’t have to buy SpaceX to own it

You could end up owning some of SpaceX even if you never intended to. Consider the many people who own shares of the popular QQQ exchange-traded fund, which tracks the Nasdaq 100 index and has roughly $460 billion in total assets.

Historically, the Nasdaq 100 index would wait until each December to add new members in an annual reconstitution to make sure it includes the 100 largest non-financial companies on the Nasdaq. But Nasdaq recently made changes to allow some big companies to enter the Nasdaq 100 index after just 15 trading days.

That means if SpaceX’s IPO is as successful as expected, it could quickly join both the Nasdaq 100 and QQQ fund, all while QQQ holders do nothing on their own.

The company behind the more popular S&P 500 index, though, is not making changes that would allow SpaceX faster entry.

Any shares bought would take a back seat to Musk’s in influence

In its IPO, SpaceX is offering 555.6 million shares of its “Class A” stock. Each of these shares gives an investor one vote on matters that shareholders decide. That includes such weighty things as who is on the board of directors overseeing the CEO.

This IPO is not offering what are called “Class B” shares, each of which give its holder 10 votes. Musk, meanwhile, owns so many of those shares that he by himself could control more than 82% of all the stock’s voting power following the IPO.

In filings with U.S. securities regulators, SpaceX acknowledges the potential for conflicts of interest between it and Musk, along with other companies he owns, such as Tesla.

Some big investors really disagree with the ownership structure

Officials from pension funds for firefighters, teachers and other workers in California and New York sent a letter to SpaceX last month decrying some of the provisions in its IPO, including “super voting shares,” mandatory arbitration of shareholder claims instead of the possibility of lawsuits and how much power Musk will hold over the company.

They said they could become owners of SpaceX stock because they hold index funds, which automatically buy stocks after they get included in certain indexes.

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

“This level of insulation from accountability is virtually unheard of among any other large U.S. issuer whose governing documents foreclose accountability to public owners on these terms.”

Don’t confuse SpaceX with other companies with similar names

SpaceX plans to trade under the ticker symbol “SPCX.” That’s very close to “SPCE,” which is the symbol for Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Holdings.

Initial public offering, or IPO

A company's first offering of stock to the public. It is the first time a company's value will be determined by a public market.

Prospectus

A formal offer to sell shares in the company. It also includes a business plan with details about the company's finances and operations. Also known as an S-1, after the Securities and Exchange Commission form.

Listing

This describes the ticker symbol for the stock and the public exchange where it is being traded. For example, Apple is traded as “AAPL” on the Nasdaq and Macy's is traded as “M” on the New York Stock Exchange. SpaceX plans to list on the Nasdaq under the symbol “SPCX.”

Underwriter

An underwriter is a bank or other financial institution that acts as the intermediary between the company and investors. They purchase the stock being issued by the company in the IPO and sell it to the public. There are often several underwriters involved to share the risk. The lead underwriters for the SpaceX IPO are Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley.

Roadshow

The name for the presentations given by company executives and underwriters to potential investors, typically institutional investors, before the company issues its shares.

Lockup

This is the period of time when executives, insiders and early investors are legally prohibited from selling their shares. It is typically 90 or 180 days and is meant to prevent insiders from quickly cashing out or dumping their shares. Elon Musk and other SpaceX executives have agreed to a lockup period of 366 days.

Over-allotment

This is a provision that allows underwriters of an IPO to sell more shares than initially planned. It is meant to meet unexpectedly high demand or to help stabilize the stock price.

Price range

This is an estimated range for the price of the shares the company is offering provided before the stock is publicly traded. Investors place bids within that range before the listing price is determined. SpaceX went against convention and set a price of $135 for shares in the offering.

Price discovery

This describes the broader process undertaken by the company and underwriters to determine the listing price for the stock. It attempts to balance demand for the stock with the potential supply of shares. The process typically takes longer when an IPO has high interest from potential investors.

Edmunds’ editors reviewed what’s available for under 25 grand and came up with five of their favorites. There is a car here for every kind of enthusiast, from a V8-powered coupe with tire-smoking torque to a four-door hatchback with room for your mountain bike.

2015-2018 BMW 2 Series

The BMW 2 Series is BMW’s smallest two-door coupe and convertible. A four-cylinder 2 Series is available, but the more powerful six-cylinder M235i and BMW M240i are what you want. They have quick acceleration, balanced handling and excellent long-distance comfort. Output ranges from 320 horsepower in the M235i to 335 ponies in the later 2017-2018 M240i. Driving a 2 Series offers a more upscale driving experience than the other cars on our list, even if its back seats are a bit small for a luxury-branded car.

Look for: The earlier M235i is easier to find under $25,000. Both it and the M240i come well-equipped with standard features, though BMW a few optional packages that could be worth seeking out. A 2 Series with the Technology package, for example, has a bigger center screen and a navigation system.

2008-2013 Chevrolet Corvette

The sixth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, often called the C6, delivers absurd performance value. Powered by a beefy V8 producing up to 430 horsepower, these Corvettes remain shockingly fast even by modern standards. Rear-wheel drive, relatively low weight, strong braking performance, and excellent highway comfort put the C6 on this list. And they make it worth tolerating the C6’s low-rent interior.

Look for: Narrow your search to 2008-and-newer models, which get more power and an improved interior. Coupes are easier to find under $25,000 than convertibles or the later higher-performance Grand Sport trims. The V8 powering these cars is durable, but finding a Corvette with a maintenance record history is a good idea anyway.

2019-2021 Mazda Miata

The current Mazda MX-5 Miata remains a milestone for light, fun convertibles. It produces 181 horsepower, which doesn’t sound like much but is enough to amply motivate this lightweight two-seater. With precise steering, predictable handling, and an available slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission, this Miata is a textbook topless sports car. Just be aware that the Miata’s cabin will feel cramped for tall drivers.

Look for: You could buy an older Miata of this generation, but the 2019 and newer models have 26 horsepower than earlier models plus a telescoping steering wheel to help improve the driving position. Our favorite Miata trim is the Club that adds numerous mechanical enhancements to make the Miata even more fun to toss around tight curves.

2017-2020 Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86

The Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 are two small coupes co-designed by Subaru and Toyota. They provide a connected and mechanical feel for the driver, which is a rare attribute these days. After the 2017 update, its four-cylinder engine produces up to 205 horsepower, which is enough to be quick without making it so easy to build speed that you’re always getting in trouble. They also have a back seat, though it’s quite small and really only useful for storing cargo.

Look for: Sticking to 2017-and-newer versions means you’ll get meaningful improvements to gearing and suspension tuning. The Toyota 86 is often slightly cheaper than the BRZ, making it a value play. BRZ models with the Performance package are especially desirable thanks to their upgraded brakes and suspension.

2015-2019 Volkswagen Golf GTI

The Volkswagen Golf GTI of this era is the definition of an everyday performance car. It blends four-door hatchback practicality with genuinely entertaining handling. Its turbocharged four-cylinder produces up to 228 horsepower, depending on model year and equipment packages. It’s paired with either a six-speed manual or a six- or seven-speed automatic, also depending on the year.

Look for: Try to get a GTI in the SE or Autobahn trim. These trims have the most standard features such as a premium sound system, upgraded brakes, and a limited-slip differential that helps maximize available traction during acceleration.

Edmunds says

A realistic budget now opens the door to a wide range of performance. Do your homework by avoiding cars with obvious deferred maintenance, neglect or heavy modifications. Still, for under $25,000, buyers can choose between some of the most fun and focused performance cars of the last two decades. It’s a good time to be a driving enthusiast.

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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. Josh Jacquot is a contributor at Edmunds.

Fortunately, an easterly breeze and some cloud cover will keep it from feeling much worse than June is capable of. As far as rain chances go, it looks like the heaviest activity will occur near the west coast around Naples, with only a few scattered showers expected here on the east coast over the next couple of days.

Our chances for showers and storms will increase by the weekend, but with plenty of dry time expected as well, it’s not looking like a weekend washout at this point. There are no advisories for boaters or beachgoers, and all is quiet in the tropics.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces struck several military and energy infrastructure sites, including a military factory that he said supplied components for Russian drones and missiles.

In a post on social media, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo long-range missiles had hit the facility in Cheboksary, located in the Chuvashiya region more than 900 kilometers (over 560 miles) from the front line.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 326 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Oleg Nikolayev, the head of Chuvashiya, confirmed that the missile attack but didn't give details. The Astra online news outlet reported that the Ukrainian strike hit the VNIIR-Progress plant that produces antennas for drones.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces struck a refinery in Russia’s Samara region, where Gov. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said that several industrial plants were damaged by drone strikes and three people were injured.

Fedorishchev didn’t name the facilities that were damaged, but Astra carried images of a large fire at the Samara refinery.

Zelenskyy added that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) had also targeted two oil infrastructure facilities in Russia’s Vladimir region, about 700 kilometers from the front line.

In Russia-occupied Crimea, a Ukrainian drone hit the building housing a huge panorama painting depicting the defense of the city during 19th century Crimean War. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Kremlin-appointed head of Sevastopol, said the painting by artist Franz Rubo was effectively destroyed.

As the more than 1,000-kilometer front line in the four-year war has remained largely static as swarms of drones hinder advances, both sides have increasingly relied on long-range strikes.

The increasingly deep and audacious Ukrainian strikes have cast a challenge to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, defying his claim that Moscow was winning the war now in its fifth year.

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

The attacks on St. Petersburg came as another embarrassment for the Russian leader, weeks after he pruned back an annual Victory Day parade in Moscow because of fears of Ukrainian drone attacks.

Ukraine’s Air Force says air defenses downed 181 of 207 Russian drones.

A barrage of 26 drones struck Kharkiv early Wednesday, injuring at least four people, according to regional administration head Oleh Syniehubov. He said one person was killed and 15 others were injured in the region over the past 24 hours.

In Zaporizhzhia and its region, 10 people were injured overnight in a series of Russian aerial attacks, according to regional head Ivan Fedorov.

In Odesa, a mother and two children, aged 8 and 10, required medical attention after Russian drones damaged two residential buildings, according to regional administration head Oleh Kiper.

While the U.S.-supplied system known as HIMARS has been tested before, the latest live-fire exercise was the first time its rockets were fired into the waters of the narrow Taiwan Strait that separates the self-governing island from China.

“Due to the current enemy threat, we will continue HIMARS training with unwavering determination to protect Taiwan as the nation’s strongest force,” army Sgt. Wang Ming-hui said.

The military said it used reduced-range practice rockets that don't fly very far from the coast before falling into the water.

China views Taiwan as a renegade province and says it must come under its control at some point in the future. It sends warships and planes into the skies and waters near the island almost every day and has held major military exercises in its vicinity in recent years. The United States does not recognize Taiwan as a country, but it opposes any change to its status by force and is its main supplier of weaponry for its defense.

The HIMARS, which stands for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, is part of a U.S.-encouraged shift in strategy, toward an asymmetric approach designed to keep China at bay rather than trying to go head-to-head with big-ticket weapons purchases. The truck-mounted pod of rockets can be driven out from a hidden position to fire its missiles, then quickly taken to a new hiding place in what are called shoot-and-scoot tactics.

They were fired on the second day of exercises on Taiwan's west coast, which faces China. The drills, which also included 155 mm howitzers, simulated a response to a Chinese invasion and were designed to test rapid deployment and precision-strike capabilities.

The HIMARS was the centerpiece of the drill. After receiving a firing order, the vehicles maneuvered into position and launched their rockets with bright flashes within three minutes, demonstrating their mobility.

The U.S. announced plans in December to sell 82 more HIMARS systems to Taiwan as part of a major arms deal, but that package appears to have been put on hold after President Donald Trump met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last month.

But Collins has proven to be a hard target for Democrats over the years — even for candidates without the baggage of Platner, who has faced criticism for his relationships with women, inflammatory online posts and a previous tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol. Collins is seeking her sixth term with sky-high name recognition, a record-breaking run of consecutive Senate votes and a history of bringing back federal funding for her state for years.

She is also the rare Republican who sometimes can boost her own popularity back home by keeping her distance from President Donald Trump, and she has perfected that delicate dance even as his tightening grip on the party has cost two of her Senate Republican colleagues their reelection.

Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana lost their primaries when facing Trump-endorsed opponents. But despite the president's complaints about Collins, he did not campaign against her. Years of practice have made her adept at staying close — but not too close — to the president when it is politically advantageous, and moving away when showing an independent streak is helpful.

“She’s shown time and time again where her state’s electorate is. She understands what’s too far, she understands where she needs to be,” said political consultant Matt Mackowiak, who worked for Cornyn's failed reelection campaign. Trump endorsed Cornyn's opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

The road to Senate control goes through Maine

The Democrats need to flip four seats to take control of the Senate in November and hope that Trump's falling approval ratings and the war in Iran — as well as its subsequent effect on oil prices and the economy — could buoy their chances. Maine is among the top targets, along with Alaska, Ohio and North Carolina.

Platner wants to make the case that Collins isn't as independent of Trump as her reputation suggests — repeatedly noting that she allowed his Supreme Court nominations to go through, which in 2022 led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion, among other major issues.

"Susan Collins may have started her career decades ago in Washington with good intentions, but she has become just as spineless and corrupt as the establishment she now serves," Platner said at a victory party on Tuesday.

Platner supporters are ready for change, said John Keenan, of Sullivan, Maine.

“I think Maine has grown tired of the same old system,” he said. “And putting youth into the campaign, with new instead of a rubber stamp, is very refreshing.”

Trump has often criticized Collins — but not lately

Even as she faces Platner in November, Collins may have to stay wary of Trump. The president has spent years singling her out for daring to occasionally defy him on some issues.

However, he's refrained from doing so more recently — especially as Collins failed to draw a credible challenger and cruised to a Republican primary victory.

The White House declined to comment. Political advisers close to Trump, however, said the president understands how critical it is that Republicans maintain control of Congress after November, which requires accommodating Collins. Trump understands the need to avoid a Republican wipeout like 2018's “blue wave” midterms that saw Democrats flip the House and derail much of the last two years of his first-term plans.

“Senator Susan Collins represents the people of Maine first and foremost and has proven herself to be a dedicated public servant," said Republican National Committee spokesperson Kristen Cianci in a statement.

Collins spokesperson Blake Kernan said the senator “has worked with five different Presidents throughout her Senate tenure, and has never agreed with any of them on every issue.”

“When she agrees with an effort, she will support it; when she disagrees, she does not hesitate to speak up for what she believes is the right outcome for Maine and for America,” Kernan said in a statement.

Other Republicans ran into trouble with Trump

That didn't work out for some Republican senators.

Cornyn was among his party's top voices, rising through the ranks after joining the Senate in 2002. Paxton trounced him in a runoff race days after Trump endorsed the attorney general.

In office since 2015, Cassidy voted to convict Trump during his impeachment trial after the U.S. Capitol siege on Jan. 6, 2021. He lost his primary to Trump-endorsed state Rep. Julia Letlow.

Maine figures to be a more competitive race in November — as evidenced by Trump recently refraining from singling out Collins. That's despite her voting last week with Democrats to block the nearly $1.8 billion fund the president wanted to create to benefit allies that he claims were unfairly targeted by law enforcement.

“She’s always down in the polls and she survives,” Trump conceded when asked about Collins in an interview with the New York Post last week.

Collins defeated Gideon, the Maine House speaker, by almost 9 points in 2020, the same year that Biden beat Trump by a similar margin in the state.

Mackowiak said "there’s just no pathway to a MAGA senator from Maine.”

“It does appear that the Trump political operation is soberly analyzing the electoral environment in Maine and really kind of follows her lead as it relates to that state and that race, particularly this cycle,” he said.

Maine Republicans are ‘a bit more pragmatic’

Chuck Ellis, a Republican from Westbrook who runs a digital marketing company, said Collins' reluctance to move in lockstep with Trump can be a plus.

Although there are some “hard-line” voters who may disapprove, Ellis said, "ultimately a lot of your conservatives, your Republicans, are people who are a bit more pragmatic.”

After Collins opposed the White House’s signature tax cut and spending package last year, and voted against a proposal to claw back $9 billion in foreign aid and public media funding, the president complained about her on social media.

“Republicans, when in doubt, vote the exact opposite of Senator Susan Collins," he wrote.

Then, in January, Trump lashed out at the “stupidity” of Collins and four other Senate Republicans who joined Democrats to start a debate over restricting the president’s use of force in Venezuela.

She later received a profanity-laced call from Trump.

White House may keep a further distance from Collins' race

As chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins last week cast her 10,000th Senate vote in a row, setting a record.

“She has been able to do and show that ‘I am bringing money and resources from the federal government to Maine to help Maine,’” Ellis said.

The president is unlikely to travel to Maine ahead of November despite visiting other states with key Senate races, like Iowa and Michigan. He could even campaign personally for Paxton.

Vice President JD Vance has been to Maine, where he promoted his anti-fraud task force. Collins didn’t attend Vance’s speech in Bangor last month where he acknowledged the senator's distance from the Trump administration.

“If she was as partisan as I sometimes wish that she was,” Vance said, "she would not be a good fit for the people of Maine.”

___

Weissert reported from Washington.

The celebration of Barcelona's Christian traditions, past and present, marked the highlight of Leo's weeklong visit to Spain. It has underscored how the country of 50 million, which experienced a religious crisis after its 20th-century dictatorship ended, still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have t urned out in droves to welcome the American pope.

Leo opened his day by visiting inmates at a Barcelona prison, keeping up a tradition of Pope Francis, who often used his foreign trips to minister to those who can’t join in the public celebrations when a pope comes to town. He told the inmates that their mistakes don't define them and that "the past does not condemn the future, but rather offers us the possibility of changing our decisions and choices.”

Leo is in Spain on a weeklong visit that has highlighted how the country of 50 million, which experienced a religious crisis after its 20th-century dictatorship ended, still has plenty of faithful Catholics who have t urned out in droves to welcome the American pope.

The Bible carved in stone

Leo celebrated their centuries-old tradition of popular piety by praying at Montserrat, a mountain complex outside the city that is dear to many Catalanas. The complex, which includes an 11th-century Benedictine abbey and a 16th-century basilica, is revered for its Black Madonna statue and is home to a boy's choir that has existed since the 13th century and is Europe's oldest.

Thousands of faithful arrived early at the monastery, with groups of nuns and school children singing and waving signs and photographs of the pope outside the basilica. Bells rang out over the spire-like rock formations that top Montserrat and the valley below as Leo arrived in a golf cart.

In recent years, the Montserrat abbey has faced numerous accusations from survivors of clergy sexual abuse and was included in the Spanish ombudsman’s 800-page report on the crisis in 2023. The report found 15 victims and three alleged perpetrators linked to the abbey.

“It’s very painful because there are members of the church who committed errors,” said the Rev. Cesario Escarda, a Toledo priest who waited for Leo. “What the pope wants to do is shine a light on the truth and ask forgiveness and bring in the victims and listen to them and accompany them.”

The highlight of Leo’s visit was expected to be his Mass on Wednesday evening back in town at Sagrada Familia. The Mass commemorates the 100th anniversary of the death of its designer, Gaudí, who died at age 73 three days after he was hit by a tram.

A century after construction began during the pontificate of Leo’s namesake, Pope Leo XIII, the basilica has become one of the world’s most visited but unfinished monuments, annually drawing upward of 5 million visitors a year.

Gaudí, the famed Catalan architect who is on the path to possible sainthood, spent four decades designing and building the temple as the summary of the Christian faith carved in stone. The most important stories of Jesus’ life, the Nativity and Passion, are etched into the basilica’s east and west façades. A third façade facing south, the Glory, will serve as the basilica’s main entrance when finished.

The temple is an architectural and geometrical masterpiece inside and out, a celebration in form and symbol of Christianity and God’s creation through stone and light, based on the architectural tradition of Byzantine and Gothic churches.

A total of 18 sandcastle spires rise up from the top and pierce Barcelona’s skyline: 12 to symbolize Christ’s 12 apostles, four for each of the four Evangelists who recorded Christ’s life in the Gospels, one topped with a star over the apse honoring the Virgin Mary and, tallest among them, the Tower of Jesus Christ.

When the final Christ tower was finished last year at a height of 172.5 meters (564 feet), it made Sagrada Familia the world’s tallest church. Leo will formally consecrate the tower Wednesday night.

An interior that looks like a forest

The cross-shaped interior, with the altar at the apse, is an homage to light and nature. Treelike columns soar to the sky, colored by constantly changing light filtered through stained glass windows like the sun poking through leaves in a forest.

“Nature is my teacher,” Gaudí once said. “Everything comes from the great book of nature, always open that we must read.”

Historian Mònica Santín, who leads tours of the basilica, said that in designing Sagrada Familia, Gaudí was essentially guided by two books: the Gospels and nature.

“The way he lets in the natural light is also an invitation to the Christian mystery,” she said, citing the three facades depicting Christ’s birth, death and glory.

“And when you enter inside, it is all light,” Santín said. “What is that the symbol of? We can’t see God, but we perceive his light all around us. I think that is how you can read this message, and it is fascinating.”

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Hadi Alodid, 30, was ordered held in jail after an appearance by video in Belfast Magistrates’ Court, where he was accused of blinding Stephen Ogilvie in his left eye during the stabbing, prosecutors said. He was also charged with threatening to kill a radiographer on the same day and with possessing a knife.

Alodid refused legal representation through an Arabic interpreter and did not enter a plea.

The court appearance followed a night of violence in which masked men set fire to several homes they believed to house immigrants, burned trash bins, torched a Belfast bus and pelted police with objects. Firefighters rescued several people from burning homes.

Anselme Shima, a Belfast resident originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he saw smoke from burning vehicles near his home.

“I’ve lived on my street for almost 10 years, I have a good relationship with my neighbors, but last night was a horrific one,” he said. “We don’t know what to do. I’m scared. Seeing this, I’m wondering if I’m next.”

Politicians from both parts of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing government condemned the violence. First Minister Michelle O’Neill of Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said it was “thuggery.”

“Groups of masked men burning families out of their homes is nothing less than disgusting cowardice,” she said.

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, said that “taking frustration at the evil actions of a person out on those who had no part in it is utterly wrong.”

The attack was caught on video

Monday’s attack, caught in graphic video footage that quickly spread on social media, was seized on by anti-immigration activists. Ogilvie, a man in his 40s, was hospitalized with serious injuries to his face and back after being stabbed.

Police said Alodid entered Northern Ireland from the neighboring Republic of Ireland in 2023, applied for asylum and was given a 5-year permit to remain.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said there is no information to suggest the attack is terrorism-related and they are not seeking other suspects.

The street violence erupted despite calls from politicians for calm.

Prime Minister Starmer condemned the stabbing attack as “sickening,” but said violence against people based on their background would not be tolerated.

“The scenes in Belfast last night were shocking and completely unacceptable," Starmer said on X. “There is no justification for the violence and disorder that we saw threatening our communities, nor for those who encouraged it, online or elsewhere. It is clear that people were targeted last night because of their background and I will not tolerate it."

Protests were encouraged online by far-right activists including Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson.

Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said social media agitators who “yesterday would have struggled to find Belfast on a map” were “weaponizing” the fears of local people.

“If you’re driving people from their homes based on nothing but the color of their skin, you can’t dress that up any other way, it’s racism, and those bad faith actors need to take a step back,” she told the BBC.

Questions about the Irish border

Some politicians said the stabbing should spark a review of the open border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland.

The border is a highly sensitive issue. Allowing the free flow of people back and forth is a major pillar of the peace process that largely ended decades of violence known as “The Troubles.” The conflict involving Irish Republican and British Loyalist militants and U.K. security forces left almost 3,600 people dead before a 1998 peace accord.

Much of Tuesday’s violence took place in working-class areas where former paramilitary groups still hold considerable sway over the streets.

Last week a separate case of a university student who was stabbed to death in Southampton, England in December was seized on by activists and U.S. Vice President JD Vance,who blamed immigration for the violence.

Henry Nowak, who was white, was killed by Vickrum Digwa, a Sikh who falsely claimed to police that he was the victim of a racist assault by Nowak. When police officers arrived, they initially treated the wounded Nowak as a suspect before noticing his injury and trying to resuscitate him.

Digwa was convicted of murder for stabbing Nowak with a Sikh dagger and sentenced last week to life in prison with a minimum 21-year term. But the case has spurred heated debates about policing and race, and a protest over Nowak’s death turned violent with some attacking police with chairs and rocks. Several people were charged with violent disorder over the protest.

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Lawless reported from London.

Datos publicados el miércoles por el centro global de estudios energéticos Ember, junto con un informe de la Asociación de Industrias de Energía Solar (SEIA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la firma de análisis Wood Mackenzie, muestran un crecimiento continuo de la energía solar y un declive del carbón en Estados Unidos pese a la política federal. En mayo, por primera vez, la energía solar aportó más electricidad al país que el carbón, un 12,8%, indicó Ember. El carbón aportó un 12,2%, su cuarta participación mensual más baja registrada.

“Durante años, la energía solar ha aumentado en la mezcla eléctrica de Estados Unidos", señaló Nicolas Fulghum, analista sénior de energía y datos en Ember. "Al mismo tiempo, la generación con carbón ha perdido su estatus: primero como la mayor fuente en la mezcla de Estados Unidos y luego, gradualmente con los años, ha caído aún más”.

Fulghum agregó que la energía solar también se convirtió en mayo en la tercera mayor fuente de electricidad en Estados Unidos, detrás del gas natural y la energía nuclear. La generación con carbón tocó un mínimo mensual histórico en abril y solo repuntó modestamente en mayo, lo que permitió que el aumento de la generación solar superara al carbón, añadió.

La electricidad se produce al convertir fuentes de energía —combustibles fósiles, recursos renovables y energía nuclear— en energía eléctrica. Quemar carbón, petróleo y gas natural para generar electricidad emite dióxido de carbono, que atrapa el calor en la atmósfera y calienta el planeta. En cambio, la energía solar, eólica, geotérmica, hidroeléctrica y la nuclear no emiten dióxido de carbono.

Tras cerca de dos décadas de consumo eléctrico prácticamente plano en Estados Unidos, la demanda de electricidad está aumentando para alimentar la inteligencia artificial, expandir la manufactura nacional y electrificar el transporte y la calefacción. Fulghum dijo que espera ver más meses en los que la energía solar supere la generación con carbón, antes de rebasarla en términos anuales dentro de unos años.

Estos hitos suponen que la energía solar “tiene permanencia” en un momento en que hay menos apoyo a las energías renovables a nivel federal, añadió.

En el pasado, la eólica y la solar combinadas han superado al carbón, y la energía eólica por sí sola ha rebasado al carbón durante los meses de primavera, cuando aumenta la velocidad del viento. Ember obtiene sus datos horarios y mensuales de la Administración de Información Energética de Estados Unidos.

A nivel mundial, la generación eléctrica a partir de renovables está creciendo rápidamente. Las renovables se convertirán en la mayor fuente energética global y se usarán para casi 45% de la generación eléctrica para 2030, según la Agencia Internacional de Energía.

Trump ayuda a la maltrecha industria del carbón mientras recorta la solar y la eólica

La semana pasada, Trump anunció un plan para impulsar la maltrecha industria del carbón en Estados Unidos mediante un gasto de casi 700 millones de dólares para apoyar plantas eléctricas a carbón y exportaciones de carbón. Trump afirmó en un acto en la Casa Blanca que “el carbón es un gran negocio” y que “en términos de energía, realmente no hay nada como eso”.

Martin Pochtaruk, director general y fundador del fabricante de paneles solares Heliene, con sede en Canadá, dijo que Trump puede afirmar que el carbón está de vuelta, pero que los inversionistas pondrán su dinero en lo que ofrezca el mejor rendimiento. Y para la generación eléctrica, eso es la energía solar, lo que la convierte en el combustible de más rápido crecimiento, añadió.

Una portavoz de la Casa Blanca defendió las políticas energéticas generales del gobierno y sostuvo que estaban orientadas a fortalecer la seguridad del país.

"El Presidente ha revertido las devastadoras políticas de la izquierda, salvó a la industria del carbón estadounidense, evitó la retirada de más de 17 gigavatios de energía y salvó vidas durante periodos de mayor demanda”, afirmó Taylor Rogers en un comunicado.

Mientras Trump intenta revertir el declive de la industria del carbón, la energía solar ha sido la principal fuente de nueva generación durante cinco años, indicó SEIA. SEIA y Wood Mackenzie señalaron que la energía solar y el almacenamiento en baterías fueron prácticamente los únicos recursos energéticos que se construyeron en el primer trimestre, al representar 91% de toda la nueva capacidad de generación.

El gobierno de Trump ha cancelado proyectos solares y eólicos, ha implementado políticas que ralentizaron los permisos y el desarrollo de energía limpia y ha terminado con 7.000 millones de dólares en financiamiento destinados a proyectos de energía solar asequible en todo Estados Unidos.

“A medida que la demanda de energía se dispara, los ataques políticos y regulatorios están frenando exactamente los recursos de los que dependemos", apuntó en un comunicado Darren Van’t Hof, presidente interino y director general de SEIA. "Obstaculizar el único sector que está construyendo activamente nueva generación es una apuesta temeraria que sólo hará subir las facturas de electricidad”.

Varios grupos demandaron a la Agencia de Protección Ambiental por cancelar el programa Solar for All. Un tribunal de distrito desestimó el caso la semana pasada al citar falta de jurisdicción. Los demandantes tienen otra presentación pendiente ante el Tribunal Federal de Reclamaciones.

En un fallo del sábado, un juez federal anuló una guía del Servicio de Impuestos Internos que restringía los créditos fiscales para proyectos eólicos y solares.

Trump ha culpado a fuentes de energía renovable como la eólica y la solar por el aumento vertiginoso de los costos energéticos. Pero analistas del sector dicen que los incrementos recientes de precios se basan en el crecimiento de la demanda, el envejecimiento de la infraestructura y fenómenos meteorológicos cada vez más extremos que se agravan por el cambio climático. Más recientemente, la guerra en Irán que Trump inició también ha provocado un repunte de los costos energéticos.

Los principales estados solares votaron por Trump

Los estados ganados por Trump en las elecciones de 2024 representaron 74% de toda la capacidad solar instalada en el primer trimestre de 2026, y Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona y Mississippi se ubicaron entre los 10 principales estados por nuevas incorporaciones solares, indicó SEIA. Estados Unidos ahora supera un total de 6 millones de instalaciones en todo el país en todos los segmentos solares, lo que incluye grandes parques solares, infraestructura solar comercial, comunitaria y residencial o en azoteas.

Johanna Neumann, del Environment America Research and Policy Center, dijo que es “una buena noticia para nuestra salud y nuestro planeta que la energía solar siga creciendo”, y que además no es sorprendente.

“Hoy podemos aprovechar la energía solar de manera más asequible que cualquier otra fuente de energía. Es escalable", afirmó Neumann, directora sénior de la campaña del centro por 100% de energía renovable, afirmó. "Y también es nuestra fuente de energía renovable más abundante. Así que creo que es difícil ponerle freno a una buena idea, especialmente si la economía también se inclina a tu favor, como ocurre en el caso de la solar”.

El panel de control de energía renovable de Environment America muestra que 32 estados de Estados Unidos generaron el año pasado al menos 10% de sus ventas minoristas de electricidad a partir de energía solar, eólica y geotérmica, frente a 18 estados en 2016. La energía limpia en el sur está en auge, particularmente en Florida, Arkansas y Mississippi, dijo Neumann.

“Creo que existe una idea equivocada en Estados Unidos de que la energía limpia es algo para las costas y las ciudades progresistas”, comentó. “La verdadera historia de la energía renovable es una historia de 50 estados”.

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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.

Omar Artan was set to be the first referee from Somalia to officiate at a World Cup after making FIFA’s final list for the tournament. He is one of Africa’s top referees and was named the continent’s best male referee in 2025.

He was denied entry at Miami International Airport on Saturday over “vetting concerns,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement without giving details of those concerns. FIFA subsequently cut him from the tournament's referee list.

Artan was issued a visa to travel to the U.S. last week, according to the Somalia Embassy in Kenya that processed it. U.S. is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada, and Artan was due to meet up with other World Cup referees at their training base in Miami.

He returned to a hero’s welcome at the airport in Mogadishu, where he thanked the Somali government and people as well as FIFA for their support for him.

“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he said as hundreds of supporters at the airport waved the Somali flag. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”

The U.S.'s highly unusual move to deny a FIFA-appointed match official permission to enter a World Cup host country drew outrage across the world and raised questions among some fans about America's capacity to host the competition.

Somalia is one of nearly 40 countries subject to new travel restrictions under the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration.

Hundreds of supporters, government officials and members of Somalia’s football community gathered hours before Artan arrived at Aden Adde International Airport at about 8:30 a.m. local time.

As Artan disembarked, supporters waving Somali flags crowded around him before draping him in the flag.

He was then escorted by police officers to the airport’s VIP terminal, where he was welcomed by Somalia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, officials from the Somalia Football Federation and other dignitaries and spoke to press.

“It is up to all of us to defend the Somali name,” Artan said. “Somalia belongs to us, whether it is in a bad state or a good state. That flag belongs to us, and that passport belongs to us.”

In a country where decades of war and the rise of the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group has limited the potential of many, Artan's denial brought disappointment to many but reminded some in the country about what is possible if they chase their dreams.

Artan's expected milestone at this year's World Cup “stands no matter what,” the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote Tuesday on X. “You reached the summit of your profession and inspired a generation back home just by getting there, and being kept off the pitch you earned doesn’t change that,” he added.

The massive blaze engulfed seven apartment buildings and killed 168 people on Nov. 26, 2025. Former residents and relatives of the dead have been waiting for answers for months after the fire shattered the close-knit community of Wang Fuk Court, which housed thousands of people in the suburban district of Tai Po.

In a statement on Wednesday, authorities said police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption charged the suspects with 25 counts. Money laundering, attempting to pervert the course of public justice and tax evasion were also among the allegations.

The seven people played different roles in the major renovation project of Wang Fuk Court. The two companies charged are the project consultancy firm, Will Power Architects Company, and Prestige Construction & Engineering Co., the main contractor involved in the project.

The seven defendants, Wong Hap-yin, Hau Wa-kin, Ho Kin-yip, Ng Yeuk, Hung Kwok-wai, Chung So-fan and Lin Min, were brought to court Wednesday afternoon. Authorities said they included directors of the two companies and a registered inspector of Will Power.

The defendants told the court that they understood the charges, and most appeared calm.

In March, police said they arrested 38 people on accusations related to the fire, including manslaughter and fraud. Nine have been charged, police said. The anti-graft agency said in the same month that they also arrested 23 people on suspicion of offenses such as bribery and conspiracy to defraud.

Victor Dawes, a lawyer representing an independent committee conducting an ongoing inquiry into the fire’s cause, previously said almost all fire safety systems failed on the day of the blaze because of human error.

Mexico, which is jointly hosting the soccer tournament with the U.S. and Canada, is slated to kick off festivities with an inauguration and opening match Thursday in a star-studded event that will set the tone for the rest of the competition.

The World Cup comes at a time when Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is walking a political tightrope, navigating a deteriorating relationship with the U.S. in the lead-up to July trade negotiations, political scandals and security concerns following a burst of violence in a host city in February.

Pressure has only continued to mount as guests flood into Mexico City, and the government has faced a crescendo of criticisms by protesters and residents who say authorities have prioritized the competition over pressing social needs in the Latin American nation.

“Mexico wants to project an image to the world that doesn’t exactly square with reality,” said Carlos Pérez Ricart, a Mexican political analyst at the Mexican Center for Research and Economic Education. “The World Cup is putting the president in a vulnerable situation … The government is under extreme pressure.”

World Cup celebrations kick off

FIFA's logo, bright orange Mexican marigold flowers, giant soccer balls and other sports decorations line streets across Mexico’s capital and the two other host cities, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Soccer fans buzzed with excitement as they strolled through Mexico City's streets, snapping photos in front of the most famous monuments while donning their teams’ colors.

The sporting competition is expected to bring in $3 billion for hotels, restaurants and sports venues, according to the Mexican Soccer Federation.

The Thursday inauguration and opening match, where Mexico will face off against South Africa, are expected to draw more eyes than much of the competition, with Colombian superstar Shakira and a slate of others scheduled to perform.

If all goes off without a hitch, it will be a feather in Sheinbaum's cap, said Pérez Ricart, showing the world that Mexico is “modern and capable of organizing high impact events.”

Protests mount in Mexico City

For months, Mexican authorities have fortified security in an effort to offset concerns, following several days of violence that paralyzed World Cup host city Guadalajara in February.

More than 100,000 soldiers, sailors, National Guard members and police officers are expected to be deployed across the three cities holding matches, yet simmering social tensions that have been growing for weeks have posed the greatest obstacle, particularly in Mexico City.

Critics in Mexico have said that the government has spent too much money and time catering to international visitors at the expense of residents.

For more than a week, the country’s teacher’s union has blockaded roads and toppled World Cup statues in an annual push to win better working conditions. Families of Mexico’s more than 130,000 missing people have hung flyers of their disappeared loved ones and said that authorities should focus their energies on addressing humanitarian crises ravaging other parts of Mexico.

"We’re not against the ball game,” said Luis Antonio Rosales Narváez, a protest organizer. But “they should be investing in education ... not giving the city a makeover.”

On Tuesday, Sheinbaum brushed off criticisms and denied that there was any social unrest ahead of the tournament.

The political opposition “wants to give the impression that there is chaos, that there are problems, right in the middle of an international event we’ve been preparing for a long time,” Sheinbaum said in her morning press briefing on Tuesday.

Police have largely blocked major protests from taking over main plazas and the area outside of the stadium, but it remained unclear what would happen the day the games kick off and during the month of games that follow.

Excitement clashes with criticism

Airports across the Americas were filled with fans who had doled out money to follow their teams. Panama City's airport — one of the main gateways between North and South America — was a sea of multicolored jerseys from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, Germany and more.

“This year we’re defending the title, and we’ll follow Argentina to the ends of the earth,” shouted Emilio Sosa, a 29-year-old from Buenos Aires on his way to Los Angeles.

David Botero, a 43-year-old Colombian, planned his vacation around the World Cup, and was traveling to Mexico City with his family to watch Colombia’s opening match on June 17 against Uzbekistan after changing their plans to dodge higher prices in Miami.

“What matters is that we’ll get to see our team up close," Botero said.

Others, like 66-year-old Dr. Jose Luis Muñoz, struck a more skeptical tone as he read and smoked a cigarette next to a park in downtown Mexico City that once teemed with street vendors, since cleared out by authorities in an effort to clean up the streets.

Muñoz said some of his fondest memories were taking his 8-, 12- and 14-year-old children to games during Mexico’s 1986 World Cup and celebrating their home team as it was on a winning streak.

“I was so excited, and that joy I passed on to my children,” he said.

This year, though, he was priced out from attending games, where tickets cost hundreds of dollars.

“The prices are sky-high. Many people aren’t going to be able to go unless they’re foreigners with a lot of money,” Muñoz said. “It feels very discriminatory."

Still, he added, he will root for Mexico's national team from home with his children and grandchildren.

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Associated Press journalists Nayara Batschke and María Verza contributed to this report from Mexico City.

A safety officer blew his whistle and others screamed to warn about 30 firefighters and coast guard personnel to dash to safety as concrete debris crashed down from the leaning three-story building in General Santos city in a frantic scene witnessed by an AP video journalist.

The coastal city, a bustling commercial hub and the country’s tuna capital, was devastated by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Monday and left a trail of destruction across southern Mindanao, the Philippines' second-most populous region.

“It was a strong aftershock and an alarm was immediately sounded so those inside and under the damaged building can run out for a headcount,” said Ressa Mia Tactaquin-Betoya, who speaks for the firefighters searching for the last employee missing in the ruined grocery, where two upper floors collapsed during the initial quake.

“It was scary because we don’t want our rescuers to be harmed so the area must be secured before they can go back in,” she told The Associated Press.

The earthquake has been followed by more than 2,100 aftershocks including a few that ranged up to 6.4 magnitude, which is strong enough to cause more casualties and damage, according to Teresito Bacolcol, who heads the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

More than 25,000 people remain displaced, many of them staying in 45 government-run emergency shelters and still too traumatized to return home, officials said.

Monday's quake was one of the most powerful to hit the Philippines in a half century. It injured at least 630 people and damaged more than 3,100 houses, 29 roads, 11 bridges and more than 100 government buildings.

It also damaged the international airport in General Santos, forcing it to shut down indefinitely except for government and military flights transporting aid and disaster-response personnel, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines spokesperson Eric Apolonio said.

About 6,000 public school buildings in quake-hit provinces must be assessed before classes can resume. The quake struck on the first day of classes nationwide after a two-month summer break, and many who sustained injuries were young students who had gathered with excitement for morning flag-raising ceremonies.

Most of the deaths were caused by falling debris from collapsed buildings and landslides in General Santos and the nearby provinces of Sarangani, South Cotabato and Davao Occidental.

At least one person died after being swept out to sea following the quake, as waves up to 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) above tide level were measured in the southern Philippines. Smaller waves washed ashore in Indonesia and Palau and as far away as southern Japan before tsunami warnings were lifted.

Seven swimmers near General Santos were swept away by strong currents in the minutes after the quake. Three were rescued by the coast guard, one managed to swim back to shore, one drowned and two remain missing, the Philippine coast guard said.

The strong currents that swept away the victims were most likely set off by the earthquake, Bacolcol said.

The earthquake was set off by movement in the Cotabato Trench and was one of the strongest to hit the country since the same undersea depression triggered an 8.1-magnitude quake that whipped up tsunami waves on Aug. 17, 1976 and killed about 8,000 people.

The Philippines, one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, is often hit by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of seismic faults around the ocean.

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Associated Press journalists Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines and Haruka Nuga in Bangkok contributed to this report.

The mass shooting shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday in an informal settlement in the Cleveland suburb of Johannesburg had the hallmarks of organized crime gangs vying for control of illegal mining or other activities, though police said the motive was still under investigation.

Police said the shooters were dropped off at the settlement in a minibus “and moved through the area, opening fire on residents and community members at multiple locations before fleeing the scene in the same vehicle.”

The victims were nine men and three women, according to police. Eleven died at the scene and another victim died in the hospital.

A search was launched for the suspects and no arrests had been made, police said.

Informal settlements in South Africa are unplanned residential areas that are common in and around big cities where people looking for housing live in shacks or other makeshift structures.

Ambulances were on the scene on Wednesday morning to carry away the bodies of victims, while some community members huddled in groups on the streets.

South Africa has seen several high-profile mass shootings recently, including two in December that killed more than 20 people. One of those attacks also involved multiple shooters.

Mass shootings in South Africa are often connected to criminal gangs. In Johannesburg, violent gangs are involved in illicit mining in and around a city that has large gold reserves and many mines that have been abandoned by companies. Gangs establish operations in those mines to search for leftover deposits for the illicit trade.

They are renowned for fighting violent turf wars with rival gangs or other killings to try and reinforce their control of areas.

Cleveland is a suburb connected to illegal mining activity, a local council member said, though he added there were also other problems in the area including tensions over land between different parts of the local community and it was not certain illegal mining gangs were responsible for the killings.

“There are a lot of moving parts here so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what is driving the issues,” council member Neuren Pietersen said in an interview with the eNCA TV station at the scene.

Police deployed specialist crime intelligence officers to the scene, according to police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe. Provincial police commissioner Tommy Mthombeni said the attackers were “heartless” but refused to link the killings to illegal mining until the investigation was complete.

South Africa has extremely high violent crime rates, with the country recording more than 23,000 homicides in the last financial year, according to official crime statistics, an average of more than 60 a day.

The phenomenon of illicit mining in Johannesburg and surrounding areas was one of the concerns that prompted the government in March to deploy the army to certain high-risk areas in a yearlong operation to stop violence linked to organized crime.

That move by the government was seen as an admission that police were losing the battle in some parts of the country where violent criminal gangs operate.

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Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

Oil prices wavered after the U.S. military launched attacks against Iran following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that President Donald Trump blamed on Tehran.

The latest flaring of fighting again dimmed hopes for progress toward a permanent end to the war, which has lasted more than three months and roiled markets already wavering from spates of heavy selling of stocks in companies linked to the boom in artificial intelligence.

With prospects for fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz in doubt, oil prices resumed their climb after rising and then falling earlier in the day.

Brent crude, the international standard, gained 0.4% to $91.78 per barrel. It was trading at approximately $70 a barrel before the war began in late February.

Benchmark U.S. crude was 0.1% higher at $88.31 per barrel.

“The situation remains highly volatile,” ING commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a Wednesday note. “This once again demonstrates the difficulty Iran and the U.S. face in working toward a sustainable ceasefire that allows for the free flow of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.”

They noted that demand tends to be strong in the early summer, adding to upward pressure on prices.

The future for the S&P 500 declined 0.6% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was 0.5% lower.

Britain’s FTSE 100 edged 0.1% lower to 10,223.39. Germany’s DAX shed 0.3% to 24,368.28, while France’s CAC 40 rose less than 0.1% to 8,210.03.

South Korea’s Kospi gave up 4.5%, to 7,730.82, after surging the day before. Samsung Electronics, which makes memory and logic chips and is the country's most valuable company, sank 6.1%. Shares of chipmaker SK Hynix tumbled 7.5%.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 dropped 1.9% to 64,179.27, after data showed Japan’s producer price index, a measure for prices at the wholesale level, rose 6.3% in May from a year before. That's the fastest pace in more than three years.

Shares of technology and telecommunications giant SoftBank Group, which has a strong AI focus, lost 8.3%. Chip equipment maker Advantest lost 4.2%, but Tokyo Electron advanced 3.2%.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 0.6% to 24,407.96, while the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.4% to 3,993.23. Official data released Wednesday showed that China’s producer prices rose to nearly a four-year high of 3.9% in May compared with a year earlier.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.6% higher to 8,653.30.

Taiwan’s Taiex was 3.3% lower, while India’s Sensex climbed 0.8%.

On Tuesday, Wall Street’s benchmark S&P 500 fell 0.3% to 7,386.65. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2% to 50,872.11, and the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite dropped 1% to 25,678.82.

U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology went from an early 4% gain to a 10% drop before closing 1.4% lower. Shares of Marvell Technology sank 7.6%, and AMD sank 3%.

Investors are also monitoring updates on U.S. inflation that are set for this week as the Iran war is driving up global energy prices.

In other dealings early Wednesday, the U.S. dollar rose to 160.40 Japanese yen from 160.36 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1552, up from $1.1543.

The deal struck between the Directors Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers came four weeks after talks began.

The talks were the first under new DGA President Christopher Nolan, who took the job in September.

Along with similar four-year deals — longer than the industry three — ratified in recent weeks by unions representing writers and actors, the DGA agreement adds to the likelihood of long-term labor peace despite many other industry upheavals.

The collective bargaining agreement must still be approved by the guild’s national board, and no details on the terms will be released until then, the DGA said in a statement. It then must be ratified by the guild membership. But tentative agreements generally win approval at both stages.

The directors' previous contract had been set to expire June 30.

The AMPTP said in a statement that it was pleased to help achieve “a fair deal that helps advance a stable and successful entertainment industry.”

Video taken by a motorist shows the wooden cross engulfed in bright orange flames as it leans against a tree in Grant Park, a popular area near Lake Michigan. The Chicago Fire Department confirmed the flaming object was a cross, and said officials put out the fire.

Chicago Police said there were no reports of injuries and that they are investigating the motive and circumstances around the “object on fire."

Keinika Carlton, 43, was driving home from running errands with her daughter and mother-in-law when they saw the cross on fire. She said she felt a combination of shock, sadness, disgust, as well as curiosity.

“Is this a racial thing? Is this a religious thing?" she said. “As Black women, of course, our first thought is racial, because burning crosses are known to be used as a tactic, an act of violence toward Black Americans in the South.”

Carlton estimated the cross was at least 6 feet (1.83 meters) tall. The experience was new to all of them, including Carlton's mother-in-law, who grew up in Kentucky.

Carlton said as they slowed down to shoot a video of the flames, she saw around her other cars slowing down and people walking nearby, staring at the cross burning.

While the motive behind the burning cross was not immediately clear, cross burnings in the U.S. have historically been seen as “symbols of hate” that are “inextricably intertwined with the history of the Ku Klux Klan,” according to a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision written by the late Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The justices ruled that the First Amendment allows bans on cross burnings only when they are intended to intimidate because the action “is a particularly virulent form of intimidation.”

Alyna Carlton, 22, said she never thought she would see something like that in her lifetime.

“It kind of really opened my eyes, had me realize that I’m not that far removed from the past.”

Josep Turull, the Catalan rector of the Sagrada Familia and the priest in charge of its parish activities, recently granted The Associated Press a private tour to show off his favorite gems ahead of Pope Leo XIV's highly anticipated Mass on Wednesday night.

“We say that one of the elements of the Sagrada Familia Basilica is that you never exhaust it,” Turull said. “I have spent the last eight years as its rector, and each day I discover something new.”

1. Enigmas are engraved in the façades

Each morning, Turull approaches the basilica's elaborately decorated façades. They are packed with an abundance of religious scenes and symbols, some easy to interpret for anyone with a basic understanding of Christianity, while others are mysterious and even shocking to see in a church.

The westward-looking Façade of the Passion is stark, its figures tormented, their bodies strained in angular poses. That was how architect Antoni Gaudí wanted it — “harsh and cruel, as if made of bones,” to show the pain and torment of Christ’s final days.

Decades after Gaudí's own death, sculptor Josep Subirachs tempered the façade's misery with some playful elements. There's Gaudí himself, above the central door, staring across at Jesus carrying his cross to Calvary. And what's that suduko-like numbered grid next to Judas kissing Jesus before his betrayal?

The “magic square” symbolizes the inevitability of Christ's death; adding the numbers in any direction always produces 33, Jesus's age at his crucifixion.

Another puzzle awaits the patient eye that drifts across to the scene of Peter denying Christ: a small, square-shaped labyrinth. Turull said that it alludes to the need to keep faith in God when we feel lost.

2. The tower tops hold cornucopias and real birds of prey

After celebrating Mass, Leo will step outside to offer a blessing for the Tower of Jesus Christ that made the Sagrada Familia the world’s tallest church when it was raised in October.

The basilica's heights are bursting with nature, from the rooster who crowed while Peter denied Christ to reptiles doing the job of gargoyles, and piles of fruit that crown its spires.

There are also flesh-and-blood beasts; a family of peregrine falcons nest in the tower dedicated to St. James, keeping away pigeons and, more importantly, their excrement.

Gaudí's masterpiece was chosen as one of the ideal spots to reintroduce the species, as it was one of the last locations in town where these birds nested before disappearing during the 1970s. The falcons have been breeding successfully at the basilica for over two decades.

Turull said that these lightning-fast birds of prey “recover the cycle of natural life.”

3. The tour goes underground to find Gaudí's crypt

For the millions of annual visitors who admire the colored light filtering through the basilica's stained-glass windows, jostle for position to snap selfies and huddle around tour guides, it is easy to overlook what Turull calls its “spiritual heart." That requires going through a modest side entrance and descending a staircase.

Underground is a much smaller, more intimate chapel, where dozens of worshippers silently attend Mass and faith manages to keep sightseeing at bay.

Fittingly, it is here where Gaudí, a fervent Catholic, rests in a discreet tomb set inside a nook. He died exactly 100 years ago after being hit by a streetcar.

“People come to ask for his intercession,” Turull said, gesturing to the tomb interred in the floor. “That’s why there are so many candles. Because people place their trust in him. Many people have received favors for having prayed at the tomb of Gaudí.”

The Vatican is in the midst of a decades-long process that could eventually make Gaudí a saint. After Pope Francis named Gaudí “venerable” in 2025, the Vatican must now confirm a miracle attributed to his intercession for him to be beatified, then a second miracle for him to be canonized.

The basilica has proposed that the pope pray at Gaudí’s tomb during his visit, but whether he does remains to be seen.

4. A seashell for holy water

Before ascending, Turull pauses at an enormous seashell — a real one, not made of stone — that serves as a basin for holy water. He said that Gaudí had the seashell from the Philippines set in wrought iron and fixed to the column.

“Gaudí always takes nature as an example,” Turull said, referencing the way the natural world inspired his designs and decorations.

5. A changing room fit for a pope

Up a twisting staircase, a private room bathed in sunlight houses two freestanding oak cabinets laced with intricate ironwork. Designed by Gaudí, they hold the basilica’s most precious relics and most important clerical clothing. Among them is Pope Benedict XVI's chasuble — a cloak that clergy wear when celebrating Mass — from when he consecrated the Sagrada Familia in 2010.

This is where Pope Leo will change into a chasuble that is being sewn at a workshop just for this occasion.

Turull said the vestment will feature details symbolizing the day’s importance and a design related to the basilica's recently raised Cross of Jesus Christ. But he won't say anything more for now; some things need to stay secret.

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AP videojournalist Hernán Muñoz contributed to this report.

He and his wife now live among shards of memory: a bicycle where his bedroom stood; the garden where he planted tomatoes as a boy; a portrait of his late mother painted on a wall, based on a photograph lost in the demolition. Their mobile home, set up amid the rubble, is also marked for removal.

They are “trying to erase my memories, my childhood, my history,” he said, wiping away tears.

For decades, Israel has worked to expand the Jewish presence in annexed east Jerusalem — the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and home to major Jewish, Christian and Muslim sites. Settlers have exploited discriminatory policies and archaeological claims to evict Palestinians far from the region's war zones.

Activists say those efforts have gone into overdrive in recent years, as Israel is no longer constrained by U.S. pressure and attention has shifted to Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.

Over 260 homes and other structures were demolished in 2025, a 70% increase from three years earlier, with some neighborhoods seeing the most evictions in decades, according to Ir Amim, an Israeli anti-settlement group that closely tracks such policies. There have been at least 116 demolitions so far this year, it said.

It’s “an intensity and scope that we have never seen,” said Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at Ir Amim. “Israel can decide, yes, this neighborhood, we want to erase it … No one is going to stop us.”

Israeli government supports settlement growth

Israel captured east Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza, in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want all three territories for their future state, and the U.N. and much of the international community consider them to be illegally occupied.

Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its unified capital and says residents are treated equally by law.

Palestinians in annexed east Jerusalem are eligible for Israeli citizenship, but unlike Jews, they must apply for it — a long, uncertain process. Most choose not to because it would recognize Israel’s claims to the city. That leaves them with few ways to challenge housing policy, largely set by Israel’s Parliament.

Rights activists say that in addition to supporting the development of major Jewish settlements — which many Israelis view as ordinary neighborhoods — authorities have severely limited the growth of Palestinian neighborhoods, making it virtually impossible to obtain housing permits.

Last year, nearly 9,000 permits were approved for Jerusalem’s Jewish residents and fewer than 700 for Palestinians, according to Bimkom, an Israeli rights group. Palestinians make up some 40% of Jerusalem's population and are concentrated in the east.

Israeli officials say the discrepancy exists because Palestinians rarely apply for permits. Many Palestinians say it’s futile.

When Palestinians build without permits, they face the threat of demolition. Settler groups meanwhile exploit an array of laws to purchase or take over Palestinian properties.

Previous U.S. administrations have pressed Israel to slow or suspend settlement projects, viewing them as an obstacle to resolving the conflict. U.S. President Donald Trump broke with that tradition in his first term, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that it's up to Israeli authorities to set policy in Jerusalem, and that it expects them to respect due process and the rule of law.

The neighborhood is near major religious sites

Abu Diab's neighborhood, al-Bustan, extends through a valley just outside the Old City, with the dome of the Al-Aqsa Mosque visible above the towering walls. Named for the orchards that once grew there, the neighborhood is now a crowded jumble of low concrete blocks and demolition sites.

It's part of the larger district of Silwan, home to some 20,000 Palestinians and coveted by settlers because it is near major religious and archaeological sites. The mosque is the third holiest in Islam, and the hilltop where it stands is the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount because it was where the two Jewish temples stood in antiquity.

The Jerusalem municipality said the homes in al-Bustan are being demolished because they were built without permits in areas not zoned for housing. A park and public parking lot will be established there for the benefit of all residents, it said in a statement.

The municipality said it put forward plans for alternative housing in the neighborhood but that residents did not show “serious intentions” to reach an agreement.

Abu Diab has been battling demolition orders in court since 2004. Part of his home was built before 1967, but his growing family expanded it without permits because it was impossible to get them, he said.

In February 2024, police gave him and his wife minutes to pack before demolishing their home. Since then, they have lived in the mobile home, their suitcases packed.

They are among some 1,500 Palestinians in al-Bustan whose homes could be demolished at any time.

Settlers move in as Palestinians are evicted

A short distance away, in the congested Batan al-Hawah neighborhood, settlers are moving in as Palestinians are evicted.

Zuhair al-Rajabi and dozens of his extended family were ordered out in January, when Israel's Supreme Court ruled against them after more than a decade of legal action.

Thumbing through papers in his living room, he pulled out a document from 1966 saying the property is his. He says he has to leave by July but has nowhere to go, as rents are high in Jerusalem. “The problem, in short, is that they don’t want us here,” he said.

March marked the highest rate of state-led evictions in the neighborhood in decades, with 15 families forced out and hundreds more people at risk, according to B'Tselem, an Israeli rights group.

Israeli laws allow settlers to reclaim properties that were owned by other Jews before the 1948 war surrounding Israel's creation. Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes in what is now Israel during that conflict are barred from returning. Authorities have also transferred state-held land to settler groups.

The Batan al-Hawah evictions show “the cooperation between settler organizations and state institutions, based on discriminatory laws, toward a shared goal — the Judaization of east Jerusalem and the replacement of Palestinian residents with Israeli settlers,” said Yair Dvir, a spokesperson for B’Tselem.

The Israeli judiciary, in a statement, said courts rule on the merits of each case based on the circumstances, applicable law and established precedent, and denied colluding with private organizations.

Daniel Luria, the executive director of Ateret Cohanim, one of the main settler organizations in east Jerusalem, said it was working to correct a “monumental historical injustice” by helping Jews to return to what had been a Yemenite and Sephardic Jewish neighborhood up until the early 20th century, when he says they were expelled by Arabs and then again by the British.

Since 2004, around 50 Jewish families have moved into the neighborhood and more are eager to join them, he said. “There's never going to be a Palestinian state,” he added.

An Israeli flag waves above the home where Khalil Basbous was evicted in January. The 68-year-old moved into a relative's house around the corner but walks past his former home every day.

“It’s mine,” he said, wiping tears from his face and softly touching an olive tree he had planted by the door. “I have no doubt that I will return.”

After recovering from a muscle injury, the captain of the reigning world champions played 20 minutes and scored a penalty in Argentina’s 3-0 victory over Iceland on Tuesday in its final tune-up match before the World Cup.

Messi, recovered from muscle fatigue and a slight strain in his left hamstring that he suffered in his last appearance with Inter Miami on May 24, started the game from the bench.

Just days before his 39th birthday and his sixth World Cup, Messi came on in the 70th minute and he scored a penalty kick after Lautaro Martínez was fouled inside the area.

Messi, the all-time top scorer for the Argentine national team with 117 goals, converted the penalty with a high left-footed shot in the 72nd minute.

Argentina, seeking its fourth World Cup title after those won in 1978, 1986, and 2022, will open its tournament against Algeria on June 16 in Kansas City in Group J, which also includes Austria and Jordan.

It was the second match between the two nations. The first one was at the 2018 World Cup, when the European side managed a 1-1 draw in which Messi missed a penalty.

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

Members of the House Oversight Committee are slated to interview the billionaire Microsoft co-founder behind closed doors, as they have done with other witnesses in the investigation. Transcripts are often released later.

Republican U.S. Rep. James Comer, the committee chairman, formally requested that Gates testify after he appeared multiple times in a trove of documents released by the Justice Department as part of its Epstein probe.

The files read like a who’s who of powerful men across tech, finance, politics and other industries. All have denied involvement in Epstein’s crimes, but some maintained or formed friendships with him even after his history of sexual abuse came to light.

Included in the files are calendar entries for meetings between Gates and Epstein, email correspondence between the two about philanthropic projects and photos of Gates at events that Epstein also attended.

Their professional relationship began in 2011, three years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor, and lasted until at least late 2014, according to the documents.

Epstein was federally indicted in July 2019 on charges of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. The Justice Department alleged that Epstein formed a vast network of underage girls, some as young as 14, for him to sexually abuse between 2002 and 2005. He died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial.

Gates, who chairs the Gates Foundation, has not been accused of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and has denied any knowledge of Epstein’s abuse of girls. He has said they met only to discuss philanthropy and has called his association with Epstein “a huge mistake.”

Both Gates and his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates, have said his association with Epstein created tension in their marriage.

The foundation acknowledged in February that a small number of employees had met with Epstein based on his “claims that he could mobilize significant philanthropic resources for global health.” They never created a charitable fund together, and the foundation made no payments to Epstein.

Foundation CEO Mark Suzman commissioned an external review in March to examine its past engagement with Epstein.

At another closed-door deposition in February, former President Bill Clinton faced more than six hours of questioning from lawmakers about his association with Epstein more than two decades ago. Epstein had visited the White House several times during Clinton’s presidency, and Clinton flew occasionally on Epstein's private jet.

The former Democratic president said he had seen no signs of Epstein’s sexual abuse and stopped associating with him long before Epstein's 2008 guilty plea. Clinton has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.

Democrats on the House committee have pushed for testimony from President Donald Trump, a Republican who had his own relationship with Epstein. Republicans have said they have not come across any evidence that Trump did anything wrong during his well-documented friendship with Epstein.

___

Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City.

The five firms represented or performed work involving 98 former players who in recent years sought six- to seven-figure payouts from the settlement for Parkinson’s disease claims, the special masters appointed to help oversee the settlement wrote in a report filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.

Of those, 37 remained pending and will now be denied, with a chance for the players to restart the claims process. But 57 were approved — totaling more than $95 million — before tips about suspicious activity prompted an audit. The attorneys' share of that came out to about $20 million, the report said, and additional firms may have been involved in similar actions.

The report called it “an organized scheme ... in which these law firms — and potentially others — circumvented the Settlement’s anti-fraud safeguards and laundered questionable Parkinson’s Disease diagnoses into payable claims.”

According to the report, the attorneys involved included Bart Oates, a former three-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers who earned his law degree while still playing in the NFL. Oates did not immediately return a message left by The Associated Press on his law firm voicemail seeking comment.

NFL fund meant to last for 65 years

The NFL in 2013 agreed to establish the fund, meant to last for 65 years, to settle class-action allegations that it long hid what it knew about the neurological risks of playing after concussions. The plan offers retired players baseline testing and compensation of up to $5 million for the most serious illnesses linked to football concussions, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and deaths involving chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.

The league has previously expressed concerns about doctor-shopping or other fraud in the disbursement of the money, while some attorneys representing players have accused the league of throwing up roadblocks for players seeking payment. A judge in 2019 terminated three of the four lawyers serving as class counsel after they objected to restrictions on geographical restrictions on the doctors who can evaluate retired players for dementia and other brain injuries.

“The NFL remains committed to ensuring that players and their families receive the benefits they deserve, and any misconduct threatens the integrity of the Settlement and the prompt payment of legitimate claims," league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement to the AP. “We are pleased with the Special Masters’ Decision, which sends a clear message that fraud in the NFL Concussion Settlement Program will not be tolerated.”

Under the settlement, only doctors contracted with the claims program are allowed to render qualifying diagnoses; those doctors must be board-certified, have expertise in neurology, and comply with anti-influence rules designed to prevent fraud or kickbacks.

Law firms recruited retired players

The report said that the law firms circumvented that requirement by recruiting retired players as clients and sending them to unapproved doctors who diagnosed them with Parkinson's and prescribed them a drug that suppresses the symptoms.

At one point, retired players waited in a hotel lobby in Dallas to meet with a traveling doctor who had rented a suite for the purpose of examining them for Parkinson’s, the report said. Another unapproved doctor used by the firms was neither board-certified nor known to be a movement disorders specialist, but even if he were, he would have been ineligible due to past bankruptcy, tax liens and civil judgments, it said.

After the diagnosis and prescription from an unapproved doctor, the law firms sent the clients to approved ones — who were hamstrung in making a decision about whether the former player had the disease, because the player was already on medication to suppress the symptoms, the report said. The approved doctors typically could rely only on the past medical history: the prior diagnosis and current prescription.

The report identified the law firms involved as Douglas Grossinger, Attorney at Law; Feder Law, LLC; Pro Athlete Law Firm, P.A.; Syme Law, PLLC; and Reppert Oates & Vytell, LLC. It said the practice began with Grossinger, who then recruited other attorneys to submit claims for him so as to avoid raising suspicion for submitting so many Parkinson's claims.

Oates did not farm out claims to other attorneys, but he engaged in a similar practice with diagnoses, the report said, with informants telling auditors that he “cold-called Retired NFL Players, promising a Diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease” if the players switched from another law firm to his.

“By structuring their clients’ evaluations in this way, Mr. Grossinger and ROV deliberately put (approved) Physicians in a position where they had little choice but to defer to manufactured outside records,” the report said.

Grossinger, a New York-licensed attorney, declined to comment on the record when contacted by the AP. Pennsylvania-based Fred Feder said in a text message he would not make any statement without first consulting his lawyer. The AP could not immediately confirm contact information for Syme Law or Pro Athlete Law Firm.

___

Johnson reported from Seattle. AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.

But most people who responded instead weighed in to criticize the effort itself, according to an Associated Press analysis of 35,000 public comments submitted in the second half 2025 and recently made public through a lawsuit.

One visitor to a park in North Carolina called the administration’s efforts “un-American." Another derided the idea of “having Americans call in and snitch on each other.”

“Hey Donald Trump!” wrote a person in North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park, “Trying to erase history doesn’t mean it didn’t still happen!”

A large chunk — more than half, not even accounting for duplicative submissions — was a backlash to the effort itself, according to an Associated Press analysis.

What the Trump administration did

Some comments submitted in response to the administration’s solicitation flagged interpretive changes that officials might now seek to undo — and in dozens of cases already have, according to one group.

But considering that the National Park Service logged some 323 million visits at more than 400 sites last year, the 35,000 initial public comments received from June to January and released following a lawsuit was a tepid response.

An order by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last year targeted “inappropriate content” including any signs and exhibits "negative about either past or living Americans or that fail to emphasize the beauty, grandeur, and abundance of landscapes and other natural features.”

The order following one by President Donald Trump on “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" sought to emphasize the achievements of America and splendor of its landscape.

The goal, Burgum wrote, was to restore sites to “solemn and uplifting public monuments that remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage, consistent progress toward becoming a more perfect Union, and unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing.”

A watchdog group of librarians, public historians and data experts called Save Our Signs, relying on photo submissions and news reports, has documented at least 59 signs removed or modified.

They include signs referring to slavery, climate change, women’s rights and involvement in conservation and Native American history, said Jenny McBurney, a government publications librarian at the University of Minnesota who is part of the group.

“It seems to be anything that is sort of going against the ideology, this idea of America is perfect and can do no wrong, which of course we know is not true,” McBurney said.

Many of the changes were at Philadelphia's Independence National Historical Park, where the administration removed exhibits on the lives of nine people enslaved at the site in the 1790s under George Washington, the first U.S. president. Some of those exhibits were later restored under a judge's order before further work was halted after the administration appealed.

How visitors responded

More than half the comments showed signs of coordination and were critical of the effort itself. But many others were personally crafted.

The comments come to light as a result of a Sierra Club lawsuit seeking their release. Some commended the parks, including their staff and signage.

“We had a great time learning about the development of this site including the difficult parts of our American story,” wrote a visitor to Gateway Arch National Park in St. Louis. “We need those reminders to help us become even better in the future.”

Others veered into silliness: “Didn’t see any Bigfeets,” wrote a visitor to Washington’s North Cascades National Park.

A large portion, though, took aim at the administration.

“Trump’s idea of having Americans call in and snitch on each other ... is straight out of the fascist playbook he’s literally acting like Hitler or Mussolini,” wrote one visitor.

Some signage was flagged

Some visitors alerted what they saw as inappropriate references to historical figures, including Black leaders, related to race and inclusion philosophies.

A visitor to Missouri's Harry S. Truman National Historic Site flagged an installation they said praised the former president as a “founding father" of diversity, equity and inclusion and a “precursor” advocate of critical race theory, or a way of looking at U.S. history through the lens of racism.

"I came here to see his hat and maybe a piano, not to read about intersectionality and ‘equity frameworks.’ I nearly choked on my commemorative root beer," the visitor wrote.

Another complained that a sign at Virginia's Booker T. Washington National Monument described the Black leader as a “father of DEI and early architect of critical race theory.”

“This sign is blatantly misleading, politically loaded, and clearly designed to push a modern agenda by hijacking a respected historical figure. It’s like naming Paul Revere the first Uber driver because he got around fast,” the person said.

How the administration responded

The Trump administration has been vague about the changes it has made as a result of the program.

“In many cases across the system, flagged materials remain unchanged," an Interior spokesperson said in an emailed statement, while not answering questions about signs or exhibits that are or will be changed.

Other locations where signs have been removed or changed include Maine’s Acadia National Park, Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, New York City’s Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Virgin Islands National Park, according to Save Our Signs.

“We hear from folks all over the country that history matters, that our national parks matter and that this is important to them,” McBurney said.

___

Gruver reported from Fort Collins, Colorado. This story included reporting from Associated Press writer Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Data released Wednesday by global energy think tank Ember, along with a report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and analytics firm Wood Mackenzie, show the continued growth of solar and decline of coal in the United States despite federal policy. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more of the nation’s electricity than coal, or 12.8%, Ember said. Coal supplied 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever.

“For years solar power has risen in the U.S. electricity mix," said Nicolas Fulghum, senior energy and data analyst at Ember. "At the same time, coal power has lost its status, first as the largest source in the U.S. mix, and then gradually over the years has fallen even further.”

Solar also became the third-largest source of electricity in the U.S. in May, behind natural gas and nuclear, Fulghum said. Coal generation hit an all-time monthly low in April and rebounded only modestly in May, allowing increasing solar generation to overtake coal, he added.

Electricity is produced by converting sources of energy — fossil fuels, renewable resources and nuclear — into electrical power. Burning coal, oil and natural gas for electricity emits carbon dioxide, trapping heat in the atmosphere and warming the planet. By contrast, solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower and nuclear are carbon-free.

After about two decades of essentially flat electricity consumption in the U.S., electricity demand is increasing to power artificial intelligence, grow domestic manufacturing and electrify transportation and heating. Fulghum said he expects to see more months where solar exceeds coal generation, before overtaking it on an annual basis in a few years.

These milestones signify that solar “has staying power” at a time where there's less support for renewable energy at the federal level, he added.

Wind and solar combined have overtaken coal in the past, and wind power alone has outpaced coal during spring months when wind speeds pick up. Ember gets its hourly and monthly data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Globally, electricity generation from renewables is growing rapidly. Renewables will become the largest global energy source, used for almost 45% of electricity generation by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency.

Trump helps the struggling US coal industry while curtailing solar and wind

Last week, Trump announced a plan to boost the struggling U.S. coal industry by spending nearly $700 million to support coal-fired power plants and coal exports. Trump said at a White House event that “coal’s a great business,” and that "in terms of power, there’s really nothing like it.”

Martin Pochtaruk, CEO and founder of Canadian-based solar panel manufacturer Heliene, said Trump can say that coal is coming back, but investors will invest their money in whatever brings the best return. And for power generation that is solar, making it the fastest-growing fuel, he added.

A White House spokeswoman defended the administration's overall energy policies, saying they were geared toward strengthening the country's security.

“The President has reversed the Left’s devastating policies, saved the American coal industry, prevented the retirement of more than 17 gigawatts of power, and saved lives during heightened demand periods," Taylor Rogers said in a statement.

While Trump is trying to reverse the coal industry's decline, solar has been the top source for new power for five years, SEIA said. SEIA and Wood Mackenzie said solar and battery storage were practically the only energy resources being built in the first quarter, making up 91% of all new generating capacity.

The Trump administration has canceled solar and wind projects, implemented policies that slowed clean energy permitting and development and terminated $7 billion in funding intended for affordable solar energy projects across the U.S.

“As power demand skyrockets, political and regulatory attacks are slowing down the exact resources we rely on,” Darren Van’t Hof, interim president and CEO of SEIA, said in a statement. “Impeding the only sector that is actively building new power is a reckless gamble that will only drive electricity bills higher.”

Several groups sued the Environmental Protection Agency over canceling the Solar for All program. A district court dismissed the case last week citing lack of jurisdiction. The plaintiffs have another filing pending in the Court of Federal Claims.

In a ruling Saturday, a federal judge struck down guidance from the Internal Revenue Service restricting tax credits for wind and solar projects.

Trump has blamed renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power for skyrocketing energy costs. But energy analysts say recent price hikes are based on growing demand, aging infrastructure and increasingly extreme weather events that are exacerbated by climate change. Most recently, the war in Iran that Trump launched has also led to a spike in energy costs.

Top states for solar voted for Trump

States won by Trump in the 2024 election accounted for 74% of all solar capacity installed in the first quarter of 2026, with Texas, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Arizona and Mississippi ranking among the top 10 states for new solar additions, SEIA said. The U.S. now exceeds a total of 6 million installations nationwide across all solar sectors, which includes large-scale solar arrays, commercial, community solar and residential or rooftop solar.

Johanna Neumann, at the Environment America Research and Policy Center, said it's “good news for our health and our planet that solar continues to grow,” and also, not surprising.

“Today we can harness solar more affordably than any other energy source. It’s scalable. And it’s also our most abundant renewable energy source,” said Neumann, senior director of the center's campaign for 100% renewable energy. “So I think it’s hard to keep the lid on a good idea, especially if the economics are tilting in your favor as well, which they are in the case of solar.”

Environment America's renewable energy dashboard shows that 32 U.S. states generated at least 10% of their retail electricity sales from solar, wind and geothermal energy last year, compared to 18 states in 2016. Clean energy in the South is booming, particularly in Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi, Neumann said.

“I think there is a misconception in the United States that clean energy is something for the coasts and liberal cities,” she said. “The true story of renewable energy is a 50-state story.”

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

With the World Cup about to kick off, security is heightened and there’s a zero-tolerance policy for drones over or near stadiums during the 78 matches in 11 U.S. cities.

Authorities have ratcheted up counter-drone measures used at the Super Bowl and other major events, while Congress has given law enforcement broader authority to electronically disable drones or shoot them down.

“The war in Ukraine has become a real-world testing ground for drone technology, and if there is one threat that keeps me up at night, it is from drones,” New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.

Taking the threat seriously

Congress just gave state and local law enforcement the green light to take control of a threatening drone or even shoot them down if needed in December, though the first option will be to disable them electronically and land them safely. Key federal agencies already had that power.

The Federal Aviation Administration will restrict the airspace around and over crowded stadiums for World Cup games and fan events — much like it has done for years around NFL and Major League Baseball games. Violators can face fines up to $100,000, see their drones confiscated and even face criminal charges for flying within three miles of one of the games. But those penalties likely wouldn’t deter a determined terrorist.

The FBI has spent the last seven years building up its capability to deal with drones by investing in the technology needed to quickly identify drones and take control of them, and authorities have been using that already at major events. The bureau also provided counter drone technology training this year to law enforcement in all World Cup host cities that taught them how to recognize dangerous drones and respond.

The military has also developed counter drone lasers like the ones used along the Mexican border earlier this year and other systems to shoot down drones, but the FBI is not planning to do that during the World Cup because of the dangers involved with the wreckage of a drone falling over a major city.

“If the drone is intercepted and it no longer flies, it’s going to fall. And as we say, no matter what you do, you can’t change the law of gravity,” said national security expert Hal Kempfer, who estimates that he has trained more than 30,000 law enforcement officers on counter-terrorism techniques.

‘Everybody’s a little behind'

The government has invested heavily in systems that should allow officers to take control of suspicious drones and land them safely or jam their signals, including handing out $250 million to help states prepare to protect World Cup matches and the big public events planned this summer to honor America's 250th birthday.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Congress at a recent hearing that federal officers have successfully dealt with drones over several recent events, including bringing down eight drones over a Formula 1 race in Miami and 12 that entered the no fly zone over the Masters golf tournament, but “everybody's a little behind” the rapidly evolving technology.

“Biggest concern I have is honestly with drones,” Mullin said. “I wouldn’t say a vulnerability, but it is, it is one of the areas that we are struggling with every single day.”

Drones are scary in the wrong hands

The FBI is taking a “zero-tolerance” approach to protecting the airspace around World Cup events. Devin Kowalski, an FBI assistant director in charge of the bureau’s Critical Incident Response Group, said the agency plans to treat all drones “like they could be a real-deal threat.” Other federal agencies, including Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard, will take the lead at several stadiums while the FBI protects three of them.

“When that drone comes into the TFR (Temporary Flight Restricted area), we’re handling it as if it’s something that could hurt people, and we’re aggressively locating its operator and conducting the logical investigation to determine the nature of the situation as well as to hold that person accountable,” Kowalksi said in an interview with The Associated Press.

ATF Director Rob Cekada said in an interview that the focus now is on protecting the World Cup, but the America 250 events, World Series, Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics aren’t far behind. “Then think about all the events in every communityin the country — high school and college games — that are a concern for our state and local partners. So we want to do what we can to help them as best as possible,” he said.

Derek Reisfield, who is the former president of one of the companies providing counter-drone technology to the host cities, said “this technology in the wrong hands is very scary.” and there are many around the globe who want to harm America.

“We have to assume that there’s somebody in Iran who’s spending every day thinking about how they can attack the United States on our home turf,” said Reisfield, who used to lead Ondas and now serves on the board of a Ukranian company called Swarmer that makes software that allows one person to control hundreds of drones.

Early detection could be key to stopping drones

Some of the technology could allow authorities to detect drones up to 25 miles out, which would provide more time to mitigate the threat, according to Matt Sloane, the co-founder of SkyfireAI. But it's possible that someone could sneak a drone up close to a stadium and launch it from less than mile away, which would leave little time to act.

And the systems designed to jam the signal from an operator or take control of a drone might not be effective if it is preprogrammed to crash into a stadium full of fans while carrying an explosive payload or if it is controlled over a fiber optic line.

The battlefield tactic that might pose the greatest threat would be sending a swarm of multiple drones to attack at the same time. Even with the best defenses, a few drones might sneak through to the target as Iran has been able to do with large numbers of its Shaheed drones. The U.S. military has an assortment of weapons to knock drones out of the sky, but Iran has still be able to hit targets across the Middle East.

But Sloane he feels like the government is doing what it can to be ready.

“The threat is real, certainly. But I do think that there’s a lot being done to prepare for it. To educate about it,” said Sloane, whose company has helped protect Super Bowls in the past. “And then we just need to tell everybody who’s just trying to take pretty pictures ‘Hey this is not the time. Keep your drone in the box.’”

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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker and Rebecca Santana contributed to this report.

Nine-year-olds rebounded to pre-pandemic reading scores and saw some recovery in math, according to data from a test taken regularly in the U.S. since the 1970s. The same recovery has not emerged for 13-year-olds, whose average scores in math and reading remain below pre-pandemic averages. In fact, the latest reading scores, from teens who took the test in 2024, are essentially the same level as they were when the test started in 1971.

Since the pandemic, schools and state policymakers have focused on overhauling instruction for elementary students, especially in implementing the “science of reading,” which teaches kids to read by understanding how letters form sounds. But recent test scores show educators should also focus more intensely on adolescent learners and turning around academic outcomes in middle school, said Lesley Muldoon, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board.

Indeed, the 13-year-olds who took the national test experienced the pandemic's disruption during formative elementary years of schooling. In a few years, they will have graduated — and they may still be behind.

“The 13-year-olds who took this assessment last year are headed to high school now or are already enrolled," she said. "Schools won’t have them much longer. We can’t hesitate or wait if we’re going to turn these trends around.”

What the test measures

Typically given every four years, the long-term trends assessment offers a snapshot into the academic skills of American students at ages 9 and 13. Roughly 31,000 students in public and private schools sat for the test in the 2024-2025 school year. Unlike the main Nation's Report Card test for fourth and eighth graders, which is updated regularly with new skills to reflect changing curricula, the long-term test has stayed largely the same since the 1970s.

American students' academic achievement was already declining when the pandemic hit. Test scores peaked around 2012, then started to fall, said Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics.

“We can clearly see that this isn’t just a pandemic story,” Soldner said.

The test results show younger kids are improving foundational skills, such as identifying facts in a simple news article or understanding basic multiplication and division. Seventy-one percent of 9-year-olds reached the benchmark in reading, and 84% reached that level in math, a few percentage points higher than in 2022.

Teenagers are tested on more advanced skills, such as making generalizations from a reading passage and comparing information from charts and graphs. Only 58% met the benchmark skill level in reading and 70% in math, with no statistically significant improvement from 2023.

Fewer students are reading for fun

Compounding the issue of stagnant literacy rates: Fewer students than ever are reading for fun.

Students who took the test also completed a survey. Only 14% of 13-year-olds said they read for fun every day, down from 27% in 2012 and a peak of 37% in 1992. Among 9-year-olds, 37% said they read for fun every day, a significant decline from 53% in 2012. Researchers have noted the decline in time spent reading corresponds with the rise of social media use on cellphones.

Still, younger children have shown an “incredibly encouraging” recovery academically in recent years, Soldner said. “Almost 50 years of progress has been eliminated” for 13-year-olds, he said.

The 13-year-olds who took the most recent test would have been in second or third grade during the first year of the pandemic. They would have returned to in-person learning in fourth or fifth grade and taken this national test in their last year or two of middle school.

In contrast, the 9-year-old group would have been entering kindergarten or first grade as the pandemic's most acute phase ended and schools reopened. Their second and third grade years would have been more reflective of typical in-person teaching.

Those experiences are dramatically different, Soldner said, as the older group would have missed foundational years in building literacy and computational skills in school.

While more recent declines in student outcomes are alarming, decades of test data show it's possible to change children's trajectories over time, said Mark Miller, an eighth grade math teacher and former member of the National Assessment Governing Board.

“We have made progress in the past, from the early '70s to 2012,” Miller said. "Can it be done again? Absolutely."

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

The next thing the reigning NL Cy Young winner knew, he was circling the parking lot, searching for a spot. Not long after, one of the brightest stars in the game was watching various Ingomar Little League teams practice.

The 24-year-old star tried to stay “incognito,” which is kind of hard to do in general when you're 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds and one of the brightest young stars in your sport. Soon enough, Skenes found his way onto the field in sandals, a T-shirt, and a pair of shorts, a sure sign that the typically well put-together Skenes hadn't planned on stopping in the first place.

Over the next two hours, he played catch, signed autographs, and remembered a time in his life when his relationship with the game was far simpler.

The impromptu practice went viral, as things tend to do when Skenes is involved. His girlfriend, former gymnast turned influencer and actress Livvy Dunne, s hared it on TikTok. A popular Pittsburgh DJ did the same on Instagram.

Skenes has learned to accept that attention comes with the territory, even when he's trying to avoid it.

“Should’ve worn some sunglasses and a fake moustache,” he joked.

Yes, Skenes is well aware of the core memory he created for the players at Ingomar Little League, about 20ish minutes north of PNC Park. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Garrett Anderson did the same for Skenes when the two briefly connected while Skenes was growing up in Southern California.

Yet just as importantly, with the Pirates in the midst of a losing streak that stretched to four after they were drilled 12-2 loss by Los Angeles on Tuesday — when the Dodgers exploded for 10 runs in the seventh immediately after Skenes departed — it offered Skenes a reminder of why he does what he does for a living.

“I went to watch some baseball, but you got to remember it’s just a game,” Skenes said. “There’s a lot of things that make it a business. It’s work. It’s a job for us, for sure, on some days more than others, but you got to remember you love the game and why you started playing it in the first place.”

Particularly during the times when that love can feel elusive during a difficult stretch like the one Skenes is in at the moment.

Despite limiting the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers to two runs over six innings and retiring four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani all three times he faced him, Skenes remained winless over his last five starts after the bullpen imploded behind him.

Is Skenes in a slump? Only in comparison to the remarkably high bar he has set during his rapid ascent to one of the best pitchers in baseball. His ERA since May 17 is a pedestrian 4.50, more than double his career ERA up to that point.

Things were a little better, a little sharper against the Dodgers than they have been of late. He recorded seven strikeouts, and Los Angeles swung and missed at more than 15 of the 103 pitches he threw.

Skenes' fastball largely went where he wanted, when he wanted, and if Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe can knock down a sharp grounder that instead deflected off his glove and into the outfield with two outs in the sixth that allowed Freddie Freeman to score and tie the game, Skenes might have exited with the lead.

Not that it mattered in the end. The 10-spot the Dodgers put up in the seventh made sure of that.

Still, Skenes is trying to keep things in perspective. The season is long. Every team struggles at some point. He is trying his best to remain focused on the process.

Asked why his fastball — which now sits more in the 97 mph range after frequently topping 100 as a rookie two years ago — looked better on Tuesday than it has in a while, he shrugged.

“Just a good day, I think,” he said. "Kinda comes and goes as the season goes. Just a good day with that.”

The lobs he threw to the Little Leaguers didn't have nearly that kind of velocity. They might have as much meaning, however, over the arc of a season that can sometimes feel more like a slog than a dream come true.

“We’ve all played those sandlot fields when we were nine,” he said, later adding, "The game looks different when it’s 200-foot fences and there are no ads out there, no fans out there, just playing for the love of the game.”

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

Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan — all of which host U.S. troops — came under Iranian fire. It was the second time this week that back-and-forth strikes have tested the ceasefire after Iran and Israel targeted each other on Monday, and it again raised the question of how much pressure the deal can take before it cracks.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that negotiations with Iran to end the war are making progress, he has repeatedly vacillated between expressing such optimism and warning that he was ready to return to all-out war. Iran, meanwhile, has proved resilient despite having faced weeks of heavy bombing, betting that its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial passageway for the world’s oil and natural gas — gives it a strong bargaining chip.

Both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflict — if they can manage to sell it as a win at home. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing much more difficult goals: the collapse of Iran’s theocratic government, the elimination of its nuclear program, and the destruction of the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. That will make compromise much harder.

Strikes by the US and Iran shake the Mideast

Since the U.S. and Israel started the war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, the conflict has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the world, and made many basics, including food, more expensive. Brent crude oil, the international standard, was at more than $91 a barrel on Wednesday, up more than 25% since the start of the war.

In the latest strikes, U.S. fighter jets targeted “air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites,” the military’s Central Command said. Iran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, but gave no details on the damage.

“The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters,” Central Command said.

Iran’s top diplomat vowed that there would be a response, and Tehran later claimed attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

Jordan said it shot down five incoming missiles, which Iran said targeted the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The base has hosted American F-35 fighter jets and other aircraft.

Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency carried a military statement saying there were no injuries and that explosives experts examined the debris from the interceptions.

Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted incoming fire, without elaborating.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the American attacks as a violation of Iranian sovereignty in calls with his counterparts from Turkey and Saudi Arabia “and emphasized the inherent right of self-defense, including reciprocal action,” according to a post on his office's Telegram channel.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in televised comments Wednesday that in light of the new attacks, Iran would review its stance on negotiations to end the war.

The exchanges of fire came a day after a U.S. Army attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with an Iranian drone, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. It wasn’t clear whether the collision was intentional.

A drone boat rescued both of the helicopter’s aviators, and Trump said they were uninjured.

A cargo ship is attacked by a small boat in the Gulf of Aden

Guards aboard a cargo ship off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden exchanged fire with gunmen in a small boat and repelled their attack, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have said they will resume their attacks against Israel-affiliated ships in the Red Sea. Somali pirates have also become more active in the region.

The UKMTO later reported a fire in the engine room of a tanker in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, saying one person had been hurt and two others aboard were missing. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the fire.

Trump has said a deal to end the war is coming

Before he accused Iran of downing the U.S. helicopter, Trump expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran, but didn’t say why there was reason for hope.

While Trump, wary of high gas prices and upcoming congressional elections in November, seems to be looking for a quick win, he is also making demands that will be tough for Iran to swallow.

The U.S. wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, that uranium is a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels.

Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demanding relief from sanctions. It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something rejected by Trump.

It's not clear how those differences can be bridged — and Trump has repeatedly threatened to walk away from the talks. On his Truth Social platform overnight he seemed to be warning again that he was ready to return to all-out war, posting a clip from the American TV series “The West Wing” with actor Martin Sheen as president bellowing: “We don’t come back with a proportional response, we come back with total disaster!”

Meanwhile, Iran has continued to insist that any deal to end the war must also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. Instead, Israel has intensified its military campaign against the militant group.

Israel's military said on Wednesday it launched multiple strikes in southern Lebanon over the past day, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

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Associated Press writers David Rising in Bangkok; Michelle L. Price in New York; Will Weissert in Washington; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones is officially running for the District 24 seat.

The deep-blue district covers Miami Gardens, Hollywood, Miramar and Pembroke Park.

Jones kicked off his campaign for Congress in front of a packed crowd in Pembroke Park on Tuesday night.

“I beg of you tonight that you trust me once again,” said Jones. “You’ve trusted me in Tallahassee. I ask them that you send me to Washington D.C. to have me fight on your behalf.”

Jones expressed that people are looking for new leadership and change.

“I think people are tired of the same old talk, they’re tired of same old politicians, they’re looking for change, they’re looking for transparency and they’re looking for new leadership,” he said. “And I think we’re going to bring that to them.”

Jones was born and raised in Miami Gardens. He made history in 2020 by becoming the first LGBTQ+ person elected to the Florida State Senate.

If he wins, he’d be the state’s first LGBTQ+ member of Congress.

It’s a campaign focused on affordability, saying prices are too high and promising to advocate for working people.

“I shared yesterday that I will join any caucus, I will join any piece of legislation that is lowering the cost of groceries, that is lowering the cost of gas,” Jones said. “I will join any legislation that is making the lives of people better that are going through the process right now.”

Jones already has several competitors in the Democratic primary, including former Miami-Dade Commissioner Jean Monestime, current Miami-Dade Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, Rudy Moise and Christine Sanon-Jules.

Broward Fire Rescue’s Broderick Espinoza and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Jesus Fuentes were recognized during Tuesday night’s Lauderdale-by-the-Sea commission meeting for their quick actions following a near-drowning during Memorial Day weekend.

“I’m just truly blessed that he’s alive and well, here with us,” said Espinoza. “Honestly it was all a blur, I was just really focused. I didn’t really know anyone was around us.”

Body camera footage captured the frantic moments after 5-year-old Tyler Nelson was pulled from a pool at the Plunge Beach Resort on May 24.

At the time, Tyler had no pulse so the off-duty Espinoza immediately started CPR.

Fuentes and two off-duty nurses also jumped in to help.

Within minutes, Tyler regained a pulse and started to breathe again.

“It’s just a humbling experience,” said Fuentes. “At the end of the day, we didn’t do anything that anybody with our training wouldn’t do. Our training just took over.”

Tyler spent two days in the ICU before being released with a clean bill of health.

His mother said she would forever be grateful to those who saved her son’s life.

“They’re angels, they allowed God to literally use them to be a vessel to save my son,” said Markita Pittman-Nelson. “I mean, two firefighters and two nurses, what more could a person ask for.”

Added Fuentes: “I understand it as a parent myself, I understand how emotional it is for her to still have Tyler around and how grateful she is to us. Like I said, at the end of the day, it’s nothing that we think of. It’s nothing that we make a big deal out of, we’re just doing our duty.”

But, the 20-year veteran’s winning goal on Tuesday night was anything but simple. Then again, considering how he has played against the Vegas Golden Knights in this series, perhaps it was.

With the game tied at 3 in the third period, Staal’s sprawling backhand shot while in the air with 13:29 left beat Vegas' Carter Hart and found the back of the net for his second score of the game, and it held up as the winner in the 5-3 victory.

“For a second, I wasn’t sure if it exactly went in, and I heard everyone go quiet,” said Staal, who lay face down on the ice after his acrobatic goal. “I heard some guys yelling. I was in my own world. It was an incredible moment, obviously, and just let a big yell go and then celebrated with the guys.”

It was yet another big moment that Staal found a way to spark his team when it needed it most.

The 37-year-old, who has five goals in the series, said as long as the wild and zany series that has been defined by “no lead is safe,” the Hurricanes have to pounce on every opportunity.

“There are fine lines of making plays, and we have to make big plays, there’s no question,” Staal said. “But it’s a simple game that we can run, and when you know when they maybe call uncle, and you jump on it. And that’s what they’ve done to us very well, as well. It’s just kind of a back-and-forth kind of stress game, and who can do it better."

Tuesday, that was Carolina.

The Hurricanes came out with a sense of urgency by taking a 2-0 lead early to set the tone, and dominated the shots on goal, 23-12 after two periods, and then withstood Vegas' late surge before Staal's heroics.

The series is tied at 2 and returns to Carolina for Game 5 on Thursday.

That's how long the Golden Knights have to figure out how to stop Staal from adding to his scoring tally.

“He’s killing us in front of the net, Staal,” Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said. “So, we have got to do a better job around the blue.”

Staal became the first player since Mike Bossy of the New York Islanders in 1982 to score a goal in each of the first four games of the final.

Staal also tied the second-longest playoff goal streak in franchise history, behind teammate Logan Stankoven, who set the record at five earlier this postseason.

He said he isn't concerned with milestones, though, or the fact that he has 11 points in these playoffs, including seven goals.

“I don’t think big picture right now, it’s too hard to think like that," Staal said. "It’s just like, my goodness, it’s the next shift, next play, next game, next everything. And that’s all that’s running through my brain, is how do we get two more wins.

"And that’s it.”

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

Terrell Ray was killed when the dirt bike he was riding crashed into the side of a hearse outside the Angels of Paradise Mortuary located at 2796 NW 46th St. in the country’s unincorporated Brownsville area.

Hundreds of friends and family filled the intersection Tuesday night to honor and remember their friend, their brother, and for Mahogany Johnson-Ray, her husband.

“I’m happy that I have so many people behind me, walking with me through this journey,” she said.

The two had known each other since middle school and were married for over three years.

Johnson-Ray said Ray’s loss will have an effect on the entire community.

“It’s incredible but it’s scary because it’s how he touched so many lives,” she said. “You can see that a lot of people really, really truly love him because, look at (all these people).”

Loved ones created a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses.

Mariagracia Ramjohn’s son Ezekiel was breastfed. He later had a whole chicken leg, sweet potatoes, pears, and eggs. He loved avocados. His allergic reaction surfaced when he was 6 months old.

“For some reason, something was always telling me, like, be careful with peanuts,” Ramjohn said. “So I gave him peanuts at six months when he had his pediatrician appointment ... at the parking lot, because I was a little scared, and immediately, just a rash around his mouth. And I was like, ‘Oh no!’”

The rash spread, and he vomited. It was clear to his pediatrician that he was allergic to peanuts, so she had to clean house.

“You don’t realize how much stuff has peanut butter in it,” Ramjohn said. “There are so many things.”

Ramjohn asked Dr. Nicole Akar-Ghibril, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, for help.

“We think part of the reason that we have as many food allergies as we do today is because of prolonged avoidance,” Akar-Ghibril said. “And so back in the day, when I was a kid, the recommendation was, ‘Don’t let your kid have peanuts until they’re three.’ Now, we really know that early introduction makes a difference.”

Akar-Ghibril is the director of the hospital’s oral immunotherapy program.

“The way it works is a desensitization to a food that we know a child is allergic to, and so the whole point is to raise the threshold that a patient can tolerate,” Akar-Ghibril said about the treatment.

Akar Ghibril has been retraining her patients’ immune system by exposing them to small, gradually increasing amounts of an allergen.

“When we’re making doses for oral immunotherapy, the amount that we’re starting with is diluted and diluted and diluted, so the amount we actually can’t measure it on a scale because it’s that small,” Akar-Ghibril said.

Ezekiel was tested and started treatment at 8 months old.

“Every two weeks going to up dose. Every day, dosing him. It was a lot of work, but very thankful, very happy with the results,” Ramjohn said.

At 2 years old, Ezekiel had peanut butter crackers in his lunchbox without a problem.

“I used to hold my breath at first,” Ramjohn said. “I was like, ‘Where’s the epic head? Where’s the Zertek? Where’s the Benadryl?’”

Akar-Ghibril said the maintenance phase is done daily, probably for the rest of their lives.

“They have to kind of consider it like their daily peanut medicine or their daily egg medicine that will give them that kind of layer of security if they were accidentally exposed to that food,” Akar-Ghibril said.

Though the situation along the border was calm hours after the strikes, Kabul has previously responded to Pakistani strikes by targeting Pakistani posts along the frontier.

Taliban chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the latest airstrikes targeted the Afghan provinces of Khost, Kunar and Paktika and killed 11 children, one woman and one elderly man.

There was no immediate acknowledgment of the strikes deep inside Afghanistan from Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs or military.

The strikes came a day after suspected Pakistani Taliban militants attacked a security post in the Hasan Khel area of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, triggering an intense gunbattle in which six members of the Federal Constabulary were killed and several others wounded, according to Pakistan’s Interior Ministry.

Local authorities said Tuesday that security forces killed eight of the attackers and thwarted an attempt to overrun the checkpoint. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi later attended funeral prayers for the dead personnel in Peshawar, the ministry said.

Naqvi paid tribute to the dead and expressed condolences to their families, saying their sacrifices would not be forgotten. He also said Pakistan remained united in its fight against militancy and that operations against groups threatening peace and security would be intensified.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have engaged in deadly fighting since late February, when Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan.

Pakistan in February declared it was in open war with its Afghanistan, following a surge in militant attacks on civilians and security forces inside Pakistan. Afghanistan has said a deadly Pakistani airstrikes in March hit a drug-treatment center in Kabul, killing more than 400 people. The death toll could not be independently confirmed.

Pakistan has disputed the claim and denied targeting civilians, saying it struck an ammunition depot.

The latest development comes months after China hosted peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Urumqi, in northern China, and later Beijing said Afghanistan and Pakistan had agreed not to escalate their conflict and to explore a solution.

Authorities in Pakistan have said that Beijing and some other friendly countries were still encouraging both sides to reach an agreement for durable peace.

Masood Khan, an Islamabad-based security analyst, said Pakistan’s priority is ending attacks by the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, which Islamabad says operate from Afghan soil.

Khan said the solution to the tension lies in enforcing a decree by Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada ordering the TTP to stop attacks on Pakistan. “That decree must be implemented sincerely and faithfully,” he said.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants that carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP. The group is separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since it seized power in the country in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

The Pakistan-Afghanistan border has remained closed to bilateral trade since October, stranding thousands of people.

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Ahmed reported from Islamabad.

Police said 31-year-old Diego Pereira is who lost his life during the shooting that occurred shortly before 5 a.m. Friday outside the Sandbar sports bar, located at 6752 Collins Ave.

According to witnesses, a fight between Pereira and Quayshawn West inside the bar turned violent.

Police said Pereira was shot in an alley shortly after the altercation.

West is now facing a second degree murder charge.

As of Tuesday evening, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center without bond.

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According to Miami Gardens police, the attempted robbery and shooting were reported at about 1:35 a.m. in the area of Northwest 173rd Street and 36th Avenue.

Police said a male resident at the home opened the front door to the would-be robber and the two got into a physical altercation.

The resident’s girlfriend then ran to neighbors for help, authorities said.

One of the neighbors then heard the sound of gunshots, which police say came from the alleged robber’s gun.

That neighbor then went over to where the fight was happening and shot the suspect in the head, police said.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials transported the suspect to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, where he later died.

“Forty five years on this block, and we ain’t never seen a crime scene or anything out here,” neighbor Katara Bloom said.

As police say there’s no longer a threat to this community, neighbors say they’ll continue to stick together.

“This is not a bad neighborhood -- this is a pretty good neighborhood,” Bloom said. “Nobody really has any problems. We’re like family in this community; each one of us knows each other.”

It’s unclear whether the person who lives at the house was randomly targeted as police say the motive is still unclear.

The investigation remains ongoing.

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Lawyers originally couldn’t finish their opening statements Monday, as the 55-year-old Pino continually broke down in court, prompting a recess for the day.

Pino is charged in the death of Lucy Fernandez, 17, after a boat crash on 2022’s Labor Day weekend. Her father, Andy Fernandez, was the state’s first witness on Tuesday. He testified about the last time he hugged his daughter before a “beautiful afternoon” took a tragic turn ― and the frantic search for her after the crash.

“She gave me a hug,” he said. “And I remember it because it’s the last time I held her alive.”

Authorities said Pino, then 52, was behind the wheel of a 29-foot Robalo boat in the early evening hours of Sept. 4, 2022 when he lost control and slammed it into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key, killing Lucy Fernandez. Two other girls were seriously hurt, including 17-year-old Katerina Puig.

Andy Fernandez also testified Tuesday to identifying her body at the hospital and his daughter’s relationship with the Pino family.

Andy Fernandez said he did not believe Pino was impaired at the time he met with the group on the boat before they parted ways and departed for the Ocean Reef Club.

A passenger on the boat, Camila Alvarez, also testified on Tuesday.

“I just remember a jolt where I pop up and the boat capsizes,” Alvarez testified.

Alvarez additionally testified that the Pinos provided alcohol for both the adults and teenagers. She recounted the chaotic moments after the crash.

“I do hear someone telling me, ‘Lucy, Lucy,’ like ‘She’s not here, she’s not here,’” Alvarez testified, saying she saw Pino in the water with “hands kind of just on the boat.”

An attorney who was involved in the civil case against Pino additionally testified about a document he filled out where he referenced post-crash statements he made to FWC ― and doubled down on his claim that a second vessel caused the crash.

Attorney Brent Reitman read from the document, that stated, “The wake of the unidentified vessel headed northbound was a contributing legal cause of the incident in question.”

Prosecutors, in their opening statements on Monday, called that claim a “fabrication” and a “falsehood” that Pino maintained “long after the day of this tragedy.”

Jurors also heard from other witnesses, including a good Samaritan who came upon the scene and helped, as well as one of the investigators involved.

They were sent home at around 5:30 p.m. and were scheduled to come back on Wednesday morning.

“Trabajo sí. Bloqueo, no”, pedían las personas congregadas y provenientes de diferentes sectores gremiales, artesanales y del comercio en una plaza en el centro de La Paz, la capital gubernamental de Bolivia, que con su vecina El Alto son las más castigadas por las protestas antigubernamentales y los cortes de carretera.

Los manifestantes demandaron la aprobación de leyes que ayuden a sobrellevar los costos adversos de los bloqueos que se suman a una de las peores crisis económicas en el país.

Horas antes, en Sucre, la capital de Bolivia, se realizó otra concentración masiva en la que se exigió lo mismo al presidente Rodrigo Paz, que tome medidas para que regrese la normalidad al país, incluso, que decrete un régimen de excepción. El lunes, el mandatario promulgó la ley que reglamenta esa medida, aunque no la decretó de inmediato.

“El dictar el estado de excepción es una discusión de los ministros, a la cabeza del presidente, y que será tratada en el momento en que corresponda tratarse, lo demás son especulaciones”, dijo en una breve declaración a los medios el ministro de Gobierno, Marco Antonio Oviedo, horas antes de las manifestaciones.

Los gremios de artesanos y comerciantes han señalado que se sienten perjudicados por los 39 días de bloqueos viales que han ocasionado escasez de alimentos, oxígeno medicinal y combustible.

El martes, no se registraron protestas directas en las calles que dan a la sede de gobierno en La Paz, aunque el problema mayor seguía siendo la escasez de combustible que dejó un escaso transporte público. De acuerdo a la Administradora Boliviana de Carreteras, los cortes han disminuido un poco pero se mantienen en unos 85 puntos viales.

Desde mayo, campesinos, indígenas y sindicatos obreros piden la renuncia de Paz porque aseguran que su gobierno no respondió a tiempo a sus pedidos sectoriales.

The incident occurred aboard the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas on Sunday, May 31.

According to deputies, Matthew Stilwell of Pawnee, Illinois attempted to photograph the 13-year-old victim under her dress while the two were in one of the ship’s gift shops.

The girl noticed what Stilwell was doing and ran to her mother to report the incident, deputies said.

Authorities said the victim told them that while she was browsing jewelry, Stilwell was “standing unusually close behind her with the camera application open on his cellphone,” according to an arrest form.

This happened three times before the victim ran away to report the incident, deputies said.

When the ship returned to Port Everglades on Sunday, June 7, deputies boarded and were presented with surveillance video corroborating the girl’s story.

Deputies then spoke to Stilwell, but his alleged confession was redacted from his arrest form.

As of Tuesday evening, he was being held behind bars at the Paul Rein Detention Facility on a $22,500.

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The Broward Sheriff’s Office identified the couple as Jeyson Javier, 32, of Opa-locka, and Daniela Alfonso Dominguez, 25.

According to Javier’s arrest report, BSO detectives from the agency’s Burglary Apprehension Team were following a Honda Civic Friday when they spotted Javier exiting the driver’s side door of the car with a skateboard in hand and then going over to a parking lot at 2200 S. Ocean Drive in Hollywood.

Detectives said Javier forcefully entered a 2025 Honda CR-V, re-programmed the vehicle’s key fob and then took off in it as the Civic followed it back to Miami-Dade.

According to the report, Javier stopped the SUV in Miami Gardens where he appeared to rip off the vehicle’s GPS and then drove it to an apartment complex at 20401 NW 17^th Avenue in Miami Gardens.

“This is consistent with (the) suspect utilizing an apartment complex as a cool down location for the stolen vehicle,” the report stated.

Detectives said Javier then re-entered the Civic and drove away before he was stopped by authorities in the area of Northwest 27^th Avenue and 183^rd Street.

Deputies said both Javier and Dominguez were taken into custody, and their daughter was found sleeping in the back seat of the Civic.

According to the report, multiple items were found in the car that were believed to be used to steal vehicles.

Both Javier and Dominguez declined to speak with detectives, the report stated.

They both face charges of grand theft auto, possessing burglary tools with intent to use and child neglect without great bodily harm. Javier also has an out of county hold for grand theft of a motor vehicle, online jail records show.

As of Tuesday morning, Javier was being held at the Broward County Main Jail without bond and Dominguez was no longer appearing in the online jail database.

SAFETY TIPS

Here are some ways to protect yourself from tech-savvy car thieves:

• BSO deputies asked drivers to park vehicles in a secured garage.
• If forced to park outside, deputies want drivers to lock their car doors and install a secondary GPS tracker on the vehicle to track it if it’s stolen.
• Deputies also suggest that residents install surveillance cameras where the car is parked.
• The National Insurance Crime Bureau recommends using a key fob that activates an ignition kill feature that can only be deactivated when the same fob unlocks the vehicle.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends immobilizing-type devices to prevent thieves from bypassing a vehicle’s ignition system and hot-wiring the vehicle.
• Zurich recommends on-board diagnostics port locks to block thieves from plugging in cloning devices.
• The AARP recommends hiring a mechanic to install a remote kill switch that can cut the power to vital car systems with a key fob.
• Consumer Reports recommends adding a visible steering wheel lock.

Local 10 News Digital Journalist Andrea Torres contributed to this report.

Republican Steve Hilton, a former Fox News commentator backed by President Donald Trump, has won enough votes to advance to the general election, The Associated Press determined Tuesday. He’ll face Democrat Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and health secretary under President Joe Biden.

The winner will succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to lead the state that is home to roughly 39 million people, Hollywood, a booming tech industry and a vast farming region that helps feed the nation. By itself California represents one of the largest economies in the world.

The next governor will have to take on stubborn issues including a high cost of living, housing shortages and homelessness.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in California

Hilton is banking his campaign on voters being frustrated enough to do something they have not done in two decades: elect a Republican to statewide office. The last time that happened was when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger won a second term in 2006. Hilton has campaigned as an outsider who would bring change after more than 15 years of one-party rule.

“If you’re happy with the way that California is being run, Xavier Becerra is your guy,” Hilton said in a recent interview. “If you want change, vote for me.”

But simply having an ‘R’ next to his name stacks the odds against Hilton, since Republicans make up just about 25% of registered voters compared with Democrats’ 45%. Trump’s endorsement likely boosted Hilton with GOP voters during the primary but could be a major liability in the general election.

Becerra was a chief architect of the state’s resistance to Trump during the first years of his presidency after then-Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, appointed him attorney general in 2017. In that role Becerra filed at least 120 legal actions against the federal government.

Becerra has made pushing back against Trump’s incursions a central piece of this campaign, as the president has repeatedly gone after the state during his second term including by curbing a signature plan to reduce planet-warning emissions from cars, withholding aid for wildfire recovery and suing over state policies supporting transgender student-athletes.

“Donald Trump is doubling down on decline and counting on people being too fearful, distracted or gullible to fight back,” Becerra told a crowd on primary night. “As governor I will never back down from the threats of small cowards in big offices.”

Results conclude a chaotic primary

It took nearly a week to determine the general election matchup for governor due to California’s notoriously slow vote-counting process. Ballots are mailed to every eligible voter and they are counted if they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive at an election office within seven days. Counties process and count mail ballots in roughly the order they are received, so the last ones returned are the last ones counted.

The AP determined Friday that Becerra had won enough votes to advance to November. Hilton had been vying for a second spot against Democrat Tom Steyer, a billionaire hedge fund manager turned climate activist who poured $215 million of his personal fortune into the campaign and blasted Californians’ screens with ads.

Steyer steadily narrowed Hilton’s lead for second place every day since Election Day on June 2. But he was never on track to fully close the gap. The AP advanced Hilton to the general election on Tuesday after determining there weren’t enough outstanding votes for Steyer to catch Hilton.

Election data shows that large numbers of Democratic voters held onto their ballots until the final days of the election. That helped explain why Steyer did better than Hilton in the votes counted after Election Day.

Steyer conceded Tuesday and urged his supporters to back Becerra.

“It would be a travesty for Steve Hilton to win the governorship, and Californians must unite behind Xavier Becerra to ensure he does not,” he said in a statement.

Affordability is a central issue

How to make the state more affordable was a major theme throughout the primary. Hilton promised to make Californians’ first $100,000 free of income tax, create a loan program for first-time homebuyers and freeze in-state tuition at public colleges. Becerra, meanwhile, said he would declare states of emergency to address high energy costs and housing shortages and to freeze home insurance rates.

The two have one thing in common: They both come from immigrant backgrounds.

Hilton moved to California from the United Kingdom in 2012 and became a citizen in 2021. Back in the U.K., he was an adviser to Conservative Party officials including former Prime Minister David Cameron.

Hilton has poked fun at his British accent by comparing himself to the Austria-born Schwarzenegger.

“I know that some of you may be watching and saying, ‘Who is this guy with a funny accent?’” he said on election night. “Well you know there was actually an immigrant who was governor of California not that long ago.”

Becerra was born to Mexican immigrant parents in Sacramento and also raised there. He said his family’s story mirrored his “underdog” campaign for governor.

“Like my parents, I never gave up,” he told supporters on election night. “I never stopped believing in the beaconlike goodness of California. And thankfully, neither did you.”

Becerra would be the state’s first Latino governor since the late 1800s.

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Associated Press journalists Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and Stephen Ohlemacher in Washington contributed.

Groff, 59, was summoned to the closed-door hearing in a letter on March 3. She delivered a pre-written statement and answered lawmakers’ questions.

“I am not a conspirator, and I never would have agreed to this language. Their unilateral decision to label me as a potential conspirator remains my scarlet letter,” she told lawmakers in a pre-written testimony about prosecutors referring to her as a co-conspirator in 2008 in Palm Beach County, according to Politico.

Groff worked for Epstein for about 18 years, starting in 2001, and she continued to do so despite him becoming a registered sex offender in 2008.

“She’s maintaining that she really didn’t know Jeffrey Epstein, even though she worked for him for 18 years,” U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch told reporters.

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia, the committee’s ranking member, said Epstein had described Groff as someone he was “very close” to.

Groff, who lives in New Canaan, Connecticut, was mentioned more than 150,000 times in the files released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

“There are some things that she said that probably aren’t along the same lines as what some of the victims have said,” U.S. Rep. James Comer, the committee’s chair, told CNN. “So, we’re going to have to review that.”

In a civil lawsuit that survivors filed in 2024 in New York, Groff was alleged to have “made travel arrangements for the girls, tended to their living needs, and scheduled massage sessions.”

Rep. Yassamin Ansari told CNN that Groff faced questions about scheduling meetings between Epstein and President Donald Trump before their fallout.

“She said she did that about once a quarter,” Ansari said. She later wrote on X, “This is a massive cover up. When Democrats are back in power, we need to bring back every witness to testify under oath in front of the American people.”

Related social media posts

This is a massive cover up. When Democrats are back in power, we need to bring back every witness to testify under oath in front of the American people. pic.twitter.com/yBwUd5KOq9

— Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari (@RepYassAnsari) June 9, 2026

'90% of her testimony was not believable.' Rep. Stephen Lynch joined @jaketapper after longtime Epstein assistant Lesley Groff testified on Capitol Hill. Groff denies knowing about Epstein's wrongdoing. pic.twitter.com/5U41wJAWmz

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) June 9, 2026

U.S. Reps. Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde filed the resolutions against U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross. Clyde wrote Tuesday on social media that Ross' “deeply disturbing actions prove she is incapable of displaying integrity or impartiality. She must be impeached and removed from the bench.”

It is up to the House Judiciary Committee to decide whether to start impeachment proceedings against Ross. Federal judges are appointed for life and can only be removed from the bench through impeachment.

A person who answered the phone in the judge’s chambers Tuesday afternoon said Ross had no comment.

Ross was nominated to the Northern District of Georgia in January 2014 by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and she was confirmed by the Senate in November of that year. She had previously served as a state court judge in DeKalb County, which includes a small part of Atlanta, since 2011. Before taking the bench, she had worked as a state and federal prosecutor, mostly in Atlanta, for more than a decade.

The investigation of Ross began after one of her law clerks reported that on multiple occasions the judge had engaged in sexual activity with a high-ranking uniformed police officer in her office within earshot of staff. It also was alleged that the judge didn’t properly supervise clerks and on one occasion yelled and cursed at staff.

Ross received a “private reprimand” after the investigation confirmed the sexual activity and found she attended a partisan event and initially lied to deny the allegations.

The court’s investigation did not publicly identify the judge or the court location within the 11th Circuit’s jurisdiction, which includes Alabama, Florida and Georgia. A person familiar with the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter confirmed to The Associated Press that Ross was the judge who was disciplined.

Separately, the Atlanta Police Department has said it has opened an investigation to determine whether the “high-ranking law enforcement officer” found to have had sex with a federal judge in the judge’s chambers is a member of their department.

William Pryor, the chief judge of the 11th Circuit, opened the initial investigation of Ross. He asked her to respond to the clerk's allegations and she replied the same day and “specifically denied” each allegation. In a follow-up email the next day, the judge speculated to Pryor that the law clerk may have invented things in retaliation for being required to work in the office.

Pryor appointed a special committee to investigate. That investigation was detailed in a report attached to the disciplinary order.

The committee’s review of logs and security footage showed an officer had frequently visited the judge’s chambers in uniform around lunchtime. Six clerks recalled seeing someone who fit the officer’s description, with three remembering overhearing what may have been sexual activity in the judge’s office.

Three clerks remembered bringing summer interns on their first day to watch the judge presiding over a hearing in a criminal case. Right after that, they told the committee, the judge declined to have lunch with the interns, acknowledging having too many martinis the night before at a primary election victory party for a district attorney friend.

The clerks said the judge didn’t provide sufficient guidance and “rarely, if ever, substantively edited civil orders the clerks drafted.” While clerks described an “eggshell culture,” the committee didn’t find evidence of abusive behavior.

The judge ultimately admitted to having an extramarital sexual relationship with the officer but denied the allegations about mistreatment of staff, the committee wrote. The judge acknowledged to the committee having gone to a “mixer” of former employees of a district attorney’s office, where the judge used to work but said it was in a separate room from the victory party.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the move was not announced.

The restructured deal was first reported by ESPN and NFL Network.

Cincinnati gains around $10 million in cap space by spreading out some of his base salary over the final three years of the deal (2027 through '29). Burrow signed a five-year, $275-million extension in 2023.

The Bengals found themselves low on cap space after acquiring defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants before the NFL draft and signing him to a one-year extension worth $28 million.

Cincinnati is also trying to get some of its key players from its 2023 draft class still under rookie deal signed to extensions before the start of training camp. That group includes DE Myles Murphy, RB Chase Brown, and defensive backs Jordan Battle, DJ Turner and Dax Hill.

Burrow, the top overall pick in the 2023 draft, is going into his seventh season. He led the Bengals to a Super Bowl appearance in the 2021 season and the AFC championship game the following year, but Cincinnati has missed the playoffs the last three seasons.

Burrow played in only eight games last season. He suffered a turf toe injury in a Week 2 win over Jacksonville and was out until late November. He threw for 1,809 yards with 17 touchdowns and five interceptions that included three pick-6s.

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

The temporary injunction issued Monday by a Texas district court prevents the NCAA from enforcing its ban of Sorsby. The transfer QB had been ruled ineligible for what will be his final college season after he acknowledged years of gambling that included at least 40 bets on his own team while a freshman at Indiana.

Since NCAA rules call for a permanent loss of eligibility for any player who wagered on his own team, the judge's decision sent shockwaves through college sports, including in Texas Tech's own league.

Yormark said there was a “thoughtful and productive conversations” with the athletic directors as “we continue to work through the broader implications of this situation.”

In a statement without getting into specifics, the commissioner said many of the ADs voiced their opinions.

"We will continue to have open and honest dialogue amongst the group, and until there is something to report, these conversations will remain within the conference,” he said.

Next will be a meeting of the league's executive board, when there is expected to be a discussion to present options, but no immediate action is expected then. The full board of directors, made up of presidents and chancellors from the league's 16 members, is expected to meet next week.

Part of the injunction from the 99th District Court against the NCAA includes a two-game suspension for Sorsby. He would miss games against Abilene Christian and Oregon State, but eligible to return when the Red Raiders play their Big 12 opener at home Sept. 18 against Houston.

The NCAA is appealing to a higher Texas court.

Sorsby made thousands of impermissible bets on college and pro sports that were worth at least $90,000 while at Indiana, Cincinnati and Texas Tech. Those bets include the ones he made while a freshman with the Hoosiers in 2022, though none were on games in which he played that season.

“I think that’s the unpardonable sin,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said Tuesday. "And I think everyone in America grew up knowing that was the unpardonable sin when it comes to sports and gambling.”

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AP Sports Writer Mark Long contributed to this report.

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

Human towers, or “castells” in the Catalan language, are not only a feat of equilibrium, strength and teamwork, but a crucial part of the proud identity in this northeastern Spanish region.

One of the most celebrated groups to uphold this tradition, the Castellers de Vilafranca, was tapped to perform for the pope during his seven-day trip to Spain and allowed The Associated Press to tag along on their journey, from the long bus ride to the backstage jitters to the sweaty, grinning high-fives after Leo's applause.

“A fundamental richness of castells is that anybody can take part, independently of their age, their culture, their weight or height, their beliefs or ideologies,” said Ernest Gallart Pérez, the group’s president. “Every person has their place on the structure.”

Bruna’s mom, Maria Vall Camell, joined at 18 and later met her husband in the group, where everyone dons trademark jade green shirts, white pants, tight black sashes and red bandannas with white dots. The bandannas and sashes provide crucial gripping points as members climb up — and down — each other’s bodies as the tower rises.

“The human towers are like the skyline of Catalonia,” Vall told the AP on the bus as more than 130 castellers traveled from their small town, Vilafranca del Penedes, deep in Cava wine country about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Barcelona. “They are an identity, very important for our culture, and they represent very well our society, that we work together as a team.”

Castells are an integral part of Catalan celebrations, whether patron saint days or competitions with hundreds of participants. But at their core, they are family traditions, passed down for generations.

“It’s union, family, strength,” said Aida Ibañez Sadurní, who participated in Tuesday’s tower with her father, Xavier Ibañez Sanz. “When we get everybody down, we hug each other crying, and it’s the biggest emotion.”

It takes months to practice, and mere minutes to create the towers, starting with a large base, people pressed shoulder to shoulder in tight circles, their heads against their neighbors’ shoulders, their arms intertwined.

On Tuesday, smaller groups of four climbed up and formed a first standing circle, and more crawled up until Bruna — in her function as the “anxaneta,” a girl who serves as the pinnacle — went all the way to the top and waved, before climbing down.

When the castell successfully disbanded, Leo smiled broadly and the approximately 40,000 people in the stadium erupted in football-volume cheers.

“It’s a relief, I’m very happy, very joyful,” said Àngel Grau, the “cap de colla” or coach of the group, as the sweaty, cheerful group made their way back out to their buses and long ride home.

“There were a lot of people watching us from around the world, and whether you believe a lot or believe less, it’s such an occasion for pride for us.”

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

The races set up significant tests of whether Democrats' redraw of California's House maps will pay off for the party.

Several other major U.S. House races also were set Tuesday as California's protracted vote count from the state's June 2 primary ground on. Two Republicans will face each other in a Southern California House district drawn to end one of their careers. And a Sacramento seat will become a high-profile generational clash between two Democrats.

But the most attention was on two districts in the vast midsection of the state that will help determine whether Democrats can claim victory in California's role in the mid-decade redistricting wars. Both will be crucial to determine which party controls the U.S. House in this year's midterm elections.

Democrats hope to pick off a perennial GOP target in the Central Valley

Progressive Randy Villegas, a political science professor and school board member, on Tuesday beat the favored pick of establishment Democrats, moderate Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, to advance to the November election against Valadao, a perennial target whose district Democrats redrew to shift further to the left.

Democrats narrowly beat Valadao in their 2018 wave, only to see him win back the seat in 2020. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee threw its weight behind Bains, but Villegas won the primary and will test whether progressives or moderates are best positioned to face the resilient Republican.

"Voters in the Central Valley have spoken and they have declared that the Valley is not for sale,” Villegas said in a statement.

Republicans had hoped to face Villegas.

“Socialist Randy Villegas clawed his way out of a bruising Democrat primary by sprinting to the far left and embracing the same failed policies that made California unaffordable for working families,” said Christian Martinez, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, in a statement.

An independent hopes to keep Democrats from winning redrawn district

For a few days after last week's primary, California's 6th District near Sacramento was a possible warning sign for Democrats, as Kiley and a long-shot Republican who ran on peace in the Mideast held the top two slots in the nonpartisan primary. But the state's slow but regular tally of late Democratic mail ballots catapulted Pan onto the November ballot.

Democrats broke up Kiley's conservative Northern California district, so the congressman opted to run in the new, Democratic-leaning district, left the GOP and became a vocal opponent of partisan redistricting.

“This race will be a choice between the extreme partisan politics that have made California the most unaffordable state in the country, and the independent leadership that allows our local communities to thrive,” Kiley said in a statement.

California Democrats scrambled their map to counter gains Republicans made in Texas and elsewhere after President Donald Trump called for the GOP to create as many conservative seats as possible in its bid to hold onto the House of Representatives in November.

California’s 52 House races provided a miniature of national trends. That included the fallout from redistricting ahead of this year’s midterm elections, this time with Democrats redrawing the map, the generational battle among Democrats and questions of whether moderates or liberals are better positioned to win in swing districts.

New districts set up clashes between members of the same party

In more fallout from redistricting, Republican Rep. Young Kim on Tuesday advanced to the November election. She will face fellow Republican Rep. Ken Calvert after Democrats drew them both into a single district, guaranteeing that one would not return to Congress next year.

“Throughout this campaign, we made the case that after more than three decades in Washington, it is time for fresh conservative leadership, and I look forward to continuing that conversation with voters in the months ahead,” Kim said in a statement.

Calvert replied in his own statement: “Voters throughout the district recognize I'm an effective member of Congress with a history of delivering results, cutting taxes and making life more affordable.”

Also on Tuesday, a major generational Democratic clash was set up as Sacramento City Councilwoman Mai Vang advanced to face longtime incumbent Rep. Doris Matsui on the November ballot.

The 81-year-old congresswoman has held the Sacramento-based seat since the death of her husband, former Rep. Bob Matsui, in 2005. Bob Matsui had represented the district since the 1970s.

Vang, 41, is one of a slew of Democrats across the nation mounting an explicitly generational challenge in the wake of Joe Biden’s presidency.

“People are tired of leaders who answer to their biggest donors instead of the families they represent,” Vang said in a statement after the race was called. “The squeeze on working families doesn’t check your party registration — and neither will I.”

Matsui released her first ad of the general election Tuesday night, focusing on a local mother whose son had muscular dystrophy and who praised Matsui for legislation funding therapies for the disease.

Veteran Democrats survive challengers as others vie to replace Pelosi

Two other veteran House Democrats in California also made it past younger challengers to the November ballot. Rep. Brad Sherman, 72, a 15-term congressman representing part of Los Angeles, will face a Republican in the fall. Mike Thompson, 75, is seeking his 13th term in a Northern California district.

In San Francisco, a wealthy progressive challenger was unable to crack the top two slots to fill retiring Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat. Instead, state Sen. Scott Wiener and city Supervisor Connie Chan will face off to replace the former House speaker.

The 7th District seat held by Matsui is considered a safe one for Democrats, but was redrawn as part of the party’s bid to add five more U.S. House seats elsewhere. Voters signed off on the changes with a constitutional amendment last year.

Democrats initially were concerned about getting locked out of the general election in a San Diego-area seat under the state’s primary system, which sends the top two vote-getters to the November ballot regardless of party. But San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert managed to emerge from a large field of other Democrats and will face Republican Jim Desmond, a San Diego County supervisor.

Deputies took John Stevens, 52, of Boca Raton, into custody on Monday.

According to investigators, an anonymous tip alerted BJ’s management to a scheme in which Stevens was stealing company merchandise and selling it for profit, even shipping the goods directly from the store to the people he was selling it to.

Authorities said the thefts occurred between March and June at the store at 5901 W. Hillsboro Blvd. in Parkland.

Stevens was seen on surveillance camera taking merchandise from the sales floor, bringing it to a shipping room and using the store’s UPS shipping computer to send the goods to locations across the United States, including his own home, according to an arrest form. Authorities said he was advertising and selling the products on eBay and Facebook.

Deputies said Stevens shipped stolen property on 27 separate occasions and cost the company around $10,000 in financial loss.

He is facing charges of grand theft of more than $10,000 but less than $20,000, organized dealing in stolen property and 25 separate charges of dealing in stolen property.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Stevens was being held at the Broward County Mail Jail on a $25,000 bond.

Wednesday will feature a mix of sun and clouds with east winds- can’t rule out a random shower along the east coast in the morning. Showers and storms that develop during the afternoon will tend to favor inland South Florida, especially the Everglades.

While his classmates dutifully listed their academic awards, extracurricular activities and sport accolades in the high school yearbook, the Long Island resident opted for just six simple words for his entry.

“Knicks in 6. 2026 NBA Finals,” Pfeufer wrote next to his portrait in the 2020 Smithtown High School West yearbook.

The prescient prediction has gone viral after he shared photos on social media in recent days. One Instagram post has more than 130,000 views.

The Knicks lead the San Antonio Spurs 2-1 in the best of seven series. They dropped Game 3 Monday night with President Donald Trump making the first appearance by a sitting president at an NBA championship game. The teams play again Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

Pfeufer, now 23 and in sales, said he wanted to use the yearbook to make a bold declaration about his beloved Knicks, who he concedes were “terrible” at the time. (The Knicks finished 2020-21 season with a record of 41-31.)

“I was at my good buddy’s house and I said, ‘Knicks, six, 2026’,” he said. “It rhymed so well that I just figured, all right, I’m gonna put that there.”

“I could have said Knicks in 5, 2025, or Knicks in 7, 2027,” he added. “I guess I got the right year.”

Pfeufer said he took some grief, particularly from his parents, for not using the yearbook space to spotlight his school achievements, which included being a member of the honor society.

“I kept it just as the quote because I thought that if it happened, it would look way better than if I had a bunch of awards underneath,” he says.

Pfeufer says his parents have since come around to his thinking.

“Now that it’s happening the way it is, they said for the first time in their lives, alright, you were right,” he said.

Early in the playoffs, the lifelong Knicks fan said he swore off watching the team’s games because every time he tuned in, they lost. Since they’ve reached the finals and his prediction is inching closer to reality, he’s been watching them at home with family.

Pfeufer believes the current squad has what it takes win the franchise's first NBA title since 1973 — even if it isn't in six games.

“I absolutely love that they play ethical basketball,” he said. “It’s team basketball. Everyone knows their role and cares so deeply, and you can see it whenever they play. They have heart.”

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

Kasey Keller. Brad Friedel. Tim Howard. Brad Guzan. They all played on major international club stages, and their national team could always count on having elite talent in net, even when the rest of the roster wasn't world-class.

That's no longer the case as the current American team prepares for its home World Cup.

While Matt Freese and Matt Turner are both solid domestic professionals, they have yet to match their esteemed predecessors' level of international accomplishment for club or country. Both are hoping they can summit that obstacle over the next few weeks — as soon as coach Mauricio Pochettino lets them know who's starting Friday night, that is.

“It’s fair to say the U.S. has a great goalkeeping corps, historically,” said Freese, the New York City FC keeper. “I was a fan of that goalkeeping corps for most of my life. Still am. And so it’s an honor to be on this team and be a part of that group to hopefully continue that great legacy.”

The U.S. arrived at its final World Cup training base in Orange County this week, but Pochettino has yet to announce which of his goalkeepers will start when his team opens the group stage against Paraguay in Inglewood, California — and it's tough not to see that as an indicator of the state of the U.S. situation in net.

Freese has been the Americans' regular starter since the CONCACAF Gold Cup last summer, while Turner was their starter at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar under coach Gregg Berhalter. Freese seems likely to be Pochettino’s pick for Friday, but the fact that it hasn’t been made yet is interesting for both competitors for the job.

“Not a ton of clarity, but I think the messaging for me is just to always be ready,” Turner said Tuesday. “It’s about training really well, keep fighting, and then the decision will be made."

No matter who gets the nod, the U.S. will have a Major League Soccer goalkeeper in net at the World Cup for the first time. That's a coup for MLS, but the Americans are used to fielding goalies who had success beyond their shores.

The 27-year-old Freese has spent his pro career in MLS since he left Harvard in early 2019. The 31-year-old Turner is also back in North America's top league with the New England Revolution after his European career stalled before it really got rolling.

Pochettino has split up the time in net in the Americans’ four matches in 2026, even working third-stringer Chris Brady into the mix. Turner started their friendly against Senegal last month, while Freese got his turn last weekend against Germany.

Turner knows he is probably behind Freese on Pochettino's depth chart, but the lack of a starting announcement has him working just that much harder.

“Given the fact that I haven’t played a ton in the last year for the national team, of course, for me, that makes me feel like the door is always cracked,” Turner said. “Everyone has a chance. But I think the coach will always pick the guy that’s playing the best, and he’s going to make the right decision for the team, and whatever my role is going to be, I’m going to be ready to do it to the best of my ability.”

Turner made his U.S. debut in early 2021, while Freese only got his first U.S. callup in January 2025, finally making his debut last June. But he quickly seized the starting job and played all six Gold Cup matches, earning praise for a run that included two clean sheets and three penalty saves during a successful shootout.

“I dream of this opportunity,” Freese said. “You work for this opportunity, but you never know if it’s going to come. I learned probably nine years ago, the ones that work hard without the promise of reward are the ones that usually succeed.”

NOTES: All 26 players participated in a full practice Tuesday for the first time in this World Cup training cycle. Tyler Adams, who sat out Monday's light workout for a maintenance day, was in the mix along with defender Chris Richards, who went through his second straight full practice while recovering from an ankle injury he picked up last month with Crystal Palace.

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

U.S. District Judge Emily Marks issued the ruling hours after an appeals court reversed her initial finding that the method was constitutional. Marks permanently enjoined the state from executing Jeffrey Lee, 49, by nitrogen gas. He was scheduled to be executed Thursday.

The decision, for now, blocks the use of the controversial new execution method that Alabama has championed since 2024. But the issue seems likely bound for the U.S. Supreme Court, which so far has never ruled a state's execution method to be unconstitutional.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall's office is appealing the decision, according to a Tuesday night court filing. Marshall's office did not issue an immediate comment. A spokeswoman for Lee’s legal team said they did not have an immediate comment.

Marks wrote that the appeals court found the method carried “a substantial risk of serious harm." She also ruled that the state had the ability to switch to Lee’s preferred method, a firing squad. Inmates challenging execution methods are required to suggest an alternative method.

“Therefore, Lee has shown by a preponderance of the evidence that the protocol constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth Amendment,” Marks wrote.

Marks wrote that her order only blocks the state from executing Lee by nitrogen gas. She noted the state has two other authorized execution methods, lethal injection and the electric chair. She said Lee is “not entitled to an injunction barring the state from executing him using one of those methods.”

Alabama in 2024 began using nitrogen gas to carry out some executions. The execution method involves strapping a respirator to the person’s face and replacing breathable air with pure nitrogen gas, causing death from lack of oxygen. Nitrogen has been used in eight executions in the United States — seven times in Alabama and once in Louisiana. Lee was scheduled to be the ninth person executed with nitrogen.

A three-judge panel from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday set the stage for Tuesday's ruling. The court said the three minutes that it could take for an inmate to lose awareness is an “intolerable” time frame, "given the suffering that would likely take place under Alabama’s nitrogen hypoxia protocol.”

The decision was welcomed by death penalty opponents and critics of the controversial execution method.

“Three minutes of conscious suffocation is torturous. If that doesn’t violate the constitution, let alone international law, nothing would,” said Bernard Harcourt, a professor at Columbia University Law School. Harcourt represents one of several other Alabama inmates challenging the method as unconstitutional.

The Rev. Jeff Hood, who served as spiritual adviser at two nitrogen executions, said, “I pray that we are witnessing the collapse of this horrific method nationwide.”

Alabama has maintained that the method is constitutional.

In her 26-page ruling, Marks noted the constant litigation over execution methods.

“Were Alabama to adopt firing squad as a method of execution, that method would likely be challenged as well. Indeed, there is likely no method — no matter how humane — that would be immune to constitutional challenge. But the Constitution does not guarantee a painless death, and human life cannot be purposefully extinguished without some risk of pain. The Court, the condemned, and the State must all confront that sobering reality,” Marks wrote.

Lee is currently housed at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore. He was convicted of two counts of capital murder for killing Jimmy Ellis and Elaine Thompson while robbing a pawnshop on Dec. 12, 1998. Prosecutors said Lee entered Jimmy’s Pawnshop with a sawed-off shotgun and shot Ellis, the owner of the store, and Thompson, a store employee.

A jury voted 7-5 that Lee should receive a sentence of life imprisonment. However, a judge overrode that recommendation and sentenced Lee to death. Alabama in 2017 ended the practice of judicial override and no longer allows a judge to disregard a jury’s sentencing decision in death penalty cases.

Although matches will be played at the newly-renamed “Miami Stadium” in Miami Gardens, city leaders in Miami Beach boasted the beach as the base for all things FIFA.

“We’re used to the big games, Super Bowls, Art Basel,” said Mayor Steven Meiner. “We are now on the world stage.”

“It all starts here on Thursday with a watch party and a concert kicking off here on the beach,” said Ray Martinez, Chief Operating Officer of the FIFA World Cup Host committee.

For the upcoming weeks, visitors can expect to see more police and more fire rescue.

Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones said the department will be using its real time intelligence center, drone mitigation, and more officers will be on the street.

Miami Beach Fire Chief Digna Abello told Local 10 News that rescue vehicles will be positioned strategically around the entertainment district and in high-volume areas.

Other parts of South Florida are getting a piece of the action, too.

On Tuesday at Tropical Park, young soccer players were treated to drills with pro player David Ruiz of Inter Miami.

“Me, being the professional player coming here to be with these kids, is an amazing feeling,” Ruiz said.

In Hialeah, along with watch parties, Mayor Bryan Calvo said children will participate in the first annual “Mayor’s Cup.”

In orders filed Tuesday, Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins dismissed claims against Robert M. Murphy Jr., as well as multiple N.C. State athletics officials tied to their oversight rules, citing procedural reasons.

The lawsuit was filed in February in state court in a case that began with a federal lawsuit from a single athlete filed in 2022. That complaint alleged years of misconduct by Murphy, including improper touching of the genitals during massages and intrusive observation while collecting urine samples during drug testing.

Collins granted the motion seeking a dismissal from Murphy’s attorneys, ruling that the statute of limitations had expired in claims dating back as early as 2013.

Collins also dismissed claims against multiple athletics officials such as former athletic director Debbie Yow and current AD Boo Corrigan on jurisdictional grounds. His ruling stated any complaint should go through the North Carolina Industrial Commission — a state agency that deals with workplace matters with N.C. State as a public university — rather than civil court.

Jared Hammett, a Raleigh-based attorney representing Murphy, issued a statement to The Associated Press describing his client as “someone who dedicated his life to working with athletes" while referring to a “rush to judgment” that can impact “real people's lives.”

“The truth is nothing happened but a man’s career being ruined for money,” Hammett said. “As a lawyer I am just glad that we have been able to help another person who needed support and found himself needing that defense.”

Durham-based attorney Kerry Sutton, who has represented players going back to the original case, said the athletes plan to appeal.

“This dismissal has nothing at all to do with Mr. Murphy’s sexual abuse of these 31 former student-athletes,” Sutton said in a statement to the AP. “It was decided based only on questions of legal procedure. We plan to appeal this outcome and in coming days will be adding new claims against NCSU for men who have recently come forward.”

All but two of the 31 athletes are “John Doe” plaintiffs to protect anonymity, while two former men’s soccer players are named.

One is Benjamin Locke, who filed the original complaint in August 2022. The other is one of two athletes who filed their own federal lawsuits in February 2023 and April 2023. The AP typically doesn’t identify those who say they have been sexually assaulted or abused unless the person has spoken publicly about it, which Locke has done.

Sutton, who has represented plaintiffs in each lawsuit, filed to dismiss those pending Title IX lawsuits before moving the case to state-level jurisdiction in September 2025.

Murphy, at N.C. State from 2012-22, was among nine defendants originally named individually. Others were school officials accused of negligence in oversight roles, saying concerns about Murphy’s conduct reached senior levels of the athletic department but the school’s response was insufficient.

Sutton and co-counsel Robert O. Jenkins filed in April to dismiss former N.C. State chancellor Randy Woodson as a defendant.

“N.C. State does not condone sexual misconduct of any kind,” the school said in a statement Tuesday evening. "The health and safety of our students and student-athletes is paramount to the university and our athletic programs.

“We agree with the court’s analysis and the decision that the law supports dismissal of the plaintiffs’ claims in this case. We recognize the immense courage it takes for someone to come forward, and our hearts go out to any student or student-athlete who has been impacted by distressing experiences.”

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

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That decision comes following Tuesday’s unanimous approval vote by the Broward County School Board.

“If we’re bringing in this program, it’s going to be implemented correctly,” said board member Rebecca Thompson.

The agreement says after a review by law enforcement, violators will receive $225 fines in the mail. The majority of the revenue from the fines will go to Bus Patrol, the company providing and installing the cameras on about 1,000 Broward school busses free of charge.

About 30% of the revenue from fines would go to Broward schools.

Broward Teachers Union president Anna Fusco said she supports the program if it’s keeping students safe.

“Cars are not always paying attention and if we can give some type of deterrent, some extra safety measures that those arms are up that you need to stop your damn car, then I’m in favor of it,” Fusco said.

In Miami-Dade County, the program was temporarily halted by the sheriff after the system was improperly issuing fines to drivers who were not illegally passing busses, and those drivers had no way to appeal their fines.

Broward Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn said they’ve since ironed out those kinks and drivers will be able to appeal fines they believe could be improper.

“Our legal team has done a good job in making sure those issues aren’t in our current contract,” said Hepburn.

Police say the five children Gwendolyn Rolle, 59, was trusted to take care of were found living in deplorable conditions.

According to authorities, all five kids were forced to live in the same room where they were not allowed to bathe and were starved.

Police said Rolle was acting as an unofficial foster parent for the five siblings, whose ages range between 4 and 9, after their father left them in her care.

Two of the children are non-verbal and attend a special needs school, police said.

“They were just left there for her to care for,” said Fort Pierce Police Department Maj. Michael Santiago. “She is not a licensed foster care parent. This was she was doing a favor for somebody, and what ended up happening was the sequence of events with this was that she neglected their childcare.”

According to Rolle’s arrest affidavit, police received an anonymous tip on June 2 reporting abuse and neglect at her Fort Pierce home.

When officers got there, they said they found the home in a deplorable state.

“That house has two bathrooms, one in the master and one for open use of the rest of the house,” said Santiago. “That bathroom was completely gutted. So there was no shower, there was no bathtub. There was a toilet that was completely stuffed, clogged.”

Authorities said Rolle kept the master bathroom locked when she wasn’t at home.

“We had reports and eyewitness information that the kids were using the bathroom in a bucket outside of the house,” said Santiago. “That was the only way they were allowed to use the bathroom. So, they weren’t showering, they weren’t bathing, they weren’t cleaning themselves. At times they would be left without eating any food.”

Santiago says witnesses even reported seeing the children bathing on the porch with a hose as their siblings held up a bedsheet to block the view.

According to police, the children would often only eat at school, with one teacher stating in the report that sometimes the odor coming from the kids was so strong that she had to use a spray to “freshen up the room.”

The children also reported being hit by Rolle when disciplined.

“The investigation is ongoing,” said Santiago. “The big thing about this is that we were able to get the kids out of that environment so that they can continue on living a good life, a better life, and not being in those conditions.”

Arman Motiwalla, de 37 años y residente de Plantation, era un exitoso ejecutivo de seguros y padre de familia que trabajaba en Synergy Insurance Affiliates LLC, ubicada en 350 Camino Gardens Blvd., en Boca Ratón.

Motiwalla recibió múltiples disparos y murió en el estacionamiento de la empresa el 8 de abril.

Los detectives informaron que Willie Byrd, de 42 años y residente de Boynton Beach, estaba esperando dentro de un vehículo, salió y asesinó a Motiwalla.

Los investigadores dijeron que lograron vincular el vehículo con Byrd y que durante un allanamiento encontraron una nota que contenía el nombre de la víctima, el nombre de su prometida y las direcciones de su oficina y su vivienda.

Sin embargo, el motivo del crimen sigue sin estar claro. Al momento de su muerte, Motiwalla estaba involucrado en una intensa batalla legal con su ex empleador, la empresa Innovative Partners, con sede en Coral Springs, alegando que fue despedido por denunciar violaciones generalizadas y prácticas ilegales.

No existe vínculo conocido entre la demanda y el asesinato de Motiwalla.

La prometida de Motiwalla, Madison Belle Bou-Nahra, reaccionó al arresto.

“Que alguien esté sentado en una celda de prisión obviamente protege a otras personas y por eso debemos estar agradecidos”, dijo. “Pero eso no cambia el hecho de que le quitaron la vida a una persona”.

La policía de Boca Ratón indicó que la investigación continúa en curso.

Hasta el martes, Byrd permanecía detenido en la cárcel del condado Palm Beach.

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Arman Motiwalla, 37, of Plantation, was a successful insurance executive and father who worked at Synergy Insurance Affiliates LLC at 350 Camino Gardens Blvd. in Boca Raton.

He was shot multiple times and killed in the parking lot of the business on April 8.

Detectives said Willie Byrd, 42, of Boynton Beach, was waiting in a car, got out and murdered Motiwalla.

Investigators say they were able to tie the vehicle to Byrd and a search uncovered a note containing the victim’s name, his fiancee’s name, and the addresses of his office and home.

But a motive remains unclear. At the time of his death, Motiwalla was involved in a bitter legal battle with his former employer, the Coral Springs-based company Innovative Partners, claiming he was fired for reporting widespread violations and illegal practices.

There’s no known connection between the lawsuit and Motiwalla’s killing.

Motiwalla’s fiancee, Madison Belle Bou-Nahra, reacted to the arrest.

“Somebody sitting in a prison cell obviously protects other people and for that we should be grateful,” she said. “But it doesn’t take away the fact that somebody’s life was taken away from them.”

Boca Raton police say the investigation into the case remains ongoing.

Byrd remained in the Palm Beach County jail as of Tuesday.

Los abogados no pudieron concluir sus alegatos iniciales el lunes, ya que el hombre de 55 años rompió en llanto repetidamente en la sala, lo que provocó un receso por el resto del día.

Pino enfrenta cargos por la muerte de Lucy Fernández, de 17 años, tras un accidente de bote ocurrido durante el fin de semana del Día del Trabajo de 2022.

Las autoridades indicaron que Pino, entonces de 52 años, estaba al mando de una embarcación Robalo de 29 pies durante las primeras horas de la noche del 4 de septiembre de 2022 cuando perdió el control y chocó contra una baliza de canal cerca de Boca Chita Key, causando la muerte de Fernández. Otras dos jóvenes resultaron gravemente heridas, incluida Katerina Puig, de 17 años.

La selección del jurado concluyó el viernes, luego de que los posibles jurados fueran interrogados sobre sus trabajos, experiencias de vida, posibles prejuicios y lo que sabían sobre el caso.

La jueza de Miami-Dade Marisa Tinkler Méndez rechazó las solicitudes para aplazar el juicio.

La fiscal Laura Adams pudo completar su alegato inicial mientras Pino se mostraba visiblemente afectado en la corte.

“Después de causar la muerte de Lucy, este acusado evitó asumir responsabilidad al contarle a la policía una versión inventada de cómo ocurrió este accidente de navegación, y mantuvo esa falsedad mucho tiempo después del día de esta tragedia”, dijo a los jurados. “La evidencia en este caso, señoras y señores, les mostrará que esto no fue un simple accidente ni un error momentáneo de juicio. La evidencia demostrará que Lucy murió porque el acusado no cumplió con las obligaciones más básicas que exigen las reglas de navegación”.

Sin embargo, durante el alegato inicial del abogado defensor Howard Srebnick, el visible colapso emocional de Pino llegó a un punto en que Adams solicitó una suspensión, argumentando que su comportamiento era “inapropiado” para que el jurado lo presenciara.

“El señor Pino va a tener que ser capaz de controlarse”, dijo Tinkler Méndez, quien más tarde añadió que “no es apropiado en absoluto que el jurado esté presenciando estos comportamientos emocionales”.

Srebnick había logrado presentar una parte de su alegato inicial. Argumentó que el accidente fue simplemente una tragedia.

“El estado admite que esta no era la intención de George”, dijo Srebnick. “No tenía la intención de chocar contra una baliza. No tenía la intención de que nadie resultara herido. Su propia hija, su propia esposa y él mismo estaban en ese bote. La señora Pino testificará que George, su esposo, no estaba bajo los efectos de ninguna sustancia. Ella no habría puesto en riesgo su propia vida”.

Tras el receso, equipos de Miami Fire Rescue evaluaron a Pino y finalmente el proceso fue aplazado hasta el martes.

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Broward commissioners approved the upgrade to its 911 system on Tuesday. It’s part of an agreement with Motorola that will cost $25 million over the next decade.

Similar technology is already being used in Miami-Dade County.

“This takes it to a whole another level of technology,” Broward Mayor Mark Bogen said. “This is like going from the modem to high-speed internet.”

The system will also allow callers to send recorded video.

“You can actually send a video to the 911 operator to show where you are at, to show what is going on,” Bogen said.

It will also have enhanced digital location-tracking capabilities.

“It gives the person answering the phone more opportunity to know what is going on and also to help identify that person and their location more accurately,” Bogen said.

All together, Bogen said the upgrade “really gives our law enforcement and 911 dispatch such a much bigger picture of how they can provide help to the person in need.”

“It is worth providing the safety to the public,” he said. “Saving one life is worth it.”

The new system is set to come online by mid-2028.

Los comisionados de Broward aprobaron el martes la modernización del sistema 911. La actualización forma parte de un acuerdo con Motorola que costará $25 millones USD durante la próxima década.

Tecnología similar ya se utiliza en el condado Miami-Dade.

“Esto lleva la tecnología a otro nivel”, dijo el alcalde de Broward, Mark Bogen. “Es como pasar de un módem a internet de alta velocidad”.

El sistema también permitirá que las personas envíen videos grabados.

“Usted podrá enviar un video al operador del 911 para mostrar dónde se encuentra y qué está ocurriendo”, dijo Bogen.

Además, contará con capacidades mejoradas de rastreo digital de ubicación.

“Le brinda a la persona que responde la llamada una mejor oportunidad de saber qué está sucediendo y también de identificar a esa persona y su ubicación con mayor precisión”, afirmó Bogen.

En conjunto, Bogen dijo que la actualización “realmente les da a las fuerzas del orden y a los despachadores del 911 una visión mucho más amplia de cómo pueden brindar ayuda a una persona que lo necesita”.

“Vale la pena proporcionar esta seguridad al público”, dijo. “Salvar una sola vida lo justifica”.

Está previsto que el nuevo sistema entre en funcionamiento a mediados de 2028.

La decisión se produjo tras la aprobación unánime del programa por parte de la Junta Escolar del condado Broward el martes.

“Si vamos a implementar este programa, se hará correctamente”, dijo la integrante de la junta Rebecca Thompson.

El acuerdo establece que, tras una revisión por parte de las autoridades, los infractores recibirán multas de $225 USD por correo. La mayor parte de los ingresos generados por las multas será destinada a BusPatrol, la empresa encargada de suministrar e instalar gratuitamente las cámaras en aproximadamente 1,000 autobuses escolares de Broward.

Alrededor del 30% de los ingresos por multas será destinado a las escuelas de Broward.

La presidenta del Sindicato de Maestros de Broward, Anna Fusco, dijo que apoya el programa si contribuye a mantener seguros a los estudiantes.

“Los conductores no siempre están prestando atención y si podemos ofrecer algún tipo de disuasión o medidas adicionales de seguridad cuando esas señales están desplegadas y usted necesita detener su maldito vehículo, entonces estoy a favor”, dijo Fusco.

En el condado Miami-Dade, el programa fue suspendido temporalmente por el sheriff después de que el sistema emitiera multas de manera incorrecta a conductores que no habían adelantado ilegalmente a autobuses escolares, y esos conductores no tenían forma de apelar las sanciones.

El superintendente de las Escuelas de Broward, Howard Hepburn, dijo que esos problemas ya fueron corregidos y que los conductores podrán apelar las multas que consideren improcedentes.

“Nuestro equipo legal ha hecho un buen trabajo asegurándose de que esos problemas no estén presentes en nuestro contrato actual”, afirmó Hepburn.

Según la policía de Miami Gardens, el intento de robo y la balacera fueron reportados alrededor de la 1:35 a.m. en el área de Northwest 173rd Street y la 36th Avenue.

La policía indicó que un residente de la vivienda abrió la puerta principal al presunto ladrón y ambos se involucraron en un altercado físico.

La novia del residente luego corrió a buscar ayuda de los vecinos, dijeron las autoridades.

Uno de los vecinos escuchó entonces detonaciones, que según la policía provinieron del arma del presunto ladrón.

Ese vecino se dirigió al lugar donde ocurría la pelea y le disparó al sospechoso en la cabeza, informó la policía.

Funcionarios de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladaron al sospechoso al HCA Florida Aventura Hospital, donde posteriormente murió.

“Cuarenta y cinco años en esta cuadra, y nunca habíamos visto una escena del crimen ni nada parecido aquí”, dijo la vecina Katara Bloom.

Mientras la policía afirma que ya no existe una amenaza para esta comunidad, los vecinos aseguran que seguirán unidos.

“Este no es un mal vecindario, es un vecindario bastante bueno”, dijo Bloom. “Realmente nadie tiene problemas. Somos como una familia en esta comunidad; cada uno de nosotros se conoce”.

No está claro si la persona que vive en la vivienda fue atacada al azar, ya que la policía indicó que el motivo aún no está claro.

La investigación continúa en curso.

Durante una audiencia en el Tribunal de Menores del condado Miami-Dade, el juez determinó que existe causa probable en el caso contra Naseline Timouche y ordenó que la madre se someta a evaluaciones antes de que pueda considerarse cualquier contacto futuro con su hija.

El tribunal también ordenó terapia y evaluaciones para determinar las necesidades de la menor.

Timouche, residente de la comunidad Sunshine Lakes, en el noroeste de Miami-Dade, fue arrestada el sábado por cargos de abuso infantil y negligencia infantil tras una investigación de agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO).

Según el informe de arresto, los agentes acudieron a la vivienda de Timouche el sábado para realizar una verificación de bienestar y encontraron a la hija de Timouche con numerosas cicatrices y marcas en su cuerpo.

Los agentes dijeron que la niña les contó que con frecuencia era dejada sola en casa durante largos períodos de tiempo, incluso durante la noche.

Según el informe, la víctima también afirmó que había sido golpeada en numerosas ocasiones con un cable, una sartén y una espátula, y que su madre no la alimentaba con frecuencia.

El informe señala que la víctima dijo que Timouche no le permitía comer los alimentos de la casa porque eran para los “invitados” y que la obligaba a comer alimentos vencidos o incluso comida sacada de la basura.

Según el informe, la menor afirmó que su madre a veces la despertaba durante la noche para golpearla sin motivo aparente, incluida una ocasión en la que le golpeó el rostro con un cable de cargador.

La policía indicó que la menor presentaba numerosas cicatrices compatibles con las acusaciones que relató.

Según el informe, una vecina dijo a la policía que conoció a la niña hace dos meses por medio de otro vecino y que le había permitido quedarse en su casa, además de proporcionarle comida y refugio cuando era dejada sola.

La vecina contó a los agentes que vio a la menor caminando sola el viernes y nuevamente le proporcionó comida y ropa limpia, informaron las autoridades.

Los vecinos expresaron su sorpresa por las acusaciones.

“Nunca lo habría sospechado”, dijo la vecina Simone Haritos.

Haritos dijo que ocasionalmente trataba de ayudar a la niña cuando la veía sola.

“Trataba de ayudarla con pequeñas cosas, como galletas y agua, porque no quería tener problemas con la madre”, dijo.

Aunque calificó las acusaciones como desgarradoras, Haritos dijo que cree que la familia podría haber estado enfrentando dificultades.

“Creo que es realmente triste. Pienso que probablemente estaban bajo mucho estrés”, dijo. “No es barato vivir aquí y, por lo que entiendo, no son de aquí. Estoy segura de que probablemente enfrentaban muchas dificultades”.

Timouche permanece detenida sin derecho a fianza.

La menor fue colocada bajo cuidado temporal de crianza, según los procedimientos judiciales. Los registros indican que la niña nació en Chile y que su padre permanece en ese país.

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

Kalshi will now assign a score to new markets, and the score will determine how much Kalshi believes that particular market is at risk of insider trading or market manipulation. If a market scores high on these metrics, Kalshi will require its customers to provide employment information to trade on that market. Those who Kalshi identify as a presumptive insider on that particular market will be banned from trading in those markets as they are created, the company said.

“By implementing these new integrity measures, we continue to lead the industry on the issue of market integrity among federally regulated prediction markets,” said Robert DeNault, head of enforcement at Kalshi, in a statement.

The employment information collected on users will only be used if suspicious activity is seen on the market in question, the company said. The company says these new screening tools have stopped at least 100 potential insider trades.

“This lets us identify presumptive insiders – people who have material, nonpublic information about a market’s outcome – and screen them out before a trade is ever placed,” Kalshi said in a statement.

Prediction markets have been pushing hard to gain legitimacy among the public and policymakers as a legitimate platform where users can bet on everything from sports to the weather to elections. Kalshi, in particular, has been trying to differentiate itself from its major competitor Polymarket, whose primary operations are outside of U.S. jurisdiction. Kalshi also disclosed that it has made at least 20 referrals to law enforcement or securities regulators for market manipulation or insider trading.

Kalshi announced in February that it was creating an Independent Surveillance Audit Committee to help it combat market manipulation and insider trading. The changes announced this week resulted partly from the committee's work, the company said.

The Wall Street Journal first reported Kalshi's changes earlier Tuesday.

Haji Najibullah's sentencing capped a daylong proceeding in Manhattan federal court that featured a dramatic few moments when the reporter, David Rohde, faced Najibullah and described how Najibullah took part in the abduction of him and two other men in 2008 in Afghanistan but was now “refusing to take responsibility as I look at him today.”

Rohde, who is MSNOW’s national security reporter and previously worked for The New York Times and other publications, told Judge Katherine Polk Failla that he was “surprised and disappointed” that Najibullah was trying to blame others and circumstances for his role in the kidnapping of Rohde, another journalist and a driver.

The men were held for more than seven months before making a dramatic escape from a Taliban-controlled compound in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

In April 2025, Najibullah pleaded guilty to providing material support for acts of terrorism and conspiring to take hostages.

The bearded Najibullah, 50, who wore a black skull cap in court Tuesday, admitted that he provided material support including weapons to the Taliban from 2007 to 2009, knowing it would be used to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan.

Speaking through an interpreter, Najibullah apologized to Rohde and his family, saying “what happened to him was terrible, and I deeply regret my role in it.”

Standing at a lectern just feet from Najibullah, Rohde said it was Najibullah's lies that led him to go to what he thought was an interview but what turned into an ambush.

“Hostage taking is a cruel and cowardly crime. Family members spend weeks and months thinking they have the power to save their loved one's life,” Rohde said, noting it's “an illusion” because families lack the leverage and vast sums needed to meet ransom demands.

Still, Rohde said, the pain he and those who know him have suffered is dwarfed by the deaths of three U.S. soldiers who were killed by Najibullah's cohorts in a separate operation.

Three times, he named the soldiers as he spoke, becoming emotional about their deaths, the pain his family endured and his love for journalism.

In a statement afterward, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the case proves that “those who harm Americans and engage in acts of terrorism will be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long it takes.”

As she announced the sentence, the judge praised Rohde for the work that he and his wife have done on behalf of the families of others who were kidnapped.

She said she stopped short of giving Najibullah the life prison sentence that federal sentencing guidelines called for because he had pleaded guilty, sparing more trauma for his victims, and because he was subjected to harsh prison conditions for six years, including during the pandemic.

But she rejected most of the arguments for leniency made by his defense lawyer, who requested an 18-year prison term for his client as he portrayed him as doing what was necessary to protect his homeland during war.

She said fighters under his control attacked a convoy of soldiers, killing three of them.

“I don’t think he needed to pull the trigger, to decapitate a body, to be responsible for what happened,” Failla said.

Rohde called it the “biggest mistake of my life” to set up an interview with Najibullah that resulted in the kidnapping and said he would not have done it if he knew Najibullah was behind the killing of American soldiers.

He noted during his statement in court that the hostage takers had claimed he was a spy “when in fact I was a journalist” who was trying to get the viewpoint of a Taliban commander “to understand their hopes, their lives and their worldview.”

Then, he repeated that he remains “a journalist and I could not be prouder of being part of this profession,” a statement that briefly caused him to get choked up.

The law requires government agencies and private companies to integrate cattle-tracking, land ownership and deforestation-monitoring systems to identify livestock linked to forest loss and keep them out of supply chains.

Supporters say the measure could help tackle one of the leading causes of deforestation in Colombia’s Amazon, where cattle ranching has long been associated with land grabbing and the clearing of forests for pasture.

The law comes as Colombia seeks to reverse decades of forest loss, much of it driven by the expansion of cattle ranching into previously forested areas. Supporters say it could close longstanding loopholes that have allowed cattle raised on illegally cleared land — including inside protected areas and national parks — to enter legitimate supply chains and eventually reach supermarkets and export markets.

A demand for beef not linked to deforestation

Susanne Breitkopf, director of forest campaigns at the Environmental Investigation Agency U.S., an environmental watchdog that has investigated deforestation linked to Colombia’s cattle industry, said the law could become a model for other tropical forest nations.

“It is a victory for forests, for the communities that protect them, and for consumers who demand that the beef they purchase does not contribute to deforestation and illicit economies,” Breitkopf said.

The legislation also arrives as governments and businesses face growing pressure from international markets to demonstrate that commodities such as beef are not linked to deforestation. Environmental advocates say traceability systems are increasingly becoming a prerequisite for access to some overseas markets and could help authorities better identify land grabbing and illegal forest clearing by cutting down or burning forest.

Colombia has lost about 3.3 million hectares (8.2 million acres) of forest — an area roughly the size of Belgium — according to organizations that supported the legislation, with the problem particularly acute in the Amazon region.

Creating a nationwide legal framework

Brazil’s Amazonian state of Para has adopted traceability requirements for cattle producers and committed to tracking individual animals throughout the supply chain, but environmental groups say Colombia’s law goes further by creating a nationwide legal framework.

A 2025 analysis by the Environmental Investigation Agency found that hundreds of thousands of cattle were transported between 2020 and 2024 from municipalities overlapping national parks.

The law is the result of years of campaigning by environmental organizations, researchers and lawmakers who argued that weak oversight allowed cattle linked to illegal deforestation to move through Colombia’s fragmented supply chain.

Natalia Katixa Escobar, a researcher at Dejusticia, a Colombian legal and policy research center that has studied links between cattle ranching and deforestation, said the law helps bridge a longstanding divide between environmental and agricultural oversight.

“One of its first achievements is that it creates a bridge between environmental and agricultural policy,” she said. “The control mechanisms associated with cattle ranching and cattle traceability had no environmental perspective.”

Colombia's environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres told The Associated Press the government hopes the measure will help distinguish producers who operate responsibly from those linked to forest destruction.

“This means it will become increasingly difficult for the destruction of forests or economies associated with illegal activities to hide behind seemingly legitimate supply chains,” Vélez said.

A 2-year timeline for implementation

Within six months, the government must establish programs to help suppliers comply with the new requirements, create a certification system for deforestation-free products and provide funding to strengthen monitoring systems in active deforestation hot spots.

Within a year, authorities must regulate procedures governing the country’s cattle identification and traceability systems and establish due diligence requirements for deforestation-free cattle ranching.

By the end of the second year, slaughterhouses, meat processors, cattle auctions, traders and live cattle exporters will be required to implement due diligence policies and best practices aimed at ensuring their supply chains are free from deforestation.

The legislation also requires the gradual integration of government databases, allowing officials to compare information on land tenure, cattle ownership and forest loss for the first time.

Supporters say those measures could significantly improve authorities’ ability to identify cattle raised on recently deforested land and prevent them from entering legal markets.

But the law’s success will depend largely on implementation, including whether the government can adequately fund new systems and enforce the rules in remote regions where illegal deforestation remains widespread.

If fully implemented, supporters say, the law could become a model for other tropical forest nations seeking to protect forests while maintaining access to increasingly demanding international markets.

“The real test will be what happens on the ground,” Escobar said, noting that while the law could improve oversight and information-sharing, reducing deforestation will also depend on governance and enforcement in remote regions of the Amazon.

“Whether it will significantly reduce deforestation in the Amazon remains to be seen,” she said.

___

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

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During a hearing in Miami-Dade County Children’s Court, the judge found probable cause in the case involving Naseline Timouche and said the mother must undergo evaluations before any future contact with her daughter can be considered.

The court also ordered therapy and evaluations to assess the child’s needs.

Timouche, who lives in the Sunshine Lakes community in northwest Miami-Dade, was arrested Saturday on charges of child abuse and child neglect following an investigation by Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies.

According to an arrest report, deputies responded to Timouche’s home Saturday to conduct a welfare check and found Timouche’s daughter with numerous scars and marks on her body.

Deputies said the girl told them she was frequently left home alone for extended periods of time, including overnight.

According to the report, the victim said she had also been hit numerous times with a cord, frying pan and a spatula and does not often get fed at home by her mother.

The report states that the victim said Timouche does not allow her to eat the food in her home because the food is for “guests,” and forces her to eat expired food instead or food from the trash.

According to the report, the victim claimed that her mother would sometimes wake her up at night and strike her with items for no apparent reason, including one time where she was struck in the face with a charging cable.

Police said the victim had numerous scars on her body that were consistent with her claims.

According to the report, a neighbor told police that she was first introduced to the girl two months ago from another neighbor and has allowed her to stay in her house and has provided her with food and shelter when she is left alone.

The neighbor told officers that she saw the victim walking around alone on Friday and once again provided her with food and clean clothing, authorities said.

Neighbors expressed shock at the allegations.

“You would never suspect that,” neighbor Simone Haritos said.

Haritos said she occasionally tried to help the girl when she saw her alone.

“I would try to help her, little things like cookies and water because I didn’t want to get into it with the parent,” she said.

While describing the allegations as heartbreaking, Haritos said she believed the family may have been struggling.

“I think it is really sad. I think they were probably under a lot of stress,” she said. “It is not cheap over here and they are not from here from what I understand. So I am sure they probably had a lot of uphill battles.”

Timouche remains in custody and is being held without bond.

The child has been placed in foster care, according to court proceedings. Records indicate the girl was born in Chile and that her father remains in that country.

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NASA announced on Tuesday that the Miami Sunset Senior High School graduate, who went on to become a NASA astronaut and U.S. Army Colonel, had been selected for the Artemis III mission.

Rubio, 50, turned his acceptance speech into a gratitude list that included his wife, his four kids, family, friends, “NASA community,” engineers, flight controllers, directors, peers, and support staff.

“What an incredible blessing and an honor it is to be standing here representing all of you,” Rubio said.

Jared Isaacman, the 15th administrator of NASA, introduced Rubio as an “Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot, family medicine physician, and record-setting astronaut mission specialist.”

Rubio and his fellow crew members — Randy Bresnik, the NASA commander, Andre Douglas, NASA mission specialist, and the European Space Agency’s Luca Parmitano — are preparing for a 2027 spaceflight around Earth ahead of the 2028 lunar landing.

Before joining the Johnson Space Center’s 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class, Rubio served in the Army as an aviator and a physician for over 28 years, and he was a West Point “Black Knights” parachute team member.

Rubio graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1998 and earned his doctorate of medicine from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, in 2010.

Rubio’s deployments included Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and he was a battalion surgeon for the 3rd Battalion of the 10th Special Forces Group in the U.S. Army when NASA selected him.

His long list of awards includes the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and Space Exploration Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with two oak leaf clusters, and the Air Medal.

Related story: NASA unveils Artemis III astronauts to test technology for a future moon landing

Related social media posts

.@USArmy Black Hawk helicopter pilot, family medicine physician, and record-setting astronaut Frank Rubio is joining Artemis III as a mission specialist. pic.twitter.com/3Uoz1ZbZG4

— NASA (@NASA) June 9, 2026

“What an incredible blessing and an honor it is to be standing here representing all of you.”

Artemis III mission specialist Frank Rubio takes a moment to thank his family and colleagues for their support. pic.twitter.com/zHqW5ipx9m

— NASA (@NASA) June 9, 2026

Según un comunicado de la BSO, uno de los hombres vestía zapatos rojos, una camiseta negra de Nike y un sombrero tipo boonie, mientras que el otro tenía tatuajes en los brazos, rastas y llevaba una camiseta sin mangas blanca y pantalones oscuros.

“Las imágenes de vigilancia muestran al sujeto tirando de un vagón plegable azul y rompiendo la manija de la puerta trasera de la camioneta de trabajo”, escribió el martes Claudinne Caro, portavoz de la BSO, en un comunicado.

Los agentes de la BSO estimaron que el valor de las herramientas robadas el 19 de mayo en 2050 NW 29th St. asciende a aproximadamente $8,000 USD, según Caro.

Pérez pidió a cualquier persona con información sobre el caso que lo llame al 954-202-3113 o se comunique con Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477 para permanecer en el anonimato.

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One man was wearing red shoes, a black Nike T-shirt, and a boonie hat, and the other had tattoos on his arms, dreadlocks, and wore a white tank top and dark pants, according to a BSO statement.

“The surveillance footage shows the subject pulling a blue foldable wagon and breaking the back door handle of the work van,” Claudinne Caro, a BSO spokeswoman, wrote in a statement on Tuesday.

BSO deputies estimated the value of the tools stolen on May 19 at 2050 NW 29th St. at about $8,000, according to Caro.

Perez asked anyone with information about the case to call him at 954-202-3113 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 to remain anonymous.

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It happened on April 3 in the northbound lanes of Interstate 95, just south of the interchange with Interstate 595.

Florida Highway Patrol troopers said Aaron McCullough, 33, of Tamarac, lost control of a silver 2017 Chevrolet Malibu, careened across all lanes of the highway and hit the end of a guardrail.

Both McCullough and his passenger, who has not been identified by FHP, were injured when authorities said they hit the car’s windshield.

The victims were taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where McCullough’s passenger was pronounced dead.

Police said a blood draw from McCullough revealed he had a blood-alcohol level well above the legal limit and prosecutors said it took more than five hours before that level fell below the legal limit.

Investigators said they were able to determine that McCullough had been drinking at a nightclub earlier in the evening, with records showing he purchased a bottle of tequila around 9:30 p.m.

Arrested on Thursday, McCullough is facing charges of DUI manslaughter and DUI causing property damage and remains behind bars on no bond.

El accidente ocurrió el 3 de abril en los carriles en dirección norte de la Interestatal 95, justo al sur del intercambio con la Interestatal 595.

Agentes de la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida (FHP) informaron que Aaron McCullough, de 33 años y residente de Tamarac, perdió el control de un Chevrolet Malibu plateado modelo 2017, cruzó todos los carriles de la autopista y chocó contra el extremo de una barrera de protección.

Tanto McCullough como su pasajero, cuya identidad no ha sido revelada por la FHP, resultaron heridos al impactar contra el parabrisas del vehículo, según las autoridades.

Las víctimas fueron trasladadas al Broward Health Medical Center, donde el pasajero de McCullough fue declarado muerto.

La policía indicó que un análisis de sangre realizado a McCullough reveló que tenía un nivel de alcohol en sangre muy por encima del límite legal, y los fiscales señalaron que pasaron más de cinco horas antes de que ese nivel descendiera por debajo del límite permitido.

Los investigadores determinaron que McCullough había estado bebiendo en un club nocturno más temprano esa noche, y los registros muestran que compró una botella de tequila alrededor de las 9:30 p.m.

Arrestado el jueves, McCullough enfrenta cargos de homicidio por conducir bajo la influencia del alcohol (DUI) y DUI con daños a la propiedad. Permanece detenido sin derecho a fianza.

La NASA anunció el martes que el graduado de Miami Sunset Senior High School, quien posteriormente se convirtió en astronauta de la NASA y coronel del Ejército de Estados Unidos, fue seleccionado para la misión Artemis III.

Rubio, de 50 años y padre de cuatro hijos, convirtió su discurso en una lista de agradecimientos que incluyó a la “comunidad de la NASA”, líderes, ingenieros, controladores de vuelo y directores.

“Ustedes son quienes hacen posible todo esto, así que gracias”, dijo Rubio. “Y por último, pero definitivamente no menos importante, a mis compañeros… y a todo el personal de apoyo que tenemos. Esperamos representarlos a todos”.

Rubio y sus compañeros de tripulación —Randy Bresnik, comandante de la NASA; Andre Douglas, especialista de misión de la NASA; y Luca Parmitano, de la Agencia Espacial Europea— se preparan para un vuelo espacial alrededor de la Tierra en 2027 antes del alunizaje previsto para 2028.

Antes de integrarse a la Clase de Candidatos a Astronauta de 2017 en el Centro Espacial Johnson, Rubio sirvió en el Ejército como aviador y médico durante más de 28 años, además de formar parte del equipo de paracaidismo “Black Knights” de West Point.

Rubio se graduó de la Academia Militar de Estados Unidos en West Point, Nueva York, en 1998 y obtuvo un doctorado en Medicina de la Universidad de Servicios Uniformados de Ciencias de la Salud en Bethesda, Maryland, en 2010.

Entre sus despliegues militares figuran Bosnia, Afganistán e Irak, y se desempeñaba como cirujano de batallón del 3.er Batallón del 10.º Grupo de Fuerzas Especiales del Ejército de Estados Unidos cuando fue seleccionado por la NASA.

Su extensa lista de reconocimientos incluye la Medalla al Servicio Distinguido de la NASA, la Medalla de Exploración Espacial, la Medalla al Servicio Superior de Defensa, la Legión al Mérito, la Estrella de Bronce con dos racimos de hojas de roble y la Medalla Aérea.

Historia relacionada: NASA presenta a los astronautas de Artemis III para probar tecnología destinada a un futuro alunizaje.

Publicación relacionada en redes sociales

.@USArmy Black Hawk helicopter pilot, family medicine physician, and record-setting astronaut Frank Rubio is joining Artemis III as a mission specialist. pic.twitter.com/3Uoz1ZbZG4

— NASA (@NASA) June 9, 2026

Inflation is expected to reach 4.2% in May from a year earlier when the Labor Department reports last month's figures Wednesday, according to a survey of economists by data provider FactSet The annual increase would be up from the 3.8% reading in April. On a monthly basis, prices are forecast to have risen a hefty 0.5%, slightly below the 0.6% increase in April.

Inflation had been cooling before President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs in April 2025, which lifted the costs of many goods. Prices have since surged after the Iran war made oil and gas more expensive, making affordability a key political issue. The main question now is whether inflation will fade if the war ends and oil and gas prices fall, or will it persist even after the war.

Some economists worry that prices are still elevated in areas that should be unaffected by gas costs, such as dental care, motor vehicle repair, and other services. At the same time, wages are rising only modestly, which should reduce pressure on firms to raise prices further.

To that end, economists and financial markets will closely watch core prices, which exclude the volatile food and energy categories. Core inflation is forecast to have risen 0.3% in May from April, according to FactSet, a pace that is consistent with annual readings far higher than the Fed's 2% target. On an annual basis, core inflation may tick higher to 2.9% from 2.8%.

Gas prices have fallen this month, but they rose in May because of Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has choked off about a fifth of the world's oil supply. Prices at the pump rose, on average, from about $4.04 in mid-April to $4.49 in mid-May, according to the Energy Information Administration.

They have since fallen back to $4.16 on average nationwide, according to AAA, which could lead to a cooler inflation reading in June.

More expensive diesel fuel has lifted shipping costs, with companies like UPS and FedEx adding fuel surcharges in the past couple of months. That is likely to push up grocery prices, which jumped 0.7% in April and are 2.9% higher than a year ago.

Stubbornly high inflation has shifted the debate among Fed policymakers, who had signaled at the start of the year that they were inclined to cut their key rate twice more this year. Now, more officials are saying they expect the Fed's next move will likely be a hike rather than a cut. When the Fed boosts its key rate, it typically over time leads to higher borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and business loans.

Wall Street investors expect the Fed to raise rates in December, according to futures prices tracked by CME Fedwatch.

Despite higher inflation, the job market appears to be improving, with hiring increasing to a healthy level in May, and the economy is still growing. These positive signs suggest the Fed doesn't need to cut rates to stimulate growth and hiring. They also signal that the Fed's rate isn't so high that it is weighing on the economy. Yet some officials want rates to cool growth a bit, because that can bring down inflation.

Interest rates on two-year and 10-year Treasury securities have increased since Friday's jobs report showed hiring accelerated in May, a sign investors expect inflation may remain elevated and eventually require Fed rate hikes.

Higher inflation has put the new Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh, in a difficult spot. He advocated for rate cuts last year and was chosen by Trump to replace Jerome Powell, after Trump relentlessly criticized Powell for not reducing rates more quickly. Yet for now, Trump and White House officials are mainly arguing that interest rates don't need to increase, rather than demanding further cuts.

Some economists still see tariffs pushing up some costs, particularly clothing, which jumped 0.6% in April and are 4.2% more expensive than a year ago. Pricier fuel may have also led to higher airline fares last month, which would lift core inflation.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday called European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to convey the concerns and “to discuss U.S. and European coordination and response efforts to the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda,” the State Department said in a statement.

“The department’s highest priority and focus remain protecting the health of the American people and preventing this Ebola outbreak from reaching our shores,” it said.

A State Department official was more blunt, saying the U.S. “has stepped up” to confront the outbreak and “now the world must do more to step up as well.”

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private call between Rubio and von der Leyen, said it's time for action and that without it, trans-Atlantic travel could be affected.

The official said the U.S. wants to see action that includes financial contributions to combat the disease and “commonsense restrictions on travel from the affected area.”

The World Cup tournament opens Thursday in Mexico and unfolds over nearly six weeks, with the United States hosting most of the games.

The Trump administration has banned travelers who have been in one of the affected countries in the previous three weeks from entering the United States and is establishing quarantine procedures for affected American citizens returning home from those places.

There are relatively few direct flights between Africa and the United States per day but more than 300 direct daily flights between Europe and the United States.

The U.S. says it has contributed more than $200 million to efforts to end the outbreak in Congo and Uganda since it was first confirmed last month.

The European Union announced earlier Tuesday that it was boosting its Ebola response funding by 16.5 million euros ($19 million) on top of 15 million euros ($17.3 million) related to the outbreak that it contributed last month. The European Union delegation in Washington had no immediate response about Rubio's call with von der Leyen.

Democrats assailed Rubio during congressional hearings last week about the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the impact that may have had on the Ebola response. Rubio insisted that early detection programs have been rolled into health deals struck with African countries and that the U.S. “response has been very quick."

Un video de vigilancia en el área de la vivienda de Johnson, ubicada en Northwest 34 Terrace y Ninth Street, muestra a Merisma buscando refugio detrás de un contenedor de basura, informó el lunes el teniente Antonio González, portavoz de la policía de Lauderhill.

“El centro de despacho de la BSO escuchó un fuerte golpe a través de la línea abierta” durante la llamada al 911 realizada por Johnson antes de que este confesara: “Acabo de dispararle”, según González.

Los agentes de la policía de Lauderhill arrestaron a Johnson y el Departamento Correccional de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward lo ingresó el lunes en la cárcel principal del condado Broward, en Fort Lauderdale.

Johnson compareció el martes ante un tribunal de fianzas en el condado Broward. El abogado Joshua Rydell lo representó. Su madre, Cora Johnson, habló en su defensa.

“Si se hubiera evitado el acoso, esto también se pudo haber evitado”, dijo la madre de Johnson durante la audiencia.

Johnson enfrenta un cargo de asesinato en primer grado. El juez de circuito del condado Broward Corey Friedman le negó el derecho a fianza. El juez Thomas Coleman fue asignado para presidir el caso de homicidio capital.

El abogado Jack Palmeri, ex fiscal que no está vinculado al caso, dijo que es probable que la defensa invoque la ley de legítima defensa “Stand Your Ground”.

“Usted perdió de vista lo que estaba ocurriendo. No sabe qué daño podía causar esa persona detrás del contenedor de basura”, dijo Palmeri sobre la decisión de Johnson de disparar.

The law, signed in December by Gov. Kathy Hochul, went into effect Tuesday. Her office is calling it a “first-in-the-nation law” that will boost transparency at a time when it says AI generated performers are popping up across all forms of media, including on social platforms and in digital advertising.

Synthetic performers are defined under state law as “digitally-created media that appear as a real person.” The law applies to ads in any medium.

“In New York, we are setting the rules of the road instead of letting AI run the show,” Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement. The "simple, honest disclosure" required by the law “protects consumers, respects our creative workforce and keeps New York at the forefront of responsible innovation,” she said.

Ads that don't “conspicuously disclose” that they have used a synthetic performer will be subject to a penalty of $1,000 for a first violation and $5,000 for any further violations.

There are specific carve outs listed in the law to exempt ads for movies, television shows, streaming content, video games and other works that feature synthetic performers in the entire work. It also doesn't apply to audio advertisements or ads where AI is solely used for language translation.

When the law was making its way through the state legislature last year, the American Association of Advertising Agencies and several other advertising organizations issued statements in strong opposition to the law.

The 4As, as the organization is better known, said in one blog post that it would hurt advertisers by “injecting compliance uncertainty into the advertising process, burdening brands (and their agencies) who advertise in New York and undermining creative and technological innovation.”

Other organizations, like the The New York State Broadcasters Association, said in public statements during the legislation's journey to become law that they were relieved to see some of those carve outs that were created through amendments, but remained concerned about the broad definition of a synthetic performer. David Donovan, the president of the organization, said in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday that local broadcast stations are ready to comply with the law.

The biggest supporter of the law was SAG-AFTRA, the actors' union that recently ratified a new contract with studios and streamers that they say provides further protections against synthetic performers.

The law is one of many proposed or enacted in several U.S. states with the goal of boosting job security for real humans or curbing the potential privacy and safety risks posed by AI. The existing state laws that have been passed include barring deepfakes in specific instances, limiting the collection of certain personal information and requiring more transparency from companies.

Just after Hochul signed the synthetic performers law in December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pressuring states not to regulate AI. The move came out of fear that the patchwork of regulations across the states could impede AI companies’ growth and allow China to catch up to the U.S. in the AI race. Critics of the executive order argue it will allow tech companies to operate with little to no oversight.

On Tuesday, the Hurricanes announced the game themes for each of their seven home games at Hard Rock Stadium.

Plan accordingly, Canes Family…

Our 2026 Game Theme schedule is here! 🙌

🔗: https://t.co/8sHaOKvNWx pic.twitter.com/9DSiftU41F

— Miami Hurricanes Football (@CanesFootball) June 9, 2026

Sept. 10 vs. Florida A&M (8 p.m.): Home Opener

The Hurricanes should roll to a 2-0 start for the fifth consecutive season when they open their home schedule against the Rattlers.

Sept. 26 vs. Central Michigan (6:30 p.m.): UHealth Cancer Awareness Game, Family Weekend, and 1991 National Championship Celebration

UHealth partners with the Hurricanes for its annual Cancer Awareness Game, and fans can expect to see plenty of pink throughout the field and Hard Rock Stadium. The university also will welcome students and their families as part of Family Weekend festivities. Additionally, Miami will honor its undefeated 1991 national championship team on the 35th anniversary of its 12-0 season, which came during the program’s time in the Big East Conference.

Oct. 17 vs. Florida State, Presented by City National Bank: ORANGEOUT!

The university is asking fans and students to wear orange as the Hurricanes host rival Florida State. Last season, Miami’s Orange Out game took place in the season opener against Notre Dame.

Oct. 24 vs. Pittsburgh, Presented by Estrella: 2001 National Championship Celebration

Miami will honor its famed 2001 national championship team, marking 25 years since its dominant 12-0 season and national title under head coach Larry Coker.

Nov. 14 vs. Duke, Presented by The Islands of the Bahamas: Homecoming

Duke, Mensah’s former school, will visit Hard Rock Stadium, where the program is inviting former Hurricanes from all eras back to campus for Homecoming Weekend.

Nov. 21 vs. Virginia Tech, Presented by Boost Mobile: Salute to Service

In honor of National Veterans and Military Families Month, the school says it will host a “Salute to Service” game featuring festivities inside and outside Hard Rock Stadium that recognize veterans and pay tribute to those who serve and those in training to serve. The team is expected to wear special uniform tops and pants for the game.

Nov. 28 vs. Boston College: Canes 4 Life Day (Senior Day):

Miami will close out its home schedule and regular season slate by honoring its 2026 senior class.

For season ticket information, call 1-800-GO-CANES or visit miamihurricanes.com/tickets.

You'll usually be in the money — at least if recent history holds.

The New York Knicks, after two straight wins in the finals against the San Antonio Spurs, lost at home 115-111 on Monday night with Trump, a longtime fan of the Big Apple's NBA team, in a luxury suite at Madison Square Garden.

He similarly may have had a jinxing role for MLB's Washington Nationals during his first term, when the home team lost Game 5 of the World Series to the Houston Astros 7-1.

In November, the president was on hand when the NFL's Washington Commanders hosted the Detroit Lions, and the visitors romped 44-22. And he was front and center at Bethpage Black when Europe topped the U.S. golf team in last fall's Ryder Cup.

It’s a glaring irony for a president fanatical about sports but also especially obsessed with winning.

Trump frequently mentions his own election victories, even boasting of a 2020 win over Joe Biden that never happened, and touts his record of endorsing winning Republican primary candidates. His love of sports also sometimes leads him into hostile territory, including heavily Democratic Manhattan, where his very presence led to sustained booing before Game 3's tipoff.

The White House called the suggestion that Trump's attendance might not bode well for home teams “foolish” and called him “the people's president.”

“President Trump is the greatest champion for sports of any president in American history, and he loves them," spokesperson Olivia Wales said in a statement.

To be fair, Trump's attendance doesn't guarantee the home team will lose.

Last September, the New York Yankees beat the visiting Detroit Tigers 9-3 as the president marked the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Trump was also there when Navy beat Army 17-16 in Baltimore last fall, when the Midshipmen were technically the home team — though Navy wasn't playing in its home stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

He's also been to plenty of sporting events where home field advantage isn't a factor.

That was true for his attending the U.S. Open in September and the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, where the Philadelphia Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as that year's Daytona 500. Ditto for 2025s NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia and the FIFA Club World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

It also won't be an issue Sunday, when the White House's South Lawn will host a UFC show to mark Trump's 80th birthday.

If the trend holds, however, it may not be great news for the U.S. national team in the World Cup, which opens Thursday.

The Americans have never made it past the semifinal stage in the tournament's modern history anyway — and they'll have to contend this time with Trump playing an outsize role in organizing the event. He has pledged to attend the final and award the trophy to the winning team.

Trump getting blamed for New York's loss

Some Knicks fans have faulted the president for the Game 3 defeat, even though their team still leads the series. Game 4 will also be played in New York on Wednesday, though this time Trump isn't expected to attend.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a likely 2028 Democratic presidential candidate and frequent foil for the president, playfully picked up on the theme of Trump as a jinx, reposting a past White House post on X declaring “Call it the Trump effect” alongside discussion about the Knicks' loss.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith — himself mentioned as a possible future presidential hopeful — suggested before Game 3 that it'd be Trump's fault if the Knicks didn't win. Afterward, he said, “What I feared would happen ended up happening.”

“The president disrupted our mojo,” said Smith, a longtime Knicks fan, before adding, “The man messed things up.”

Asked after the game about Smith potentially blaming him for a Knicks loss, Trump dismissed the commentator's political aspirations and questioned his intelligence.

“I think he’s a nice guy. But you need a certain aptitude to run for president,” Trump told reporters before boarding Air Force One for his flight back to Washington early Tuesday

“You need a high IQ. I’m not sure that Stephen has that,” he said. “I don’t think he does, actually.”

Frequent booing hasn't kept Trump away

Before he was a politician, Trump, a native of the New York City borough of Queens, frequently attended Knicks games, sometimes sitting courtside. His return to the Garden nonetheless drew long and loud boos when his face was shown on the jumbotron during the national anthem.

In fact, he's been roundly booed repeatedly, though it has more to do with his politics than any role he might have in jinxing the home team. Trump drew boos at the Nationals' World Series game and during the Commanders game and the U.S. Open. At some events he's cheered and the crowd reaction can also be mixed — though Trump just as likely to simply claim a more friendly reception than he actually gets.

After the Knicks game, the president tried to suggest that the boos were “I think, mostly cheers.” The White House similarly attempted to spin the incident into a political show of strength, posting a photo of Trump at the game with the caption “King of New York.”

Offering a different assessment was New York's Daily News tabloid. It featured a cartoon of an exaggeratedly rotund Trump wearing a No. 38 Knicks jersey — with a bubble emerging from his mouth saying “approval rating.”

In an interview on Tuesday, Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera repeated accusations against the Trump administration made by other Cuban officials, including the foreign minister and the president, and complained bitterly that the U.S. is targeting Cuban civilians with its decades-old embargo and new blockade of energy shipments to the island.

“The sanctions against our leaders, we see as a pretext to make the American people think we are a threat,” she said at Cuba's embassy in Washington. “We are not a threat to the U.S., and we don’t want confrontation.”

Torres Rivera, who holds the formal title of chargé d’affaires, described the situation as “a war without bombs.” She said efforts to change Cuba’s government by coercion or force would be met by fierce resistance.

“Raúl is sacred,” she said of the indictment by a federal grand jury last month of Castro. The 95-year-old former president faces conspiracy and murder charges related to the 1996 shootdown of two unarmed civilian planes operated by the Miami-based exile group Brothers to the Rescue while he was serving as Cuba’s defense minister.

“Raúl is a sacred symbol of the revolution, and we will defend Raúl — as we will the country — until the end,” Torres Rivera said. “If we are attacked, we are going to respond, and we are prepared for that. But we don’t want it.”

Her comments reflect a belief among many Cubans and Cuba analysts that the charges against Castro and the sanctions imposed on others in the socialist government's leadership are similar to those the Trump administration touted as a reason for the military intervention in Venezuela in January that deposed then-President Nicolás Maduro.

On Thursday, the same day the U.S. Treasury Department leveled sanctions on Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, Castro’s son and grandson, along with others, U.S. President Donald Trump said of Cuba: “We’re going to handle that as soon as we’ve finished” military operations in Iran.

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

Torres Rivera said the moves by the Trump administration to tighten the screws on Cuba’s already faltering economy have resulted in untold misery for ordinary Cubans who are struggling to survive with power cuts of up to 20 hours a day and exorbitant costs for gasoline, kerosene and everyday goods, including food and medicine.

“What is happening now is tough,” she said. “It is heartbreaking.”

Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other administration officials have repeatedly denied that Cuba’s economic strife is America’s fault and repeatedly cast the blame on the Cuban government’s socialist policies. They have not ruled out military action against the island but have said they are willing to give Cuban authorities time to make reforms.

Torres Rivera said that recent discussions between senior U.S. and Cuban officials in Havana and elsewhere have been “professional and respectful.” But she said that Cuba is not willing to change unless reforms are made from within and not under duress.

A former Cuban ambassador to Vietnam, another socialist country with which Cuba has long-standing ties, she noted that Washington and Hanoi have forged a positive relationship over the past four decades, but only because the Vietnamese enacted reforms at their own pace. The same should be permitted for Cuba, she said.

“We want to make sure that the only changes to the system are done by us,” she said.

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

“I really don’t believe this system is capable of reform unless new people take over or a new mindset takes hold,” he told lawmakers at a congressional hearing last week.

The State Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the Cuban ambassador's comments.

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On Monday, police officers arrested Johnson, and Broward Sheriff’s Office corrections booked him at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, according to inmate records.

When Johnson appeared in bond court on Tuesday in Broward County, Attorney Joshua Rydell was representing him, and his mother, Cora Johnson, told the judge her son was ”a good" person.

“If bullying is prevented, this could have been prevented also,” Johnson’s mother said during the hearing.

Johnson faced a first-degree murder charge. Broward County Circuit Judge Corey Friedman denied bond.

Before the shooting, Johnson told the 911 dispatcher that Merisma “was threatening people,” and surveillance video shows Johnson armed with a gun when Merisma raised his arms and hid behind a trash can, Lt. Antonio Gonzalez, a spokesman for the LPD, said on Monday.

“BSO dispatch heard a loud banging over the open line” during Johnson’s 911 call before Johnson confessed, “I just shot him,” according to Gonzalez.

A relative said Merisma had made threats before, and the shooting was in self-defense. Attorney Jack Palmeri, a former prosecutor not connected to the case, said a Stand Your Ground defense was likely.

The shooting was outside of Johnson’s home, in a driveway near Northwest 34 Terrace and Ninth Street, records show.

Gonzalez reported that Johnson first shot Mersima when he was raising his arms and later once in the head when he was hiding behind his garbage can.

“You have lost sight,” Palmeri said about Johnson’s decision to fire. “You don’t know what that harm is doing behind the garbage can.”

Broward County Circuit Judge Thomas Coleman was set to preside over the capital homicide case.

Johnson’s bond court hearing

Related reports

• Arrest made in fatal Lauderhill shooting
• Man found fatally shot in driveway in Lauderhill neighborhood, police say

Location

The U.S.-born pope received a raucous welcome at the Olympic stadium in Barcelona, the second stop of his weeklong visit to Spain that has drawn huge crowds despite the country’s strong secular bent.

The crowd, estimated at 40,000, erupted in cheers when Leo emerged from the stands in his popemobile and looped around the grounds. He thrilled sections of the crowd each time he stopped to bless babies or to do the “6-7” hand gesture that has now become a signature.

The event featured several nods to Catalan culture, including a demonstration of the region’s famed human tower acrobats, known as castellers. The eight-level tower drew an appreciative applause from the pope after the smallest child reached the top, waved, and then quickly shimmied down.

Leo also spoke in Catalan, more than initially foreseen, during the prayer vigil that featured a question-and-answer session with young adults. Such exchanges are scripted in advance and are typical features of papal trips. But Tuesday’s edition was particularly raw given the subject matter Leo covered.

One young woman told Leo of a suicide attempt and the “darkness" she had experienced with bouts of depression. Another spoke about her father’s attempt to kill her mother and a childhood spent in juvenile detention. She asked how she could ever forgive her father.

Leo thanked the youths for their honesty and willingness to share their stories publicly. He blamed the malaise on what he said was a society that demands perfection of its youth and silences “moments of darkness and suffering.”

He compared the “silent illness” of depression among young people to the suffering of Christ on the cross.

“In those dark hours, as he was dying on the cross, Jesus shared our pain and revealed to us the face of a compassionate God, who bears our sorrows, who suffers with us, weeps our tears and remains at our side with his presence full of love and mercy,” Leo said.

But he also identified abusive families where domestic violence is normalized as being behind many problems facing today's young people.

“So many crime reports, even today, reflect a toxic climate in family relationships marked by abuse and oppression and, in particular, by violence against women, which unfortunately often leads to femicide,” Leo said.

Leo urged young people to find solace in their faith. And he drew applause when he demanded better health services and care for mental health problems and domestic violence.

“We are all called to address this dramatic reality, both personally and as a society, because we are responsible for confronting it in all its dimensions,” he said.

Leo has been emphasizing a message of hope for youths in Spain, a once overwhelmingly Catholic country that experienced a religious crisis after its 20th century dictatorship ended and democracy took root.

Recently, church officials and sociologists alike have pointed to indications that young Spaniards are showing an increasing interest in their spiritual lives, with anecdotal reports of rises in conversions among young adults.

Patricia Garzón, a 25-year-old who attended the prayer vigil with her friend, said her faith helps her every day.

“I believe that it is more difficult (for young people) today because before social media didn’t exist, and today we are constantly comparing ourselves with one another (online),” she said. “And we need someone from above to help us, to help us see that he loves us for who we are, not how others want us to see ourselves.”

The highlight of Leo's visit to Spain comes Wednesday when he inaugurates the soaring central Tower of Jesus Christ on Barcelona's famed Sagrada Familia basilica.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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A Local 10 viewer recently provided photographs showing workers removing equipment from the restaurant at 18690 NW 67th Ave. in the Country Club Plaza near the Miami Lakes and Hialeah border.

The restaurant’s name has been removed from the building, and graphics that once covered portions of the front windows have also been taken down.

Local 10 visited the location and observed no signs that the buffet was operating. A sign posted on the front door states, “We are closed.”

The apparent closure follows years of health code violations, state ordered shutdowns, fines and repeated enforcement actions documented in state inspection records.

Many Local 10 viewers may remember China Buffet from a July 2025 Dirty Dining investigation.

Reporter Jeff Weinsier and photographer Frank Debesa visited the restaurant after state inspectors ordered the buffet temporarily closed following an inspection that documented 21 violations.

Watch the original report:

Inspection records show the violations included live roaches, food held at unsafe temperatures and a dishwasher that was not dispensing sanitizer.

While attempting to ask employees about the closure, an employee exited the restaurant and physically confronted Weinsier.

Video recorded by Debesa showed the employee shoving the camera and grabbing Weinsier’s microphone. The microphone was damaged during the encounter.

State records show China Buffet accumulated hundreds of violations over nearly a decade of inspections.

According to state records, the restaurant’s emergency closures involved recurring issues with roaches. Inspection reports also documented flying insect activity, food held at unsafe temperatures and sanitation deficiencies.

The restaurant operated under a permanent food service license issued to Goodbuffet LLC and had seating for 192 customers.

State records show China Buffet was ordered closed in April and August 2017, August and September 2018, January 2021 and July 2025.

State records also show regulators assessed at least $4,840 in fines against the restaurant between 2017 and 2026.

The July 2025 closure was not the final enforcement action.

State records show inspectors returned to the restaurant in April 2026 and documented 22 violations, issuing a warning and requiring a follow up inspection.

A subsequent inspection in May 2026 documented 10 additional violations and resulted in an administrative complaint recommendation.

The restaurant’s state food service license remains listed as active in state records.

However, equipment appears to have been removed from the location, the restaurant’s name has been taken down from the building and no signs of business activity were observed during a recent visit.

Local 10 has reached out for information regarding the restaurant’s status.

For years, China Buffet was a familiar name to Dirty Dining viewers because of its repeated health code violations and enforcement actions.

Now, nearly a year after a confrontation that drew widespread attention, the restaurant that repeatedly found itself under state scrutiny appears to have gone dark.

“An employee said, ‘Hey, this box stinks, Chris,’” Andrews recalled.

The box was labeled “car parts.”

Other stinky boxes came down the belt. When opened, Andrews found they were filled with thousands of shark fins headed to Hong Kong, likely intended for shark fin soup. Eventually, officers confiscated 1,600 pounds of shark fins — from nearly 17,000 sharks — around the country. It was a major case, all linked to those first boxes Andrews found in Anchorage.

“We wouldn’t have gotten that shipment if it didn’t stink,” he said.

Andrews is a wildlife inspector for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He and his team are in charge of intercepting trafficked wildlife. They enforce international conservation treaties that protect more than 40,000 species and national laws like the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

It’s weird work, and he loves it.

They find things every day at airports and docks around Alaska. They’ve intercepted commercial shipments of designer bags made of crocodile or python leather and also ill-advised international souvenirs. Once, Andrews stopped a passenger carrying two taxidermied lizards, each as long as a skateboard. The passenger had walked off a plane carrying a big garbage bag over his shoulder. Andrews said the tails sticking out made him suspicious.

“I walked up to him. I was like, ‘Sir, what’s in that bag?’” he said.

The man didn’t have permits for the protected reptiles, so he had to give them up.

Live animals are less common, Andrews said. They find those maybe a dozen times a year.

“We had some monitor lizards that were smuggled inside speakers,” he said. “They put them in socks and, like, tried to conceal them inside speakers.”

Some of this traffic is driven by people trying to acquire specimens to complete unusual collections, Andrews said.

“I mean, we’re seeing cockroaches, we’re seeing pill bugs, we’re seeing ants,” he said.

The work is important for the preservation of ecosystems and protected animals, Andrews said. But the day-to-day work is fun for him, too. He never knows what’s going to be in the next box.

That also makes it terrifying.

“There’s these spiders out of India that are the size of dinner plates that are really aggressive,” Andrews said. “I hesitate every time I open a box, like, ‘Please don’t be the one!’”

Finding a live animal, Andrews said, creates a challenging, time-sensitive problem: “How do we keep this thing alive? Is it poisonous? Where does it come from?”

Like the day they found 400 baby turtles smuggled inside of a pair of snow boots, Andrews said. There were 12 different species.

“I didn’t know what they ate,” Andrews said. “I didn’t know if they liked heat. I didn’t know if they liked water. I was in here with a terrarium book, just trying to figure out what they were.”

It’s not what he expected when he took a job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He studied forestry in college.

“It was a wildlife position in Alaska,” Andrews said. “I thought I’d be dealing with, you know, bears and moose. I’ve never dealt with a moose.”

Three decades later, the job still excites him. But his teenagers are bored of the work stories he brings home.

“Sometimes I think, ‘Oh yeah, they’ll love this one!’” he said. “And then they’re just, you know, ‘OK, yeah Dad, another dead monkey or whatever you found.’”

Andrews said his team can sometimes put confiscated goods to use. A few years ago, the department intercepted 10 electric guitars made of protected Brazilian rosewood. Now those guitars are in the possession of Anchorage School District jazz bands. But it’s often not that easy.

“What do you do with 50,000 shark fins?” he wondered.

___

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

Recientemente, un televidente de Local 10 proporcionó fotografías que muestran a trabajadores retirando equipos del restaurante ubicado en 18690 NW 67th Ave., en Country Club Plaza, cerca de la frontera entre Miami Lakes y Hialeah.

El nombre del restaurante fue retirado del edificio y también fueron removidos los gráficos que antes cubrían parte de las ventanas frontales.

Local 10 visitó el lugar y no observó señales de que el buffet estuviera operando. Un aviso colocado en la puerta principal indica: “Estamos cerrados”.

El aparente cierre ocurre después de años de violaciones al código de salud, cierres ordenados por el estado, multas y repetidas acciones de cumplimiento documentadas en registros de inspección estatales.

Muchos televidentes de Local 10 recordarán a China Buffet por una investigación de Dirty Dining realizada en julio de 2025.

El reportero Jeff Weinsier y el fotógrafo Frank Debesa visitaron el restaurante después de que inspectores estatales ordenaran el cierre temporal del buffet tras una inspección que documentó 21 infracciones.

Vea el reportaje original:

Los registros de inspección muestran que las violaciones incluían cucarachas vivas, alimentos mantenidos a temperaturas inseguras y una máquina lavavajillas que no dispensaba desinfectante.

Mientras intentaba preguntar a los empleados sobre el cierre, un empleado salió del restaurante y confrontó físicamente a Weinsier.

Un video grabado por Debesa mostró al empleado empujando la cámara y arrebatando el micrófono de Weinsier. El micrófono resultó dañado durante el incidente.

Los registros estatales muestran que China Buffet acumuló cientos de infracciones durante casi una década de inspecciones.

Según los registros estatales, los cierres de emergencia del restaurante estuvieron relacionados con problemas recurrentes de cucarachas. Los informes de inspección también documentaron actividad de insectos voladores, alimentos mantenidos a temperaturas inseguras y deficiencias de saneamiento.

El restaurante operaba bajo una licencia permanente de servicio de alimentos emitida a Goodbuffet LLC y tenía capacidad para 192 clientes.

Los registros estatales muestran que China Buffet fue obligado a cerrar en abril y agosto de 2017, agosto y septiembre de 2018, enero de 2021 y julio de 2025.

Los registros estatales también muestran que los reguladores impusieron al menos $4,840 USD en multas al restaurante entre 2017 y 2026.

El cierre de julio de 2025 no fue la última acción de cumplimiento.

Los registros estatales muestran que los inspectores regresaron al restaurante en abril de 2026 y documentaron 22 infracciones, emitieron una advertencia y exigieron una inspección de seguimiento.

Una inspección posterior en mayo de 2026 documentó 10 infracciones adicionales y dio lugar a una recomendación de denuncia administrativa.

La licencia estatal de servicio de alimentos del restaurante aún figura como activa en los registros estatales.

Sin embargo, aparentemente se retiró equipo del lugar, el nombre del restaurante fue removido del edificio y no se observaron señales de actividad comercial durante una visita reciente.

Local 10 solicitó información sobre el estado actual del restaurante.

Durante años, China Buffet fue un nombre familiar para los televidentes de Dirty Dining debido a sus repetidas violaciones al código de salud y acciones de cumplimiento.

Ahora, casi un año después de una confrontación que atrajo gran atención pública, el restaurante que repetidamente estuvo bajo escrutinio estatal parece haber apagado sus luces.

The Government Accountability Office report documents serious problems at Camp East Montana, a sprawling tent facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso where three detainees have died in little more than six months. Evidence in one of those deaths, of a 55-year-old Cuban migrant who died in January after being held down by guards, was “missing or destroyed," the report found.

ICE rushed to open the camp in August before construction was complete and failed to conduct required oversight to ensure detainees were held in sanitary conditions and receiving adequate medical care, according to the report.

The Department of Homeland Security noted that ICE has replaced the contractor running the facility. “This new contractor will allow Camp East Montana to continue abiding by the highest detention standards with the ability to provide more medical care on-site,” said DHS spokesperson Lauren Bis.

The GAO's findings echo past reporting by The Associated Press and other news outlets about dangerous conditions at Camp East Montana, which quickly became the nation’s largest immigration detention facility.

But the government report also details previously undisclosed incidents, including that a detainee escaped in October due to what ICE called the contractor’s oversight failure. In January, a security guard lost a loaded firearm inside the facility that was never recovered.

The contractor failed to administer skin tests to screen detainees for tuberculosis, relying on a questionnaire instead, the report said. The inadequate screening allowed a detainee with tuberculosis to be housed with the general population, which later suffered an outbreak.

GAO is an independent, nonpartisan agency in Congress that investigates how federal funds are spent and evaluates whether programs and policies are operating effectively. The office opened its review into Camp East Montana at the request of Democrats in the House and Senate.

Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois called the report’s findings “damning.”

“We now know even more details of how dangerous and irresponsible the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign truly is,” said Durbin, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, adding that “those detained are experiencing conditions that shock the conscience.”

A rush to build led to an inexperienced contractor

Facing pressure to increase its detention capacity, the Trump administration routed the contract to build Camp East Montana through the Army to speed construction after ICE twice failed to successfully award one. That resulted in selecting a small, little-known contractor, Acquisition Logistics, for the $1.3 billion deal despite it having no prior experience operating detention facilities and facing what ICE called a “significant learning curve.”

The Army — and later ICE after the camp was transferred to the agency — wasted millions of dollars paying for services it did not need because the contract did not account for fluctuations in the detainee population, the report said.

The Army blew up to $11.5 million paying for guards, medical services, transportation and meals in the weeks before the camp held detainees. The agencies wasted millions more because it was contracted to pay the cost of meals for the camp’s maximum population of 5,000, even when the number of detainees there dropped to around 1,600, the report said.

Facility didn't initially meet detention standards

The facility did not meet ICE detention standards or the contract’s requirements in several ways when it opened, in part because it had not been inspected as required by ICE policy, the report said. The camp lacked security cameras on the perimeter and had other surveillance blind spots that raised the risk of sexual assaults or escapes.

The camp could not accommodate detainees using wheelchairs and had no showers compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, resulting in the disabled being held in medical care rooms.

The recreation area wasn’t available for several days, and after one yard was opened, it wasn’t enough space to provide required time for detainees. The law library, space to meet with attorneys and a visitation area did not open for weeks, resulting in detainees being deprived of legal resources and contact with family and friends, the report found.

The problems persisted as ICE began transporting more detainees there from across the country, the GAO found. While built to house up to 5,000 immigrants for short-term stays, its population has averaged about half of that from October until April, according to ICE’s most recent data.

Missing evidence and other problems

Detainees held at the facility didn't receive comprehensive health assessments, which meant that those with chronic conditions received substandard care, the report said.

The contractor cleaned the dormitories weekly rather than daily as required, resulting in unsanitary conditions. Some guards offered detainees cookies if they would clean their own rooms. Acquisition Logistics didn't reply to messages seeking comment.

The GAO report says investigations into the January death of Geraldo Lunas Campos were undermined after “evidence associated with the incident was missing or destroyed.” It did not elaborate. Campos died after he was restrained by guards and an outside autopsy report ruled the death a homicide due to asphyxia. The contractor at the facility did not provide use-of-force and death reports to ICE as required, according to the new report.

An investigation by ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility into the death is on hold pending a criminal investigation by the FBI.

On Jan. 14, Nicaraguan detainee Victor Manuel Diaz, 36, died of suicide after staff put him in a medical holding room instead of suicide-resistant cell and left him unattended for intervals longer than 15 minutes, the report said. Staff could not see into the room because the contractor had failed to install vision panels that had been requested months earlier, it found.

“These are huge discrepancies in their failure to prevent suicides,” said Diaz family attorney Randall Kallinen, noting that the report strengthens a potential wrongful death claim he's considering. “They are part of an entire laundry list of problems at Camp East Montana.”

___

Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa.

When they fell behind against Atlanta in the first round of the NBA playoffs, desperation turned into domination. The Knicks won 13 straight games, many of them blowouts, in one of the most impressive postseason stretches in NBA history.

They don't need to do anything so dramatic now. With a 2-1 lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, a simple 2-2 record the rest of the season would give New York its first championship since 1973.

So after dropping Game 3, the Knicks don't need an overhaul. But they do need to be better.

“We have a veteran group. Nobody is quote-unquote panicking or anything like that,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said Tuesday. "Everybody is disappointed that we didn’t go out and execute and play to what we feel our standard is. That’s not taking anything away from San Antonio, but we feel like we can play a lot better than what we did.

“We’re looking forward to going out on the floor and showing it.”

Game 4 is Wednesday in a series in which the road team has won all three games, only the second time that's happened in the NBA Finals.

The Spurs jumped on the Knicks right at the start and then outplayed them late in their 115-111 victory on Monday. Victor Wembanyama controlled the action on both sides with 32 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots.

Showing no fear of a rowdy road environment in the first NBA Finals game in Madison Square Garden since 1999, just as they didn't in winning a Game 7 on the road against defending champion Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals, Wembanyama and the Spurs again looked like a team that might be able to win a title without first experiencing the growing pains that other young groups have.

“We will see. But my bet would be yes, it’s possible,” Wembanyama said.

The Spurs thought so even after dropping two games in San Antonio, which means to win the title they would have to become the first team to do so after starting 0-2 in its own building. It's a belief built from having one of the best players in the world and loads of talent around him, a group so confident that the players didn't think much of their accomplishment Monday.

“I didn’t want us to get too happy about one win and get satisfied and take our foot off the gas a little bit for the next game,” said guard Stephon Castle, who scored 23 points. “But I think since the end of Game 2 we’ve still been confident that we’re going to win this series, and that’s what we plan to do.”

The Knicks' first loss since April 23 didn't send them scrambling for solutions, because they were constantly looking for ways to improve even when all they did was win.

“Each game, no matter what the situation is, we’re growing as a team. I think we’re learning and we’re getting better — obviously before last night,” Jalen Brunson said. “No matter what the situation is, we’re going to stick together. We’re going to execute, we’re going to be better. That’s just how our mindset has to be going forward.”

There are things to fix. Karl-Anthony Towns isn't scoring in the fourth quarter. Wembanyama has clearly figured out ways to hurt the Knicks in the last 1 1/2 games after struggling by his standards before that. They have to turn the ball over less and defend better without fouling — no matter what Brown thought of the officiating in Game 3.

The Knicks did enough of those things well to run off the second-longest winning streak in postseason history. Now they have to recover quickly from a loss, or they'll head to San Antonio for Game 5 with the series tied.

“We have, what, 13 games in a row, 50 days of film to show what it looks like when we’re at our best. So we’ve got good film,” Towns said. “We’ll get back to our fundamentals, what makes us great, what made us great, and get back to work."

___

This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Stephon Castle's first name.

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

De la Espriella’s campaign issued a statement saying that Cepeda secured more than 70% of the vote across 109 municipalities with active illegal armed groups, reaching as high as 97% in some locations. Cepeda’s camp didn't immediately respond to the accusations.

Cepeda, an ally of President Gustavo Petro and a former member of Colombia's communist party, has acted as a mediator between Colombia’s government and Marxist rebels. In the first round of the election, he won around 41% of the overall vote, which had 14 candidates on the ballot.

“These results, on their own, do not constitute definitive proof of a crime,” De la Espriella’s campaign said, noting it had filed a complaint with prosecutors. “But they should oblige authorities to investigate if there were threats, pressures or mechanisms to coerce voters and alter their freedom.”

De la Espriella, a conservative lawyer who supports U.S. President Donald Trump and calls himself “The Tiger,” came out in front in the first round with 43.7% of the vote, followed by Cepeda, who garnered 40.9%. The candidates will face off again in a runoff election on June 21 that will decide who will lead Colombia during the next four years.

A European Union electoral observation mission said that it had received complaints from voters who said that they were pressured by “government officials and illegal armed groups” during the May election, but the mission didn't specify which candidate people had been pressured to vote for.

Security has become one of the top concerns for voters in Colombia, along with corruption and the state of the nation’s healthcare system.

The municipalities where Cepeda got a large portion of the votes are located along Colombia’s Pacific coast, an area of the country that tends to support the current government.

Under Petro, a former member of the now defunct M-19 rebel group, Colombia’s government has attempted to stage peace talks with the nation's remaining rebel groups, under a strategy known as “total peace.”

Analysts say rebel groups have used ceasefires granted to them by the government to strengthen their grip over rural communities, where they run illicit ventures such as cocaine labs, tax legal businesses and threaten civilians who stand in their way.

Cepeda has said during the campaign that he favors the continuation of negotiations with rebel groups, even if he would adjust some of the methods. De la Espriella has promised to cancel the talks and take a more confrontational approach to rebel groups that includes using airplanes to spray coca fields with herbicides.

Trump recently endorsed de la Espriella on Truth Social, praising the 47-year-old lawyer as a “Smart, Strong and Tough Leader” who would be “tremendously successful” in restoring “LAW AND ORDER!”

Petro replied to Trump’s endorsement with a post on X, writing that “freedom dies” when one country intervenes in another’s affairs.

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

Esta reforma busca “reordenar, redimensionar y perfeccionar la organización de la Administración Central del Estado, con el propósito de lograr mayor eficacia en la función administrativa”, sostiene la iniciativa publicada en el sitio oficial de la sede legislativa.

El proyecto se presentó en el contexto de un cerco petrolero estadounidense que sumado a la crisis que padece la isla desde hace un lustro ha provocado apagones de más de 20 horas diarias, recortes de la jornada laboral y desabastecimiento de alimentos y medicinas.

En el nuevo esquema de gobierno habrá 20 ministerios más el Banco Central, que conservará su rango ministerial.

Algunos ministerios se unirán, como el de Educación Superior que incorporará al de Ciencia y Tecnología. Otros serán nuevos como el de Deporte y Recreación y uno de Información y Comunicación Social.

La norma establece que la administración del Estado estará subordinada al Consejo de Ministros, como establece la Constitución.

Se desconoce la implicación que la reestructuración tendrá en las plazas de trabajo.

The rowdy scenes came a few blocks from Madison Square Garden, where elated fans have typically gathered during the team's historic playoff run. But the area outside the arena was largely off-limits to the public on Monday as a result of President Donald Trump’s attendance at the game.

Instead, roughly 7,000 people gathered at nearby Bryant Park for a city-hosted watch party.

While the party was largely calm, some fans blocked traffic and refused to disperse, and others threw glass objects or brawled in the street, according to police and video of the altercations.

In total, eight people were arrested — two for assaulting a police officer — and 13 others were issued criminal court summons. Police said that five officers were injured. The New York Police Department did not immediately provide information about the nature of their injuries or details on the people arrested.

In a statement, the department said that “the crowd became increasingly rowdy, violent, and destructive, and there were many incidents of disorderly and dangerous behavior.”

Members of the crowd "engaged in incredibly reckless behavior — there were large physical and violent fights that resulted in multiple injuries," the statement continued.

A spokesperson for Mayor Zohran Mamdani emphasized that the “overwhelming majority” of fans had watched the game peacefully.

“But the fights and other disruptive incidents — including assaults on police officers — in various parts of the city are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” the spokesperson, Sam Raskin, added.

Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama had not heard about fans getting attacked.

“My thoughts, of course, is that we can’t forget it’s a game,” Wembanyama said. “We’re just playing a game out there. I am all for passion, but to the respect of each other. It’s unacceptable.”

Neither City Hall nor the NYPD would confirm whether a planned watch party outside Madison Square Garden would resume when the Knicks host the Spurs on Wednesday for the fourth game of the series.

During the conference finals last month, the NYPD announced it would not support watch parties outside the arena, citing “very rough” crowds as a public safety threat.

But that decision — which ultimately rests with the mayor's office — was later reversed after the Knicks reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

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This story has been updated to correct the date of the next NBA Finals game. It is Wednesday, not Thursday.

Decarlos Brown Jr., 35, faces a federal charge of causing death on a mass transportation system in the killing of 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska in Charlotte, a charge that is punishable by death. A separate state case against Brown in which he is charged with first-degree murder is on pause pending the outcome of the federal case.

At the request of Brown's attorneys, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell found that their client is not currently competent to stand trial and ordered him to spend up to four months in a prison medical facility to try to restore his competency.

Defense attorneys said in a court filing Tuesday that Brown insisted that they provide the judge with the following information: “I would like to tell the court I have a body emergency. Someone has full access to my body and they are controlling me wrongfully. And law enforcement refuses to investigate it. And it requires for an investigation. When describing the technology someone was using I was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia.”

Brown told his lawyers he wants a court order directing law enforcement to investigate his body emergency, they wrote.

A forensic evaluation by federal mental health examiners was filed under seal in the federal case in April. It found that Brown “is presently not competent to stand trial, but that his prognosis for restoration to competency is favorable with appropriate medication therapy,” the judge wrote in his order.

Brown “is suffering from a mental disease or defect that renders him unable to understand the nature and consequences of the proceedings or to assist properly in his defense,” Bell wrote.

The judge ordered Brown committed to the custody of the attorney general for hospitalization and treatment “to determine whether there is a substantial probability” that Brown will be able to proceed “in the foreseeable future.”

Once that period is over, the judge will determine whether Brown's competency has been restored and whether the case can move forward, whether continued treatment is needed or whether Brown cannot be made competent, the judge wrote.

The outbreak, reported in 14 of Borno state’s 27 local governments, is unfolding in communities with health systems made fragile by nearly two decades of violent extremism from the Boko Haram insurgent group.

The illness is endemic and seasonal in the country, where only 14% of Nigeria's population of more than 200 million have access to safely managed drinking water supply services, according to government data from 2020.

The situation is sometimes worse in Borno, both in Maiduguri, the state's capital, which is densely populated, and in remote communities with poor sanitation and hygiene due in part to being out of the close reach of health authorities.

The medical group said that it has treated 7,439 cholera patients at its facilities, representing an average of 185 admissions per day. It said that it recorded 500 patients last week on Friday, a single-day record in the outbreak.

“Open defecation is making it worse also, and there is less partners (on the ground),” said Jessie Kurnurkar, a project coordinator with Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF.

“By the time we know the cases in the community, the local transmission has happened, and it is difficult to respond, because the spread has become more,” Kurnurkar said.

Patients at an MSF treatment center in Maiduguri spoke to The Associated Press about their experiences in the outbreak.

Aisha Ibrahim, a cholera patient at the facility, said that she has been defecating nonstop since she became ill with cholera and had been in admission for more than four days.

“When they discharged me, the vomiting stopped, and when I got home, I started stooling again, and it became severe (so) I was rushed back to the center,” Ibrahim said.

La ajustada ventaja que Fujimori mostraba al inicio se revirtió el lunes, y Sánchez comenzó a liderar con una ligera delantera. El candidato de Juntos por el Perú lograba hasta ahora 50,112% de los sufragios, mientras que la líder de Fuerza Popular sumaba 49,888%, según el conteo preliminar de la Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE), la organizadora de los comicios.

Pero el martes por la mañana Fujimori comenzó a acercarse a Sánchez, y la diferencia que él mostraba la noche del lunes, con casi 50.000 votos sobre Fujimori, cayó a poco más de 39.000. Durante la jornada las autoridades también comenzaron a sumar los votos provenientes del extranjero, que llegaron en maletas diplomáticas, y de varias zonas remotas de las zonas rurales de Perú.

Quien gane los comicios del domingo se convertirá en el noveno presidente del país sudamericano en 10 años. Ambos candidatos han prometido que respetarán los resultados.

Fujimori, quien se postula por cuarta vez, dijo el martes a la prensa que tiene “mucha esperanza” en el voto desde el extranjero, y también en un grupo de actas electorales de Lima que aún no han sido contabilizadas. “Corresponde esperar”, subrayó.

Sánchez —exministro del expresidente Pedro Castillo, quien se encuentra encarcelado— no se había manifestado el martes, pero uno de sus voceros, Ernesto Zunini, indicó en una conferencia que el partido “respetará los resultados” del proceso electoral y están aguardando “el fin de la contabilidad”.

Simpatizantes del partido de Sánchez protestaron frente al Jurado Nacional de Elecciones, gritando “¡el voto se defiende en las urnas y las calles!”.

“Exigimos que se respete el voto de la gente”, expresó Hernando Cevallos, uno de los dirigentes del partido de Sánchez. Añadió que las autoridades y jueces electorales deben “acelerar el proceso” de conteo de votos y “evitar las presiones”.

Keiko Fujimori, hija del fallecido expresidente Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), y Sánchez se impusieron a 33 candidatos en la primera vuelta de abril, pero entre ambos no obtuvieron ni el 20% de los votos. Las autoridades electorales tardaron más de un mes en declararlos ganadores de esta etapa.

El Jurado Nacional de Elecciones, la máxima autoridad electoral, ha indicado que los resultados del balotaje se podrán conocer en un mes.

La demora en anunciar los resultados finales se debe a una ley electoral, la cual exige que cada cédula de votación y cada acta —que resume los votos de cada mesa— debe ser transportada hasta más de un centenar de oficinas para su conteo. También deben llegar a Lima, desde 63 países, las cédulas y actas de quienes votaron en el exterior. A eso se suma el reconteo de votos y la resolución de impugnaciones.

El aumento de la delincuencia, en particular la extorsión, fue la principal preocupación de los votantes. Los expertos atribuyen el creciente poder del crimen organizado a los beneficios cada vez mayores que genera la extracción ilegal de oro en los Andes y la Amazonía.

El ganador de la segunda vuelta tomará posesión de su cargo el 28 de julio para un mandato de cinco años.

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Deandre Pressley is “a documented” member of the 700, a violent gang associated with the Gangster Disciples, a highly organized gang founded in the 1960s in Chicago, according to the report.

Last year, a victim in California reported speaking to a woman and a man who had lied over the phone to persuade her to give more than $30,000 to Pressley, according to the report.

The victim said the scammers called her on May 1, 2025, pretending to be Bank of America employees who were protecting her from scammers who could include bank tellers, according to the report.

“The victim said she was given an account number which she does not remember and provisioned it on her digital Apple wallet,” a deputy wrote, according to the report.

The victim made in-person withdrawals and deposits and digital transfers before Pressley transferred it all again to separate accounts, according to the deputy’s report.

A MDSO deputy arrested Pressley at 6:45 p.m. on June 5 at Fifth Avenue and Davis Parkway in Florida City, and corrections booked him shortly after 2:25 a.m. on June 6 at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Pressley, who was at the Metrowest Detention Center on Tuesday afternoon, faced nine charges in two pending cases in Miami-Dade County, according to inmate and court records.

In one case, Pressley faced four charges: Organized scheme to defraud, organized scheme to defraud conspiracy, money laundering, and unlawful use of a communications device. His bond was $10,000.

In the other case, Pressley faced five charges: Third-degree grand theft, organized scheme to defraud, organized scheme to defraud conspiracy, money laundering, and unlawful use of a communications device. His bond was $12,500.

A judge ordered Pressley to show that the $22,500 he used for bail was not from the proceeds of a crime.

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

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Deputies arrested Daniel Cancio shortly after 3:45 p.m. on Monday at 10855 SW 72 St. in Kendall after the victims reported a shooting, according to the MDSO deputy’s arrest report.

A driver reported stopping at the red light at Sunset Drive at Southwest 97 Avenue and talking to Cancio about witnessing him speeding through a school zone, according to the deputy’s arrest report.

The driver “observed [Cancio] reach into the rear area of his vehicle and retrieve what appeared to be a firearm,” a deputy wrote, according to the report.

Cancio confessed to using a pellet gun that deputies found in his car to shatter the driver’s back passenger side window, according to the deputy’s report. The victims took a photo of Cancio’s tag.

Miami-Dade County corrections booked Cancio shortly before 9 p.m. on Monday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center near Doral, according to inmate records.

Cancio faced charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal mischief. His bond was $5,500.

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

Or rather, a new Doug in town.

Thousands already have flocked to the Toronto park to catch a glimpse of a beaver sculpture, nicknamed Doug, that is part of a World Cup-themed contest. The Great Beaver Quest challenges participants to find 51 beaver statues on display in the city’s Old Town Toronto neighborhood.

“We expect that it’s going to be something that people who are coming in from out of town and looking for something to do and keep their kids busy will love to do. It’s easy to participate,” said Robyn Posner with the neighborhood’s Business Improvement Area.

Old Town is about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Toronto Stadium, which will host six World Cup matches, starting Friday when Canada — one of three host nations — takes on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

With city officials expecting 300,000 visitors to descend on Toronto over the course of three weeks, Posner said the Beaver hunt is intended as an enjoyable diversion and will encourage tourists to get to know the neighborhood and its businesses.

“The goal was to draw people to this area, to come and experience what it’s like being in Old Town and to meet up with some like-minded people,” she said.

Forty-nine of the nearly 4-feet-high (1.2-meter-high) resin fiberglass beavers represent the nations competing in the World Cup — including a pair for Canada — and the remaining two represent FIFA and all the nations combined. Each has been hand-painted by a different local artist.

One of the Canadian beavers is Doug, who sports a Canada-influenced soccer uniform layered beneath a red flannel shirt.

The other 50 beavers have been placed throughout the neighborhood, in parks, along sidewalks and even indoors. Norway’s beaver stares through a window from inside an office building lobby.

Each beaver is accompanied by a QR code that takes participants to a free digital scavenger hunt. Weekly prizes will be awarded to the competitors with the highest scores as well as the winner of a random drawing.

The contest runs until Aug. 16, and then the beavers will be auctioned off for charity. It officially went live June 1 and, as of Tuesday, 4,500 people had participated.

Still, why exactly did Old Town Toronto officials decide to center their contest around the dam-building rodents?

“Because it’s Canada’s national animal, and we thought they were super cute,” Posner said. “And they’re small enough. And so, we went with the beaver.”

Wemby likes it like that.

Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs thrived in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden and are undaunted by the hostile environment and the series deficit they face against the New York Knicks.

“I like lively crowds, active crowds,” Wembanyama said Tuesday, roughly 13 hours after his 32-point, eight-rebound, six-assist dominance to pick up his first career win in the finals. “At home, it’s an extra motivation because you want to give the people who support you a good show. On the road, you want to do the opposite.”

Fresh off silencing a sellout crowd of nearly 20,000, San Antonio now gets the chance to even things up in Game 4 on Wednesday night back at the Garden in what could be an even more intense situation as fans try to will their team to the verge of its first championship since 1973.

“We find a comfort playing on the road, knowing when you’re in this environment, it’s us versus them, and obviously everybody in the crowd,” Guard De'Aaron Fox said. “When you know that — everybody behind you has your back — it allows you to settle into these games.”

Backcourt mate Stephon Castle said he and the Spurs knew their season was on the line after falling behind 2-0 in the series and credited their connectivity for being 7-3 on the road in these playoffs. If Monday was a must-win game, Wednesday is nearly that because only one of 38 teams to fall behind 3-1 in the finals came back to win it.

“It’s something you can’t shy away from, especially with the goals and aspirations that we have,” Castle said. “Just focus on the things that matter throughout the game and not really paying too close attention to the crowd. They’re going to be there regardless, especially cheering on their team. You should want to play in those environments. I feel like that’s when we play at our best.”

Wembanyama certainly was, shaking off his buzzer-beating miss to turn in a performance fit for the bright spotlight at a place known as the world's most famous arena. But the 22-year-old big man from France did not do it alone.

Castle, who's 21, scored 23 points and did not look bothered by the ankle he injured in Game 2 on Friday night. Devin Vassell, who's 25, and Julian Champagnie, weeks away from his 25th birthday, each hit some big shots and got into double figures. Rookie Dylan Harper, who is 20, scored 13 off the bench.

Fox, who at 28 is among the elder statesmen, points to those young players' demeanor to explain why they don't shrink under pressure.

“They just don’t have the personalities that you would think that are just going to be overwhelmed by something,” Fox said. “I don’t know what they’re feeling on the inside, obviously. What you see out there on the court with them, just when you see it on their faces when New York is going on a run, you don’t see them panic.”

There does not seem to be any panic in the Spurs, no matter how inexperienced some of their core players are. Coach Mitch Johnson understands why there is so much talk about youth and age, but like Fox he thinks it's more about the makeup of guys like Wembanyama, Castle and Harper than how many years they've been alive and playing basketball.

Perhaps being a little naive helps. Harper said this is the first time he has been booed on the street walking out of a hotel in New York, though it only served to fire him and his teammates up — and could continue to do so.

"We just stay together in environments like this,” Harper said. “When we come to away games in the playoffs, for us at least, it’s been just staying together and holding each other accountable. I feel like with the level of desperation and desire that we played with (in Game 3), I feel like we’re pretty hard to beat when we do that.”

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