The Coral Terrace neighborhood resident reported that Yamilet Alfonso returned to the home on Saturday, along Southwest 57 Court, near Coral Way, according to a deputy’s arrest report.

“The victim observed [Alfonso] approaching her residence as she was attempting to retrieve another package from the front of the residence and confronted [her],” the deputy wrote, adding that Alfonso fled.

Deputies tracked and arrested Alfonso on Tuesday, and corrections booked her early Wednesday morning at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, records show.

Alfonso had arrived at the victim’s home in Coral Terrace several times, either in a red Nissan sports utility vehicle or a white Honda Accord, according to the deputy’s arrest report.

The victim submitted three videos of Alfonso: One shows her stealing $1,000 in packages on April 13, another $900 in packages on April 20, and another a $300 package on April 22, according to deputies.

Court records showed Alfonso, who has a criminal record, faced four charges in two pending criminal cases. One was for three counts of grand theft, and the other for cocaine possession. Her bond was $5,000.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Michelle Delancy was set to preside over the two new cases.

Leer en español

According to Miami Gardens police, the crash was reported at 7:53 a.m. Tuesday in the 1200 block of Northwest 188^th Street.

An arrest report states that Jalen Darius Forbes, 23, of Miami Gardens, was driving south on Northwest 12^th Street, trying to avoid traffic in a school zone when he drove onto the right of way, lost control of his Ford Fusion and struck the victim.

The victim was identified as 11-year-old Johnny Baptiste Jr.

Surveillance video in the area first shows the suspect driving at a high rate of speed, appearing to attempt to bypass traffic, before the sound of impact is heard.

Another angle shows Johnny walking with his cousin and the car jumping a sidewalk and mowing down the child.

“I’m looking at him all banged up and he’s supposed to be home with me,” Shakera Rolle, the boy’s mother, said. “When I first heard he was hit by a car, I instantly thought the worst.”

Rose Emine, whose fence Forbes’ allegedly crashed into with his car, told Local 10 News that the boy was unresponsive after being struck by the vehicle.

“I said, ‘Ahh’ because I thought the boy has died,” Emine said.

“They was just throwing water on his head. Big gash on his head,” another witness, Orlando Lawrence, said.

Police said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel airlifted the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center with serious but stable head injuries.

Forbes, meanwhile, was arrested on charges of reckless driving and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury.

“I just wish he was a little more careful or paid more attention to the road where he was riding,” Rolle said.

Leer en español

As fog cleared at daybreak, acres of blackened sawgrass stretched across the Everglades.

In just 24 hours, the fire expanded from about 450 acres to more than 6600 — the equivalent of nearly 5,000 football fields reduced to ash.

Fire crews have named it the Highway 41 Fire, which continues to burn a few miles west of the Miccosukee Casino.

Officials have closed a large stretch of Everglades National Park, forcing nearby businesses — including Coopertown Airboats, Safari Park and Gator Park — to shut down.

As the sun set Tuesday, crews continued working to push flames back. Helicopters dropped hundreds of gallons of water, targeting several hotspots as bright orange flames burned in the distance.

Firefighters say the flames are tearing through dry sawgrass, fueled by ongoing drought conditions and steady winds.

“This wind has been blowing more to the south, so the fire has picked up in size,” said Ezra Van, a National Weather Service storm spotter.

Van said there are several natural elements that remain the biggest factors in the fire’s behavior.

“Wind, humidity, and rain are the three biggest factor,” he said. “If the wind picks up, the fire moves faster. If humidity drops, it burns faster. And rain, if it comes, could slow it down.”

The fire, which began Saturday, remains 0% contained. No injuries or property damage have been reported, and the cause is still under investigation. Crews continue to monitor conditions from the air as the fire moves through the area.

Crist, 69, has been a Republican, a Democrat and an independent during his political career. He served as a Republican governor from 2007 to 2011 and was a Democratic member of the U.S. House for three terms, ending in 2022. He also unsuccessfully ran against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022 and previously challenged then-Gov. Rick Scott in 2014, as a Democrat in both races.

Now Crist has his sights set on St. Petersburg City Hall and filed election paperwork this week.

The current mayor, Ken Welch, is the first Black person in the job and is running for reelection. Crist endorsed him in his earlier campaign. The St. Petersburg mayor’s office is a nonpartisan election, and around a half dozen other candidates are in the race.

St. Petersburg, across the bay from Tampa, is one of Florida’s more progressive cities and has regularly elected Democrats to various offices. In an interview last fall, Crist pointed out his ties to the area, including his graduation from St. Petersburg High School and his service in Congress representing the area.

“St. Petersburg is a very special place to me. It’s home,” Crist said.

Crist has a long and colorful history in Florida politics. Earlier in his career, Crist was a state senator, education commissioner and Florida’s attorney general, all as a Republican. He also unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate multiple times, including in 2010 as an independent against Marco Rubio, now the U.S. Secretary of State. And he was once known as “chain-gang Charlie” for having inmates clean highways.

While in Congress, Crist voted twice to impeach President Donald Trump during Trump’s first term. In his most recent race, DeSantis defeated Crist with about 59% of the vote for governor.

For his part, Welch has said that he is focused on his job as mayor. St. Petersburg has lately endured much tumult, with twin Hurricanes Helene and Milton striking in 2024, uncertainty following the sale of the city’s Tampa Bay Rays baseball team and a continuing issue with high water bills.

El incidente ocurrió el martes alrededor de las 6:20 p.m. en el Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, ubicado en 220 Sierra Drive, justo al exterior de Miami Gardens.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, los agentes respondieron a la instalación de tres pisos tras recibir un reporte de una paciente que había prendido fuego a su cama.

Cuando los agentes llegaron, indicaron que equipos de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trabajaban para extinguir el incendio y ventilar el pasillo fuera de la unidad donde se originó el fuego, mientras los pacientes del tercer piso eran evacuados.

Los agentes dijeron que luego entrevistaron a la sospechosa, identificada como Lourdes Espinal, de 55 años.

Según el informe de arresto, Espinal dijo a los investigadores: “Inició el incendio al prender un encendedor a su colchón porque estaba molesta porque no estaba recibiendo su medicamento a tiempo”.

Además, los agentes indicaron que Espinal admitió haber provocado el incendio mientras su compañera de cuarto, quien está postrada en cama y requiere una máscara de oxígeno, también estaba dentro de la habitación.

Al hablar con la enfermera de Espinal, los investigadores fueron informados de que después de recibir sus medicamentos de la tarde, Espinal solicitó medicamentos adicionales que no estaban recetados por su médico.

Cuando la enfermera le dijo a Espinal que contactaría a su médico para ver si podía recetar el medicamento adicional, las autoridades dijeron que la enfermera indicó que Espinal se volvió “más furiosa y volcó su bandeja de comida” mientras insultaba a la enfermera, quien luego contactó a un supervisor.

Según el informe de arresto, luego intentó encender un cigarrillo en su habitación, momento en el que el supervisor le informó que no estaba permitido dentro de la instalación y le retiró el cigarrillo de la boca, lo que provocó que Espinal lanzara su encendedor al supervisor mientras gritaba: “Voy a quemar el lugar, demasiadas malas b—–s, tienen que sacar su t— de aquí”.

Poco después, el personal del centro dijo que Espinal salió de su habitación y dijo: “Puse fuego en la habitación, mejor saquen a la residente”, lo que llevó al personal a correr hacia la habitación y desconectar de inmediato a la compañera de cuarto de su tanque de oxígeno y sacarla en silla de ruedas.

Espinal fue detenida y enfrenta cargos de intento de asesinato, incendio provocado en primer grado y agresión.

Hasta la tarde del miércoles, permanecía detenida en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con fianza “por determinar”.

Leer en español

The incident occurred on Tuesday around 6:20 p.m. at the Sierra Lakes Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, located at 220 Sierra Drive, just outside of Miami Gardens.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the three-story facility after receiving a report of a patient who had set her bed on fire.

When deputies arrived, they said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews were working to extinguish the blaze and ventilate the hallway outside of the unit where the fire was set while patients on the third floor were evacuated.

Deputies said they then interviewed the suspect, identified as Lourdes Espinal, 55.

According to an arrest form, Espinal told investigators, “She started the fire by setting a lighter to her mattress because she was upset that she was not getting her medication on time.”

Additionally, deputies said that Espinal admitted to setting the fire while her roommate, who is bedridden and requires an oxygen mask, was also inside the room.

While speaking with Espinal’s nurse, investigators were told that after she received her afternoon medications, Espinal had requested additional medication that was not prescribed by her doctor.

When the nurse told Espinal she would reach out to her doctor to see if he would prescribe the additional medication, authorities said the nurse told them Espinal became “more furious and knocked over her tray of food” while cursing at the nurse, who then contacted a supervisor.

According to Espinal’s arrest form, she then attempted to light a cigarette in her room, at which time the supervisor informed her that was not permitted inside the facility and removed the cigarette from Espinal’s mouth, prompting her to throw her lighter at the supervisor while yelling, “I’m gonna burn the place out, (too) many bad b-----s, they have to keep they a-- out.”

Shortly after, facility staff said Espinal exited her room and said, “I put fire in the room, y’all better take out the resident,” prompting staff to run into the room and immediately disconnect Espinal’s roommate from her oxygen tank and wheel her out of the room.

Espinal was taken into custody and is facing charges of attempted murder, first-degree arson and battery.

As of Wednesday afternoon, she remained behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

Comey was indicted in North Carolina on Tuesday on charges of making threats against President Donald Trump related to a photograph he posted on social media last year of seashells arranged in the numbers “86 47.” The Justice Department contends those numbers amounted to a threat against Trump, the 47th president. Comey has said he assumed the numbers reflected a political message, not a call to violence against the Republican president, and removed the post as soon as he saw some people were interpreting it that way.

The indictment is the second against Comey, a longtime adversary of Trump dating back to his time as FBI director, over the past year. The first one, on unrelated false-statement and obstruction charges, was tossed out by a judge last year. Now prosecutors pursuing the threats case face their own challenge of proving that Comey intended to communicate a true threat or at least recklessly discounted the possibility that the statement could be understood as a threat.

The indictment accuses Comey of acting “knowingly and willfully,” but its sparse language offers no support for that assertion. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche declined to elaborate at a news conference on what evidence of intent the government has. But broad First Amendment protections for free speech, Supreme Court precedent and Comey's public statements indicating that he did not intend to convey a threat will likely impose a tall burden for the government.

“Here, ‘86’ is ambiguous — it doesn’t necessarily threaten violence and the fact that it was the FBI Director posting this openly and notoriously on a public social media site suggests that he didn’t intend to convey a threat of violence,” John Keller, a former senior Justice Department official who led a task force to prosecute violent threats against election workers, wrote in a text message.

The case was charged in the Eastern District of North Carolina, the location of the beach where Comey has said he found the shells. He is set to make his first court appearance Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Alexandria, Virginia, the state where he lives.

What the law says on threats

The Supreme Court has held that statements are not protected by the First Amendment if they meet the legal threshold of a “true threat.”

That requires prosecutors to prove, at a minimum, that a defendant recklessly disregarded the risk that a statement could be perceived as threatening violence. In a 2023 Supreme Court case, the majority held that prosecutors have to show that the “defendant had some subjective understanding of the threatening nature of his statements.”

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has found that hyperbolic political speech is protected. In a 1969 case, the justices held that a Vietnam War protester did not make a knowing and willful threat against the president when he remarked that “If they ever make me carry a rifle the first man I want to get in my sights is L.B.J,” referring to President Lyndon B. Johnson. The court noted that laughter in the crowd when the protester made the statement, among other things, showed it wasn’t a serious threat of violence.

Regarding the current case, Merriam-Webster, the dictionary used by The Associated Press, says 86 is slang meaning “to throw out,” “to get rid of” or “to refuse service to.” It notes: “Among the most recent senses adopted is a logical extension of the previous ones, with the meaning of ‘to kill.’ We do not enter this sense, due to its relative recency and sparseness of use.”

Comey deleted the post shortly after it was made, writing: “I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence” and “I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.”

What the government will try to prove

John Fishwick, a former U.S. attorney in the Western District of Virginia, said the government will likely try to prove that Comey should have known better as a former FBI director.

“I think they're going to try to circumstantially say that you were head of the FBI, you knew what these terms meant and you said them out to the whole world as a threat to the president,” Fishwick said, though he noted that such an argument would be challenging in light of Comey's obvious First Amendment defenses.

Comey was voluntarily interviewed by the Secret Service last year, and the fact that he was not charged with making a false statement suggests that prosecutors do not have evidence that he lied to agents Fishwick said.

Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor, wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday that “despite being one of Comey’s longest critics, the indictment raises troubling free speech issues. In the end, it must be the Constitution, not Comey, that drives the analysis and this indictment is unlikely to withstand constitutional scrutiny.”

“If it did,” he added, “it would allow the government to criminalize a huge swath of political speech in the United States.”

___

Kunzelman reported from Alexandria, Va.

“En realidad somos los únicos en Florida, y hasta donde sabemos, también somos los únicos en todo el país”, dijo Michael Zuratti, CEO de Sedation Ink.

Es un nuevo giro médico en una industria que se remonta a más de 5,000 años.

“Creo que fue una idea muy interesante, una idea muy interesante, como sabemos en Miami, somos muy grandes en cirugía plástica”, dijo el Dr. Bryan Merkel, anestesiólogo de Sedation Ink.

Desde febrero de 2024, el estudio de tatuajes especializado con sede en Miami ha estado ofreciendo tatuajes de gran escala mientras los clientes están bajo anestesia general.

“Creo que estamos a la vanguardia de un cambio en la industria”, dijo Zuratti. “Así que creemos que eventualmente esto será más común a nivel nacional. Dicho esto, estamos a la vanguardia y estamos emocionados de establecer un buen ejemplo en términos de asegurar que la seguridad sea de máxima importancia”.

Zuratti dio exclusivamente a Local 10 News un vistazo al proceso desde el inicio, comenzando con la consulta final para su cliente más reciente, un empresario de Boston que pidió que se difuminara su rostro y solo se usaran sus iniciales, E.C.

“Hacer esta cobertura tomaría mucho tiempo”, dijo.

El hombre de 37 años optó por la vía rápida, cubriendo tatuajes que se hizo cuando tenía 15 años.

“Cambias a medida que creces y luego empiezas a darte cuenta de que algunos tatuajes no encajan contigo”, dijo E.C.

E.C. dice que la publicidad en línea de la empresa llamó su atención, incluyendo el lema de Sedation, “di adiós al dolor”.

El procedimiento ayuda a acelerar las sesiones de tatuaje para los clientes. Tradicionalmente, los tatuajes de gran escala pueden tomar hasta más de dos años en completarse con múltiples sesiones de varias horas.

“Podemos hacer proyectos de gran escala en cinco, seis horas”, dijo Zuratti.

“Lo estamos viendo en lugares como Los Ángeles, Nueva York y Miami, y los lugares típicos donde esperarías encontrar ideas innovadoras en medicina y estética y cosas así”, dijo el Dr. Cameron Howard, jefe de anestesiología en Memorial Hospital West. “Tenemos que tomarlo en serio y no podemos ser frívolos con esto. Dicho eso, para los pacientes que reciben anestesia para un tatuaje, deben tener todas las mismas precauciones y las mismas capacidades de emergencia disponibles”.

En 2025, la Sociedad Estadounidense de Anestesiólogos publicó una declaración sobre la anestesia para tatuajes, señalando que someterse a anestesia para un tatuaje puede ser peligroso, pero “no es diferente de recibirla para un procedimiento electivo”.

“Es algo muy serio, ¿verdad? Y no debería tratarse como un día de spa”, dijo Howard.

“Este es un procedimiento electivo, ¿verdad? Así que el paciente está inconsciente y con un tubo de respiración, por lo que es un procedimiento médico primero”, dijo Zuratti.

Lo que diferencia a Sedation Ink de otros es cómo la empresa está registrada tanto como estudio de tatuajes como centro médico, dijo Zuratti.

“Presentar esto ante la Junta Médica de Florida, contactar a las autoridades de licencias de establecimientos de tatuajes, estamos certificados con ambos departamentos, y tomó mucho trabajo construir esto”, dijo Zuratti. “Desde el primer día, seguridad, seguridad, seguridad, eso es lo que impulsamos todos los días”.

“Básicamente le administramos al paciente medicamentos a través de una vía intravenosa, se duerme y, una vez que está completamente dormido, se le coloca un tubo de respiración”, dijo Merkel.

Hasta ahora, la empresa ha realizado más de 50 procedimientos en el South Florida Surgical Center después de que los clientes reciben autorización de su médico primario, con una enfermera y un anestesiólogo monitoreando.

“No es diferente a recibir anestesia general para una cirugía plástica o cualquier otro tipo de procedimiento, como una colonoscopia”, dijo Merkel.

“La industria ha estado pidiendo esto durante mucho tiempo, pero obviamente no es para todos”, dijo el tatuador Francisco Gomez.

Durante siete años, Gomez ha tatuado a clientes y ha trabajado con Sedation Ink durante dos años.

“Mi primera reacción fue, ‘Antes de decir que sí a algo, ¿cómo funciona?’”, dijo Gomez.

Él, junto con un grupo de otros artistas, ayudó a diseñar tatuajes y cubrir el pecho de E.C.

“En el momento en que el cliente es puesto bajo anestesia, hay un reloj corriendo, y el médico no sale de la sala durante las siete horas completas”, dijo Gomez.

Zuratti dijo que quiere que Sedation Ink sea “conocido como un proveedor líder que se enfoca primero en la seguridad y luego en el tatuaje”.

Profesionales médicos y Sedation Ink subrayan que este es un procedimiento médico primero.

Howard dijo que las reacciones graves pueden variar desde problemas en las vías respiratorias hasta complicaciones pulmonares o cardíacas.

La mejor práctica es consultar primero con su médico y verificar la empresa que realiza el procedimiento.

El costo de Sedation Ink oscila entre $32,000 USD y $52,000 USD.

Amin Gemayel spoke with The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday after the first direct talks between Lebanon and Israel since the 1980s, as they explore what could lead to a security agreement or even the eventual normalization of relations. He is part of one of Lebanon’s strongest political dynasties that founded the Christian Phalange party, which held powerful positions for decades.

The 84-year-old Gemayel, who rarely speaks to international media, acknowledged that much has changed as Lebanese leaders again pursue talks with Israel and as a fragile ceasefire holds. The discussions in Washington have led to angry protests as the Israeli military invasion of southern Lebanon continues, and as parts of Beirut recover from a devastating Israeli bombardment early this month.

For one, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah had only been established during Gemayel's presidency and was far from the powerful armed and political presence it has since become. Hezbollah opposes direct talks with Israel and believes Lebanon instead should support Iran in its talks with the United States, saying Tehran has more leverage.

But Hezbollah has taken major blows, Gemayel noted, and he supports its disarmament. The group's military capabilities were significantly weakened by Israel’s strikes in Lebanon over the past two years. And the ouster of longtime backer Bashar Assad in Syria by Islamist-led armed opposition groups closed off much of the porous border used for transporting weapons.

Regional circumstances also have changed, Gemayel said.

“During my time, discussing a peace agreement with Israel was an unforgivable fatal crime,” he said.

Now he believes there is more openness in the region, and pointed to Syria’s direct talks with Israel as well as the Abraham Accords, where a handful of Arab countries, notably the United Arab Emirates, established diplomatic ties with Israel.

The deal with Israel in the 1980s crumbled quickly

Gemayel was Lebanon's youngest-ever president in 1982 when he was sworn in, at 40 years old. The country was in the middle of a devastating 15-year civil war, occupied by both Syrian and Israeli troops.

He decided to enter U.S.-brokered direct talks with Israel, via a foreign ministry official, and reached an agreement in May 1983 that included ending the state of war that had existed between the countries since Israel’s inception in 1948. Israeli troops would withdraw from southern Lebanon and Lebanese troops would deploy there.

Despite U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s backing at the time and the Lebanese parliament voting overwhelmingly in favor for the agreement, it never went into effect. Gemayel blamed Syria and its allies in Lebanon, which were critical of any talks with Israel from the start, as well as Israel itself.

“Israel, though we had finished the negotiations and reached the stage of signing, tried to impose an article outside of the framework of the agreement, which was the simultaneous withdrawal alongside the Syrian army in Lebanon. So the Israeli military wouldn’t withdraw unless the Syrians would,” Gemayel said.

“It gave the Syrian military a veto to the agreement ... and a public atmosphere of doubt that (then-Syrian President Hafez) Assad and his crew created.”

But now, Gemayel said, Lebanon's leaders should pursue a long-term peace deal. Even an armistice, like the one signed in 1949 to bring calm to tense frontier for 18 years, could be a good step forward, as long as it keeps the country in one piece.

Lebanon's president seeks a step short of full normalization

President Joseph Aoun has said he is seeking a deal similar to the 1949 agreement, not a full normalization of relations with Israel.

The move by Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to enter into direct talks with Israel was met with both wide support and criticism in the deeply divided country. The officials have said the negotiations are the only way to secure the withdrawal of Israeli troops and bring about long-term calm.

“There is an opportunity for the Lebanese government to go into negotiations to reach a solution that achieves peace, security, and stability in Lebanon,” Gemayel said.

“That would also satisfy the feelings of Lebanese who yearn for the bare minimum of calm, peace, stability, and an end to the war."

During this latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, which began two days after the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, over 2,500 people in Lebanon have been killed and over one million people displaced.

Israeli troops remain in large swaths of southern Lebanon and continue to clash with Hezbollah fighters despite a truce being nominally in place. Both sides accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.

Lebanese have largely been critical of Hezbollah’s decision to launch rockets into Israel on March 2, but they have also been horrified by Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion.

Gemayel said the situation remains complicated, especially in a “boiling region” suffering from serious security and economic repercussions from the Iran war.

“We have to see how far we can go,” he said. “We trust General Aoun to enter negotiations as far as they go while maintaining the interests of the country and the unity of Lebanon. And he knows exactly how far he can go in negotiations.”

___

Associated Press senior producer Malak Harb in Bikfaya, Lebanon, contributed to this report.

Leer en español

“We’re actually the only ones in Florida, and as far as we know, we’re also the only ones in the whole country,” Michael Zuratti, CEO of Sedation Ink, said.

It’s a new medical twist on the industry that dates back over 5,000 years.

“(I) think it was a very cool idea, a very cool idea … as we know in Miami, we’re very big on plastic surgery,” Dr. Bryan Merkel, an anesthesiologist for Sedation Ink, said.

Since February 2024, the specialized Miami-based tattoo studio has been offering up large-scale tattooing while clients are under general anesthesia.

“I think we’re at the forefront of (a) shift in the industry,” Zuratti said. “So, you know, we do believe that eventually this will be more prevalent nationwide. Having said that, we are at the forefront and we’re excited to kind of set a good example in terms of, you know, making sure that the safety is of utmost importance.”

Zuratti exclusively gave Local 10 News a look at the process from the beginning, starting with the final consultation for their latest client – a business owner from Boston who asked that we blur his face and only use his initials, E.C.

“Doing this cover-up, it would take a long time,” he said.

The 37-year-old opted for the fast track, covering up tattoos he got inked when he was 15 years old.

“You change as you grow and then you start realizing that some tattoos, like, hey, they don’t fit you anymore,” E.C. said.

E.C. says the company’s online marketing piqued his interest, including Sedation’s tag line, “say goodbye to the pain.”

The procedure helps to expedite tattooing sessions for clients. Traditionally, large-scale tattoos can take upward of two years to complete with multiple hours of long sessions.

“We’re able to do large-scale projects in five, six hours,” Zuratti said.

“We’re seeing it in like LA and New York and Miami, and the typical places that you would expect to sort of find cutting edge ideas and thoughts on medicine and aesthetics and things like that,” Dr. Cameron Howard, chief of anesthesiology at Memorial Hospital West, said. “We have to take it seriously and we can’t be frivolous with it. So that being said, for patients receiving anesthesia for a tattoo, they should have all of the same precautions and the same emergency capabilities available to them.”

Back in 2025, the American Society of Anesthesiologists released a statement regarding anesthesia for tattoos, stating that going under for a tattoo can be dangerous, but “is no different from receiving it for an elective procedure.”

“It is a very serious undertaking, right? And it shouldn’t be treated like a spa day,” Howard said.

“This is an elective procedure, right? So the patient is unconscious and, you know, with a breathing tube so, it’s a medical procedure first,” Zuratti said.

What separates Sedation Ink from others is how the company is registered as both a tattoo shop and medical center, Zuratti said.

“Pitching this to the Florida Medical Board, contacting the tattoo establishment licensed people, so we’re certified with both departments, and, you know, it took a lot of groundwork to build this,” Zuratti said. “So, since day one, safety, safety, safety -- that’s what we push every day.”

“We pretty much give the patient medication through an IV, they go to sleep, once they’re completely asleep, they get a breathing tube,” Merkel said.

So far, the company has performed more than 50 procedures at South Florida Surgical Center after clients receive clearance from their primary physician, with a nurse and anesthesiologist monitoring.

“It’s no different than getting a general anesthesia for a plastic surgery procedure, for any type of other procedure, getting a colonoscopy,” Merkel said.

“The industry has been asking for this for a long time, but obviously it’s not for everyone,” tattoo artist Francisco Gomez said.

For seven years, Gomez has been tattooing clients and he’s been contracted with Sedation Ink for two years.

“My first reaction was like, ‘Before I say yes to anything, how is it working?’” Gomez said.

He, along with a handful of other artists, helped to design tattoos and cover up E.C.’s chest.

“The second the client gets put under, there’s a clock ticking, and the doctor doesn’t leave the room for the entire seven hours,” Gomez said.

Zuratti said he wants Sedation Ink to be “known as a lead provider that focuses on safety first, and then the tattooing secondary.”

Medical professionals and Sedation Ink both underscore that this is a medical procedure first.

Howard said serious reactions can range from airway issues to pulmonary or cardiac complications.

The best practice is to check with your doctor first and verify the company performing the procedure.

The price tag for Sedation Ink ranges from $32,000-$52,000.

The revival — directed by Jamie Lloyd — will play at a Shubert theater to be announced in the spring of 2027, producers said Wednesday. The musical is about the caustic intersection of politics and showbiz.

“Performing  Tim  Rice  and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s brilliant show  in London was a dream come true, but being able to  partner once again with Jamie to  bring ‘Evita’  to  Broadway  is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Zegler said in a statement. “I can’t wait  to perform for my home, New York City.”

Zegler won the Olivier Award as best actress in a musical earlier this month. She received lots of attention for performing the song “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” on an exterior balcony, attracting large crowds to the street every night while theatergoers inside watched on screens. Lloyd did something similar with his revival of “Sunset Boulevard” — placing the actor Tom Francis outside the theater each night.

“Evita” began as a rock opera concept album and transferred to Broadway in 1979, starring Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. It was revived in 2012 starring Elena Roger and Ricky Martin, nominated for a best revival Tony.

Goldman, 53, parked his silver Hyundai Sonata for about 40 minutes in the valet area, a worker placed a parking violation sticker, and this prompted him to push a man and threaten another at gunpoint, according to police.

Goldman drove away, and police officers reported finding him with “bloodshot eyes, slurred speech,” ”a heavy odor of alcohol," and two guns — a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield and a Springfield XD 9mm handgun.

“They probably told you I pulled a firearm on someone,” Goldman told a Surfside police officer during his arrest on Friday afternoon at Collins Avenue and 93 Street, according to a police officer’s body cam video.

In Miami Beach’s Mid-Beach neighborhood, Goldman’s wife asked police officers to impound about 10 firearms that he was keeping in a safe at their apartment at the Seacoast, at 5151 Collins Ave., according to police.

His wife warned police officers that Goldman “had become increasingly unwell,” according to a Miami Beach police officer’s report.

Witnesses in the valet area and valet office reported he was screaming, threw the parking violation sticker, pushed an employee, and pointed a gun while shouting the same expletive several times, according to police.

After his arrest, Miami-Dade corrections booked Goldman early Saturday morning, and he appeared in bond court on Sunday and Monday, facing charges of burglary with assault or battery and aggravated assault with a firearm.

Records show Goldman also has the DUI warrant case. Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Richard Hersch was set to preside over the felony case.

Related story: Miami Beach drunk driver arrested after pulling firearm at valets over violation sticker, police say

Local 10 News Reporter Rosh Lowe and Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

A medida que la niebla se disipaba al amanecer, acres de pasto serrado carbonizado se extendían por los Everglades.

En solo 24 horas, el incendio se expandió de unas 450 acres a más de 6,600, el equivalente a casi 5,000 campos de fútbol reducidos a cenizas.

Los equipos de bomberos lo han denominado el incendio de Highway 41, que continúa ardiendo a unas pocas millas al oeste del Miccosukee Casino.

Los funcionarios han cerrado una gran parte del Parque Nacional Everglades, obligando a negocios cercanos — incluyendo Coopertown Airboats, Safari Park y Gator Park — a cerrar.

Al caer la tarde del martes, los equipos continuaban trabajando para contener las llamas. Helicópteros arrojaron cientos de galones de agua, apuntando a varios focos mientras brillantes llamas anaranjadas ardían en la distancia.

Los bomberos dicen que el fuego está avanzando rápidamente a través del pasto seco, alimentado por condiciones de sequía y vientos constantes.

“Este viento ha estado soplando más hacia el sur, por lo que el incendio ha aumentado de tamaño”, dijo Ezra Van, observador de tormentas del Servicio Nacional de Meteorología.

Van dijo que hay varios elementos naturales que siguen siendo los factores más importantes en el comportamiento del incendio.

“El viento, la humedad y la lluvia son los tres factores más importantes”, dijo. “Si el viento aumenta, el fuego se mueve más rápido. Si la humedad baja, arde más rápido. Y la lluvia, si llega, podría frenarlo”.

El incendio, que comenzó el sábado, permanece contenido en un 0%. No se han reportado heridos ni daños a propiedades, y la causa aún está bajo investigación. Los equipos continúan monitoreando las condiciones desde el aire mientras el incendio se mueve por el área.

Según la policía de Miami Gardens, el accidente fue reportado a las 7:53 a.m. del martes en la cuadra 1200 de Northwest 188th Street.

Un informe de arresto indica que Jalen Darius Forbes, de 23 años y residente de Miami Gardens, conducía hacia el sur por Northwest 12th Street, intentando evitar el tráfico en una zona escolar cuando se subió al derecho de vía, perdió el control de su Ford Fusion y golpeó a la víctima.

La víctima fue identificada como Johnny Baptiste Jr., de 11 años.

“Lo veo todo golpeado y se supone que debe estar en casa conmigo”, dijo Shakera Rolle, madre del niño. “Cuando escuché por primera vez que lo había atropellado un auto, inmediatamente pensé lo peor”.

Rose Emine, cuyo cercado presuntamente fue impactado por el vehículo de Forbes, dijo a Local 10 News que el niño no respondía después de ser atropellado.

“Dije, ‘Ahh’ porque pensé que el niño había muerto”, dijo Emine.

“Le estaban echando agua en la cabeza. Tenía una gran herida en la cabeza”, dijo otro testigo, Orlando Lawrence.

La policía dijo que personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladó en helicóptero a la víctima al Ryder Trauma Center del Hospital Jackson Memorial con lesiones graves en la cabeza, pero estables.

Mientras tanto, Forbes fue arrestado por cargos de conducción imprudente y conducción imprudente causando lesiones corporales graves.

“Solo desearía que hubiera sido un poco más cuidadoso o que hubiera prestado más atención a la carretera por donde conducía”, dijo Rolle.

The Republican administration adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted President Donald Trump’s efforts to stop offshore wind development through executive action. Three agreements have been announced.

U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman of California, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, and Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, are demanding information about the first and largest of the three. Under a deal made public in March, French company TotalEnergies is getting $1 billion — essentially a refund of its leases for offshore wind projects off North Carolina and New York— if it invests the money in fossil fuel projects instead.

Huffman said that is a “scam” and the administration is going to "light a lot of federal taxpayer money on fire if we let them."

In a letter sent Wednesday to TotalEnergies and provided to The Associated Press, Huffman and Raskin are letting the company know that Democrats have begun an investigation, are demanding documents and communications and are advising the CEO not to take the money. The letter outlines the ways they think the deal appears to be illegal.

“You can’t come into the United States and do a backroom deal like this, that just essentially treats the treasury as a slush fund, and walk away with a billion dollars," Huffman said.

Asked for comment, TotalEnergies pointed to its news release when the payout was announced. CEO Patrick Pouyanné said at the time that TotalEnergies renounced U.S. offshore wind development in exchange for the reimbursement of the lease fees, “considering that the development of offshore wind projects is not in the country’s interest.”

Nearly $2 billion in payouts so far

In the latest deals announced Monday, the administration said Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind agreed to end their leases in exchange for reimbursements totaling nearly $900 million, provided they invest equally in fossil fuels. Trump has gone all in on fossil fuels for generating electricity, which he says will lower costs for families, increase reliability and help the U.S. maintain global leadership in artificial intelligence.

Both Bluepoint and Golden State are co-owned by Ocean Winds, a joint venture of EDP Renewables and French energy giant Engie. Michael Brown, CEO of Ocean Winds North America, said that when market conditions change, “we must adapt.”

Opponents of offshore wind projects praised the administration for being creative.

“This is the latest strategy and we think it’s a winner,” Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast New Jersey, said Wednesday. Shaffer said the administration “is well within their rights to do this and private businesses can’t be forced to build anything.”

But to the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer of New York, it is a "bailout for fossil fuel donors dressed up as a deal.”

“Donald Trump spent years calling offshore wind subsidies a waste of taxpayer money," Schumer said in a statement. “Now his administration is handing nearly $2 billion of those very same taxpayer dollars to companies to abandon clean energy projects that would have powered millions of American homes and created thousands of good-paying union jobs.”

Once the deals are complete, Ocean Winds will have one remaining U.S. offshore wind project, SouthCoast Wind off Massachusetts. Its development has slowed under Trump.

Amber Hewett, senior director of offshore wind energy at the National Wildlife Federation, said forcing developers to abandon offshore wind energy for more oil and gas sets the U.S. further behind in efforts to curb climate change. Burning coal, oil and gas is the largest contributor to global climate change by far.

Lease buyouts are part of a campaign against offshore wind

When Trump returned to office in January 2025 he ordered a temporary halt to leasing and permitting for wind energy projects. His administration has paused work wind farms under construction, canceled plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development and added an extra layer of review for wind and solar projects.

Federal judges allowed construction on the wind farms to resume, struck down the Day One order blocking wind energy development, and stopped the administration from requiring that all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters be personally approved by Trump's interior secretary.

Energy law expert Kristoffer Svendsen said that after the administration's losses in the courts, the lease buyouts appear to be a last attempt to close down as many offshore wind projects as possible. He was not aware of any other arrangements where energy projects owners have been paid to walk away.

“This saga never ends. They continue to surprise the industry and those of us following the industry,” said Svendsen, assistant dean for energy law at the George Washington University Law School.

Svendsen said he expects to see energy companies head to markets in Europe and Asia because the future for new offshore wind development in the United States is “quite bleak.”

“At this point if you’re interested in offshore wind, you’ll most likely go to a jurisdiction where they want you,” he said.

The global wind industry installed a record 165 gigawatts of onshore and offshore wind last year, with 138 countries now powering their economies with wind energy, the Global Wind Energy Council said last week in its annual report. That is enough to power 118 million households. The Asian market, led by China and India, had 80% of the global total.

David Carroll, CEO and chief renewables officer for Engie North America, also thinks offshore wind will not advance in the United States in the next few years. He cited the administration's pulling of permits that were granted after years of work and much money spent, and the stopping of fully permitted projects under construction, eroding business certainty.

“The offshore wind industry does not have a strong future here in the U.S. And that’s unfortunate,” Carroll, who is chair of the board at the American Clean Power Association, said in an interview this month. “The Northeast needs more energy and that is one of the very key ways we can get energy in the Northeast.”

___

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.

The Democrat with a personal fortune estimated at $2.4 billion wants wealthy people and corporations to pay higher taxes. He's endorsed by a progressive advocacy group that believes billionaires shouldn't exist. He founded one of the world's largest hedge funds yet he's the candidate taking the heaviest hits from business groups.

“I'm the billionaire who wants to tax other billionaires,” he's fond of saying, though he's given only tenuous backing to a billionaires' tax proposal likely to appear before California voters in November.

Steyer has long leaned into the contradictions between his business success and political views. While his hedge fund invested in fossil fuels, Steyer spent millions to protect a California law aimed at curbing planet-warming emissions. As a presidential candidate in 2019 vying to succeed President Donald Trump, another rich man, Steyer championed eliminating corporate money from politics.

“I’m not one of the people who begrudges people’s success,” Steyer told The Associated Press, referring to businesspeople who become wealthy in California. “If you’re going to come here and build a company and make a ton of money, great.”

“But you’re part of a system — you’re depending on a system built by, basically, poor people,” he continued. “If you aren’t willing to pay your fair share, I feel like you’re spitting on those people.”

His stances, often unpopular with other billionaires, have earned him staunch support from some and persistent skepticism from others. Despite his vast wealth, progressive supporters perceive him as “one of the good ones” who will stand up to monied interests. But critics in both parties view him as disingenuous and making unrealistic promises to appeal to voters. Democratic rivals accuse him of trying to buy the election, noting he's spending nearly 30 times the amount of his nearest party opponent on ads.

After decades of using his pocketbook to influence politics and policy, Steyer is now a leading contender in the race to govern the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest economies ahead of the June 2 primary. His former hedge fund's investments have been a persistent topic of criticism from his Democratic rivals.

“You made the billions that you're using to fund your campaign off fossil fuels,” former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter charged during Tuesday night's debate. Steyer responded by noting business groups are spending to oppose him: “That's how you know I'm for real.”

From businessman to megadonor

Steyer, 68, founded Farallon Capital Management in 1986 in San Francisco. He earned the respect of business peers for the firm's rapid success and learned to weather criticism from environmentalists for the company’s stakes in oil and coal. In 2012, he left and founded NextGen America, a group encouraging young people to vote.

Much of his political giving has focused on climate change, including a $5 million donation in 2010 to oppose a California ballot proposition that would have suspended a law requiring the state to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The climate law prevailed. Starting in 2013, he used the political arm of NextGen to back governor and U.S. Senate candidates seen as strong on climate with mixed success.

Steyer has spent more than $62 million on California ballot measures, including an unsuccessful effort in 2020 to keep a law that eliminated cash bail. He was one of the largest donors to a successful 2016 measure to tax tobacco products to raise money for healthcare for low-income Californians.

His contributions have been met with some cynicism. Longtime Sacramento strategist Rob Stutzman, a Republican, pointed to an ad Steyer paid for last year that prominently features him urging voters to support a redistricting ballot measure. It was an initiative championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, and Steyer had no involvement other than simply spending on advertising.

Steyer “has always been a self-promoter with his dollars,” Stutzman said.

Making friends and enemies

Steyer says he wants to tackle three main crises: climate change, California's high cost of living and threats from the Trump administration.

Hundreds of people gathered at a ping-pong club and bar in San Francisco recently to drink cocktails and nibble on hors d’oeuvres — on the campaign dime — as Steyer touted his commitment to fighting climate change. His plan is light on specifics but includes defending the state’s cap-and-trade program.

Some major environmental groups have endorsed him. Progressive organizations have also backed him, including Our Revolution, which was founded by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and advocates for ridding politics of corporate and billionaire influence. State Assemblyman Alex Lee, chair of the progressive caucus, said he's backing Steyer in part due to his support for a government-run healthcare system, an idea that's failed repeatedly in Sacramento.

Lee was hesitant to back a billionaire but said Steyer is different.

“He is someone who became wealthy in his lifetime,” Lee said, “but didn’t go off and become (Mark) Zuckerberg level.”

Meanwhile, Pacific Gas & Electric, one of the nation's largest utilities, spent $10 million to oppose him. Steyer has vowed to “break up utility monopolies” to bring down Californians’ notoriously high electricity rates. One ad funded in part by PG&E says Steyer isn't a “different type of billionaire” as he claims. The California Chamber of Commerce says Steyer will raise costs, not lower them.

“His policy promises will cost billions, driving investment out of California and worsening the state’s affordability crisis,” chamber spokesperson John Myers said in a statement.

Steyer's 2020 presidential bid flopped

It remains to be seen whether money and endorsements will translate into votes. Some political observers say it would be evident by now if Steyer was poised to break away from the pack, given his spending blitz.

Money wasn't enough in the 2020 Democratic presidential contest. Steyer staked his campaign largely on appealing to voters of color, highlighting inequalities in healthcare access, the environment and criminal justice system. In South Carolina, he spent $24 million on ads — more than all the other candidates combined — but dropped out after finishing third.

He often garnered attention for his quirks over his policies — the red tartan tie and colorful belt he made part of his campaign trail uniform, his dance moves to a performance by rapper Juvenile.

Steyer had planned to spend $100 million, and his wealth proved a liability in a race where rivals including Sanders decried the existence of billionaires.

He's spent more in the California governor's primary alone, including on an ad attacking a rival. This time, he's being received differently.

“Tom Steyer is running on taxing the wealthy, supporting single-payer healthcare, and taking on corporate power — positions that are central to our movement,” Our Revolution Executive Director Joseph Geevarghese said in a statement. “That alignment with a pro-worker, anti-corporate agenda — and the urgency of this race — is why we are backing him.”

___

Associated Press politics reporter Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

Leer en español

Turns out, swiping left is out. Showing up is in again.

“Everybody’s in the same boat. Everybody’s meeting new people,” said Jessica Bakeman, founder of “We Met in Miami” and “We Met in Broward.”

“I was overwhelmed by how much demand there was,” she said.

Across South Florida, a growing nonprofit called “We Met” is organizing events designed to help people make friends, find romance and build real-life connections.

Bakeman launched “We Met in Miami” in February 2024 and has since expanded into Broward County, hosting nearly 100 meetups that have drawn thousands of attendees.

“The idea is … wouldn’t it be cool to meet someone at game night? Wouldn’t it be cool to meet someone on a hike in the Everglades?” asked Bakeman. “And look around and already know who’s single, who’s open to making new connections to make it a little bit easier to make those conversations happen.”

The organization hosts a wide range of outings across Miami-Dade and Broward counties — from dance classes and museum visits to sporting events and game nights — all intentionally structured to push strangers out of their comfort zones and into conversation.

To see how it works firsthand, Local 10 morning anchor Andrew Perez attended a “We Met at Game Night” gathering at Tripping Animals Taproom in Oakland Park.

When guests arrive, they choose colored wristbands signaling what kind of connection they are open to making: friendship, romance or LGBTQ connections. Some wear one, others stack all three.

The night begins with an icebreaker challenge, followed by randomized seating assignments listed on each attendee’s name tag. Participants head to their designated tables, meet a fresh group of strangers and choose from a towering collection of board and party games.

After about 30 minutes, everyone rotates to a second assigned table — another built-in chance to start over with new faces.

By the final round, games give way to a facilitated conversation designed to spark more meaningful interaction before attendees fill out a “match card,” indicating who they’d like to connect with again.

“A lot of people say the reason they come is because they want to be a part of a community,” said Bakeman. “They want to be part of something bigger ... also just looking for fun things to do and a way to explore the city.”

“You can really sense that people wanna connect,” said We Met volunteer, Viviane Valvezan. “They wanna meet people in person, they want to have that face-to-face experience and they’re hungry for friendship, for connection and for a way to just have fun.”

To submit an idea for What Connects Us, email whatconnectsus@wplg.com.

Resulta que deslizar a la izquierda ya no está de moda. Volver a presentarse en persona está de regreso.

“Todos están en la misma situación. Todos están conociendo gente nueva”, dijo Jessica Bakeman, fundadora de “We Met in Miami” y “We Met in Broward”.

“Me sorprendió la gran demanda que había”, dijo.

En todo el sur de Florida, una organización sin fines de lucro en crecimiento llamada “We Met” está organizando eventos diseñados para ayudar a las personas a hacer amigos, encontrar romance y construir conexiones en la vida real.

Bakeman lanzó “We Met in Miami” en febrero de 2024 y desde entonces se ha expandido al condado Broward, organizando casi 100 encuentros que han atraído a miles de asistentes.

“La idea es, ¿no sería genial conocer a alguien en una noche de juegos? ¿No sería genial conocer a alguien en una caminata por los Everglades?”, preguntó Bakeman. “Y mirar alrededor y ya saber quién está soltero, quién está abierto a hacer nuevas conexiones para facilitar un poco esas conversaciones”.

La organización organiza una amplia variedad de actividades en los condados Miami-Dade y Broward — desde clases de baile y visitas a museos hasta eventos deportivos y noches de juegos — todas diseñadas intencionalmente para sacar a los desconocidos de su zona de confort y llevarlos a conversar.

Para ver cómo funciona de primera mano, el presentador matutino de Local 10 Andrew Perez asistió a un evento “We Met at Game Night” en Tripping Animals Taproom en Oakland Park.

Cuando los invitados llegan, eligen pulseras de colores que indican qué tipo de conexión están abiertos a hacer: amistad, romance o conexiones LGBTQ. Algunos usan una, otros usan las tres.

La noche comienza con una dinámica rompehielos, seguida de asignaciones de asientos aleatorias indicadas en la etiqueta con el nombre de cada asistente. Los participantes van a sus mesas asignadas, conocen a un nuevo grupo de desconocidos y eligen entre una gran colección de juegos de mesa y de fiesta.

Después de unos 30 minutos, todos rotan a una segunda mesa asignada — otra oportunidad integrada para comenzar de nuevo con caras nuevas.

En la ronda final, los juegos dan paso a una conversación guiada diseñada para generar una interacción más significativa antes de que los asistentes llenen una “tarjeta de coincidencias”, indicando con quién les gustaría volver a conectarse.

“Muchas personas dicen que la razón por la que vienen es porque quieren ser parte de una comunidad”, dijo Bakeman. “Quieren ser parte de algo más grande, también buscan cosas divertidas que hacer y una forma de explorar la ciudad”.

“Realmente se puede sentir que las personas quieren conectarse”, dijo la voluntaria de We Met, Viviane Valvezan. “Quieren conocer gente en persona, quieren tener esa experiencia cara a cara y tienen ganas de amistad, de conexión y de una forma de simplemente divertirse”.

Para enviar una idea para What Connects Us, envíe un correo a whatconnectsus@wplg.com.

Según Golfweek, la estatua mide 15 pies de altura y fue instalada en el resort a principios de este mes antes del Campeonato Cadillac.

El medio informa que la estatua fue creada por el artista Alan Cottrill y encargada por un grupo de criptomonedas ($PATRIOT).

New edition at Trump Doral —> pic.twitter.com/SsY6lhaJxa

— Kacy Hintz (@KacyHintz) April 28, 2026

Representa al presidente levantando un puño en el aire.

Cinco jugadores del top 15 del mundo no participarán en el evento, incluido el campeón del Masters Rory McIlroy.

Adam Scott ganó el último evento del PGA Tour en Doral en 2016 cuando era un Campeonato Mundial de Golf. Solo otros nueve jugadores de ese WGC están en el campo.

Este es el inicio más reciente para el campo propiedad de Trump. Doral fue sede de un evento de LIV Golf desde 2022 hasta 2025.

The court’s conservative majority found that the district, represented by Democrat Cleo Fields, relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the district as a “snake” that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said the Supreme Court “has humiliated and dismantled the life’s work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and every man and woman who marched, bled, and died for Black Americans to have an equal voice at the ballot box.”

The plaintiffs argued that Louisiana’s second Black-majority congressional district, drawn to correct a previously discriminatory map, has an unconstitutional racial basis and did not follow the standards for drawing a district, including compactness.

The 1965 Voting Rights Act, the centerpiece legislation of the Civil Rights Movement, succeeded in opening the ballot box to Black Americans and reducing persistent discrimination in voting. Nearly 70 of the 435 congressional districts are protected by Section 2, election law experts estimate.

It’s unclear how much is left of Section 2, but the ruling could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress. President Donald Trump has already touched off a nationwide redistricting battle to boost Republican chances.

Here's the latest:

A Black voter in Alabama reacts to the court’s decision

Shalela Dowdy in Mobile, Alabama, said she’s worried the decision will lead to the rollback of an Alabama congressional district created in 2023, which she said gave previously ignored voters a seat at the table.

“It’s a setback. Putting it in the hands of the states on this level is dangerous,” Dowdy said. “There’s just been a history of the states not doing the right thing based off their state population.”

Dowdy, who is Black, was a plaintiff in a lawsuit that resulted in the creation of the new district, now represented by Rep. Shomari Figures.

She added that they are going to have to battle in court, and at the ballot box, to maintain representation: “The fight continues. You can’t get comfortable.”

Rev. Al Sharpton says the decision is a ’bullet in the heart of the voting rights movement'

“The Supreme Court has not just weakened a law, it has humiliated and dismantled the life’s work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, and every man and woman who marched, bled, and died for Black Americans to have an equal voice at the ballot box,” Sharpton, the president of the National Action Network, said in a statement.

“This ruling does not just dishonor the generation that marched, it steals from the generation that hasn’t voted yet,” Sharpton added in the statement. “Black children growing up in this country deserve the same protections their grandparents bled for.”

He called on Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act through federal legislation, a task that has proved elusive while Capitol Hill has been narrowly split between Democrats and Republicans.

Former New Orleans mayor sounds off about the decision

A growing number of civil rights and racial justice leaders denounced the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v Callais.

Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League and a former New Orleans mayor, said the court had issued a “profound setback for American democracy and a direct blow to the voting power of Black communities in Louisiana and across the nation.”

“At its core, this case was never about fairness or constitutional principle—it was about whether a multiracial democracy will be permitted to function as intended, or whether the voices of Black voters can once again be weakened, diluted, and silenced,” Morial said in a statement.

The AP has asked Louisiana Republicans when lawmakers plan to draw a new map, but has not received a timeline

Lawmakers are currently in the midst of their 2026 legislative session, which is set to conclude June 1.

Louisiana state Rep. Beau Beaullieu, a Republican who chairs the House committee tasked with drawing any new congressional map, said in a text message to the AP on Wednesday morning that lawmakers are currently reviewing the Supreme Court’s decision and “will know more once we know the particulars” of the ruling.

Louisiana’s Republican attorney general applauds the decision

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she will work with fellow Republican Gov. Jeff Landry and the GOP-dominated Legislature to “provide guidance as we move forward to adopt a constitutionally compliant map.”

“The Supreme Court has ended Louisiana’s long-running nightmare of federal courts coercing the state to draw a racially discriminatory map,” Murrill wrote. “That was always unconstitutional—and this is a seismic decision reaffirming equal protection under our nation’s laws.”

Republican redistricting group hails the decision

The ruling is expected to be an enormous boost for Republican efforts to expand their number of winnable seats in the House of Representatives and state legislatures.

The GOP has long complained that Democrats turned the Voting Rights Act’s protections into a partisan weapon to gain seats.

“For decades the left has spent hundreds of millions of dollars seeking to divide Americans along racial lines in a cynical pursuit of partisan power masquerading as civil rights,” said Adam Kincaid, the National Republican Redistricting Trust’s executive director, in a statement. “Today’s decision rebukes that divisive and unconstitutional effort.”

The decision will likely reignite legal battles over congressional districts in southern states including Alabama

A federal court in 2023 ordered the creation of a new near-majority Black district which led to the election of Alabama’s second Black congressional representative.

Alabama is under a court order to use the new map through the rest of the decade, but the state appealed to the Supreme Court. Alabama has argued the court-drawn map is an illegal racial gerrymander.

Alabama House Speaker Pro Tempore Chris Pringle, a Republican, said he is hopeful that the Louisiana ruling means justices will rule in favor of Alabama in that appeal, eventually clearing the way for Alabama to draw its own map.

“I do believe the ruling today vindicates the state’s argument that the court illegally racially gerrymandered the state in its ruling,” Pringle said.

A Democratic official says state legislative elections take on new significance

The head of an organization that works to elect Democrats to state legislatures says it’s an “all-hands-on-deck moment.”

Heather Williams, who leads the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, says Democrats need to strengthen their numbers at statehouses to fight GOP gerrymanders. She says the ruling gives Republican-led legislatures greater ability to “rig maps to protect their own power.”

“State legislatures play a role in drawing over 300 congressional districts, and we must charge into the 2026 elections clear-eyed about the urgency and stakes,” she said.

The Supreme Court decision is hugely consequential, but maybe not for the 2026 election

In most of the states where Republicans could benefit from eliminating Democratic districts that have majority Black or Hispanic populations, filing deadlines for congressional elections have already passed. In some, primaries have already occurred.

Barring extraordinary action, that means the most likely impact of Wednesday’s decision will come in 2028, when the GOP can potentially replace more than a dozen Democratic-held House districts that were previously protected under the Voting Rights Act.

“The Voting Rights Act as a means to protect minority voters from vote dilution is essentially dead,” said Jonathan Cervas, a political scientist at Carnegie-Mellon University who’s served as a special master in multiple Voting Rights Act cases.

Decision could cut Black political power in states and localities

Over time, the decision could result in a sweeping rollback to Black political power at the state and local level.

There are hundreds of Black state legislators in the South. There are many more Black officials on county and parish governing bodies, school boards and city councils that make decisions about policing, road paving and school districting that touch everyday lives.

In many cases, Black-majority districts that those officials represent have been carved out through decades of repeated Section 2 litigation. In states like Alabama and Mississippi, the racial cleavage is so deep that there are few Democratic state legislators who aren’t Black.

Wednesday’s ruling could let white majorities wipe out districts where Black voters exercise power, particularly where they are numerous but in the minority. That would be a change from today, where Black officials often exercise real influence, even on governing bodies where they are in the minority.

A top House Republican calls the decision a victory for Constitution

Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina is the chairman of the House GOP campaign arm.

“The Supreme Court made clear that our elections should be decided by voters, not engineered through unconstitutional mandates,” he said.

“For too long, activists have manipulated the redistricting process to achieve political outcomes, dividing Americans instead of bringing them together,” he said. “This ruling restores fairness, strengthens confidence in our elections, and ensures every voter is treated equally under the law.”

One of two Black Democrats representing Louisiana in Congress calls the decision a ‘devastating blow’

“This ruling is about far more than lines on a map — it’s about whether Black Louisianians will have a meaningful opportunity to make their voices heard,” U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, whose predominately Black congressional district encompasses New Orleans, said in a written statement.

Carter said the consequences of the high court’s decision will be “immediate and severe” and that Louisiana’s two majority-Black congressional districts are now at risk of being dismantled.

“Without the protections of the Voting Rights Act, there is no evidence to suggest that Black voters in our state will be able to elect candidates of their choice,” Carter wrote.

Conservative Heritage Action’s Kevin Roberts welcomed the majority opinion from Justice Alito

“The Civil War Amendments were forged at tremendous human cost to secure a constitutional order grounded in equality before the law—not racial classifications,” Roberts said. “Today’s decision restores that understanding and reaffirms that the Constitution does not permit sorting Americans by race in the exercise of political power.”

A top House Democrat predicts the court’s ruling will backfire on conservatives

“Today’s appalling decision by the Supreme Court is the latest in a long line of attacks by the conservative Court, congressional Republicans, and President Trump against the fundamental right of every American citizen to vote,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, who leads Democrats’ campaign efforts for the U.S. House.

She said “Democrats remain poised to retake the House Majority in November.”

‘A devastating blow’

Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP, the nation’s oldest civil rights group, said the high court’s decision delivers “a devastating blow to what remains of the Voting Rights Act.”

The ruling is “a license for corrupt politicians who want to rig the system by silencing entire communities,” Johnson said Wednesday. “The Supreme Court betrayed Black voters, they betrayed America, and they betrayed our democracy.”

The ruling comes a month and a half after foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement marked 61 years to the day that voting rights marchers were brutally beaten by Alabama state troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The violence that became known as Bloody Sunday shocked the nation and helped spur passage of the landmark legislation that the Supreme Court has now weakened.

“This ruling is a major setback for our nation and threatens to erode the hard-won victories we’ve fought, bled, and died for. But the people still can fight back,” Johnson said. “Our democracy is crying for help.”

Voting rights group: Supreme Court decision lets states use partisanship to cloak racism

The decision “guts” voting rights protection while “pretending to uphold it,” said Lauren Groh-Wargo, executive director of Fair Fight Action, a Georgia-based voting rights group founded by Democrat Stacey Abrams.

She said the court rewrote the law to require a showing of intentional discrimination.

That’s after Congress in the early 1980s specifically rewrote the Voting Rights Act to overturn an earlier Supreme Court decision in an Alabama case that tried to do the same thing. At the time, Roberts was a Justice Department attorney advocating for a showing of intentional discrimination.

“It allows states, counties and cities to shield their discriminatory maps by claiming they are advancing their own partisan interests, ignoring that race and party are highly correlated in places across the country, particularly the South,” Groh-Wargo wrote in a text message to the AP.

White House hails the court’s decision

“This is a complete and total victory for American voters,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said.

“The color of one’s skin should not dictate which congressional district you belong in. We commend the court for putting an end to the unconstitutional abuse of the Voting Rights Act and protecting civil rights,” she said.

The Supreme Court decision could spur more states to join a national redistricting battle

More than a half-dozens states have already adopted new U.S. House districts since Trump urged Texas Republicans to redraw their districts last year in a bid to win more seats and maintain a slim House majority in the midterm elections.

The battle has been pretty even thus far. Republicans think they could gain up to nine more seats from new districts in Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio — and perhaps four more if Florida lawmakers pass a new map. Democrats, meanwhile, think they could win 10 additional seats from new districts in California, Utah and Virginia.

The mayor of New Orleans condemns the Supreme Court decision

Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat who represents the largest city in Louisiana’s other predominantly Black congressional district, said the Supreme Court’s ruling was “a step backward.”

“For decades, the Voting Rights Act has served as a critical safeguard to ensure every voice, especially those historically marginalized, has a meaningful opportunity to be heard,” Moreno said.

“Striking down a district that reflected diversity suppresses voices and weakens our democracy. We should be working to expand representation, not roll it back,” she said.

The Voting Rights Act marked its 50th anniversary last year

AP took a closer look at the history of the act, which the NAACP’s Demetria McCain said last year was at “a critical juncture.”

▶ Read more

Florida is pressing ahead with redistricting votes after the Supreme Court decision

The Florida Senate reversed itself and took a brief break so senators could review the decision and talk with attorneys. But the Republican-dominated chamber is still expected to vote later Wednesday to approve a GOP gerrymander of the state’s congressional districts.

House Republicans have not broken to consider implications of the Louisiana case in their arguments, despite the Democratic majority’s urging.

The current Florida congressional map gave Republicans a 20-8 advantage in the 2024 election. Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposal is designed to push that to as much as 24-4 in November.

▶ Read more about redistricting in Florida

Things to know about the Voting Rights Act

The 1965 voting rights law was the centerpiece legislation of the Civil Rights Movement. It succeeded in opening the ballot box to Black Americans and reducing persistent discrimination in voting.

Nearly 70 of the 435 congressional districts are protected by Section 2, election law expert Nicholas Stephanopoulos has estimated.

▶ Read more on what the Voting Rights Act did

Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the three liberal judges

“The consequences are likely to be far-reaching and grave. Today’s decision renders Section 2 all but a dead letter,” Kagan stated in dissent.

The court split 6-3

Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the six conservatives, said the Louisiana district at the heart of the case “is an unconstitutional gerrymander.”

Roberts, the chief justice, described the district as a “snake” that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.

Redistricting is also being debated in Florida

The court’s decision was released as Florida legislators debated a proposed redraw of the state’s congressional lines, submitted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and intended to give the GOP a chance at as much as a 24-4 advantage in the state’s U.S. House delegation.

Senate Democrats urged the Republican supermajority to delay debate to at least offer lawmakers a chance to read the decision and consult attorneys on how it might affect DeSantis’ proposal. Florida Senate Republicans refused.

Legal experts are still poring over the decision

The AP contacted multiple law professors and redistricting attorneys in the minutes after the decision came out who said they were still reading the decision so did not yet know its full implications.

El testigo informó que Steven Goldman, quien vive donde trabajan los empleados de valet en el vecindario Mid-Beach de la ciudad, guardaba las armas en una caja fuerte y que “se había vuelto cada vez más inestable”.

El viernes, agentes de la policía de Miami Beach respondieron al área de valet en Seacoast, una comunidad frente al mar en 5151 Collins Ave., según un informe de arresto.

Goldman había estacionado su Hyundai Sonata plateado durante más de 40 minutos frente al área de valet, bloqueando el paso de vehículos, y estaba molesto por una multa de estacionamiento en su ventana, según la policía.

Testigos en el área de valet y en la oficina informaron que Goldman estaba gritando, lanzó la multa, empujó a un empleado, regresó al Hyundai y tomó un arma, según la policía.

Goldman levantó el arma y la apuntó a una de las víctimas mientras gritaba una grosería varias veces antes de irse en el Hyundai, según el informe policial.

Agentes de Surfside detuvieron a Goldman en Collins Avenue y la calle 93. Uno de los agentes reportó que Goldman tenía “ojos enrojecidos, habla arrastrada” y “un fuerte olor a alcohol” en el aliento cuando dijo: “Probablemente les dijeron que saqué un arma contra alguien”.

Los agentes también reportaron que Goldman tenía dos armas —una Smith & Wesson M&P Shield negra y una pistola Springfield XD de 9 mm en negro y plata— en una maleta en el maletero del vehículo.

Los registros muestran que la policía arrestó a Goldman el viernes por la noche, fue ingresado en el sistema correccional de Miami-Dade la madrugada del sábado y compareció ante el tribunal el domingo y el lunes.

Goldman enfrenta cargos de robo con agresión o agresión física y asalto agravado con arma de fuego. También tenía un caso pendiente por conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol.

Según los registros judiciales, la jueza del circuito del condado Miami-Dade Mindy Glazer ordenó que Goldman se mantenga alejado de las dos víctimas, del área de valet y de las armas. Pagó una fianza de $5,000 USD el martes.

El juez del circuito del condado Miami-Dade Richard Hersch estaba programado para presidir el caso grave.

El editor de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Carson Merlo, contribuyó a este informe.

Leer en español

The witness reported that Steven Goldman, who lives where the valet attendants work in the city’s Mid-Beach neighborhood, kept the firearms in a safe, and he “had become increasingly unwell.”

On Friday, Miami Beach police officers responded to the valet area at the Seacoast, a beachfront community at 5151 Collins Ave., according to a police officer’s arrest report.

Goldman had parked his silver Hyundai Sonata for over 40 minutes at the front of the valet area, blocking vehicles from passing, and he was angry over a parking violation sticker on his window, according to police.

Witnesses in the valet area and valet office reported Goldman was screaming, threw the parking violation sticker, pushed an employee, got back in the Hyundai, and grabbed a gun, according to police.

Goldman lifted his gun and pointed it at one of the victims while shouting an expletive several times before driving away in the Hyundai, according to the police officer’s report.

Surfside police officers stopped Goldman at Collins Avenue and 93 Street. One of the officers reported that Goldman “had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech,” and ”a heavy odor of alcohol emitted" from his breath when he said, “They probably told you I pulled a firearm on someone.”

Police officers also reported Goldman had two guns — a black Smith & Wesson M&P Shield and a black and silver Springfield XD 9mm handgun — in a suitcase in the trunk of the car.

Records show police officers arrested Goldman on Friday evening, Miami-Dade corrections booked him early Saturday morning, and he appeared in court on Sunday and Monday.

Goldman faced charges of burglary with assault or battery, and aggravated assault with a firearm. He also had a warrant case for driving under the influence.

According to court records, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer ordered Goldman to stay away from the two victims, the valet area, and guns. He posted a $5,000 bond on Tuesday.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Richard Hersch was set to preside over the felony case.

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

Cole Allen wore black pants, a black shirt and a red tie as he snapped the image in his room at the Washington Hilton, where Trump and hundreds of journalists were meeting for a gala Saturday night, authorities say.

The 31-year-old from Torrance, California, was captured when he tried to race past security barricades near the hotel's ballroom, prompting an exchange of gunfire with Secret Service agents tasked with safeguarding the event, investigators say.

New details emerged in a court filing made by prosecutors who want Allen to remain in custody. A hearing is set for Thursday.

The government said Allen repeatedly made online checks to keep track of Trump’s status that night, including live coverage of the president exiting his vehicle at the Hilton hotel. Investigators said preset emails with an “Apology and Explanation” attachment were sent at approximately 8:30 p.m.

“He intended to kill and fired his shotgun while trying to breach security and attack his target. Put simply, the defendant poses an uncommonly serious danger to the community if released pending trial. The defendant’s lack of criminal history and other personal circumstances do not alter this conclusion,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Jones wrote.

Trump, a Republican, was uninjured. A Secret Service officer wearing a bullet-resistant vest was shot in the vest and survived.

Allen appeared in court on Monday and was charged with the attempted assassination of the president as authorities suggested an attack that disrupted one of Washington’s glitziest events had been planned for at least several weeks. He did not speak at length during the quick court appearance, as is customary. One of his lawyers, Tezira Abe, noted he had no criminal record and said he “is presumed innocent at this time.”

Trump was rushed off the stage by his security team Saturday night and appeared at the White House two hours later, still in his tuxedo.

“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” he said. “They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”

An FBI affidavit filed Monday revealed other details about the planning behind the assault, with authorities alleging that Allen on April 6 reserved a room for himself at the Washington hotel where the event would be held weeks later under its typical tight security. He traveled by train cross-country from California, checking himself into the Washington Hilton a day before the dinner with a room reserved for the weekend.

Silent Tactic’s exit puts Great White into the field of 20 horses for the first leg of the Triple Crown.

Casse said it was a very slight separation in one of Silent Tactic’s feet that caused him and owner John Oxley to make the decision.

Casse said it was made early to allow preparations to begin to run the colt in the Preakness on May 16.

___

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

The vote was 13-11, with all Republican senators voting in favor and Democrats opposed.

Warsh is a former top Fed official but has also been a sharp critic of the institution and Powell’s leadership. He has called the inflation spike to 9.1% in 2022 the central bank’s biggest policy mistake in four decades. A vote on his nomination probably won’t take place until next month, but he could be confirmed by the time Powell’s term as chair ends May 15.

The Senate Banking vote is the first of two key events surrounding the future of the Fed’s leadership. Also Wednesday, Powell is presiding over what will probably be his last meeting of the Fed’s interest rate-setting committee. At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Powell may indicate whether he will remain as a member of the central bank’s board of governors after his term as chair ends.

It would be unusual for Powell to stay, but doing so would deprive the Trump administration of an opportunity to appoint a new member to the board. Powell may choose to stay if he sees it as necessary to protect the Fed’s independence, which has become part of his legacy as its leader.

Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican and chair of the committee, said Warsh is “battle tested” and added that, "It is incredibly important that we break the bind of Bidenomics on households across this nation.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, criticized the banking panel for voting on Warsh's nomination. Doing so “will bring the president one step closer to completing his illegal attempt to seize control of the Fed and artificially juice the economy,” she said, citing Trump's effort to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook and investigate Powell.

The Fed on Wednesday is widely expected to leave its key rate unchanged at about 3.6% for its third straight meeting, defying Trump’s calls for lower rates.

Warsh has called for “regime change” at the Fed and could alter many of its practices, including the economics models it focuses on, how it communicates with the public, and how large its bond-holdings will be in the long run.

Those changes could affect financial markets, but otherwise won’t necessarily be visible to the general public. But Warsh has also advocated for additional interest rate cuts, which could potentially lower borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and business loans. He will face barriers to implementing those cuts anytime soon, however, largely because the Iran war has caused a spike in gas prices, pushing inflation to a two-year high of 3.3%.

The Fed typically keeps rates elevated, or even raises them, to combat worsening inflation.

Most of the other 11 members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee have indicated they would prefer to wait and evaluate where inflation and the economy are headed before making any changes to rates. It could take time for Warsh to build up enough influence to push for rapid rate cuts. He will also replace Stephen Miran, a member of the Fed’s rate-setting committee who was appointed by Trump last September and is the most consistent advocate for rate reductions at the central bank.

Warsh also faces questions about his independence from the White House, a key issue that dogged him during a Senate Banking hearing last week. On Wednesday, Warren said, “Mr. Warsh is a Trump sock puppet who is so cowed by the preident that he could not even say that Trump lost the 2020 election.”

Last December, Trump called for much lower interest rates in a social media post, and added that “anyone who does not agree with me will never be Fed chair!” And just last week he told Fox Business that he expects rates to head lower, “when Kevin gets in.”

Warsh denied at his hearing, however, that Trump had ever pressured him directly to cut rates.

Britain’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it summoned the Russian ambassador to its offices in London to inform him of the “reciprocal action.” The tit-for tat moves reflect spiraling tensions between Moscow and the West.

“This behavior is wholly unacceptable, and we will not tolerate harassment or intimidation of our diplomatic staff,’’ the Foreign Office said in a statement.

The move came after Russia last month expelled a British diplomat over spying allegations that the U.K. rejected as “complete nonsense.”

Russia’s top domestic security and counterintelligence agency, the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, said the British diplomat had sought to gather “sensitive information” about the Russian economy in “unofficial meetings” with Russian experts. The diplomat was ordered to leave Russia within two weeks.

Russia and NATO member states have carried out multiple rounds of mutual expulsions of diplomats since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, sending diplomatic relations to their lowest ebb since the Cold War.

In a 6-3 ruling, the court’s conservative majority found that Louisiana district represented by Democrat Cleo Fields relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the 6th Congressional District as a “snake” that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

“That map is an unconstitutional gerrymander,” Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the six conservatives.

The effect of the ruling may be felt more strongly in 2028 because most filing deadlines for this year's congressional races have passed. Louisiana, though, may have to change its redistricting plan to comply with the decision.

It is unclear how much is left of the provision, known as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the main way to challenge racially discriminatory election practices.

Not much, Justice Elena Kagan wrote in a dissent for the three liberal justices. “The consequences are likely to be far-reaching and grave. Today’s decision renders Section 2 all but a dead letter,” Kagan wrote.

The voting rights law succeeded in opening the ballot box to Black Americans and reducing persistent discrimination in voting. Nearly 70 of the 435 congressional districts are protected by Section 2, election law expert Nicholas Stephanopoulos has estimated.

Alito wrote that "allowing race to play any part in government decisionmaking represents a departure from the constitutional rule that applies in almost every other context.” He said Section 2 is effectively limited to instances of intentional discrimination, a very high standard.

Kagan said the upshot of the decision is that states "can, without legal consequence, systematically dilute minority citizens’ voting power.”

Reaction to the decision broke along partisan lines.

“This is a complete and total victory for American voters. The color of one’s skin should not dictate which congressional district you belong in. We commend the court for putting an end to the unconstitutional abuse of the Voting Rights Act and protecting civil rights.” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson wrote in an email.

The chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called the decision “appalling.” Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state said it was the latest in a long line of attacks by President Donald Trump and the conservative court “against the fundamental right of every American citizen to vote.”

She said Democrats remained poised to regain the House majority in November “despite this corrupt and targeted assault on the voting rights of Black and Brown Americans from the Supreme Court.”

Trump had touched off a nationwide redistricting competition this year to boost Republican chances of preserving their House edge.

Legislatures already are free to draw extremely partisan districts because of a 2019 Supreme Court decision.

Wednesday's ruling came out as Florida legislators debated a proposed redrawing of the state’s congressional lines, submitted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and intended to give the GOP a chance to pick up as many as four seats in the state’s U.S. House delegation.

Democrats in the Florida Senate urged the Republican supermajority to delay debate to at least offer lawmakers a chance to read the decision and consult lawyers on how it might affect DeSantis’ proposal. Republicans refused.

In the Supreme Court's Louisiana ruling, the justices did an about-face from a decision in a similar case from Alabama less than three years ago that led to a new congressional map for the state that sent two Black Democrats to Congress.

The Alabama decision also prompted Louisiana lawmakers to add a second majority Black district. About a third of Louisianans are Black and they now form majorities in two of the state’s six congressional districts. Alabama has a separate appeal pending at the Supreme Court

Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the three liberals to form a majority in the Alabama case, the same term in which the conservative-dominated court ended affirmative action in college admissions. Both joined Alito's opinion Wednesday.

The chief justice has been at the center of the effort to limit the use of race in public life. He has had the Voting Rights Act in his sights since his time as a young lawyer in the Reagan-era Justice Department.

“It is a sordid business, this divvying us up by race,” Roberts wrote in a dissenting opinion in 2006 in his first major voting rights case as chief justice.

In 2013, Roberts wrote for the majority in gutting the law’s requirement that states and local governments with a history of discrimination, mostly in the South, get approval before making any election-related changes.

“Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions,” Roberts wrote.

Barring extraordinary action, the broader impact probably will be felt in 2028, when Republicans potentially can replace more than a dozen Democratic-held House districts that were previously protected under the Voting Rights Act.

“The Voting Rights Act as a means to protect minority voters from vote dilution is essentially dead,” said Jonathan Cervas, a political scientist at Carnegie-Mellon University who has served as an outside legal expert in multiple Voting Rights Act cases.

___

Associated Press writers Sara Cline in Baton Rouge, La., Nicholas Riccardi in Denver, Bill Barrow in Tallahassee, Fla., and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

Neck-strengthening exercises are integral in the fast-paced world of Formula 1 racing. Plenty of drivers will bring specialized training gear for that purpose when they arrive in Florida for Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix, the next event of a lucrative, year-long championship which spans the globe.

Working out with weighted harnesses or using deep body-weight stretches stabilize their heads and help them stay focused on the track through high-speed corners while forces up to five times as strong as gravity heave their bodies from side to side.

Adults with “tech neck” don’t work in such extreme conditions, but the training techniques of professional race car drivers highlight an often-overlooked muscle group. Paying greater attention to posture while using screens and adding neck-specific exercises to a fitness routine are small changes that could ease discomfort, according to Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, an Atlanta-based sports medicine specialist who works with athletes of all ages from a range of sports.

“Does a normal person need to have a neck like an F1 driver? Probably not,” Antti Kontsas, an experienced performance coach who worked with four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel and other stars of the sport, said.

Still, “the healthy foundations are the same for the normal person and for the driver. Where you would start is exactly the same,” Kontsas told The Associated Press.

As with any other fitness activity, neck training needs to be practiced safely and with attention to an individual’s physical needs and limitations. When in doubt, seek guidance from a doctor or other medical professional, especially if you have experienced neck injuries or don’t know what might be causing your aching neck.

When you’re aware of your limits, “it’s just knowing the loading, exposing gradually. That’s the safe way to progress,” Konstas says.

How drivers train

The days when F1 drivers smoke and drank before a Grand Prix are long gone. Even in the 1990s, fitness was crucial to Michael Schumacher’s success; the seven-time champion from Germany emphasized cardio and strength training. After all, fatigue causes mistakes.

A key element of Kontsas’ training programs is not overlooking the neck, otherwise known as the cervical spine, when exercising your back and core.

Body-weight exercises like keeping the head level with the shoulders in a lateral, or side, plank position can help. Another easy exercise can be done lying down.

“The most simple thing is lying on your back on a bench with your head hanging and then holding your head in a complete horizontal line. You’re holding your head still and seeing how long you can hold that. That’s a good way to train, particularly, the front musculature,” Kontsas said.

To increase the challenge, drivers typically use a resistance band or a weighted harness that straps around the head to work their neck muscles.

Beating the pain of ‘computer neck’

Training doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. Even F1 drivers might only do neck exercises for 10 to 15 minutes a session, two or three times a week, according to Kontsas.

If you spend a lot of time at a desk for work, improving neck health can start with a simple reminder to be aware of your posture and simple stretches like tucking the chin back to compensate for leaning forward toward a screen.

“Computer neck,” a modern ailment that causes neck, shoulder and back pain, comes when “your head sits in different positions off the spine” while working, explains Jayanthi.

“You sit in front of the computer for two, three, four hours, and you never realize that your head was in the wrong position the entire time,” he said. ”So we can go back to positioning our neck and actually doing chin tucks and isometrics to push your head in the correct position on the spine. Just remind yourself every 30 to 60 minutes.”

There’s evidence that having a strong neck and trunk can help with other serious issues, according to Jayanthi. For example, neck training is “one of the most accessible, least expensive” options for concussion recovery and prevention, he said.

Likewise, spine strength can be a predictor of injury prevention or mitigation in tennis players, Jayanthi said.

Life in F1 can be a pain in the neck

It’s hard to measure how much faster fitness makes a driver, but it’s notable that one of Formula 1’s most celebrated non-driver staff members of the last 15 years is Angela Cullen, longtime personal physiotherapist to seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton.

The physical challenge of racing at the top level can be shock to first-timers.

At age 18, British driver Oliver Bearman made his F1 race debut with two days’ notice as a replacement for Ferrari when regular driver Carlos Sainz, Jr. needed emergency surgery in 2024. Bearman was fit from racing in junior series Formula 2, but the strain on his body from going at F1 speed was in another league.

“Destroyed” was his response to being asked how he felt afterward.

“Physically it was a really difficult race. ... I think especially my lower back and my neck, it’s hurting,” Bearman added.

___

Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on all aspects of wellness, at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

The high court's unanimous ruling is a procedural victory for First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, which is challenging a New Jersey investigation of its practices.

The conservative-majority court has given abortion opponents high-profile wins in recent years, most notably the watershed case that overturned the nationwide right to abortion in 2022. First Choice, though, had also drawn support from the American Civil Liberties Union, which supports abortion rights but backed the group's First Amendment concerns.

The Supreme Court's decision lets First Choice sue over the subpoena in federal court.

Facilities often known as “crisis pregnancy centers” have been on the rise in the United States as Republican-controlled states enforce bans or restrictions on abortion and some steer tax dollars to the centers, which provide prenatal care and steer women to carrying pregnancies to term.

As Democratic-leaning states seek to protect abortion access, several have investigated whether the anti-abortion centers mislead women, including by implying they offer abortions.

In New Jersey, then-Democratic Attorney General Matthew Platkin sent a subpoena asking for donor lists and other information.

First Choice pushed back, arguing the investigation was baseless and the demand for donor lists threatened their First Amendment rights to free speech and association. They tried to challenge the subpoena in federal court, but a judge found the case was not yet far enough along. An appeals court agreed.

First Choice then turned to the Supreme Court.

They argued access to federal court is important in cases where government investigators are accused of misusing state power, and the ACLU agreed that subpoenas seeking donor information can scare away supporters.

The state argued that the information would only be used to ask donors whether they had been deceived about First Choice’s services, and the subpoena could not have threatened their First Amendment rights because the group hadn’t yet been required to turn over any information.

A court order is required to enforce the subpoena, and the judge overseeing the underlying case has so far only ordered the two sides to negotiate.

New Jersey also argued that allowing First Choice to sue could usher in a glut of lawsuits from the thousands of businesses that get similar subpoenas.

The Trump administration weighed in to support First Choice. The Justice Department argued that any impact would be relatively small since the decision would only apply to groups with similar First Amendment arguments.

It’s part of a routine he and other weather observers at Blue Hill Observatory and Science Center, a weather station 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Boston, have followed every day for the last 141 years. Using largely unchanged analog tools, they have built a continuous record of temperature, humidity, precipitation, wind and other measurements that can feed weather forecasts and scientific research.

“My routine is the same every day,” said chief weather observer Douglas, who has worked there since 1997, sporting a dark blue sweatshirt with the name of the observatory on the front. “The only thing that changes are the numbers and the weather itself.”

Blue Hill is the nation’s oldest continually operating weather observatory, according to executive director Alex Evans. Since 1885, staff and volunteers have relied on many of the same instruments, including mercury and alcohol thermometers, hygrometers that use human hair to measure moisture in the air, and that glass sphere on the roof tracking the hours of bright sunshine.

Keeping the same tools in the same place for nearly a century and a half, Douglas said, means that if they spot a change in weather patterns, they can be sure it’s real and not a result of new instruments measuring data differently than the old ones. Having a “tried and true database” as a reference is very important for climate research, he added.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is a collaboration between the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing and The Associated Press.

___

As climate science has come under fire from the Trump administration, budget cuts and layoffs have swept through federal weather institutions since 2025. Blue Hill, as a private nonprofit, avoided much of this maelstrom. However, its continuing work is not a given. Funding opportunities are limited in this political environment, Evans said.

Blue Hill’s work, though seemingly outpaced by modern technology, serves not just to keep weather records, but also to connect ordinary people to climate science.

A continuous weather record in America makes climate change visible

Few weather observatories in the U.S. are as old as Blue Hill, and fewer still continue to collect data manually. Though similar methods are still used by networks of volunteers across the country that feed data to the National Weather Service, weather observatories — both private ones and those affiliated with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — have adopted automated digital systems since at least the 1990s.

Blue Hill sends a daily summary of its observations to the National Weather Service, which chief scientist Michael Iacono said may contribute to weather forecasts in some circumstances, and monthly summaries to the National Centers for Environmental Information, where they can be distributed to climate researchers. Local television meteorologists also receive the daily summaries and may use the observations in their broadcasts in rare cases, he said.

Inside Blue Hill’s round tower, which stands three stories tall with castle-like notches at the top, two weather observers, Douglas and Amanda Joly, share an office filled with the results of their daily work. Boxes with sun cards line the walls, wind-speed charts drawn on EKG paper fill the cabinets and computers store the spreadsheets where Douglas and Joly meticulously record temperature and humidity.

Having records that stretch back over 100 years “is really unique,” said Chris Fiebrich, a meteorologist at the University of Oklahoma. This “dataset is golden,” he said, because climate change involves slow trends so “you can only see that clearly if you have measurements that go way back, from before we had satellites” and other modern equipment.

Blue Hill’s records show, for example, a 5-degree Fahrenheit (or about 2.8-degree Celsius) increase in the average annual temperature at the observatory since 1885, and that two local ponds remain frozen during winter nearly three weeks less than they did then.

Observers can also spot the impact of climate policies. Since the 1990s, Blue Hill has recorded an uptick in bright sunlight duration after it reached a low point in the 1980s. Because air pollutants like particulate matter interfere with sunlight, cleaner air means more sunshine, so this uptick can partly be traced back to the Clean Air Act — a federal law passed in 1970 and amended in 1990 to improve air quality by reducing emissions of pollutants.

A third of Americans believe climate scientists understand “not too well” or “not at all well” whether climate change is happening, according to a Pew Research Center survey from 2023. Trump called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly last September, and has sought to undermine climate science.

At a time when “the word ‘climate’ is politically demonized in some circles,” said Alan Sealls, president of the American Meteorological Society, places like Blue Hill can be “a small part of many possible solutions” to make weather and climate science relatable to people, including children.

Blue Hill connects people to science

The road to Blue Hill Observatory is a winding asphalt track that weaves through forest and borders a ski lift; making the drive, one needs to carefully wend between hikers and dog walkers. At the peak, visitors can enjoy the westward view over the treetops or slip through an open arch into the observatory’s courtyard.

Annie Hayes, a local from Milton who visited Blue Hill in mid-March with her husband and two children, said that seeing how observers collect data builds deeper trust in the science, which otherwise can seem “a little bit of a mystery.”

The mercury barometers in the observers’ office — one of which the observatory believes to be the oldest such instrument in active daily use in the United States — are a case in point. “If somebody’s standing there seeing it while you’re explaining it to them … it becomes a little less scary,” said chief scientist Iacono.

Blue Hill’s barometers, which measure atmospheric pressure, consist of glass tubes and small containers of mercury — a shiny, silver-white liquid — housed in a wooden case on the wall. As air presses down on the exposed mercury, it is forced up the tubes, and how far it travels reflects changes in atmospheric pressure. This is where the pressure unit “inches of mercury” comes from.

Another instrument popular with visitors is the Campbell-Stokes recorder, used to measure hours of bright sunshine. Its glass sphere, mounted in a curved metal frame, acts as a magnifying lens, focusing sunlight onto a paper card and burning a streak along it as the sun moves through the sky.

As she pointed to the glass sphere on display in the history room, Amanda Joly, Blue Hill’s deputy chief observer, explained that this recorder, which dates back to 1898, was stolen in 1993 and later recovered. The upside of that burglary is that, while a modern duplicate does the job on the building’s roof, visitors are now free to interact with the old sphere — something kids love to do — and the observers don’t have to worry about it affecting the measurements.

Hayes’ family, which lives nearby, was checking out some rain gauges in the gift shop when facilities head Don McCasland told them about a new Blue Hill citizen science program, which will allow residents to collect and add weather data to a central database. The family plans to start using their rain gauge this summer.

It’s “a great way to involve the kids and get them excited,” said Hayes. “And who knows? Maybe they’ll find an interest and want to pursue it on their own, too.”

___

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.

Leer en español

From the start, server Carlos Ortiz said he knew something was off with his customer at the Peter Pan Diner, located at 1216 E. Oakland Park Blvd.

“He walked in, ordered a beer and then he ordered jalapeño bites, but before he ordered, it was just like a really weird interaction,” said Ortiz. “He didn’t know how to say what he wanted.”

After racking up a $50 bill at 11 a.m. on Monday, the man disappeared.

“I thought he left and I was just like, is he still here?” said Ortiz. “I was just trying to see if anyone saw him. He came out of the bathroom wearing something different, so I was like, OK cool, he might be going to work or whatever.”

Ortiz says he saw the man go to the counter and figured he was ready to settle up and be on his way.

Instead, the man tried to pay for a $3 cookie, but his card was declined.

“And after it declined, he just walked out,” said Ortiz.

Ortiz has worked at the diner for over a year and said he thought he had seen it all.

“He just made it seem like we were dumb and just walked out as if he just didn’t order $50 worth of food,” he said.

The restaurant even has a wall of shame for those who have dined and dashed in the past.

The newest addition, with that unpaid tab stapled to his picture, is this latest suspect.

“We have people that will come in and make up for it, so I can’t be too down on it, but it shouldn’t be that way when we’re relying on other people to pay your tips,” said Ortiz.

The ride-hailing and delivery company said Wednesday that users of its app can now book hotel rooms. Uber is using hotel listings provided by Expedia Group, a booking service that works with 700,000 hotels and other properties globally. More than 1 million vacation rentals from Vrbo – which is owned by Seattle-based Expedia – will be added to the app later this year, the company said.

Sachin Kansal, Uber’s chief product officer, said hotel booking is a big step toward San Francisco-based Uber’s goal of becoming an “everything app” that serves many customer needs. Uber, which was founded in 2009, launched Uber Eats for restaurant deliveries in 2015 and expanded with grocery deliveries in 2020.

“Consumers are spending too much time coordinating their life, using multiple apps. AI is in the air and they’re all trying to figure out, how does AI help me or does it not help me?” Kansal told The Associated Press. “Our goal with these announcements is to bring everything into one app, to help them save time, and to also help them save money.”

Any Uber app user will be able to make hotel reservations. But Uber One members, who pay $9.99 per month for zero delivery fees and other perks, will get a 20% discount off a rolling list of 10,000 hotels plus 10% back in Uber credits they can use to book rides, Kansal said.

Kansal said Uber evaluated multiple partners before partnering with Expedia. Uber then spent months integrating Expedia’s technology into its own app. Kansal wouldn’t share the financial terms behind the partnership.

“They’re very excited because Uber brings a certain user base that is very travel-friendly,” Kansal said. “So I would say it’s going to mutually beneficial for both the parties.”

Travel is a big part of Uber users’ lives, he said. More than 100 million people use Uber to get to or from an airport each year. And last year, more than 1.5 billion Uber trips took place outside of a rider’s home city.

The hotel-booking feature was one of several travel-related announcements at Uber’s annual new product event Wednesday. Uber said an upgraded travel mode will help users find restaurants and other points of interest in the cities they visit.

Uber said users will soon get restaurant recommendations and be able to book tables in its app through OpenTable. Rival delivery service DoorDash recently began offering restaurant reservations in its app after buying hospitality platform SevenRooms.

Uber said it's also launching a service that will let users order a drink or snack that would be waiting for them when they get picked up by a driver using a premium Uber Black vehicle. The service is set to launch in the coming weeks in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and other cities.

Desde el principio, el mesero Carlos Ortiz dijo que supo que algo no estaba bien con su cliente en el Peter Pan Diner, ubicado en 1216 E. Oakland Park Blvd.

“Entró, pidió una cerveza y luego ordenó bocados de jalapeño, pero antes de ordenar, fue una interacción muy extraña”, dijo Ortiz. “No sabía cómo decir lo que quería”.

Después de acumular una cuenta de $50 USD a las 11 a.m. del lunes, el hombre desapareció.

“Pensé que se había ido y me pregunté, ¿sigue aquí?”, dijo Ortiz. “Solo trataba de ver si alguien lo había visto. Salió del baño con algo diferente puesto, así que pensé, OK, tal vez iba a trabajar o algo así”.

Ortiz dice que vio al hombre ir al mostrador y pensó que estaba listo para pagar e irse.

En cambio, el hombre intentó pagar una galleta de $3 USD, pero su tarjeta fue rechazada.

“Y después de que fue rechazada, simplemente se fue”, dijo Ortiz.

Ortiz ha trabajado en el restaurante por más de un año y dijo que pensó que ya lo había visto todo.

“Solo hizo parecer que éramos tontos y se fue como si no hubiera ordenado $50 USD en comida”, dijo.

El restaurante incluso tiene un “muro de la vergüenza” para quienes se han ido sin pagar en el pasado.

La incorporación más reciente, con la cuenta impaga grapada a su foto, es este último sospechoso.

“Tenemos personas que vienen y compensan eso, así que no puedo desanimarme demasiado, pero no debería ser así cuando dependemos de otros para pagar tus propinas”, dijo Ortiz.

Haitians and Syrians were among those from 17 countries with Temporary Protected Status, which allows migrants already in the U.S. to stay with work permits in 18-month increments, so long as the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security deems their country of origin unsafe for return.

Since President Donald Trump ’s second term began, Homeland Security has ended the protections for 13 countries, exposing their migrants to potential deportation.

The case focuses on whether the administration properly weighed conditions in Haiti and Syria when it ended TPS and if it prejudiced non-white immigrants.

Here's the latest:

A famously fast talker

One thing to know about Solicitor General D. John Sauer is that he talks fast.

The Solicitor General is the person tasked with arguing cases in front of the Supreme Court for the federal government. He or she is basically the federal government’s lawyer at the court.

If he or she isn’t personally arguing a case, it can also be assigned to an Assistant or another government attorney. The solicitor general also plays a role in deciding which cases the government will appeal to the Supreme Court.

Sauer was also the Solicitor General of Missouri from 2017 to 2023.

The speed at which Sauer talks has been a subject of debate on various legal chats on Reddit.

Skeptical Alito wonders who is considered white

Justice Alito was drilling down on Pipoly on the question of who is considered white and who is not.

At one point he listed off various nationalities like Syrians and Greeks and questioned whether Pipoly would consider them white. Pipoly generally answered that he didn’t know or hadn’t considered that question.

At one point Alito — who has Italian heritage — asked whether southern Italians were considered white and Pipoly answered that 120 years ago during the last wave of European immigration, they would not have been considered white.

Alito said he didn’t like “dividing the people of the world into these groups.”

Gorsuch queries court role in TPS

Justice Neil Gorsuch asks his first questions of the day, pressing the attorney for Haitian immigrants on whether the law lets judges step into Homeland Security’s decisions on TPS.

“I’m struggling with that,” he said, seemingly unconvinced by the immigrants’ process argument.

Race and TPS

Pipoly starts with the Haitian immigrants’ argument that the administration ended TPS for Haitians because of “racial animus towards nonwhite immigrants and bare dislike of Haitians.”

He repeats comments from President Trump, including a reference to Haiti as a “shithole country.”

A lower-court judge found that “hostility to nonwhite immigrants” likely played a role in the decision to end protections for Haitians.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants were abducting and eating dogs and cats. Federal authorities have denied racial animus played any role in the TPS decisions.

‘Bombing happening now in Syria’

Justice Kavanaugh asked Arulanantham about how many Syrians have returned since the end of the Assad regime and whether those figures might have any relevance to the arguments.

Arulanantham said it doesn’t matter because there still wasn’t consultations with the State Department over country conditions in Syria.

He did note that many people have gone from southern Lebanon to Syria recently, but suggested it had more to do with the armed conflict in the region driving people out than any improvements in Syria itself.

Arulanantham said it’s “not the same thing as saying ‘We’re going from California to Syria.’”

“There is still active armed conflict. There’s bombing happening now in Syria,” he said.

Arguments about TPS for Haiti begin

Attorney Geoffrey Pipoly begins his arguments on behalf of Haitian TPS holders, who say that their country is unsafe and does not meet the conditions to receive them back.

More than 9,000 people were killed across Haiti last year, with the country now reporting a homicide rate of 76 per 100,000 inhabitants, one of the world’s highest.

Gang violence also has displaced more than 1.4 million people, with armed men controlling more than 70% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and swaths of rural land north of it.

Hunger also is deepening, with gangs controlling access to key routes leading in and out of Port-au-Prince.

More than 5.83 million Haitians are expected to face acute levels of hunger from March to June, representing more than half the country’s population, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on hunger crises.

Skeptical questions from some conservatives

Justice Samuel Alito appears skeptical, raising questions about the immigration attorneys’ main argument that the administration short-circuited the process. He says the court would have to take an unusual read on the law for them to win.

Thomas also seems sympathetic to the administration on process. Kavanaugh, meanwhile, seems open to their arguments about foreign policy considerations.

Drilling down on consultations with State Department

A little bit more on that exchange between Arulanantham and Barrett.

She was drilling down into the question of how substantive the consultations have to be between the DHS secretary and State Department on whether country conditions are truly stable enough to terminate TPS.

“Let’s imagine the consultation happens. It’s a robust consultation. But everything that she hears cuts in favor of keeping TPS status and she says ‘I’m terminating it.’ Is that reviewable?” Barrett asked.

Arulanantham says in that case it’s not, but then goes on to argue that she really does have to make a substantive inquiry. And he argues that the consultation process makes for better decisions overall.

Barrett raises big-picture questions

Barrett comes in with a zoom-out question about the immigration attorney’s argument that Homeland Security didn’t follow the right process.

“Is this going to get you very much? If it’s just a box-checking exercise, why would Congress permit review of the procedural aspect when really what everybody cares about much more is the substance?”

Arulanantham says that it’s still important: “Congress, and us too, and the millions of people who live with TPS holders have some faith in government.”

TPS holders have two courtroom defenders

Two different lawyers are arguing for the TPS recipients.

Ahilan Arulanantham, a professor at the UCLA School of Law, is up now. He’s arguing the Syrian case.

Attorney Geoffrey Pipoly will represent people from Haiti.

Arguments turn to those defending TPS holders

Sauer has now finished his arguments. The court is now hearing from Ahilan Arulanantham, a professor at the UCLA School of Law who’s arguing for Syrian immigrants.

Arulanantham argues that the Trump administration’s is seeking an open-ended expansion of its immigration power. “The government reads this statue as a blank check,” he said.

Sauer: The T in TPS stands for ‘temporary’

Before wrapping up his argument, Sauer emphasized the issue of the temporary nature of TPS.

“Keep in mind this is temporary protected status,” he said.

He pointed out that a number of the TPS designations go back years, sometimes decades.

That goes to a key Republican complaint about TPS: they say that while it’s supposed to be temporary, it often ends up being extended repeatedly.

Kavanaugh asks about legislative/executive branch powers

Justice Brett Kavanaugh is asking why Congress would have barred courts from considering claims about TPS termination.

Sauer says those decisions should be left to the executive branch, arguing that the decision to grant to revoke protections can have foreign policy implications.

That’s an area where courts have generally given deference to the president.

How much research did Kristi Noem do before terminating TPS?

Some of the liberal justices have really pushed Sauer on the issue of how much the Homeland Security Secretary consulted with the State Department about country conditions.

Advocates have argued that former DHS chief Kristi Noem didn’t really conduct a substantive consultation with State about the conditions of the countries where they were terminating TPS and that means they’re potentially sending people back to countries where they’re at risk.

Sauer is arguing that the secretary can’t force the State Department to respond.

Justices question motives for terminating TPS

Liberal-leaning justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Sonia Sotomayor

are questioning whether racial animus played a part in the administration’s decision to terminate TPS.

Sauer, the government’s lawyer, responded that he “strongly disagrees.”

Barrett asks about the racial dynamic

Justice Amy Coney Barrett jumps in with a question about constitutional claims the migrants have made, which include the argument that race played a role in the decision to end the protections.

She’s another key member of the conservative majority, and one with a personal connection to Haiti. Two of her seven children were adopted from the country.

The Trump administration has denied racial animus played a role in the decision, and Sauer argued the plaintiffs’ constitutional claims are “not a close call.”

Judges question administration lawyer

The three liberal-leaning justices, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, are grilling Sauer on his main argument.

Their focus: Even if judges can’t question the decision to terminate legal protections, why can’t they weigh arguments about whether Homeland Security followed the steps Congress laid out in the law?

Kagan losing voice & making jokes

Justice Elena Kagan is struggling with some voice issues.

She was questioning Sauer, stopped to cough, and then apologized.

Still struggling as she questioned Sauer further, she then joked that “the likelihood of me asking a follow-up is very diminished.”

That sparked some laughter in the court.

Sauer defends Kristi Noem’s decision-making

Sauer mentioned in his opening statement that when the secretary issued her TPS decisions the fact that her decisions were consistent was a “virtue and not a vice.”

That seemed to be in reference to criticism by immigration advocates that former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wasn’t doing a substantive consultation with the State Department when it comes to assessing country conditions and deciding whether it was safe enough for them to return home.

Roberts questions link to Trump’s original travel ban

Chief Justice John Roberts questions whether Sauer is seeking a “significant expansion” of the court’s ruling in Trump v. Hawaii, the case where the court upheld Trump’s travel ban for Muslim-majority countries during his first term.

Roberts holds a key vote on the court as both the chief and a member of the conservative majority who has voted against the administration in some cases, like the ruling that stuck down Trump’s tariffs.

And they’re off!

Arguments have started in the TPS case.

The justices first released a number of opinions before launching into oral arguments in this key case.

First up is the federal government. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argues that the law doesn’t allow courts to block or delay Homeland Security decisions, or question any of the steps along the way.

Court voids majority Black congressional district in Louisiana

The Supreme Court struck down Louisiana’s second majority Black congressional district in a decision that could open the door for Republican-led states to eliminate Black and Latino electoral districts that tend to favor Democrats and affect the balance of power in Congress.

The court’s conservative majority found that the district, represented by Democrat Cleo Fields, relied too heavily on race. Chief Justice John Roberts had described the district as a “snake” that stretches more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) to link parts of the Shreveport, Alexandria, Lafayette and Baton Rouge areas.

The decision weakens a landmark voting rights law’s protections against discrimination in redistricting. It’s unclear how much is left of the provision, known as Section 2, the main way to challenge racially discriminatory election practices.

But first, some opinions!

The court is releasing several opinions on previous cases before getting into the TPS-related arguments.

In the first opinion, The court sided with a faith-based pregnancy center that raised First Amendment concerns about an investigation into whether it misled people to discourage abortions.

The high court’s unanimous ruling is a procedural victory for First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, which is challenging a New Jersey probe of its practices.

The conservative-majority court has given abortion opponents high-profile wins in recent years, most notably the watershed case that overturned the nationwide right to abortion in 2022. First Choice, though, had also drawn support from the American Civil Liberties Union, which supports abortion rights but backed the group’s First Amendment concerns.

The Supreme Court’s decision lets First Choice sue over the subpoena in federal court.

TPS holders are demonstrating outside the Supreme Court

Dozens of immigrants who have been protected from deportation under a temporary status are beginning to gather in front of the Supreme Court to follow the arguments on the Trump administration’s attempt to end these protections for Haitians and Syrians.

The Supreme Court will weigh arguments at 10 a.m. The case has wider implications for more than 1.3 million people from 17 countries who have been living and working in the U.S., protected under TPS.

Immigrants and advocates outside the Supreme Court are demanding “equal justice under the law.”

TPS holders plan to offer their testimony. There are performances by musicians from TPS countries and by Los Jornaleros del Norte, a band from Los Angeles made up of current and former day laborers.

Who’s at the podium

Solicitor General D. John Sauer, the government’s top Supreme Court attorney, will argue the case for the Trump administration.

Two lawyers will argue on the other side, since the court is considering the future of legal protections for people from two countries. Ahilan Arulanantham, a professor at the UCLA School of Law, will argue the Syrian case and attorney Geoffrey Pipoly will represent people from Haiti.

The new secretary gets the blame

This lawsuit originally was directed at Kristi Noem, who was Trump’s first Homeland Security secretary.

But when she was fired, and Markwayne Mullin was sworn in as the new DHS secretary, he also got the honor of being the person named in all the lawsuits.

Lawsuits tend to follow the head of the agency or department so when those people change, the new secretary or agency head takes over the role of being named in all the lawsuits, even if they happened before he or she took office.

This even happens when administrations change. For example, advocates sued the first Trump administration over its efforts to terminate TPS, specifically naming his DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

But by the time the case concluded six years later, it was Biden’s DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas who was named in the suit.

How temporary is temporary?

One of the key complaints by conservatives about TPS is that something that is supposed to be temporary essentially becomes permanent.

Republicans often point to TPS designations that are extended repeatedly, even after the reason for the original designation has long passed.

The TPS designation for El Salvador, for example, was first designated in 2001 following devastating earthquakes in the country.

But immigration advocates say there’s no time limit on TPS use, and the administration is trying to send people back to countries still in turmoil.

Conditions in Syria

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also known as the UN Refugee Agency, says that Syria’s operational contexts reflect a dual dynamic of large-scale returns and persistent humanitarian needs.

As of March 2026, 15.6 million Syrians required assistance, while over 1.5 million refugees and 1.8 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned since December 2024, according to the agency.

“Internal displacement remains high (5.5 million), underscoring that returns are occurring within a still-fragile system with strained absorption capacity,” said the UN agency in a report.

Conditions in Haiti

Haiti has not had a president since Jovenel Moïse was killed in July 2021 at his private residence.

The government hopes to hold the first round of elections by year’s end, but experts say that’s unlikely given the surge in gang violence.

A recent assessment from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) assessment reveals “grave protection risks and rapidly shrinking access to public services” for civilians in Haiti, as the country faces one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

The report notes that conditions could deteriorate further as political instability and violence and clashes between gangs and security forces continue.

“Millions of people in Haiti continue to face a compounding crisis of food insecurity, forced displacement, deadly disease outbreaks, and surging violence,” said Alice Ribes, emergency country director for the IRC in Haiti. “Public services in many areas have collapsed under gang rule, leaving people with limited or no access to clean drinking water, food, medical care, and education.”

Bill to protect TPS

On April 16, in a rare bipartisan moment, the House passed legislation that would extend TPS for Haitians.

The bill, pushed forward by House Democrats with a group of Republicans over the objections of the GOP leadership, would require a three-year extension of temporary protected status for Haitians by the Trump administration. That would allow hundreds of thousands of qualifying immigrants to remain in the United States without fear of deportation.

But it faces uncertainty in the Senate, and President Trump would almost certainly seek to veto it.

Democratic lawmakers urge the SCOTUS to support TPS

Democratic Senator Edward J. Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, both of Massachusetts, Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester, of Delaware, and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, of Florida, asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to reject the administrations attempts to terminate TPS.

They were joined by a coalition of senior, workers and advocates from the American Business Immigration Coalition, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance, among other organizations.

“TPS holders serve as a backbone for families and our economy—caring for our elders and loved ones through illness, strengthening our communities, and making innumerable contributions daily,” Pressley. “Our message to the Supreme Court today is simple: do your job, uphold the law, save lives, and protect our communities.”

What the administration says

The administration’s claims that TPS holders can safely return to their home countries, where conditions have changed since the protection was originally granted.

Advocates argue that safe conditions do not exist for people to return to their countries of origin. They point out that the government is engaging in a contradiction, given that the State Department warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Haiti or Syria due to violence, instability, and limited access to basic services.

“These terminations have come without credible evidence that conditions have improved,” said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president and Chief Executive Officer of Global Refuge, one of the largest faith-based nonprofit organizations serving refugees.

“The administration is essentially arguing two things at once: that these countries are too dangerous for American tourists, but safe enough to deport families to. Policy makers cannot credibly hold both positions at the same time,” Vignarajah said.

What advocates say

Immigrant advocates argue that the administration’s decision to end TPS is not based on conditions in the countries of origin. They contend that, on the contrary, it is part of a broader policy aimed at deporting not only those who entered the country illegally, but also hundreds of thousands of people who have been residing in the country legally.

“By trying to kill TPS, they are attacking people who are living and working here legally, paying fees and taxes, following all the rules,” said José Palma, coordinator at the National TPS Alliance. “They are de-documenting people… it’s cruel, arbitrary, pointless, needless, and wrong.”

Viles Dorsainvil, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Haitian Support Center, and a Haitian TPS holder, said “TPS provides dignity, stability, and hope... TPS represents more than protection. It represents the ability of families to stay together.”

Public Rights Project, a non-governmental that helps local governments with litigation, filed an amicus brief outlining the economic, workforce and public service impacts cities would face if TPS is revoked.

The brief was filed on April 13 on behalf of a coalition of 47 local governments, mayors and local leaders across the country urging the Court to preserve TPS.

Settle in for a lengthy session

The court has set aside 80 minutes for arguments, but it would be unsurprising if they last two hours or longer.

Justice Clarence Thomas goes first

In the post-pandemic era, the other justices allow the 77-year-old Thomas, the longest-serving member of the court, to pose a question or two before the free-for-all begins. In a second round of questioning, the justices ask questions in order of seniority. Chief Justice John Roberts, whose center chair makes him the most senior, gets the first crack.

Court begins at 10 a.m., Eastern time, but the livestream won’t start right away

The justices have some business to take care of before arguments get going. They’ll issue a decision in at least one case that was argued during the fall or winter, and the justice who wrote the majority opinion in each case will read a summary from the bench. Then, the court will ceremonially swear in lawyers to the Supreme Court bar. Once that’s done, the livestream should begin.

No hay antecedentes de un mandatario presente en la exposición del ministro de mayor rango del gabinete ante diputados y senadores desde que ese cargo ejecutivo se implementó en la Constitución reformada en 1994.

La presencia de Milei junto a su hermana Karina, secretaria general de la Presidencia, y otros ministros representa un fuerte gesto de apoyo al jefe de gabinete Manuel Adorni cuando se espera que la oposición cargue contra el funcionario por supuestas inconsistencias en su crecimiento patrimonial.

La justicia federal investiga a Adorni por enriquecimiento ilícito por presuntamente adquirir propiedades y realizar viajes al exterior por montos que están por encima de su patrimonio declarado ante el fisco. El funcionario todavía no fue acusado formalmente.

“Han sacado conclusiones equivocadas. No cometí ningún delito y voy a probarlo en la justicia”, desafió Adorni en el cierre de una exposición de casi dos horas en la que enumeró los logros del gobierno.

Milei aplaudió de pie al jefe de gabinete en uno de los palcos el recinto desde donde intercambió insultos con legisladores opositores de izquierda que sostenían carteles con la leyenda “Fuera los corruptos”.

El caso ha hecho mella en el nivel de aprobación de Milei, un economista anarcocapitalista que llegó al poder en 2023 con la promesa de terminar con los vicios de la “casta” política tradicional y coincide con un creciente malestar por el rumbo económico del gobierno.

El nivel de confianza en el gobierno que mide mensualmente la Universidad Di Tella se desplomó 12,1% en abril respecto del mes anterior, la caída más pronunciada desde que Milei es presidente.

En tanto, las denuncias sobre casos de corrupción en el gobierno se ubican entre las mayores preocupaciones de los argentinos junto a la incertidumbre por la situación económica, la inseguridad y la inflación, según una medición del humor social que realizó en marzo la consultora D´Alessio Irol-Berensztein.

Adorni manifestó ante el Parlamento que “no ocultó” información al fisco en su declaración jurada y recordó que ”aún no venció el plazo” para presentar esa documentación correspondiente al año 2025.

“Serán los jueces y sólo ellos los que deberán resolver las denuncias. Las cuestiones de una causa judicial en curso deben ser resueltas en ese ámbito”, remarcó el jefe de gabinete.

Milei se retiró del Congreso mientras Adorni se sometía a las preguntas de los legisladores.

“La gente le dice aloe vera, un chiste popular que se usa para decir que cada día le descubren más propiedades”, lo inquirió la diputada izquierdista Myriam Bregman.

Apoyo incondicional

Milei parece dispuesto a apoyar a su funcionario hasta las últimas consecuencias. Casi a diario arremete en sus redes sociales contra periodistas y opositores, a los que atribuye estar detrás de una campaña para desestabilizar a su gobierno.

Por primera vez desde el retorno de la democracia en 1983 el presidente cerró la sala de periodistas acreditados en el palacio gubernamental como medida preventiva ante una denuncia por presunto espionaje ilegal.

Adorni cumplía la doble función de jefe de gabinete y portavoz del gobierno, pero su última conferencia de prensa en la sede del Ejecutivo fue hace un mes y todas las consultas de los periodistas apuntaron a las acusaciones en su contra.

La defensa a ultranza de Milei al ministro coordinador contrasta con otros casos de funcionarios sospechados de corrupción que fueron eyectados de su gobierno. A mediados de 2024, el mandatario despidió a Diego Spagnuolo, responsable de la agencia nacional de discapacidad por presunto cobro de sobornos a droguerías para adquirir medicamentos.

El último caso fue el pasado fin de semana cuando Carlos Frugoni —secretario de coordinación de Infraestructura en el Ministerio de Economía— dejó el cargo luego de reconocer que había omitido declarar ante el fisco siete propiedades en Estados Unidos.

La disminución en la matrícula ha llevado a las Escuelas Públicas del condado Broward a recortar empleos por primera vez en 20 años.

“Claramente, no queremos afectar nada”, dijo la miembro de la junta escolar Debra Hixon. “Tener que hacer esto es extremadamente difícil”.

En los últimos tres años, el distrito perdió 25,000 estudiantes y se proyecta que perderá 10,000 más el próximo año.

Esta propuesta más reciente recortaría aproximadamente 809 puestos, generando $41.3 millones USD en ahorros.

El superintendente Howard Hepburn ha sostenido que los recortes no impactarán directamente a los estudiantes.

“No quiero que nuestros maestros se vean afectados, y no quiero que nuestros estudiantes se vean afectados por la falta de maestros en nuestro sistema”, dijo el miembro de la junta escolar Adam Cervera.

Algunos de los empleos en riesgo incluyen consejeros, personal de apoyo conductual y trabajadores sociales.

En última instancia, la Junta Escolar pospuso la votación para una fecha posterior.

Los miembros de la junta trabajarán el plan durante una reunión el 11 de mayo y, una semana después, el 19 de mayo, realizarán una votación formal.

Leer en español

Local 10 anchor Nicole Perez served as emcee for the event, which organizers say is critical to sustaining programs that provide childcare assistance, diapers, wipes, education and emergency support to families in need.

The organization says it serves about 3,000 families each year.

“Here at HMHB, we focus on pregnant and parenting women -- give them all the support they need from parent education, wellness, emergency, basic needs, medical education so that way we know mom and baby are safe and we have a healthy mother and baby at time of birth,” said Dawn Liberta, executive director of HMHB of Broward County.

The luncheon highlighted several success stories, including mothers who have benefited from the group’s services.

One of them is Tranea Cannon, a former “American Idol” contestant who overcame significant challenges with help from the organization. Her story can be found here.

Perez also has a personal connection to the organization. In 2021, while pregnant with her son, Reece, she visited HMHB and met other expectant mothers through its programs.

Organizers say the annual luncheon plays a key role in funding those services and ensuring no family is turned away.

Click here to read more stories from Local 10’s Mom to Mom collection.

La presentadora de Local 10 Nicole Perez fungió como maestra de ceremonias del evento, que según los organizadores es clave para sostener programas que brindan asistencia para cuidado infantil, pañales, toallitas, educación y apoyo de emergencia a familias necesitadas.

La organización indica que atiende a aproximadamente 3,000 familias cada año.

“Aquí en HMHB, nos enfocamos en mujeres embarazadas y madres, brindándoles todo el apoyo que necesitan, desde educación para padres, bienestar, emergencias, necesidades básicas, educación médica, para asegurarnos de que mamá y bebé estén seguros y tengamos una madre y un bebé saludables al momento del nacimiento”, dijo Dawn Liberta, directora ejecutiva de HMHB del condado Broward.

El almuerzo destacó varias historias de éxito, incluidas madres que se han beneficiado de los servicios del grupo.

Una de ellas es Tranea Cannon, ex participante de “American Idol”, quien superó desafíos significativos con la ayuda de la organización. Su historia se puede encontrar aquí.

Perez también tiene una conexión personal con la organización. En 2021, mientras estaba embarazada de su hijo Reece, visitó HMHB y conoció a otras futuras madres a través de sus programas.

Los organizadores dicen que el almuerzo anual juega un papel clave en la financiación de estos servicios y en garantizar que ninguna familia sea rechazada.

Haga clic aquí para leer más historias de la colección “Mom to Mom” de Local 10.

Leer en español

The fire, which started on Saturday and has been dubbed the Highway 41 Fire, is burning to the south and west of Tamiami Trail, just past Krome Avenue.

The fire prompted a partial park closure, including parking lots, facilities and navigable waterways within the impacted area.

On Tuesday morning, Coopertown Airboats south of Tamiami Trail was evacuated as a precaution after smoke conditions increased near the attraction.

Heavy smoke could still be seen Tuesday afternoon coming from the blaze, just a few miles west from the Miccosukee Casino.

By midday, conditions improved as clear skies returned overhead and crews wrapped up hose lines after successfully suppressing the head of the fire, which had quickly spread through the area following a change in wind direction.

Officials said Safari Park and Gator Park were also closed due to predicted weather conditions. At last check, no buildings had sustained damage and no injuries were reported.

Marshall Jones, of Mack’s Fish Camp, said his company is keeping a close eye on wind direction and speed.

“The winds are supposed to shift tomorrow, and when that happens, that fire could potentially jump Tamiami Trail on the horizon line right there and come out into this area,” he said.

North of Tamiami Trail, which is being used as a fire break, airboat tours continued operating without interruption.

Michele Sutter, who is visiting from Switzerland, told Local 10 News that she and her family still felt safe during their tour.

“I know the area so it is not my first time here, but haven’t seen such a big fire lately,” she said. “We still feel safe.”

Sutter, who previously lived in Miami, said she is familiar with brush fires occurring during South Florida’s dry season.

Airboat captain Hank Ridings said those conditions are not unusual.

“In a drought like we are in right now it could happen at any time, a lightning strike, someone throwing a cigarette butt out not understanding how that can start a fire,” Ridings said.

From the early morning hours, the fire off Tamiami Trail was lit by moonlight, but within hours, the billowing smoke and crackling embers reached the road.

At some point, flames pushed onto the street, getting within feet of oncoming cars.

The cause of the fire remains unclear, but fire service crews continue to assess the damage from above as the fire continues to move east.

Fire rescue officials say the smoke has affected the air quality in the area, so residents nearby are advised to stay indoors if they suffer from respiratory issues.

As of Tuesday evening, the fire remains 0% contained, and the cause is still under investigation. Crews continue to assess conditions from above as the fire moves through the area. Officials said there have been no injuries and no property damage.

The National Park Service is also urging visitors to check for closure updates before heading to the park and to allow extra travel time, especially along Highway 41, where smoke can worsen at night and in the early morning hours.

Officials noted that South Florida’s dry season, which typically runs from December through April, increases the risk of brush fires across the region.

Fire officials said smoke has affected air quality nearby, and those with respiratory issues are advised to stay indoors or avoid smoky areas.

Related media

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service is containing a 2,500-acre wildfire along U.S. 41. The road remains open but may have temporary closures. Other closures and current status can be found: https://t.co/VNS4C0Gf3b #EvergladesNationalPark #Everglades #USWFS pic.twitter.com/9rUmJlXhNY

— Everglades National Park (@EvergladesNPS) April 28, 2026

Paris Saint-Germain's 5-4 win against Bayern Munich on Tuesday felt more like an NBA game than a traditional soccer match and set new goalscoring records for the sport's biggest club tournament.

And it might not be just a one-off. The thrilling first leg of the semifinals in Paris points toward a growing trend as some coaches embrace a high-risk, high-reward strategy that is leaving fans breathless.

PSG coach Luis Enrique summed it up perfectly, telling French broadcaster Canal+ that "we deserved to win, but we also deserved a draw, and we would have even deserved to lose, because this game was that incredible.”

Soccer's new age of entertainers

Despite being the world's most popular sport, soccer has been criticized, in the United States in particular, because of the low-scoring nature of games, which can result in single-goal victories or even goalless ties over 90 minutes of play.

Compare that to the high octane, high-scoring NBA or NFL and it is understandable why soccer has taken time to fully grab the attention of U.S. fans.

But Champions League holder PSG is at the vanguard of soccer's new entertainers, with Luis Enrique an uncompromising coach, determined to reach new levels of excitement in his pursuit of dominance.

PSG became champion of Europe for the first time last year by beating Inter Milan 5-0 in the final in one of the most spectacular performances in the tournament's history. It completed a trophy treble for the French club, which also won its national league title and cup last season.

Luis Enrique also won the Champions League with Barcelona in 2015 and on Tuesday became the fastest coach to record 50 victories in the competitions — proving his all-action approach is working.

The attacking trend is catching on

It is no surprise then that his methods are being echoed elsewhere. Not least by Bayern, which has blazed a trail through the Champions League this term under Vincent Kompany and already clinched the German title.

PSG, with 43 goals, is the highest-scoring team in the Champions League this season. Bayern is second with 42.

Tuesday's nine-goal thriller was the highest-scoring semifinal in the history of the competition and neither club is talking about changing its approach for the second leg in Munich next week.

“I asked my staff how many goals we think we’ll have to score, and we agreed on three,” said Luis Enrique. "We’ll show the same mentality. We’ll be going to win the match.”

PSG's Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele is also ready for another high-scoring affair.

“We won’t change our philosophy. We want to attack and so do they, so I think a great game is in the offing,” Dembele told Canal+.

Kompany, who was a serial title-winning defender for Manchester City in his playing days, is showing his offensive flair as a coach.

“It’s one thing to look at the goals conceded – normally, five goals away from home in a Champions League semi-final, you’re out,” he told Amazon Prime. "But if you look at the chances we created, we could have scored more. And that has to give us belief.”

A clash of styles

Soccer has always involved contrasting styles of attack and defense. Brazil has traditionally been a team that embraces the individual flair of its players. Italy has been more defensive and has nullified opponents' attacking strengths.

Two-time Champions League-winning coach Jose Mourinho has taken a more pragmatic approach to winning the competition — shutting opponents down with well-organized and powerful teams. Pep Guardiola, by contrast, has tried to dominate games with the ball and has won Europe's top prize on three occasions. That approach has sometimes been used to criticize him when, despite having some of the best players in the world at Man City, he has often fallen short in the Champions League.

It is refreshing to hear both Luis Enrique and Kompany accept the dangers associated with their all-out attacking soccer.

“It’s my job to accept nothing but perfection," said Kompany. "There was a part of the match that was inevitable, and that was the risks that we were both willing to take.”

More goals, more thrills

Higher scoring games are the trend in the Champions League. This season there is an average of well over three goals a game (3.51).

That is above last season's 3.27, which was the previous highest average.

Each of the last five seasons feature in the top seven high-scoring campaigns in the Champions Leagues, pointing to a clear trend toward more attacking soccer since the turn of the decade. In only one of those years did the average drop below three goals a game — in 2022-23 when it dipped to 2.98.

The European Cup was rebranded as the Champions League in 1992. During the 1990s the average goals per game was 2.69 and that figure dropped to 2.59 from 2000-10.

It rose to just under three goals a game (2.95) from 2010-20 and so far this decade the average is three goals a game, with teams loading their lineups with attacking talent.

PSG is led by Dembele, who is flanked by brilliant wingers like Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue.

Bayern has England captain Harry Kane, who took his season's tally to 59 goals in 51 appearances for club and country this season when opening the scoring on Tuesday. The German giant has also paid big money for France star Michael Olise and Uruguay forward Luis Diaz. Both also scored at the Parc des Princes.

Barcelona is another leading proponent of thrill-first soccer, and features the spectacular Spanish teenager Lamine Yamal, Brazil winger Raphinha and goal-scoring icon Robert Lewandowski. But its German coach Hansi Flick has been criticized for being too open in Europe - most notably when losing 7-6 on aggregate to Inter Milan in last year's semifinals.

The good news for fans next week is that PSG and Bayern seem determined to stick to their attacking principles, which should serve up another thrilling clash.

“The game there will be the same game – a crazy game between two teams that want to win and score. We need to go there with the same mentality, the same personality, so we can do an amazing job there like we did here,” PSG captain Marquinhos said.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

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

The British actor may not have grown up in a moviegoing family, but he was still very aware the Spielberg thing as a '90s kid. It’s just in our psyche, O’Connor told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

There were Blockbuster nights, of course, with viewings of “E.T.” and he’s since caught up with the classics. But even he was taken aback by just how ingrained those quintessential Spielberg images were on his first day shooting “Disclosure Day.” They were on a backlot, he said, and there were dripping pipes and big beams of light and smoke and mist. It was an environment he recognized so vividly. All he could think was, “Wow, I’m in a Steven Spielberg movie.”

While very little is known about the plot of “Disclosure Day,” which opens in theaters on June 12, it's territory that Spielberg knows well. And it has been suggested by Emily Blunt, and confirmed by O'Connor, that it answers some questions raised by “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” O’Connor plays a cybersecurity expert who has a mysterious connection with Blunt’s meteorologist. He holds some truths that the men in suits don't want the world to know.

O’Connor spoke to the AP about the film, the secrecy, the awe of watching it for the first time and having “the greatest Steven Spielberg story.” Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: Have you been able to take stock of this whole experience?

O’CONNOR: It’s sort of still quite surreal. There have been many directors for me where it’s felt like kind of intensely surreal in the lead up to going and doing a movie with a person and then once you start, it sort of settles down and then the next thing you know you’re best friends with that director and it’s all just very normal. I do feel very close to Steven, but it still feels surreal having shot it. And every aspect of making this film was like a pinch-me moment, including seeing it for the first time. It’s sort of a dream for anyone.

AP: Was he what you expected?

O’CONNOR: He was more than I expected. He’s got this energy about him. He’s still so excited. He’s still like a child. He’s inquisitive. He is excited about performance. You know, there’s nothing better in the universe than hearing Steven by a monitor, crying or laughing or shouting with joy. He’s still, I imagine, that same director he was when he made “Jaws” or “E.T.” or any of those other classics. So yeah, he’s still got it. I can confirm he’s still got it

AP: What can you tell us about your character?

O’CONNOR: Daniel’s got some special powers. I’m resistant to saying that because I think it sort of overplays him in some ways. He and Emily’s character have this special bond between them and they’re not even aware of it. And the film really is pulling these two characters together. That’s sort of like the drive for these two, even if they’re unaware of it for half the movie.

Daniel has never really computed it and that’s sort of bubbling away underneath Daniel’s character. But he’s sort of an unglamorous hero. He’s your everyday guy and he’s found himself in this situation and he has to adapt and he is able to adapt, but, you know, he’s not a natural Tom Cruise.

AP: There’s a lot of secrecy around “Disclosure Day.” Was it like that on your end too?

O’CONNOR: There was, of course, a level of secrecy. When I received the script I was filming “Knives Out” and I was in a hotel and a motorbike turned up with the script, and a motorbike turned up to take away the script the next morning. That’s the first time that’s happened for me. It’s a very strange experience but it makes sense. You know, anytime you hear that Steven’s got a film coming out, everyone, myself included, wants to know what it is, so I totally understand why.

AP: What was the setup for watching it? Did it involve a guy showing up on a motorcycle again?

O’CONNOR: No, actually, not this time. It was just me and Emily and we sat in a screening room. You know, seeing any movie you’re in for the first time is a nightmare. It’s impossible to enjoy it fully because all you’re seeing is like, “Why do my ears look so big” or “Why do I stand like that I’m such a freak.” All those things are natural and so there is a little bit of competing with that, but this experience was unlike any other I’ve ever had. Emily and I were just in awe.

AP: You’ve been able to work with such a varied group of filmmakers and in all these different forms in your career.

O’CONNOR: That’s the thing I’m most proud of, I think … Getting to work with diverse artists and people like Alice (Rohrwacher) and Kelly (Reichardt) and Steven and Rian Johnson. They all work in very different ways and make very different films and tell different stories and ultimately that was my dream. I looked up to people like Gene Wilder, or like Robin Williams who’s able to make us roar with laughter and then have us in tears. I think that flexibility, that versatility is what I’ve always wanted in my career.

AP: Do you have a favorite Spielberg story?

O’CONNOR: I have the greatest, in my opinion, the greatest Steven Spielberg story. When it happened, I was sort of like punching the air for this very reason, knowing that when it comes to doing press for this film, I can tell the story, which is that I was halfway through the shoot and we had a scene coming up, which is quite an emotional scene and I was struggling with it. I was in my hotel room trying to prep it, as Steven does so brilliantly, and it’s extraordinary he’s so available to talk about these things.

I reached out to Steven, we discussed the scene, we talked about the emotion of the scene and how to access that and what we’re ultimately aiming to show in the story. And I felt quite satisfied, but not completely with it. And then I got a text from him quite late at night, just saying ,“The door is on the latch, just push.” And it made so much sense. I was like, “of course.” The character’s kind of got all this emotion, it’s built up and it’s like a door on the latch and you just push and it all comes out and it’s an emotional release. I was so thrilled with that note and I came in the next day and said, “Steven, you totally unlocked it for me that was amazing.” And he was like, “What are you talking about?”

I said, “The text about ‘the door on the latch just push’ it’s incredible.” And he laughed and said that that text was supposed to be for his wife. It became a very big joke for all of us. But it did unlock the scene for me, so, fair play.

AP: It’s so good, I almost don’t believe it.

O’CONNOR: I know. It’s ridiculous.

___

For more coverage of this summer’s upcoming films, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/movies

Leer en español

Voters took to the polls earlier this month to choose between current Surfside Vice Mayor Tina Paul and former Mayor Shlomo Danzinger.

Ultimately, in what was a very tight race, voters on Tuesday elected Danzinger back into office.

He received 50.54% of the ballots cast, defeating Paul by a total of just 22 votes.

Danzinger will unseat current Mayor Charles Burkett, who defeated Danzinger in 2024 and became the town’s mayor for a third time.

After both Danzinger and Paul failed to receive 50% of the ballots cast during the initial election in March, a special election was held on April 7, but a judge ruled to extend the mail-in ballot deadline to Tuesday due to a conflict with the Passover holiday.

Nearly half of the population of the town of Surfside is Jewish.

Los votantes acudieron a las urnas a principios de este mes para elegir entre la actual vicealcaldesa de Surfside, Tina Paul, y el ex alcalde Shlomo Danzinger.

Finalmente, en una contienda muy reñida, los votantes eligieron el martes a Danzinger para regresar al cargo.

Recibió el 50.54% de los votos emitidos, derrotando a Paul por un total de solo 22 votos.

Danzinger reemplazará al actual alcalde Charles Burkett, quien derrotó a Danzinger en 2024 y se convirtió en alcalde de la ciudad por tercera vez.

Después de que tanto Danzinger como Paul no lograran obtener el 50% de los votos durante la elección inicial en marzo, se llevó a cabo una elección especial el 7 de abril, pero un juez dictaminó extender la fecha límite de las boletas por correo hasta el martes debido a un conflicto con la festividad de Pésaj.

Casi la mitad de la población de la ciudad de Surfside es judía.

A wildfire burning just south of Tamiami Trail in Miami-Dade County is sending a plume of smoke west into the Everglades, but a shift in the winds will bring this smoke into the metro areas of Broward and Miami-Dade starting late Wednesday night. Expect to smell this smoke at times with reduced air quality.

Leer en español

According to Miami Gardens police, the crash was reported at 7:53 a.m. in the 1200 block of Northwest 188^th Street.

Police said the driver of a black Ford Fusion was heading south on Northwest 12^th Avenue at a high rate of speed when they tried to bypass slow-moving traffic by driving onto the swale.

The driver, identified by police as 23-year-old Darius Forbes, then crashed the car into a tree and then struck the child, police said.

The victim has been identified as Johnny Baptiste Jr.

“I’m looking at him all banged up and he’s supposed to be home with me,” said Shakera Rolle, the boy’s mother. “When I first heard he was hit by a car, I instantly thought the worst.”

Rose Emine, whose fence was crashed in by the driver, told Local 10 News that the boy was unresponsive after being struck by the car.

“I said, ‘Ahh’ because I thought the boy has died,” Emine said.

“They was just throwing water on his head. Big gash on his head,” another witness, Orlando Lawrence, said.

Authorities said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel airlifted the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center with serious but stable head injuries.

“We need to pray for that child and family,” Emine said.

Police confirmed that Forbes was arrested on reckless driving charges.

“I just wish he was a little more careful or paid more attention to the road where he was riding,” said Rolle.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson told the court that the men — Ukrainian nationals Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Petro Pochynok, 35; and Stanislav Carpiuc, a 27-year-old Romanian citizen — were involved in setting the blazes in London between May 8 and 12.

They are accused of conspiracy to commit arson, but Atkinson said that Lavrynovych was identified by police as the man behind all the fires. He's also charged with damaging two properties by fire with intent to endanger life or being reckless as to whether life was endangered.

The men deny the charges against them. The court wasn't told how much money was offered or if anyone was injured in the house fires.

“Three fires in the same area within five days would be pretty unusual. However, three fires all involving property linked to the same person were beyond a coincidence,” Atkinson said.

Atkinson said that a Toyota car was deliberately set ablaze in the early hours of May 8 in the Kentish Town area of north London, followed by a house on May 11 and a second house on May 12.

The property fires were started with similar materials and "were set in the dead of night, when the occupants of the addresses would inevitably have been asleep,” he said, arguing that the men who set the fires must have intended to endanger the lives of the people inside.

The car, he said, had once belonged to Starmer, the first house on Ellington Road was managed by a company where the prime minister had once been a director and shareholder, and the second house on Countess Road was occupied by his sister-in-law and still owned by Starmer.

The attacks against the car and houses were “planned and directed, with those involved promised payment for their participation,” Atkinson told the court. Lavrynovych was offered payment to set the fires on the messaging app Telegram by a contact using the name “El Money,” Atkinson said.

In both cases, the occupants of the houses woke up because of the fires, Atkinson said.

On May 11, the occupant of the top floor apartment in the house, which had been turned into separate dwellings, was awakened by the smell of smoke at around 3 a.m., Atkinson said. The resident opened the front door and found the communal hallways full of smoke, had trouble breathing and retreated to the roof for safety, the prosecutor said.

A day later, the prime minister’s sister-in-law heard loud bangs and saw that billowing smoke was coming through the front door and filling the stairs at around 1 a.m., Atkinson told the court. She also struggled to breathe and her 9-year-old daughter was “very frightened,” he said.

Atkinson told the jury that it didn't need to decide what motivated the defendants to carry out the alleged attacks and that it “does not matter whether they knew that the property they were targeting was connected to the prime minister or whether that formed part of their motivation.”

The court heard how more than 320 messages dating back to September 2024 were recovered between Lavrynovych and “El Money,” but Atkinson told the jury that they were not to concern themselves with who “El Money” was and why they decided to recruit people for attacks.

Leer en español

Declining enrollment has led Broward County Public Schools to cut jobs for the first time in 20 years.

“Clearly, we don’t want to affect anything,” said School Board member Debra Hixon. “Having to do this is extremely difficult.”

In the last three years, the district lost 25,000 students, and they are projected to lose 10,000 more next year.

This latest proposal would cut about 809 positions, generating $41.3 million in savings.

Superintendent Howard Hepburn has maintained that the cuts will not impact students directly.

“I do not want our teachers impacted, and I do not want our students impacted by the lack of having no teachers in our system,” said School Board member Adam Cervera.

Some of the jobs on the chopping block include counselors, behavioral support staff and social workers.

Ultimately, the School Board pushed back the vote to a later date.

Board members will workshop the plan during a meeting on May 11, then a week later on May 19 they will hold a formal vote.

Según la policía de Miami Gardens, el accidente fue reportado a las 7:53 a.m. en la cuadra 1200 de Northwest 188th Street.

La policía indicó que el conductor de un Ford Fusion negro se dirigía hacia el sur por Northwest 12th Avenue a alta velocidad cuando intentó evadir el tráfico lento conduciendo sobre el área verde.

El conductor luego chocó el vehículo contra un árbol y después atropelló al menor, dijo la policía.

Rose Emine, cuya cerca fue impactada por el conductor, dijo a Local 10 News que el niño no respondía después de ser atropellado por el vehículo.

“Dije, ‘Ahh’ porque pensé que el niño había muerto”, dijo Emine.

“Solo le estaban echando agua en la cabeza. Una gran herida en la cabeza”, dijo otro testigo, Orlando Lawrence.

Las autoridades indicaron que personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladó en helicóptero a la víctima al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital con lesiones graves pero estables en la cabeza.

La policía confirmó que el conductor fue arrestado por cargos de conducción imprudente.

Las identidades del sospechoso y de la víctima aún no han sido reveladas.

“Necesitamos orar por ese niño y su familia”, dijo Emine.

Leer en español

According to the FBI, Alejandro Jacomino Gonzalez, 41, who is originally from Cuba, was last seen on April 17 at the Brevard County Rest Area on Interstate 95 southbound in Grant-Valkaria. He arrived at the rest stop at about 1:21 a.m. and rested there for several hours, authorities said.

Agents said Gonzalez was transporting vehicles from the Port of Brunswick in Georgia to Miami when he vanished.

“The truck and some of the cars have been recovered, but Gonzalez is still missing,” the FBI posted on social media.

According to the FBI, GPS from the truck shows that someone drove the truck south one exit before turning north toward Jacksonville at 7:49 a.m. after leaving the rest stop.

“Soon after, Gonzalez became unreachable and the truck was reported missing,” the FBI said in a news release.

According to agents, the truck was located later that day in Port Wentworth, Georgia, however Gonzalez was not found with it and several vehicles were missing from the hauler.

“Since the discovery of the truck, three vehicles have been located in Florida. Others are still missing, along with Gonzalez,” the FBI said.

Agents are now seeking photos and video footage from anyone who was in or around the Brevard County rest stop between the hours of 1 a.m. and 8 a.m. on April 17, “specifically focusing on the southern portion of the rest area near the ramp that enters back onto I-95 South.”

Anyone who has information about what agents are calling the “Brevard County Car Hauler Hijacking,” or would like to submit photos or video, is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or click here.

Según el FBI, Alejandro Jacomino González, de 41 años y originario de Cuba, fue visto por última vez el 17 de abril en el área de descanso del condado Brevard en la Interestatal 95 en dirección sur en Grant-Valkaria. Llegó al área de descanso alrededor de la 1:21 a.m. y permaneció allí durante varias horas, dijeron las autoridades.

Los agentes indicaron que González transportaba vehículos desde el Puerto de Brunswick en Georgia hacia Miami cuando desapareció.

“El camión y algunos de los vehículos han sido recuperados, pero González sigue desaparecido”, publicó el FBI en redes sociales.

Según el FBI, el GPS del camión muestra que alguien condujo el camión hacia el sur una salida antes de girar hacia el norte en dirección a Jacksonville a las 7:49 a.m., después de salir del área de descanso.

“Poco después, González se volvió inlocalizable y el camión fue reportado como desaparecido”, dijo el FBI en un comunicado de prensa.

Según los agentes, el camión fue localizado más tarde ese mismo día en Port Wentworth, Georgia; sin embargo, González no fue encontrado con él y varios vehículos faltaban del transporte.

“Desde el hallazgo del camión, tres vehículos han sido localizados en Florida. Otros aún están desaparecidos, junto con González”, indicó el FBI.

Los agentes ahora buscan fotos y videos de cualquier persona que haya estado en o cerca del área de descanso del condado Brevard entre la 1 a.m. y las 8 a.m. del 17 de abril, “enfocándose específicamente en la parte sur del área de descanso cerca de la rampa que conecta nuevamente con la I-95 Sur”.

Cualquier persona que tenga información sobre lo que los agentes llaman el “secuestro de transporte de vehículos del condado Brevard”, o que desee enviar fotos o videos, debe llamar al FBI al 1-800-225-5324 o hacer clic aquí.

The concept for the special passport, including a rendering of Trump’s stern-looking visage, had been under consideration for months before finally being approved late Monday. Between 25,000 and 30,000 of the new passports will be available to applicants at the Washington, D.C., passport office beginning shortly before July 4.

It’s the latest instance of Trump having his name and likeness added to buildings, documents and other highly visible tributes. There are efforts to put Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency, also a first for a sitting president, as well as to include his image on a gold commemorative coin to celebrate the country’s founding.

The commemorative passport will be the default document for people applying in person at the Washington office, although those who want a standard passport will be able to get one by applying online or outside Washington, officials said.

“As the United States celebrates America’s 250th anniversary in July, the State Department is preparing to release a limited number of specially designed U.S. passports to commemorate this historic occasion,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said.

“These passports will feature customized artwork and enhanced imagery while maintaining the same security features that make the U.S. passport the most secure documents in the world,” he said.

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

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

The Bulwark reported earlier on the commemorative passports.

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

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

The addition of Trump’s picture and signature to the passport book is the newest step his aides have taken to increase the president’s visibility, including adding his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace building and the Kennedy Center performing arts venue.

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

America's most famous horse race says more than 125,000 mint juleps are consumed at the annual two-day festival at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky. According to its website, that requires about 10,000 bottles of Kentucky bourbon, 2,250 pounds of freshly harvested mint and 475,000 pounds of ice.

But you don’t have to be there in person to enjoy this classic cocktail. The julep — a simple mix of sugar, water, fresh mint, crushed ice and bourbon — is accessible and easy to recreate.

First, a little history

Mint juleps have been drunk at the Kentucky Derby since it began in the late 19th century, but they became its signature drink in the 1930s. That's when the Derby created a commemorative cup to serve them in, and people began sneaking them home as souvenirs, says Martha Dalton, co-founder of Never Say Die bourbon.

“Instead of kind of fighting against that, they embraced it. And so from then on, (the mint julep) really became completely synonymous with the Derby," says Dalton, whose company is named after a Derby-winning racehorse said to have been revived with a shot of whiskey as a foal.

The julep’s roots, she says, are in ancient Persia, where sweetened rose water tonic called “gulab” was used for its medicinal properties. It spread to medieval Europe, where alcohol was brought into the mix, and on into the American South, where there was an abundance of mint and bourbon distilleries.

Why does the drink maintain its Southern charm?

“Every sip is slightly different,” says Angelos Bafas, bartender and co-founder of Cato bar in London. The bar is named after Cato Alexander, the 19th-century Manhattan bartender believed to have popularized juleps.

“The ice dilutes and the aromatics of the bourbon open up as the day proceeds,” says Bafas.

How to make one at home

For a traditional mint julep, Bafas says, stirring the ice is key to getting the right amount of cold and dilution. Keep stirring until the outside of the cup turns frosty.

“People tend to forget that water is an ingredient, and it’s actually one very active and important ingredient when it comes to juleps as it allows the bourbon to shine through. And also it allows the drink to be more palatable,” he says.

Plucking some mint from his homegrown plant and brushing it lightly against the side of the cup, he adds that the mint should be slapped (a light tap) not muddled (mashed).

“The mint has to release the delicate aromas,” says Bafas, explaining that muddling “can give you this kind of grassy very chlorophyll flavor.”

Variations

Bafas also suggests adding a few drops of aromatic bitters to “give a bit of flavor and to bring some body to the game.”

If you want to get creative, there are plenty of twists on the classic mint julep. Bafas makes a London Julep, which uses slightly less bourbon and adds a serve of elderflower liqueur for a sweeter, easier introduction to the drink, with a quintessentially English stamp.

He also suggests a highball julep, created by adding a bit of soda. “It’s technically a mojito made with bourbon, but you know, it’s based on the DNA of juleps,” he says.

Recipe for a Cato Classic Mint Julep

Single Serve

Ingredients:

2 oz bourbon whiskey

0.5 oz filtered water

0.5 oz simple syrup

3 dashes Angostura bitters

10 fresh mint leaves

4 drops of mint tincture (optional)

Crushed ice in a metal cup

Directions

Pour the whiskey into a julep cup, lightly slap the mint leaves to release their aroma, and add them in. Stir briefly, then add the remaining ingredients and crushed ice. Stir until the cup turns frosty on the outside, then top with more crushed ice, garnish with a fresh mint sprig, and serve with a straw.

The trick then is to take your time and make your drink last longer than the race record of 1 minute 59.40 seconds set by Secretariat in 1973.

Leer en español

When an inspection reveals 30, 40, or even 46 violations, it isn’t just a “bad day.” It is a systemic failure of the most fundamental safety protocols.

Below are the establishments that recorded 30 or more violations during a single visit last week.

These aren’t just technicalities. When handwashing is skipped, food temperatures are ignored, and basic sanitation falls by the wayside, the health of the public is put at risk. A kitchen that hits these numbers has clearly lost its grip on quality control.

Reaching the “Dirty 30” should never be part of doing business. It is a total collapse of standards that is simply unacceptable. Our community deserves better.

**THE BARBEQUE STOP COMPANY

1400 NW 23RD ST.

MIAMI

INSPECTION DATE 4/21

46 VIOLATIONS FOUND

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 4/22 (28 VIOLATIONS FOUND)

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 4/23 (12 VIOLATIONS FOUND)

“Live, small flying insects found Observed approximately 2 flying insects landing on kitchen shelf in front of stove at kitchen area. Also observed approximately 4flying insects flying all around kitchen area.”

“Raw animal food stored over or with unwashed produce. Observed raw shell eggs stored on over of unwashed peppers inside reach in cooler at kitchen area.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed Red beans paste (54F - Cold Holding); red beans soup (56F - Cold Holding); cooked pepper and onions (58F - Cold Holding); Cheese (58F - Cold Holding); Cheese (50F - Cold Holding) inside reach in cooler at kitchen area. As per chef for less than 2 hours. Also observed Cheese (53F - Cold Holding); Raw Chicken (47F- Cold Holding); Raw pork chops (55F - Cold Holding); Sausage (47F - Cold Holding) inside reach in cooler at front counter. As per operator for less than 4 hours.”

“Establishment has no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where the vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment.”

“Food manager certification expired.”

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed metal cleaning scrubber inside hand wash sink at kitchen area.”

“No handwash sink for employees. Observed no hand wash sink at front counter.”

“No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. Observed no paper towel on hand wash sink at kitchen area and men’s bathroom.”

“No probe thermometer provided to measure temperature of food products.”

“No proof provided that food employees are informed of their responsibility to report to the person in charge information about their health and activities related to foodborne illnesses.”

“No soap provided at handwash sink. Observed no soap on hand wash sink at kitchen area and men’s bathroom.”

“Raw/undercooked animal food offered and establishment has no written consumer advisory.”

“Required employee training expired for all employees.”

“Bathroom located inside establishment not completely enclosed with tight-fitting, self-closing doors. Observed at men’s and women’s bathroom. Repeat Violation”

“Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Observed bowl with no handle inside sugar container and flour container on top of preparation table at kitchen area.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Observed reach in cooler door handle is grease accumulation at kitchen area.”

“Ceiling not smooth, nonabsorbent and easily cleanable in food preparation, food storage, or warewashing areas. Observed all around kitchen area.”

“Ceiling tile missing. Observed several ceiling tiles missing at kitchen area.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed water damage on ceiling tiles all around kitchen area.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed ventilation covered soiled at kitchen area. Repeat Violation”

“Cold holding equipment not maintained in good repair. Observed reach in cooler with an internal temperature of 58 at kitchen area.”

“Current Hotel and Restaurant license not displayed.”

“Employee personal items stored in or above a food preparation area, food, clean equipment and utensils, or single-service items. Observed employees personal food stored on top of preparation table at kitchen area. Also observed employee back pack stored on top of reach in freezer at front counter.”

“Equipment and utensils not properly air-dried - wet nesting. Observed wet nesting inside clean pot under preparation table next to 3 compartment sink at kitchen area.”

“Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside. Observed gap door next to second floor storage stairs.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed trash and food debris on the ground all around property.”

“Food stored on floor. Observed 2 water bottles cases stored on the floor at second floor storage entrance. Also observed 1 water bottles cases stored on the floor at front container.”

“Hole in or other damage to wall. Observed hole on the wall behind television at front counter.”

“Ice buildup in reach-in freezer and/or walk-in freezer. Observed ice buildup inside chest freezer next to back door.”

“Interior of oven/microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris. Observed microwave interior soiled next to storage stairs.”

“Lights in food preparation, food storage or ware washing area missing the proper shield, sleeve coatings or covers. Observed at kitchen area.”

“No Heimlich maneuver/choking sign posted.”

“No conspicuously located ambient air temperature thermometer in holding unit. Observed no ambient thermometer inside reach in cooler at front counter area.”

“No container installed for catching grease from hood drip tray. Observed at kitchen area.”

“No copy of latest inspection report available.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed gaskets soiled inside reach in cooler at kitchen area and front counter area. Repeat Violation”

“Openings to the outside for equipment, such as ventilation fans, not screened or otherwise protected when the equipment is not in operation. Observed at ventilation fan on the wall at kitchen area.”

“Outer openings not protected with self-closing doors.”

“Reach-in cooler shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Observed reach in cooler shelves with rust accumulation at kitchen area.”

“Silverware/utensils stored upright with the food-contact surface up. Observed clean utensils stored upright inside container at preparation table next to 3 compartment sink at kitchen area.”

“Standing water in bottom of reach-in-cooler. Observed inside reach in cooler at kitchen area.”

“Stored food not covered. Observed margarine container no covered inside reach in cooler at front counter. Also observed sugar container no covered inside reach inside shelf on preparation table in front of stove at kitchen area.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food thawed in an improper manner. Observed raw beef thawing at room temperature inside container on preparation table at kitchen area.”

“Unsealed concrete floor in food preparation, food storage, ware washing area or bathroom. Observed all around kitchen area.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed walls soiled with grease accumulation all around kitchen area.”

“Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Observed sugar containers not identified on top of preparation table at kitchen area and next to coffee machine at front counter. Repeat Violation”

“Propane tank (larger than 2.7 lb. water capacity/1 lb. gas capacity) located inside of the building. Observed a 20 lbs propane tank under three compartment sink at kitchen area.”

**CRAFTY CRAB CAJUN SEAFOOD

15922 BISCAYNE BLVD.

NORTH MIAMI BEACH

INSPECTION DATE 4/20

40 VIOLATIONS FOUND

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 4/21 (31 VIOLATIONS FOUND)

“Container of medicine improperly stored. Observed prescription medication stored on prep table next to plastic wrap in back prep area.”

“Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Observed server enter kitchen and begin to scoop rice for takeout order without first washing hands. Repeat Violation”

“Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Observed employee enter kitchen and put on gloves then begin preparing customer order without first washing hands.”

“Employee rubbed hands together for less than 10-15 seconds while washing hands. Observed employee wash hands in triple sink rubbed hands for less than 10 seconds. Observed second employee rubbing hands for less than 10 seconds while washing hands.”

“Employee touched soiled surface and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee grab glove off of floor and continue to put on gloves then continue preparing food without washing hands.”

“Employee used tobacco, ate, or drank then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee eating then go to cook line and began preparing customer order without washing hands.”

“Employee washed hands with no soap. Observed employee wash hands in triple sink without soap. Observed second employee wash hands without soap.”

“Raw animal food stored over or with unwashed produce. Observed raw oysters stored on top of bag of unwashed potatoes inside walk in cooler.”

“Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed raw scallops stored over cooked lobster inside sliding reach in cooler across from cook line. Observed raw whole duck stored over cooked chicken wings inside walk in cooler. Repeat Violation”

“Server handled soiled dishes or utensils and then picked up plated food, served food, or prepared a beverage without washing hands. Observed server scrape dirty dish into trash can then grab food to serve to customer without washing hands.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed cooked corn (50F - Cold Holding) on cart in kitchen near cook line. Observed garlic butter (50F - Cold Holding); sour cream (51F - Cold Holding) at cook line. Repeat Violation”

“Toxic substance/chemical improperly stored. Observed grill cleaner stored on table next to ice buckets.”

“Clam/mussel/oyster tags not maintained in chronological order according to the last date they were served in the establishment. Observed oyster tags not maintained in chronological order from last date served. Repeat Violation”

“Clam/mussel/oyster tags not marked with last date served. Observed all oyster tags not marked with last date served.”

“Employee washed hands in a sink other than an approved handwash sink. Observed employee wash hands in triple sink.”

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

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed bucket and scrubbers stored inside hand sink in wait station and next to fryers. Observed squeeze bottles stored inside hand sink at bar. Repeat Violation”

“No paper towels or mechanical hand drying device provided at handwash sink. Observed no paper towels at hand sink in wait station. Repeat Violation”

“No probe thermometer provided to measure temperature of food products. Repeat Violation”

“No tag on/for original container of raw, in-shell clams/mussels/oysters. Observed no tag for raw oysters stored inside walk in cooler.”

“Paper towel dispenser at handwash sink not working/unable to dispense paper towels. Observed paper towel dispenser not working in front of walk in cooler.”

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

“Required employee training expired for some employees.”

“Bowl or other container with no handle used to dispense food. Observed plastic cup with no handle stored inside raw calamari in reach in cooler across from cook line.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Observed all reach in cooler door handles soiled.”

“Ceiling not smooth, nonabsorbent and easily cleanable in food preparation, food storage, or ware washing areas. Throughout kitchen.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed ceiling tiles with water damage in kitchen area.”

“Clams/mussels/oysters removed from original container for long-term storage. Observed raw oysters removed from original container stored inside walk in cooler.”

“Clean glasses, cups, bowls, plates, pots and pans not stored inverted or in a protected manner. Observed ice buckets stored not inverted on table next to ice machine.”

“Employee personal food not properly identified and segregated from food to be served to the public. Observed employee food stored on shelf inside walk in cooler. Repeat Violation”

“Food stored on floor. Observed multiple boxes of various foods stored on floor inside walk in freezer. Repeat Violation”

“Ice buildup in reach-in freezer and/or walk-in freezer. Observed ice buildup inside walk in freezer floor.”

“In-use utensil in non-time/temperature control for safety food not stored with handle above top of food within a closed container. Observed scoop stored inside container of sugar with handle in contact with sugar.”

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

“Opened employee beverage container in a cold holding unit with food to be served to customers. Observed employee Red Bull stored inside reach in cooler with food items across cook line. Repeat Violation”

“Reach-in cooler shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Observed reach in cooler shelves rusted across cook line. Repeat Violation”

“Walk-in cooler/freezer shelves with rust that has pitted the surface. Observed walk in cooler shelves rusted. Repeat Violation”

“Walk-in/Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. Observed walk in cooler shelves soiled. Observed all reach in cooler shelves soiled.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed all walls soiled in kitchen area. Repeat Violation”

“Wet mop not stored in a manner to allow the mop to dry. Observed mop stored in mop bucket.”

Cuando una inspección revela 30, 40 o incluso 46 violaciones, no es solo un “mal día”. Es una falla sistémica de los protocolos de seguridad más fundamentales.

A continuación, los establecimientos que registraron 30 o más violaciones durante una sola visita la semana pasada.

No se trata solo de tecnicismos. Cuando se omite el lavado de manos, se ignoran las temperaturas de los alimentos y se deja de lado la sanidad básica, la salud pública se pone en riesgo. Una cocina que alcanza estas cifras claramente ha perdido el control de calidad.

Alcanzar el “Dirty 30” nunca debería ser parte del negocio. Es un colapso total de los estándares que es simplemente inaceptable. Nuestra comunidad merece algo mejor.

**THE BARBEQUE STOP COMPANY

1400 NW 23RD ST.

MIAMI

FECHA DE INSPECCIÓN 4/21

46 VIOLACIONES ENCONTRADAS

INSPECCIÓN DE SEGUIMIENTO 4/22 (28 VIOLACIONES ENCONTRADAS)

INSPECCIÓN DE SEGUIMIENTO 4/23 (12 VIOLACIONES ENCONTRADAS)

“Insectos voladores vivos y pequeños encontrados. Se observaron aproximadamente 2 insectos voladores posándose en un estante de la cocina frente a la estufa en el área de cocina. También se observaron aproximadamente 4 insectos voladores volando por toda el área de cocina.”

“Alimentos crudos de origen animal almacenados sobre o con productos sin lavar. Se observaron huevos crudos con cáscara almacenados sobre pimientos sin lavar dentro de un refrigerador en el área de cocina.”

“Control de tiempo/temperatura para alimentos seguros mantenidos en frío a más de 41 grados Fahrenheit. Se observó pasta de frijoles rojos (54F - mantenimiento en frío); sopa de frijoles rojos (56F - mantenimiento en frío); pimientos y cebollas cocidos (58F - mantenimiento en frío); queso (58F - mantenimiento en frío); queso (50F - mantenimiento en frío) dentro de un refrigerador en el área de cocina. Según el chef, por menos de 2 horas. También se observó queso (53F - mantenimiento en frío); pollo crudo (47F - mantenimiento en frío); chuletas de cerdo crudas (55F - mantenimiento en frío); salchicha (47F - mantenimiento en frío) dentro de un refrigerador en el mostrador frontal. Según el operador, por menos de 4 horas.”

“El establecimiento no tiene procedimientos escritos para que los empleados sigan en respuesta a un evento de vómito o diarrea donde estos sean expulsados sobre superficies del establecimiento.”

“Certificación del gerente de alimentos vencida.”

“Lavamanos utilizado para fines distintos al lavado de manos. Se observó un estropajo metálico dentro del lavamanos en el área de cocina.”

“No hay lavamanos para empleados. Se observó que no hay lavamanos en el mostrador frontal.”

“No se proporcionan toallas de papel ni dispositivo mecánico para secar las manos en el lavamanos. Se observó que no hay toallas de papel en el lavamanos del área de cocina ni en el baño de hombres.”

“No se proporciona termómetro de sonda para medir la temperatura de los alimentos.”

“No se proporcionó prueba de que los empleados de alimentos estén informados de su responsabilidad de reportar a la persona a cargo información sobre su salud y actividades relacionadas con enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos.”

“No se proporciona jabón en el lavamanos. Se observó que no hay jabón en el lavamanos del área de cocina ni en el baño de hombres.”

“Se ofrecen alimentos crudos o poco cocidos de origen animal y el establecimiento no tiene un aviso escrito al consumidor.”

“La capacitación requerida de empleados está vencida para todos los empleados.”

“El baño dentro del establecimiento no está completamente cerrado con puertas ajustadas y de cierre automático. Se observó en los baños de hombres y mujeres. Violación repetida.”

“Tazón u otro recipiente sin asa utilizado para dispensar alimentos. Se observó un tazón sin asa dentro del contenedor de azúcar y harina sobre la mesa de preparación en el área de cocina.”

“Acumulación de residuos de alimentos/suciedad en manijas de equipos. Se observó acumulación de grasa en la manija del refrigerador en el área de cocina.”

“El techo no es liso, no absorbente y fácil de limpiar en áreas de preparación, almacenamiento o lavado. Se observó en toda el área de cocina.”

“Faltan losetas del techo. Se observaron varias losetas faltantes en el área de cocina.”

“El techo o las losetas del techo muestran daños o están en mal estado. Se observó daño por agua en las losetas en toda el área de cocina.”

“El techo/losetas/ventilaciones sucias con acumulación de residuos de alimentos, grasa, polvo o sustancia similar a moho. Se observó ventilación sucia en el área de cocina. Violación repetida.”

“El equipo de mantenimiento en frío no se mantiene en buen estado. Se observó un refrigerador con temperatura interna de 58 en el área de cocina.”

“No se exhibe la licencia actual de hotel y restaurante.”

“Artículos personales de empleados almacenados en o sobre áreas de preparación de alimentos, alimentos, equipos limpios o utensilios. Se observó comida personal de empleados sobre la mesa de preparación en el área de cocina. También se observó mochila de empleado sobre el congelador en el mostrador frontal.”

“Equipos y utensilios no se secan al aire correctamente - apilamiento húmedo. Se observó apilamiento húmedo dentro de una olla limpia debajo de la mesa de preparación junto al fregadero de 3 compartimentos en el área de cocina.”

“La puerta exterior tiene una abertura en la parte inferior que da al exterior. Se observó una abertura en la puerta junto a las escaleras de almacenamiento del segundo piso.”

“El piso está sucio o con acumulación de residuos. Se observó basura y restos de comida en el suelo alrededor de la propiedad.”

“Alimentos almacenados en el suelo. Se observaron 2 cajas de botellas de agua en el suelo en la entrada de almacenamiento del segundo piso. También se observó una caja de botellas de agua en el suelo en el contenedor frontal.”

“Agujero u otro daño en la pared. Se observó un agujero en la pared detrás del televisor en el mostrador frontal.”

“Acumulación de hielo en congelador. Se observó acumulación de hielo dentro de un congelador tipo cofre junto a la puerta trasera.”

“El interior del horno/microondas tiene acumulación de sustancia negra/grasa/residuos de alimentos. Se observó el interior del microondas sucio junto a las escaleras de almacenamiento.”

“Luces en áreas de preparación, almacenamiento o lavado sin la protección adecuada. Se observó en el área de cocina.”

“No hay señal del procedimiento de Heimlich/atragantamiento.”

“No hay termómetro de temperatura ambiente visible en unidad de mantenimiento. Se observó que no hay termómetro dentro del refrigerador en el mostrador frontal.”

“No hay contenedor para recoger grasa de la campana. Se observó en el área de cocina.”

“No hay copia del informe de inspección más reciente disponible.”

“Superficies que no están en contacto con alimentos sucias con grasa, residuos de comida, suciedad o polvo. Se observaron juntas sucias dentro del refrigerador en el área de cocina y mostrador frontal. Violación repetida.”

“Aberturas al exterior para equipos como ventiladores no están protegidas cuando no están en uso. Se observó en el ventilador de la pared en el área de cocina.”

“Aberturas exteriores no protegidas con puertas de cierre automático.”

“Estantes del refrigerador con óxido que ha dañado la superficie. Se observó acumulación de óxido en estantes en el área de cocina.”

“Utensilios almacenados con la superficie de contacto hacia arriba. Se observaron utensilios limpios almacenados de esa forma en la mesa de preparación.”

“Agua estancada en el fondo del refrigerador. Se observó dentro del refrigerador en el área de cocina.”

“Alimentos almacenados sin cubrir. Se observó margarina sin cubrir en el refrigerador del mostrador frontal. También azúcar sin cubrir en estante de preparación frente a la estufa.”

“Control de tiempo/temperatura para alimentos seguros descongelados de manera inadecuada. Se observó carne de res cruda descongelándose a temperatura ambiente.”

“Piso de concreto sin sellar en áreas de preparación, almacenamiento o baño. Se observó en toda el área de cocina.”

“Paredes sucias con acumulación de grasa y residuos. Se observó en toda el área de cocina.”

“Contenedores de alimentos sin identificar. Se observó azúcar sin etiquetar en área de cocina y mostrador frontal. Violación repetida.”

“Tanque de propano (mayor de 2.7 lb de agua/1 lb de gas) dentro del edificio. Se observó un tanque de 20 lb debajo del fregadero en el área de cocina.”

**CRAFTY CRAB CAJUN SEAFOOD

15922 BISCAYNE BLVD.

NORTH MIAMI BEACH

FECHA DE INSPECCIÓN 4/20

40 VIOLACIONES ENCONTRADAS

INSPECCIÓN DE SEGUIMIENTO 4/21 (31 VIOLACIONES ENCONTRADAS)

“Contenedor de medicamento almacenado incorrectamente. Se observó medicamento con receta en mesa de preparación junto a plástico en área trasera.”

“Empleado comenzó a trabajar con alimentos sin lavarse las manos primero. Se observó servidor entrar a la cocina y servir arroz sin lavarse las manos. Violación repetida.”

“Empleado no se lavó las manos antes de ponerse guantes para manipular alimentos.”

“Empleado se frotó las manos por menos de 10-15 segundos al lavarlas.”

“Empleado tocó superficie sucia y luego manipuló alimentos sin lavarse las manos.”

“Empleado comió o bebió y luego manipuló alimentos sin lavarse las manos.”

“Empleado se lavó las manos sin jabón.”

“Alimentos crudos almacenados sobre productos sin lavar. Se observaron ostras crudas sobre papas sin lavar.”

“Alimentos crudos no separados de alimentos listos para comer. Se observaron vieiras crudas sobre langosta cocida y pato crudo sobre pollo cocido. Violación repetida.”

“Servidor manipuló utensilios sucios y luego alimentos sin lavarse las manos.”

“Control de temperatura inadecuado. Se observó maíz cocido (50F), mantequilla de ajo (50F), crema agria (51F). Violación repetida.”

“Sustancia química almacenada incorrectamente.”

“Etiquetas de mariscos no mantenidas correctamente.”

“Empleado se lavó las manos en fregadero no aprobado.”

“Superficies en contacto con alimentos sucias.”

“Lavamanos usado para otros fines. Violación repetida.”

“No hay toallas de papel en lavamanos. Violación repetida.”

“No hay termómetro de sonda. Violación repetida.”

“No hay etiquetas en contenedores de mariscos.”

“Dispensador de toallas no funciona.”

“Alimentos preparados no etiquetados con fecha. Violación repetida.”

“Capacitación de empleados vencida.”

“Recipiente sin asa usado para alimentos.”

“Manijas de equipos sucias.”

“Techos no adecuados en cocina.”

“Techos dañados.”

“Mariscos fuera de su contenedor original.”

“Utensilios limpios no almacenados correctamente.”

“Comida de empleados mal almacenada. Violación repetida.”

“Alimentos en el suelo. Violación repetida.”

“Acumulación de hielo en congelador.”

“Utensilios mal almacenados en alimentos.”

“Superficies sucias.”

“Bebidas de empleados con alimentos. Violación repetida.”

“Estantes oxidados. Violación repetida.”

“Estantes sucios.”

“Paredes sucias. Violación repetida.”

“Trapeador húmedo mal almacenado.”

At Tuesday’s state dinner honoring King Charles III and Queen Camilla, U.S. President Donald Trump said that during a private meeting earlier in the day the British monarch had agreed with him that Iran should never be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

“We’re doing a little Middle East work right now … and we’re doing very well,” Trump told the audience. “We have militarily defeated that particular opponent, and we’re never going to let that opponent ever — Charles agrees with me, even more than I do — we’re never going to let that opponent have a nuclear weapon."

While many Britons would agree with the president’s sentiment, the comment triggered mild consternation among pundits in the U.K.

In Britain, you see, this just isn't done.

By convention, people aren't supposed to relay private conversations with the monarch. That is partly because the king has to remain above the political fray, but also because the sovereign doesn’t have the ability to wade into a public debate and correct the record if he's misquoted.

“Generally, as a matter of protocol, I think I would expect discussions between heads of state to be sort of behind the scenes, in those closed meetings, for those to be sort of kept private,” said Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law and the monarchy at Royal Holloway, University of London. “And, you know, this was something that the U.K. government wanted to avoid.”

There had been a fair amount of jitters before the king’s trip to the United States, which comes amid Trump’s very public frustration with U.K. Prime Minster Keir Starmer over his failure to support U.S. actions in the Iran war.

Like all royal visits, this is a carefully choreographed diplomatic event carried out at the request of the U.K. government, which hopes that warm relations between the king and Trump, who seems to love all things royal, can help repair the rift.

But Trump is an unconventional leader who has a penchant for breaking protocol, and there were concerns about just what he might say or do.

At least in this case, the king’s comments seemed clearly within the bounds of existing U.K. government policy.

“The King is naturally mindful of his government’s long-standing and well-known position on the prevention of nuclear proliferation,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement designed to provide context to the president’s remarks.

Prescott said that “in a sense, this was always the issue, just what Trump would do or say — would he put the king in an embarrassing position,’’ Prescott said.

“You always had that sort of issue of what he would post on social media," he said. "And I think, you know, this could have been much, much worse.”

Before the state dinner, Charles gave a speech to a joint session of U.S. Congress. The king received repeated standing ovations during the address, which celebrated the longstanding bonds between the U.S. and Britain while nodding to differences over NATO, support for Ukraine and the need to combat climate change.

Now, from the U.K. government’s point of view, the trip is shifting to safer ground as the king and queen leave Washington behind and head to New York, where the focus will be on the city’s creative industries, rather than politics.

The most difficult part of the trip may be over, Prescott said.

“If this is the only controversy arising out of this phase of the state visit, I think overall this has been an enormous success for the king and the British government, because the king was able to make some quite pointed remarks in Congress and it hasn’t really yielded any sort of negative reaction from the president.”

“In a sense,” he said, “you get the feeling that the king (has) rather charmed Washington with his speech to Congress and, you know, his very witty speech at the state banquet.”

A dyslexic teenager from a working-class background, Welch struggled with his college entry exams and took a job installing tires after leaving school at age 15. When he lost that gig, he lined up at the Liverpool job center. The job board featured a funeral director's listing — a “great career," he's sure, but “pretty grim" — and an advertisement for a charity event where entrepreneurs could win business grants.

Welch took that one and, less than 24 hours later, found himself inside a church filled with vintage furniture and friendly grandparents. It looked nothing like ABC's “Shark Tank," but he recalls feeling very much like one of the reality show's contestants as he described his proposal to sell cheaper tires to niche customers like his friends who drove souped-up cars.

That was Welch's first interaction with the then-Prince's Trust, which became known as The King's Trust when King Charles III became Britain's ruling monarch in 2023. “It wasn’t a well thought out plan, really,” said Welch, who is now based in Florida. “But they backed me. And they backed my enthusiasm. And they gave me a chance.”

Generations of Brits can tell stories similar to Welch, thanks to The Prince's Trust and The King's Trust, which have been supporting young people launch their careers since 1976, when then-Prince Charles took his Royal Navy severance pay and established the charity at a time of great economic distress for the United Kingdom. In the past 50 years, the King's Trust says it has reached more than 1.3 million young Brits through its education and employment initiatives, creating countless success stories that include those of celebrated actor Idris Elba and noted fashion designer Ozwald Boateng.

As Charles and Queen Camilla make their first state visit to the U.S. since he became king, their visit will also include a nod to The King's Trust, as the charity works to deepen its impact in more than two dozen countries including the United States. On Wednesday, The King's Trust will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a gala in New York.

Members of the British Royal Family have traditionally served as patrons of charities, boosting awareness and fundraising for existing organizations in the areas where they rule as nobles. Observers say that Charles' lasting interest in young people's employment is evident in his decision to establish his own foundation and continue lending his title to its expanding work even as he ascended the throne.

“The harsh reality today is that the need for the work of people like the trust is growing at a rate far faster than we can grow,” said Jeremy Green, a trustee of the King's Trust Group Company and chair of the King's Trust USA.

Giving young people an opportunity

The trust's geographic footprint largely consists of countries that, at one point or another, fell under British rule.

Its programs reach young people through schools and established nonprofit partners. They include Get Hired, which helps young people — oftentimes without college educations — land their first jobs, and the Development Awards, a grant that helps them afford purchases to advance their careers such as a laptop or professional clothing.

The Enterprise Challenge is an afterschool program where students develop businesses that address a problem in their community.

“What we see every time is that young people want to be helped. They want to be taken seriously,” Green said. "And it’s not just giving them money. It’s giving them opportunity.”

LaKenya Sharpe, principal of The Collins Academy High School in the Chicago neighborhood of North Lawndale, said being taken seriously by The King's Trust has meant the world to her students, who won The King's Trust US' Enterprise Challenge for launching C2C: Crops2Customers. Their business grows and sells fresh vegetables to stores in their area, which lacked access to stores that sold produce.

“A lot of times our babies, especially in this community, feel like no one’s watching, no one is looking, no one is paying attention," Sharpe said. “This shows that they can achieve anything. Their belief now is ‘Oh, other people are watching. Other people are seeing this.’ And they ask ”How far can this go?" My answer is, “It can go as far as you guys take it. Don’t let anything limit you.'”

Highlighting philanthropic ties between the US and UK

Wednesday's gala aims to showcase “the very best of British-American philanthropy through the individual arts, culture, investments between the two countries,” according to The King’s Trust USA CEO Victoria Gore.

The gala arrives at a moment of unusual tension between the elected leaders of the two longstanding allies. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support the United States’ war in Iran has angered President Donald Trump.

The trust’s leaders emphasized that the anniversary celebrations have been in place long before the recent rift. But Charles' emphasis on the country’s deep philanthropic ties could serve as a reminder of their shared interests, according to JP Tribe, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Liverpool who has written about royal patronages.

“Hopefully the gala is a kind of event which shows that both countries have and can continue to engage in very positive public benefit activity that helps the most disadvantaged in our society,” Tribe said.

Expanding in the United States

The King's Trust US has set a goal to reach 1,000 young people in the United States this year.

Their biggest partner in that effort is City Year, the education nonprofit that introduced The Collins Academy to The King’s Trust and sends young adults to help teach in schools nationwide. AmeriCorps members are helping them pilot a version of the “Get Hired” program. They're also relying on the nonprofit Per Scholas and Maryland school districts to test some other programs.

Gore said student participants tend to be very focused on their immediate communities. The goal is to show them they can have an impact where they live.

"Keeping employment in communities and keeping people in communities is actually the key to everyone’s success," Gore said.

Welch said it doesn't require giant investments to make an impact. He received a 500 pound ($677) grant and, perhaps more importantly, a mentor who provided office space for the nascent company that he’d eventually sell for 50 million pounds ($68 million) to Michelin.

He said the blueprint for The King's Trust's expansion to succeed already exists. It's just a matter of building relationships with on-the-ground partners who can reach the people with the most need.

“What we see in Chicago, what we see in Orlando, is really no different -- with obvious local nuances," said Welch, who launched his latest venture the Anglo Atlantic advisory and investment firm. "But it’s not very different to what we see in Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester.”

___

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits 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. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

“We will continue to insist that compliance alone is not enough; we must also report the figures to the public in the interest of transparency,” said Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid.

Indonesia began implementing a new government regulationat the end of March banning children younger than 16 from accessing digital platforms that could expose them to pornography, cyberbullying, online scams and addiction.

Hafid said that young people in Indonesia spend up to eight hours a day online.

Not all social media and digital platforms immediately complied with the regulation, which affects some 70 million children and young people in Indonesia.

TikTok became the first platform to report measurable progress in compliance when it said it deactivated 1.7 million accounts belonging to children under 16.

The country’s large population likely "explains the platforms’ reluctance to accelerate compliance with this regulation,” Hafid said.

Seven of the eight platforms classified as high-risk, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Bigo Live, have committed to restricting children’s access to their services.

Only Roblox, the gaming platform, has yet to agree to block access for children under 16. The company did not immediately reply to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

YouTube announced its commitment to restricting access for younger users three weeks after the restrictions took effect, but has not yet specified how many accounts belonging to children were identified and suspended.

“We remain focused on protecting the community and will continue working closely with the Indonesian government to support a secure digital future for the next generation,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday.

Restrictions on social media access for children under 16 first began in December in Australia, where social media companies revoked access to about 4.7 million accounts identified as belonging to children.

Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to follow suit.

Some other countries — including Spain, France and the United Kingdom — are also taking or considering measures to restrict children’s access to social media amid growing concern that they are being harmed by exposure to unregulated social media content.

Hafid believes there are still challenges in implementing the regulation, and the Indonesian government has said it would allow platforms to determine their own methods for account verification.

“We understand the technology will continue to evolve rapidly. However, the platform is responsible for determining the best and most appropriate technology for its needs,” Hafid said.

Critics have highlighted the practical challenges of enforcing the rule. Reliable age verification often requires collecting sensitive personal data, prompting concerns over privacy and data security. Some children will find a way to use fake identification, such as using their parents’ account, said Nenden Sekar Arum, executive director of the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network, or SAFEnet, a digital rights group.

Arum said that is why the government needs to oversee the user identity verification methods employed by each platform to ensure consistent compliance.

“The core problem is not the presence of children in the digital space, but how that digital space is shaped into a safe ecosystem. And how to ensure that those who are actually making this ecosystem harmful are held accountable. That is what needs to be addressed,” Arum said.

Thirteen women and children from four families last week left Roj camp, a remote facility near the border with Iraq that houses relatives of suspected militants, on Friday and headed to Syria's capital.

An official at the camp at the time said that the families were expected to remain in Damascus for around 72 hours and then be sent to Australia.

In response to an Associated Press inquiry about their status, Syria's information ministry said in a statement that after the families left the camp, the foreign ministry was informed that "the Australian government had refused to receive them.”

They were turned back before reaching Damascus International Airport, the information ministry's statement said.

“These families are still awaiting a solution, which can only be achieved through coordination with the relevant international parties.”

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said at a news conference on Wednesday that “we are providing no support for repatriation and no assistance for these people.”

At a separate news conference in Beijing, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Wednesday said that her government has made “very clear that we are not assisting in their repatriation.”

Syria's information ministry said that the families, through a lawyer, had obtained passports that were delivered by an “individual” that it didn't identify while they were still in northeastern Syria in an area under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF.

A Lebanese-Australian doctor, Jamal Rifi, previously told Australian media that he was helping to coordinate the repatriation effort. Rifi couldn't be reached for comment.

A previous attempt to return 34 women and children to Australia from the camp in February was turned back by Syrian authorities.

Former IS fighters from multiple countries, along with their wives and children, were held in a network of camps and detention centers in northeast Syria after the militant group lost control of its territory in Syria in 2019. Though defeated, the group still has sleeper cells that carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq.

The larger al-Hol camp has now been closed down, and thousands of suspected IS militants previously held in Syria were transferred to Iraq by the U.S. military to stand trial there.

The moves came after fighting between government forces and the SDF in January. Government forces seized much of the territory formerly held by the SDF. Amid the chaos, many detainees fled al-Hol and some prisoners escaped from a detention center.

Australian governments have repatriated Australian women and children from Syrian detention camps on two occasions. Other Australians have also returned without government assistance.

___

Associated Press writers Rod McGuirk in Melbourne, Australia and E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing contributed to this report.

It wasn’t long after University of South Florida students Zamil Limon and his girlfriend Nahida Bristy went missing on April 16 that law enforcement began to suspect Limon’s roommate Hisham Abugharbieh, 26, of killing both Bangladeshi students. Limon’s body was found Friday under a bridge and a second body, found in a waterway near Limon’s body, was recovered but has not been identified.

Now, court records filed by prosecutors on Saturday suggest that Abugharbieh’s OpenAI search history has emerged as a prominent piece of evidence. Specifically, in the days before Limon and Bristy went missing, Abugharbieh asked the artificial intelligence chatbot a slew of questions about guns and the disposal of bodies.

Abugharbieh was charged with two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon in the deaths of Limon and Bristy, and he was ordered held without bond at a hearing on Tuesday.

Ahead of the hearing, court records painted a clearer picture both about how people planning crimes may be using chatbots and how law enforcement is able to leverage the artificial intelligence data that usage creates. The case also raises questions about what obligation tech companies have to prevent criminal misconduct, as well as to cooperate with and aid investigations.

Here’s what to know.

Chatbot history

Prosecutors filed a pretrial detention report on Saturday that detailed Abugharbieh’s ChatGPT history both before and after Limon and Bristy went missing.

Days before the two students were last seen, Abugharbieh asked the artificial intelligence chatbot what would happen if a human body was put in a garbage bag and thrown in a dumpster.

Abugharbieh also asked the artificial intelligence chatbot whether the vehicle identification number on his car could be changed and whether he could keep a gun at home without a license, according to the report. ChatGPT responded that Abugharbieh’s question sounded dangerous.

Three days after Limon and Bristy’s April 16 disappearance, Abugharbieh asked Chat GPT, “Has there been someone who survived a sniper bullet to the head” and “will my neighbors hear my gun,” according to the report. He also asked the chatbot four days after that, on April 23, “What does missing endangered adult mean.”

OpenAI’s growing role in investigations

Like texts, emails and regular search histories, artificial intelligence chatbot records can be obtained by law enforcement throughout the course of an investigation.

OpenAI spokesperson Drew Pusateri said Tuesday that the company was looking into the reports on Abugharbieh and would support law enforcement in any way with their investigation.

That cooperation comes on the heels of another inquiry into the company launched by Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier last week, when he announced his office had opened a rare criminal investigation into whether ChatGPT offered advice to a gunman who killed two people and wounded six others last year at Florida State University.

Specifically, Uthmeier said that prosecutors had done an initial review of chat logs between ChatGPT and the alleged gunman, Phoenix Ikner, to determine if the AI app aided, abetted or advised the commission of a crime.

Prosecutors believe the chatbot advised Ikner on what type of gun and ammunition to use, whether a gun would be useful at short range, and the time and place that would allow for the most potential victims, Uthmeier said.

OpenAI spokeswoman Kate Waters called the FSU shooting a tragedy but said the company had no responsibility. The company proactively shared information with law enforcement and continues to cooperate with investigators, she said when asked last week.

“In this case, ChatGPT provided factual responses to questions with information that could be found broadly across public sources on the internet, and it did not encourage or promote illegal or harmful activity,” Waters said in an email.

Uthmeier said on Monday that his office would expand the investigation into the FSU shooting to include Abugharbieh’s case.

Widespread trends

Uthmeier also said last week that his office’s probe marked “uncharted territory.”

But there have been several criminal prosecutions and lawsuits across the country that delve into similar questions about how the powerful AI technology can be used in the commission of a crime, and the harmful impact that chatbots can have on mental health.

Last month, a man sued Google for the wrongful death by suicide of his son, the latest in a growing number of legal challenges against AI developers that have drawn attention to the mental health dangers of chatbot companionship.

Before that, in late 2025, OpenAI was sued for it’s alleged role in the murder of an 83-year-old Connecticut woman by her son, accusing the company’s artificial intelligence chatbot of exacerbating her son’s “paranoid delusions” before he killed her and died by suicide.

More recently, in criminal court, dozens of messages between former New York Jets linebacker Darron Lee and ChatGPT were presented in March as prosecutors outlined their case surrounding the death of Lee’s girlfriend, Gabriella Perpetuo, who was found dead inside the couple’s Tennessee home.

Hours before Perpetuo was found dead, prosecutors said, Lee asked the chatbot about whether certain injuries could resemble wounds from a fall, among other unusual questions.

More than three dozen bills supporting raw milk have been introduced in statehouses across the nation, The Associated Press found. A growing number of states are making it legal to sell. Dairy farmers say they can barely keep it in stock, even though prices can exceed $10 or $20 a gallon.

Top government officials and internet influencers are helping drive this momentum. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. downed shots of raw milk at the White House last May and previously promised to halt “aggressive suppression” of the product. On social media, posts about raw milk have surged in recent months, often touting unproven claims about its health benefits.

All of this alarms public health officials, who have long warned that unpasteurized milk can harbor risky germs. The current outbreak — tied to raw milk cheddar cheese from California-based Raw Farm — has sickened nine people with E. coli, half of them children younger than 5. One victim developed a serious complication that can impair kidney function for life.

Petra Anne Levin, a biology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, said she doesn’t understand the products' appeal.

“If you wouldn’t lick a cow’s underneath, why would you drink raw milk?” she said. “There’s a reason pasteurization is around.”

Pasteurization kills germs by heating the milk, commonly to at least 161 degrees Fahrenheit (71.7 degrees Celsius) for at least 15 seconds. Experts say it has no significant impact on milk’s nutritional quality and has saved millions of people from foodborne illness.

But some consumers would rather drink their milk raw despite the risk. Recognizing this trend, advocates and critics alike are increasingly calling for federal regulation of the product.

“People want access,” said Mary McGonigle-Martin, co-chair of Stop Foodborne Illness, a consumer advocacy group. “Public health has lost the battle on raw milk.”

Raw milk legislation pops up across the nation

Bills favoring raw milk have been introduced in the current legislative session in 18 states, including those controlled by Democrats and Republicans.

AP searched legislation in all 50 states using the bill-tracking software Plural and analyzed bills for whether they expand or streamline access to unpasteurized milk or products made from it. More than 40 bills introduced as of late April would make it easier to buy, sell or consume raw milk.

Some would allow raw milk to be sold for human consumption for the first time. A bill in New Jersey’s Senate, for example, would create a raw milk permitting program.

“You can buy cigarettes. You can buy alcohol. You can buy quote-unquote legalized marijuana,” said state Sen. Michael Testa, a Republican sponsor. “Why shouldn’t someone be able to consume raw milk?”

If the bill becomes law, New Jersey would join more than three dozen states in allowing raw milk sales. Wider access will probably mean more outbreaks, said Donald Schaffner, a Rutgers University food science professor.

Other bills seek to manage, guide or expand already legal sales. A bill advancing in the Iowa House would make it easier for farmers to sell unpasteurized products by offering them at farm stores alongside foods like meat.

Its sponsor, Republican state Rep. Chad Ingels, said he was initially opposed to legalizing raw milk because of safety concerns.

“But it’s law now, and I’m very pro-local foods,” said Ingels, who expects the current bill to pass. “I just thought it made sense to allow those farm businesses to sell all their products in one location.”

Two bills in Missouri would allow unpasteurized dairy products to be sold in grocery stores, farmers’ markets or similar places as long as they include a label warning of the potential for harmful bacteria and herds are tested.

“We just want to make it more accessible, so that way, people have the freedom of choice,” said Republican state Rep. Bryant Wolfin, who sponsored one of the bills.

The legislation specifically invokes the Raw Milk Institute, defining “retail raw milk or cream” as being produced on dairy farms that in one bill meet standards set by the California-based organization, and in the other “have obtained listed status” from the institute.

The organization, headed by Raw Farm owner Mark McAfee, says its mission is to improve the safety and quality of raw milk, which is how Wolfin sees it. But Schaffner said the organization focuses on raw milk advocacy rather than managing risk. He pointed out that McAfee’s farm has been linked to numerous outbreaks.

It’s unclear how many raw milk bills will pass in statehouses this year. But there is also legislation being considered on a national level.

A bipartisan bill in the U.S. House would prevent federal departments, agencies or courts from restricting the movement of raw milk between two states where its sale is legal. Called the Interstate Milk Freedom Act, it was introduced in March by Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and Maine Democrat Chellie Pingree.

Whether it passes or not, there are steps the federal government could take to make raw milk more available, legal experts say. The FDA could revoke the ban on interstate sales. The agency could also create national raw milk standards and urge or incentivize states to enforce them.

FDA officials did not respond to questions about whether such actions are likely.

Raw milk risks are well-documented

Despite raw milk's popularity, scientists and public health experts warn against drinking it. Websites run by the FDA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention point to the well-documented risks of serious illness from a host of germs, including campylobacter, listeria, salmonella and E. coli.

A CDC review counted more than 200 outbreaks tied to raw milk that sickened more than 2,600 people and sent 225 to hospitals between 1998 and 2018.

Another analysis found that raw dairy products cause 840 times more illness and 45 times more hospitalizations than their pasteurized counterparts.

Children are especially vulnerable to such illness, because their immune systems are immature and because they drink milk frequently, noted Alex O’Brien, food safety and quality coordinator for the Center for Dairy Research in Madison, Wisconsin.

Before milk standards were adopted more than a century ago, about 25% of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. were related to dairy consumption, O’Brien said. Now, dairy products account for about 1% of such illnesses. In European and American societies of the early and mid-19th century, research shows infant mortality rates were 30-60 times greater than today. In one example, thousands of infants died every year from a condition known as “summer diarrhea,” which was primarily caused by bacterial contamination in milk that worsened in the heat.

O’Brien, who grew up on a farm, said he knows people who drink raw milk and has consumed it himself in the past. Drinking it once might not hurt you, he said, but the risk increases with every exposure.

Understanding and accepting the risks of raw milk has become more difficult in this political climate, said Martin, the consumer advocate.

“They can’t grasp it, or they think it’s so rare it won’t happen to them,” she said.

Martin’s son, Chris, nearly died in 2006 after drinking raw milk contaminated with E. coli sold by Organic Pastures, Raw Farm's previous name. For two decades, Martin has worked to raise awareness of the dangers and hold suppliers accountable.

Mari Tardiff, of Ashland, Oregon, was hospitalized for five months after drinking raw milk contaminated with campylobacter in 2008. She said she tried it because she was interested in “a natural probiotic.”

Doctors diagnosed her with Guillain-Barré syndrome, caused by her campylobacter infection. She spent time on a ventilator and was temporarily paralyzed and unable to talk. When she got home, she used a wheelchair and slept in a hospital bed, relying on her husband to turn her every two hours so she wouldn’t get pressure sores.

“Your whole life is completely blown apart,” she said.

Still, she said she wouldn't tell other adults whether to drink raw milk — although she worries about giving it to kids.

“If you make a mistake, it’s one thing to come to terms with when you’re the one dealing with the consequences,” said Tardiff, now 70. “But holy moly … if I did something like that and one of my kids or my grandchildren was going through what I went through, I would never forgive myself.”

Raw milk supporters see an ‘exciting’ future, but concerns remain

Proponents of raw milk are gratified that it’s becoming more available. Even in states where it can’t be sold in stores for human consumption, people can get raw milk marketed for pets or join a “herd share” in which consumers buy a partial ownership in a dairy herd.

“I’ve been involved in raw milk for roughly 14 years,” said Ben Beichler, of Creambrook Farm in Middlebrook, Virginia, which relies on herd shares. “To see how public perception and political perception has altered over the years with raw milk is quite exciting.”

Beichler said safety is key.

“My family and my wife, who’s currently pregnant, drink about a gallon of our own raw milk every single day,” he said. “So if there’s anybody who has a vested interest in making sure our milk is safe, it is us.”

Beichler said his 150-cow farm works with a veterinarian on regular herd checks and has a safety process that includes sending milk samples to labs every week to test for common germs.

In Foristell, Missouri, Tony Huffstutter said his family tests their milk daily for bacteria in an on-site lab at their Twisted Ash Farm & Dairy, where they keep 15 cows and sell raw milk for $29 a gallon.

“You can’t just go out there, throw a bucket under the cow and start milking it,” he said. “There are so many steps in doing it right.”

He said raw milk shouldn’t be treated differently from other natural products such as spinach, which has been associated with past foodborne outbreaks.

“They don’t pasteurize the salad,” he said. “They don’t force you to only buy cooked salad.”

With raw milk gaining a foothold, Martin said she believes that the best action might be for the FDA to regulate it as strictly as pasteurized dairy products.

McAfee agrees. “High standards and testing should be part of that,” he said.

Schaffner, the food safety expert, also favors regulation. Although he has serious reservations about giving raw milk to kids, he calls himself “a raw milk libertarian” when it comes to adults.

“It’s kind of like legalization of weed, right?” he said. “If people want it, we should find a way to regulate it and do it safely.”

Then again, he said, there’s already a dependable way of making raw milk safe.

“It’s called pasteurization,” he said. “And it works really well.”

___

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

The Metropolitan Police said the attack in the Golders Green area left two men, ages 34 and 76, hospitalized with knife wounds.

Counterterrorism police are investigating whether the stabbings are linked to recent arson attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in the British capital. Detectives are probing a potential Iranian link to those incidents, but police said it's too soon to say whether Wednesday's attack is connected.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that “attacks on our Jewish community are attacks on Britain," and called a meeting of the government's emergency committee to discuss the response. Buckingham Palace said King Charles III was “deeply concerned.”

Metropolitan Police chief Mark Rowley said that it was “another horrendous act of violence directed against our Jewish communities.”

But some British Jews expressed anger at authorities' failure to keep them safe. Rowley faced shouts of “shame on you” and “resign” from bystanders when he made a statement to media at the scene of the stabbings.

The security organization Shomrim said that a suspect “was seen running along Golders Green Road armed with a knife and attempting to stab Jewish members of the public." It said that the suspect was detained by Shomrim members and arrested by police, who used a stun gun on him.

Surveillance camera footage showed a man beside a bus stop donning a kippah, or traditional skullcap, before a passerby with a knife lunges at him.

Police said that the suspect also tried to stab police officers, but none was injured. Rowley said the suspect, whose name hasn't been released, had “a history of serious violence and mental health issues.”

Arson attacks in recent weeks targeted Jewish sites in London, including a charity's ambulances in Golders Green and a synagogue a few miles away.

“Today is somewhat worse because it’s a physical attack against two human beings,” said resident Anthony Silber, adding that “it’s shocking to hear, shocking to listen to, shocking to watch for those that saw, but it’s not a surprise.”

Britain’s Jewish community is long-established, but tiny as a percentage of the population, numbering about 300,000. The northwest London suburb of Golders Green is one of its epicenters, home to kosher restaurants, Jewish schools and several dozen synagogues, as well as large Asian and Middle Eastern communities.

“There must be absolutely no place for antisemitism in society,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan said.

No one was injured in the arson incidents. Several people, ranging in age from teens to people in their 40s, have been arrested and charged.

Counterterror officers are investigating whether the arson attacks were the work of Iranian proxies. The U.K. has accused Iran of using criminal proxies to conduct attacks on European soil targeting Iranian opposition media outlets and the Jewish community. Britain’s MI5 domestic intelligence service says that more than 20 “potentially lethal” Iran-backed plots were disrupted in the year ending in October.

Britain’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, said that Jews face a campaign of violence and intimidation and that words of condemnation are no longer sufficient.

“This must be a moment that demands meaningful action from every institution, every community, every leader and every decent person in our country," he said. “This is a hatred that we must face down together."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that the world must “wake up” to a rising wave of anti-Jewish hatred.

“In one of the great capital cities of the West, it has become dangerous to openly walk the streets as a Jew,” Herzog posted on X. “This is an unacceptable situation.”

The number of antisemitic incidents reported across the U.K. has soared since the attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza, according to the Community Security Trust. The group recorded 3,700 incidents in 2025, up from 1,662 in 2022.

In October 2025, an attacker drove his car into people gathered outside a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur and stabbed one person to death. Another person died during the attack after being inadvertently shot by police.

___

Associated Press journalist Kwiyeon Ha contributed to this story.

One of them was caught on camera over the weekend driving a lawnmower into a Target in Ocala while his friend filmed it.

Now the duo are facing charges for property damages after breaking the door at the entrance of the store, authorities said.

“It was not something you see every day,” said witness Vanessa Scarlett.

The last thing you expect to see while doing your shopping inside a Target is a lawn mower coming through the door.

“He actually drove straight into the door first and shattered it. It was quite interesting,” said Scarlett.

According to Ocala police, 18-year-old Janek Szkaradek was the one driving the lawn mower while wearing overalls and a farmer’s hat.

He was arrested along with Luke Charske, also 18, for the social media stunt.

Scarlett didn’t know either of the teens, but decided to start recording.

“You never know what is going to happen,” she said.

Police say the chaos didn’t start at the Target.

The night before, authorities said Szkaradek used a leaf blower inside a Culver’s in Ocala.

He was charged with criminal mischief and both teens were arrested for disorderly conduct.

Police say what started as a social media stunt ended with real damage and real consequences.

“I think they are teenagers,” said Scarlett. “They definitely got the consequence that a lot of people think they deserve.”

The message from Ocala police is to think before you record stunts for social media as it’s not worth an arrest and a criminal charge.

Both teens bonded out of jail on Sunday afternoon.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin will sit before a Senate committee Wednesday, the last of three budgetary hearings this week, to argue for sharply reduced funding for an agency that has already seen its staffing reduced to its lowest level in decades under his leadership. He took an aggressive approach, responding to Democratic lawmakers with his own questions and at times accusing them of being unprepared or failing to care about the agency’s track record.

Zeldin has eliminated major climate change programs, promoted deregulatory efforts he calls the biggest in American history and canceled billions of dollars in Biden-era environmental justice grants to halt what he calls “EPA’s radical diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.”

The Republican administration’s proposed $4.2 billion EPA budget would sharply reduce support for state environmental programs and state-administered loans for water projects. It also would halt what it calls “radical climate research” and slash resources for enforcement and compliance. Officials also asked for more money for faster project permitting and to address drinking water disasters.

Zeldin aggressively responded to questioning from Democrats

Congress gets final say, which commonly departs from White House requests. Last year, lawmakers rejected most of Trump’s proposed cuts, reducing agency spending by just 3.5% despite an administration request to cut spending by more than half. Democrats said the budget plan shows that Zeldin is a friend to industry and ignores the cancers, asthma and other consequences of pollution.

“The budget proposal reads like a climate change deniers’ manifesto,” said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee. At a hearing Monday, she asked how the EPA can justify abandoning its duty to protect Americans “under the false flag of economic growth?”

The EPA has proposed rescinding a landmark finding that climate change is dangerous, loosened Biden-era rules limiting pollution from coal plants and proposed scrapping greenhouse gas emission limits for certain vehicles.

In response to DeLauro, Zeldin asked where the Clean Air Act mentions fighting climate change and whether she had heard of a recent Supreme Court decision that restricted the EPA’s authority to write aggressive regulations.

“You do not have the right to say climate change does not exist, that it’s a hoax,” DeLauro said.

Zeldin said that he understood she was upset and that she should know about major Supreme Court decisions. “You’re just somebody who likes to have the microphone on,” he said.

It devolved from there. DeLauro said that the Trump administration's behavior is “arrogant” and that it was ”making a mockery of what the agencies are all about.”

Zeldin told California Democratic Rep. Josh Harder that data he cited on the agency's rollback of certain coal plant emissions limits was worthless — “Have your dog pee on it. It is not accurate.” Harder's office later provided the EPA report that it said the numbers came from.

Zeldin's vision for the EPA

Zeldin argued that even with less money, the agency has continued to enforce environmental laws and achieved significant wins: an agreement with Mexico to reduce sewage flows into the heavily polluted Tijuana River and sped-up work to address radioactive contamination in the St. Louis region, as examples.

That work complements strict adherence to the law, a departure from what Zeldin says was the regulatory overreach of President Joe Biden's Democratic administration that wanted to strangle vital industries such as coal.

Republicans were largely supportive of Zeldin’s message that, “Not only will we be able to fulfill all of our statutory obligations, we will be able to do more with less.”

The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law provided tens of billions of dollars for drinking and wastewater loans through programs administered by states. That boost, however, ends this year, and the EPA’s proposed budget would cut off most of the agency’s support.

“It was never intended to be a new norm for spending,” said Virginia Republican Rep. Morgan Griffith.

But that would choke off money to remove harmful PFAS from drinking water. The agency’s contention that better technology could do the job for less was unpersuasive, according to Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts.

“How do we get rid of PFAS in municipal water supplies with 90% fewer dollars?” he asked.

Zeldin responded that technologies were promising and then mentioned congressional earmarks, which members have used to fund projects in their districts with money that would otherwise go to states for loans — a practice many experts have criticized.

“I know that members of Congress are going to raid it, and they have been doing it for a long time,” said Zeldin, a former New York congressman.

Auchincloss replied that Zeldin wasn’t in charge of earmarks and that “hope is not a strategy.”

Zeldin was also questioned about industry influence on policymaking, with a particular focus on the Make America Healthy Again movement, which has attacked environmental harms from products like fertilizer. The movement's biggest champion is Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Maine Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree asked Zeldin whether he understood concerns from those advocates about industry influence at the EPA and the Trump administration's support of more pesticides.

He called much of the lengthy question inaccurate and then mentioned plans to look at microplastics as a potential contaminant in drinking water and an upcoming review of the high-profile herbicide glyphosate.

“I get it, you have an agenda," Zeldin said. “I mean, I understand you’d like to have a gavel in your hand.”

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Daly contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of the AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment.

Leer en español

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Lewin, 43, on Thursday and corrections booked him at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale.

Two firefighters and the 65-year-old victim, who is a wheelchair user, reported the attack was during a medical call on Jan. 31 in an ambulance at Northwest 31 Avenue and First Street, records show.

Lewin and the victim, Alan MacPhee, got into an argument over a GPS monitor, and the victim used expletives, according to the arrest warrant.

“Lewin instructed both firefighters ... to place [the victim] in the rescue vehicle, where there are no cameras so he can show [the victim] what he does to people,” a detective wrote, according to the arrest warrant.

Once the victim was in a stretcher, Lewin “approached” the victim from behind, grabbed his head, and forcefully struck it against the stretcher" for about 30 seconds, according to the warrant.

Lewin then “lowered the stretcher, pressed his thumbs into the victim’s eyes, and choked the patient” for about 10 seconds, according to the warrant.

MacPhee, who had initially called 911 for help with shortness of breath, complained of “head, neck, and eye pain, and his eyes appeared bloodshot,” according to the warrant.

Fire rescue personnel took the victim to Broward Health Medical Center.

MacPhee told a BSO detective that he had been “violently manhandled” and said Lewin had placed his thumbs over his eyes and “pushed them down into my skull,” according to the warrant.

During Lewin’s bond court hearing on Friday, the defense told Broward County Circuit Judge Corey B. Friedman that Lewin is “a family man” who had been with BSFR for about 11 years and didn’t have a criminal record.

Lewin faced two counts of third-degree felony battery on a person 65 years of age or older. Friedman set his bond at $50,000.

According to court records, Broward County Circuit Judge Thomas Coleman was set to preside over the case.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony released a statement about the case on Friday afternoon.

“The arrest of our fire lieutenant demonstrates our commitment to holding our own accountable for their unlawful actions,” Tony wrote. “The public can rest assured that internal due process will be fair, and any resulting discipline will be appropriate and consistent with policy. I applaud the two firefighters who reported this incident. We will continue to hold each other to the highest standards and serve the public with professionalism.”

Lewin bonded out of jail Friday night.

Anyone who wishes to help MacPhee financially or otherwise may reach out to him directly at 954-708-8581.

Read a section of the arrest warrant

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Sofia Mendez and Senior Assignment Editor Frine Gomez contributed to this report.

Leer en español

It happened back on Jan. 31 near the intersection of Northwest First Street and 31st Avenue in unincorporated central Broward County.

Local 10’s Hannah Yechivi spoke with Alan MacPhee, who said he clearly remembers the moment he was attacked.

“He took his thumbs and he jammed them in my head, and I went, ‘Agghhhh,’” said MacPhee. “He jammed his thumbs in my eyes. I thought he was going to put my eyes through the orifice. It was that bad.”

The person MacPhee is accusing of hurting him is BSFR Lt. Carlos Lewin.

“I was like, ‘Aghhh, what are you doing?’” MacPhee said. “What was he thinking, dude? I’m on an ambulance for help and I’m being assaulted by a paramedic to the degree of him taking my eyes and trying to push them through my skull.”

According to deputies, after a verbal argument, Lewin forcefully struck MacPhee’s head against the stretcher for around 30 seconds before pressing his fingers into MacPhee’s eyes and slamming his head against the stretcher again.

Lewin, 43, was later arrested after two of his fellow firefighters reported him after witnessing the incident. He is now facing two counts of battery on a person 65 years or older.

Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony released a statement regarding the incident, which read:

“The arrest of our fire lieutenant demonstrates our commitment to holding our own accountable for their unlawful actions. The public can rest assured that internal due process will be fair, and any resulting discipline will be appropriate and consistent with policy. I applaud the two firefighters who reported this incident. We will continue to hold each other to the highest standards and serve the public with professionalism.”

It’s something MacPhee was glad to hear.

“Hallelujah, the guy needs to be held accountable for his actions,” he said.

Lewin’s attorney said he has no prior allegations against him and has served as a first responder for more than a decade, adding that they trust the legal process.

“This guy was utterly unprofessional, he did not do his job, he was presumptuous and he violated my rights,” said MacPhee.

Now, MacPhee said he wants financial compensation.

“I mean, that’s crazy. How the hell can a paramedic, instead of helping me, do that to me?” he said.

After the incident, Lewin was relieved of duty and placed on administrative leave with pay while the allegations were being investigated.

According to BSO, he is currently suspended without pay.

Anyone who wishes to help MacPhee financially or otherwise may reach out to him directly at 954-708-8581.

Performance and driving experience

As the de facto replacement for the recently retired Challenger, the two-door Dodge Charger is significantly longer, wider and heavier than the coupe it replaces. But some of that additional heft can be attributed to its all-wheel-drive system, a standard feature on all current Charger models, which provides better all-weather capability as well as improved off-the-line acceleration.

Both the Charger R/T and Charger Scat Pack come with a new turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine. The R/T’s makes 420 horsepower and the Scat Pack’s high-output version produces 550 horsepower. That’s enough grunt to get the Scat Pack to 60 mph from a standstill in just 4.2 seconds, which is several tenths quicker than both the 480-horsepower Mustang GT and 500-horsepower Mustang Dark Horse models we’ve tested. But we were underwhelmed by the Charger’s lengthy braking distances, and light steering with minimal feedback also makes it difficult to pinpoint the tires’ limit of grip in corners.

Although we tend to associate the name with muscle cars, the modern Mustang has been inching toward sports-car territory for years. That evolution is exemplified by the Dark Horse model, which is tuned for road courses rather than drag strips. The GT and Dark Horse deliver nimble handling, responsive straight-line performance, and massive stopping power. The Mustang’s V8 also sounds better and can be had with a manual transmission for greater driver engagement.

Winner: Mustang

Comfort and convenience

Without an adaptive suspension on the options sheet, the six-cylinder Charger models make do with a solid balance between ride quality and body control. Combined with a nicely calibrated throttle pedal, a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox, and a hatchback-style rear liftgate that makes it easy to load and unload bulky cargo, this is a car that’s ultimately at its best when cruising or dispatching daily errands.

Technology is arguably where the Charger makes its strongest case, though. There’s no shortage of USB ports throughout the cabin, along with a wireless charging pad up front, and the 12.3-inch central touchscreen display offers sharp graphics, fast response, and a robust feature set. Dodge also earns bonus points for retaining physical controls for frequently used climate functions.

The level of comfort on offer in the Mustang really comes down to how it’s optioned. Both the GT and Dark Horse are available with adaptive suspensions that are tuned for performance, but the systems allow you to adjust ride stiffness on the fly. No matter how you option it, though, the Mustang’s comparatively svelte proportions equate to tight confines for rear passengers as well as limited cargo capacity.

On the tech front, the Mustang’s big 13.2-inch touchscreen gives its cabin a more contemporary vibe than the outgoing model’s, but all of the climate controls have been moved to this central display. This makes adjustments more cumbersome and distracting.

Winner: Charger

Features and value

With a starting price of $48,645 including destination, the Mustang GT comes in a few grand cheaper than the base 420-horsepower Charger R/T, which starts at $51,990. But stepping up to the Dark Horse requires a substantial outlay of $66,075, and tacking on options can easily push the price to over $70,000.

By contrast, the Charger Scat Pack has a starting price of $56,990, making it a compelling value for those who’re primarily concerned with straight-line performance and creature comforts. But if you’re not judicious with the options, the price can quickly rise into similar territory.

Winner: tie

Edmunds says

Dodge’s reimagined Charger offers turbocharged hustle, a spacious interior, and a level of modernity that its predecessor lacked. But it falls short of the Mustang GT and Dark Horse in a number of performance categories, and its six-cylinder powerplant simply cannot match the extroverted charisma of the Mustang’s V8. The Charger certainly has its virtues, but in this comparison, the Mustang is the clear winner.

_____

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

It won’t be the original, but it’ll be a dead ringer.

For a savings bond drive in 1950, the Treasury Department commissioned copies of the famously broken bell, one for each U.S. state and several territories. Except for the serial numbers, they were faithful replicas — right down to the Pass and Stow trademark and a faux crack.

There’s a small but growing group of “bell hunters” who’ve dedicated themselves to visiting as many of the replicas as possible. If they were a gang, Tom Campbell would be the ringleader.

“It was a casual thing that turned into an obsession,” Campbell, a graphic designer, said.

Let freedom ring!

Although Fort Collins, Colorado, is now his home, Campbell was born and raised in Philadelphia and visited the original Liberty Bell as a boy.

Ordered for the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, the bell cracked on its first test ring in the 1750s, was melted down and cast anew. There’s no evidence it was even rung on July 4, 1776; abolitionists rechristened it in the 1830s for the Bible verse encircling its crown, “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof.”

No one knows exactly when or how the bell cracked again, but the last major attempt to restore it to ringing condition was in the 1840s.

Campbell didn’t know about the replicas until he moved to Denver in the late 1990s.

“I was wandering around, meeting a friend at a bar for a drink, and cut across the Capitol lawn and saw a full-size Liberty Bell sitting there,” he recalled. He read about the bond drive on a small bronze plaque, and a quest was born.

As Campbell and his wife, Dawn Putney, traveled the country, they began building bell trips into their itinerary. One day, she surprised him with his own website: tomlovesthelibertybell.com

“It was just a kind of a fun goof,” he said.

But three decades after he stumbled on that first bell, Campbell has become the go-to expert on these pieces of Americana.

From France, avec amour

The replicas were cast by the Paccard Foundry, run by a family who've been making bells in southeastern France since 1796.

They weigh the same as the original — 2,080 pounds (944 kilograms) — but differ from the OG bell in one very important respect: metallurgical makeup.

According to the National Park Service, the original was 70% copper, 25% tin and “small amounts of lead, gold, arsenic, silver, and zinc.” In a bell, those other metals amount to “impurities,” said Anne Paccard, the foundry’s communications director and chief for “art of sound” projects, like sculptures that feature bells.

“I must say that the original Liberty Bell is a very poor quality bell, metallurgically speaking,” she told The Associated Press in a recent email. “The bells we delivered in 1950 are made of a specific alloy of bronze called ‘airain’: 78% copper, 22% tin, nothing else.”

The Treasury bells toured the country on the backs of flatbed Ford trucks equipped with loudspeakers and festooned with red-white-and-blue banners.

“You could buy a savings bond, ring the Liberty Bell, have a party,” Campbell said.

At drive’s end, Treasury gifted the bells to the 48 states and the then-territories of Alaska, Hawaii, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. The District of Columbia and the Treasury Department each got one as well. (Three others went to Tokyo, a church in Paccard’s hometown and the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, giving that state two bells.)

Trouble is, they came with no guidance and no funds to preserve them.

“A local or state historian described it to me as an 'unaccessioned artifact,’” Campbell said. “Not every state wanted them necessarily, and not every state knew what to do with them.”

Virginia held a contest, and the people voted to send the bell to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. It later went into a storage shed until finally finding a home outside a local fire station.

More than half have spent most of their lives outdoors. Time, neglect and exposure to the elements have taken their toll.

Some of the painted-on cracks have faded or disappeared completely. Others bells are displayed without their clappers and/or yokes, or in steel frames that prevent them being rung.

“At that point, it really transitions to more of a monument than a functional bell,” Campbell said. “And, to me, that’s kind of sad.”

But as the nation prepares to celebrate 250 years of liberty, some of those orphan bells are getting a new life.

Just like new... sorta

Kansas’ bell languished, disassembled, for years in a Capitol parking garage until state Sen. Elaine Bowers got involved. In October, the reassembled bell — resting on a heated concrete pad and supported by a custom-made wooden yoke, but still sans clapper — was given a place of honor outside the new Docking State Office Building.

“It just belongs here,” said a beaming Bowers as she stood beside bell No. 21. “It’s a fascinating piece of artwork, but also history that we all should be proud of.”

The Alabama and Idaho bells were shipped to the Bell Foundry Christoph in Charleston, South Carolina, for restoration and are expected to be home in time for the Fourth. Several other bells have also received recent touchups.

Campbell doesn’t set out to guilt states into fixing up and displaying their bells. But if his website happens to nudge them a bit, “maybe I’ll take a little credit for that.”

He’s also helped inspire a new generation of bell hunters.

By age 4, Zoe Murphy of Morris County, New Jersey, knew all the state capitals and their flags. At 5, she saw her first replica in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Now a 14-year-old high school freshman, she has her own website zlovesamerica.com. She’s visited 39 of the bells over the years, from Alabama to Wyoming and even far-off Alaska.

Zoe says traveling the country has given her a deeper appreciation for America’s “collective mix of people and our culture.”

Meanwhile, Campbell's recent visit to Arizona’s newly restored bell — which was touring the state, complete with a rope for the tugging — brought his toll up to 40. Why does the Liberty Bell resonate with him?

“The fact that a cracked bell is the symbol of the United States is really the perfect symbol of an imperfect union,” he said.

Nothing to see here

Try as they might, it’ll be nearly impossible for these Liberty Bell fans to check all the replicas off their list. Three replicas remain totally unavailable to the public this anniversary year, as far as Campbell can tell. Ironically, one of them is Pennsylvania’s.

For many years, the Treasury bell was the centerpiece of a museum in the former Zion’s Reformed Church of Allentown, where the original was briefly hidden to prevent the British redcoats from melting it down for munitions. But the building changed hands in 2023, and the bell is no longer accessible to the general public while the church is being renovated. (Local officials are placing a lighter, taller replica in front of the church for the anniversary.)

Last June, North Carolina’s bell was hoisted from its spot across from the Legislative Building in Raleigh amid a multiyear renovation of the state history museum. When the AP asked to see it, the request was politely denied.

“Our Liberty Bell is in a secure storage facility,” spokeswoman Mary Huntley said.

The only replica that's truly lost is the one sent to Washington, D.C., which went missing from storage in the early 1980s. Campbell suspects it’s long since been melted down.

“That’s 2,080 pounds of bronze,” he says. “So, that has a scrap value.”

But if anyone has information about the capital bell, feel free to give Campbell a ring.

___

Associated Press writer John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; and video journalists Thomas Peipert in Fort Collins, Colorado; and Ted Shaffrey in Mount Olive, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Almost two years later, federal authorities say a different man charged with attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday was arrested with a shotgun and a semiautomatic pistol he brought with him to Washington, D.C., on an Amtrak train from California.

It's just the latest security incident involving long-distance public ground transportation — and it won't be the last unless Amtrak and other companies find a way to address passenger screening and security at their stations, union officials who represent on-train employees say.

An Amtrak spokesperson declined to discuss security or to say whether Cole Tomas Allen followed the company's protocol for transporting firearms. Amtrak is working with federal investigators to provide his travel information, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. A lawyer representing Allen notes he has no criminal record and is presumed innocent.

Policy for transporting firearms

Amtrak requires firearms on its trains to be declared, unloaded, secured in a hard case and to meet certain size and weight requirements. Those weapons are only allowed in checked baggage, similar to policies for firearms being transported via passenger airplane.

But unlike airports where passengers undergo Transportation Safety Administration screening of their carry-on bags and their person, train passengers are not screened by security officials, whether they board at the unstaffed station in unincorporated Lamy, New Mexico, or at the bustling Union Station in Washington.

Sean Jeans-Gail, vice president of government affairs and policy at the Rail Passengers Association, said Amtrak and many other ground transportation companies barred weapons on trains and buses after 9/11, but none put security measures in place to detect or screen every passenger for firearms. In 2010, Congress passed a law requiring Amtrak and others to allow firearms to be transported as long as they are checked.

In most cases, that means weapons are secured and placed on baggage cars accessible only by employees. But not every train has dedicated baggage cars. Several former Amtrak employees said when they don't have baggage cars, the bags are zip-tied and labeled to show a firearm is present so workers can see if they are tampered with.

“It is a little hard to take a train hostage, to say it is different than the post 9/11 concerns raised regarding an airplane,” Jeans-Gail said. “Amtrak has been safe from gun violence largely. The main incidents have been police shootings or interdictions.”

Incidents of concern

Railway worker unions started requesting Amtrak and other companies look at security during the COVID-19 pandemic, when enforcing a mask mandate on trains was difficult at best. They asked again after an influx of participants in the Jan. 6 riots came to Washington by train and rowdy behavior on the way home raised concerns.

Jared Cassity, the national safety and legislative director for the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers — Transportation Division union, or SMART-TD, said Amtrak conductors and other on-train workers often don't speak publicly about incidents for fear of retribution from the company.

“Operator assaults are the most common conversations we have with our membership, but guns on trains is second or third in terms of concerns for workers,” Cassity said.

SMART-TD has had some luck pushing state legislation and has two bills pending before Congress. That legislation would clear up jurisdictional challenges making it easier to arrest and charge someone when a rail worker is assaulted during a trip and would make interfering with a rail worker during their duties a crime comparable to interfering with an airline employee on a flight.

Cassity said the conductor who identified the alleged potential mass shooter in 2024 had just taken union-sponsored security training. He received some recognition but the arrest didn't get much news coverage.

A 2022 fatal shooting on an Amtrak train near Lee's Summit, Missouri, did get media attention after the train didn't stop for staff to seek medical attention for the victim until it reached a station — delaying medical care. A federal jury said in 2024 that Amtrak should pay 90% of a $158 million award to the man's family, who had alleged negligence including failure to implement reasonable security measures.

Michael Callanan, a former Amtrak employee and now a rail safety consultant, said he's heard of other security incidents involving smuggling drugs and other illegal items because of the lack of security screenings.

“They never want to spend money on infrastructure or security,” Callanan said. “Maybe this shooter will be a significant enough of an event to push Amtrak to fund things.”

Callanan said Amtrak police officers are not comparable to TSA agents. He said they are mainly charged with patrolling stations, doing track checks and sometimes riding lines and walking trains, but one officer can have a huge amount of territory.

“There's one officer who I think patrols from Orlando to Miami,” he said. “Something has to be done to increase security.”

Geography presents a problem

Jeans-Gail said the Rail Passengers Association supports increasing Amtrak police patrols on trains, but isn't in favor of adding TSA-style security before boarding at the roughly 500 stations across the country.

“The thought of expanding that, even outside of the logistical issues, if you look at the experience of riding the Amtrak network it’s very impractical because it ranges from New York's Penn Station where it's very active, many points of access to the station, unlike an airport where all traffic is filtered to specific points,” he said. “Then you have Whitefish, Montana, on the other side of the spectrum — a rustic structure with not a lot of traffic.”

Cassity said that difference in security needs doesn't escape him. The union isn't expecting a one-size fits every station solution like airports, but he wants the conversation to start.

“We have to change the narrative about safety and realize something has to be done to prevent guns from getting onto the trains freely,” he said. “We sympathize with the challenge this is for Amtrak. ... When you start talking about how you secure the most rural places, and those being the majority of stations, it becomes a daunting, daunting task. ... But we need to have the conversation.”

Seis personas iban a bordo de la embarcación, de 145 pies (44 metros) de eslora, llamada Mariana. Los buzos recuperaron el 21 de abril el cuerpo de uno de los tripulantes.

“La decisión de suspender la búsqueda es increíblemente difícil y solo se toma tras una consideración muy cuidadosa de toda la información disponible", dijo el comandante Preston Hieb, del Distrito de Oceanía de la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos, en un video publicado en X. "Al trabajar y haberme comunicado con las familias, sé lo devastadas que están por este desenlace”.

La búsqueda duró más de 100 horas y abarcó un área mayor que el estado de California, indicó.

El operativo se detuvo dos semanas después de que la tripulación notificara a la Guardia Costera que el barco había perdido sus motores de estribor y necesitaba asistencia, mientras el supertifón Sinlaku azotaba el archipiélago del Pacífico. Las autoridades perdieron el contacto con la embarcación al día siguiente.

Los fuertes vientos dificultaron el inicio de la operación de búsqueda, pero el buque fue localizado finalmente el 18 de abril a unos 64 kilómetros (40 millas) al noreste de Pagan, una de las islas que conforman las Marianas del Norte, que son territorio estadounidense.

La Guardia Costera señaló que entre los restos se avistó una balsa salvavidas inflable parcialmente sumergida a unos 177 kms (110 millas) del barco. Los cinco tripulantes restantes siguen desaparecidos, manifestó Hieb.

“Ofrecemos nuestras más sentidas condolencias a las familias de la tripulación del Mariana, así como a toda la comunidad de Saipán”, agregó.

El supertifón Sinlaku azotó las Islas Marianas del Norte, causando daños por el viento e inundaciones.

___

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

Hegseth told the House Armed Services Committee that boosting next year’s Pentagon budget to an unprecedented $1.5 trillion will “maintain the world’s most powerful and capable military.”

Meanwhile, talks on ending the war have stalled. Trump posted an image on social media showing himself carrying a weapon in a war zone, saying, “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!”

The Latest:

Hegseth says it’s unfair to call Iran war a quagmire

The defense secretary pushed back on Democratic criticisms that the Trump administration has led Americans into a “quagmire,” pointing out that the conflict is only two months old and asserting it has had great success against the Islamic Republic. The U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragged on for years, he said.

Trump said in early March that operations are likely to last four to five weeks but that he was prepared “to go far longer than that.”

The U.S. and Iran do appear to be locked in a stalemate. Trump seems unlikely to accept Tehran’s latest offer to reopen the strait if the U.S. ends the war, lifts its sea blockade and postpones nuclear talks. The Iranians seem unwilling to give up their nuclear ambitions before ending the conflict.

Hegseth says US military considered that Iran might close the Strait of Hormuz

He said the Pentagon “looked at all aspects” of the risk that Iran would blockade the strait. The claim came after Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts, asked Hegseth if he considered “Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz winning.”

“I would say the blockade that we hold that doesn’t allow anything to come in or out of Iranian ports,” Hegseth replied.

So “we’ve blockaded their blockade,” Moulton said — that’s “like saying tag, you’re it.”

Caine declined to say if the risk of Iran closing the critical waterway was considered, but said the military always offers “a full range of military options that are carefully considered with the associated risks.”

The heated exchange was the latest between Hegseth and Democrats who have used the hearing to ask broader questions on the strategy behind the war in Iran and the Trump administration’s use of the military. Meanwhile, House Republicans have largely used their time asking very specific or detailed questions about the Pentagon’s budget and spending.

As TotalEnergies reports huge profits, protesters call for windfall taxes on fossil fuel companies

Climate activists protested outside a TotalEnergies petrol station in Paris on Wednesday after the French energy giant reported $5.4 billion in adjusted first-quarter profit, up 29% from a year earlier, as it “captured higher prices” despite production challenges due to the war in Iran.

The 350.org group said about 30 activists from several environmental organizations unfurled a banner reading, “TotalEnergies profits, we foot the bill.”

The group said war-related price spikes have cost French consumers and businesses more than $2.3 billion so far, urging the French government to “show political courage” by permanently taxing excess fossil fuel profits.

“While families watch their bills skyrocket, TotalEnergies posts some of its best financial results without even paying its fair share of taxes,” 350.org country manager Fanny Petitbon said in a statement. “We are witnessing an obscene transfer of wealth: the war enriches shareholders as it impoverishes citizens.”

Hegseth claims Americans support Iran war despite polling

The hearing has resumed, with a heated exchange between Democratic Rep. John Garamendi and Hegseth.

The secretary said the American people have supported the war’s mission of depriving Iran of a nuclear weapon, “despite your loose talk and words like quagmire.”

While an AP-NORC poll from March found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults said it’s “extremely” or “very” important to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, other polling suggests that most Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling the issue of Iran more broadly.

Garamendi had lambasted Hegseth and Trump for the Iran war, calling it “a political and economic disaster at every level.”

1.24 million projected to face acute insecurity in Lebanon, UN report says

That’s nearly one in four of the population analyzed, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis released by Lebanon’s Agriculture Ministry with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Food Program.

The figures are projections and it remains unclear how the estimates were reached. The report notes that the current crisis follows seven years of compounded economic collapse and conflict.

“Compounded shocks are undermining agricultural livelihoods and impacting food security, highlighting the urgent need for emergency agricultural assistance to support farmers,” said Nora Ourabah Haddad, FAO Representative in Lebanon.

US energy secretary says ‘good on them’ after UAE announced it’s leaving OPEC

The United Arab Emirates is “a dynamic rising nation, a great ally of the United States,” Chris Wright said at a press conference in Croatia. “But they are a sovereign nation, they’ve invested massively in their own energy infrastructure, and apparently they want more flexibility about how to deploy that infrastructure.”

Both UAE and Saudi Arabia have been “great partners in investing hugely to power not just their nations and the region, but they are major energy suppliers to the whole globe,” Wright added. “A lot of our standard of living is massively benefited by the investments of the UAE and Saudi Arabia and Qatar and Kuwait and many of the nations in that region.”

Wright expressed confidence that as the oil flow starts to be unimpeded again after this conflict, “everyone that has spare oil production capacity will lean in and produce as much energy as they can.”

EU commissioner sees ‘no actual evidence’ of fuel shortages due to blockade of Strait of Hormuz

Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said Wednesday commercial jet fuel stocks are markets are “under pressure in certain parts of Europe” and that the 27-member bloc maintains emergency fuel reserves that can be utilized “only if necessary.”

Tzitzikostas didn’t elaborate on when the EU will need to tap those emergency reserves, or offer any figures regarding current stocks.

But he said the EU is enacting a series of measures to dampen the impact of the blockade, including working to secure alternative fuel supplies from the U.S. and to establish a fuel observatory to monitor fuel supply and stock levels.

Joint Staff Chairman says Trump is making ‘tradeoffs’ in focusing military on Iran

Trump ordered three aircraft carriers into the Middle East — a number not seen since 2003. When asked why the U.S. military withdrew resources from Asia after identifying China as a top threat, the president’s top military advisor told lawmakers that Trump has to make “tradeoffs” when deploying troops.

“I’m confident that the president always carefully considers these readiness tradeoffs and I’m sure he has done so in this case based on the military options that we’ve presented with the associated risks and advice,” Caine said.

Rep. Joe Courtney, a Democrat, fired back by noting that the administration’s own National Defense Strategy released shortly before Trump launched the war said Iran was “weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades.” Putting that many troops to confront them, at the expense of other threats “does not, in my opinion, common sense,” Courtney said.

Hegseth engages in tense exchange over Iran’s nuclear program

Hegseth told Democratic Rep. Adam Smith that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated in a 2025 attack by the U.S., prompting Smith to question the Trump administration’s reasoning for starting the Iran war.

“We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” Smith said. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”

Hegseth responded by saying that Iran “had not given up their nuclear ambitions” and still had thousands of missiles.

Smith said the war “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”

Committee takes a break

The committee is taking a brief recess to vote, which is expected to take about 20-25 minutes.

Top defense official says Iran war costs are estimated at $25 billion so far

During a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee, Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of war for finances, said most of the expense has been on munitions, but the military has also spent money on running the operations and equipment replacement.

“We will formulate a supplemental through the White House that will come to Congress once we have a full assessment of the cost of the conflict,” Hurst added.

Caine says his goal is to tell civilian leaders what they need to hear

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the committee in his opening statement that he wants to emulate Gen. George C. Marshall, who served during World War II and later helped Europe recover from the conflict.

“His commitment to civilian control and military and nonpartisan military remains a constant standard in something I borrow from often,” Caine said. “I strive daily to emulate his candor, delivering the facts to our leaders and telling them always what they need to hear, not always what they want to hear.”

Hegseth slams Iran war critics as ‘biggest adversary we face’

“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary, we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” the U.S. defense secretary told lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee.

Rep. Adam Smith, the ranking Democrat, told Hegseth that he finds it “absurd” to claim that the Pentagon’s strategy is built on realism when the war in Iran seems like “the exact opposite of realism.”

Smith also said Hegseth needs to explain what the Trump administration’s goals were for the conflict.

“We’ve seen the cost, and the cost is very, very high,” he said.

Hegseth argued that the historically high Pentagon budget request will maintain “the world’s most powerful and capable military as we grapple with a complex threat environment across multiple theaters.”

Democratic lawmakers calls on Hegseth to answer where the Iran war is going

Rep. Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that he finds it “absurd” to claim that the Pentagon’s strategy is built on realism.

“We started a full scale war in the Middle East against Iran to try to reshape the Middle East,” Smith said, adding that was the exact opposite of realism.

Smith said Hegseth needs to provide an explanation of what the Trump administration’s goals are in the Middle East.

“Where is this going? What is the plan to achieve our objectives? We’ve seen the cost, and the cost is very, very high,” he said.

Republican House armed services chair praises Trump’s historic military budget

Mike Rogers, the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, praised Trump’s $1.5 trillion plan to fund the military in 2027, stating that it “accounts for the true cost of American deterrence.”

“This will enable us to truly catch up in our modernization efforts by quickly fielding new munitions, aircraft, ships, land, space and autonomous systems to replenish and expand our arsenal,” Rogers said.

Pete Hegseth hearing is underway

A House hearing with the defense secretary has started with a packed hearing room and many other people crowded into the hallway outside.

“Let the public in,” several people chanted outside as lawmakers found their seats. They also yelled at Hegseth as he passed them in the hallway.

The hearing is officially to discuss the Pentagon’s proposed budget, but it will also be the first time that Hegseth publicly answers questions on the Iran war on Capitol Hill. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, is seated beside the defense secretary.

A deal between the US and Iran will take ‘political will’

Grossi said the IAEA participated in U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in February, but not the ceasefire negotiations mediated by Pakistan. He said the agency has been in discussions separately with the U.S. and informally with Iran.

The latest proposal from Iran would postpone discussions on its nuclear program but end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war.

Grossi described that as an indication Iran wants to sequence how it confronts the objectives mandated by the U.S., including curbing its ballistic missile program and dealing with its proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen.

“Where the frustration kicks in, apparently for both, is that they do not seem to come to agreement, or be at an eye-to-eye level on what needs to be done first, or on how,” he said.

IAEA has talked to Russia and others about taking Iran’s highly enriched uranium

The U.N. nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was stored at Isfahan when Israel and the U.S. bombarded Iran in June 2025, “and it has been there ever since,” Grossi said.

Grossi said the IAEA has discussed with Russia and others the possibility of sending Iran’s highly enriched uranium out of the country — a complex operation that would require either a political agreement or a major U.S. military operation in hostile territory.

“What’s going to be important is that that material leaves Iran” or is blended to reduce its enrichment, he said.

Iran’s highly enriched uranium likely is at the Isfahan site, the UN nuclear chief tells the AP

The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by U.S. airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year’s U.S.-Israeli war, the head of the U.N. nuclear agency told The Associated Press.

Rafael Grossi said in an interview on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information.”

Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the agency. Grossi has said the IAEA believes roughly 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) is stored in tunnels at the Isfahan site. The stockpile could be weaponized into as many as 10 nuclear bombs, Grossi told the AP last year.

Moscow praises OPEC as stabilizing force as UAE announces plans to leave

Speaking to journalists Wednesday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Russia had no plans to leave OPEC+ and praised the organization’s work in stabilizing energy markets.

“This is a very important area of work and it is especially crucial at the current moment, when energy markets are, to put it mildly, in turmoil,” he said.

However, he stressed that Moscow respected the UAE’s decision. “We welcome statements from Abu Dhabi that the Emirates will continue to take a responsible position in the energy market,” Peskov said.

Merz says relationship with Trump is ‘as good as ever’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his relationship with President Donald Trump remains “as good as ever,” but that he had “had doubts from the very beginning about what was started there with the war in Iran.”

“We are suffering considerably in Germany and in Europe from the consequences of, for example, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Merz said on Wednesday. This hurts energy supplies and the economy. “And in that regard, I urge that this conflict be resolved.”

Trump had earlier attacked Merz on his Truth Social platform: “The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Trump wrote.

Trump was responding to Merz’s comments on Monday, when the German Chancellor said the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized Washington’s lack of strategy in the war.

Trump says Iran ‘better get smart soon’

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Iran’s handling of nuclear negotiations, saying it has failed to move toward a deal.

“Iran can’t get their act together. They don’t know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!” he wrote on Truth Social.

Trump’s post featured an AI-generated image of himself holding a weapon amid explosions with the caption “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY.”

Tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program rose before the war broke out, with Trump repeatedly vowing to ensure the country can’t build a nuclear weapon. Iran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it enriched uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels.

Iran has carried out at least 21 executions since start of war

The U.N.’s human rights chief said Iran has executed at least 21 people since the start of the war with the United States and Israel on Feb. 28.

Volker Türk says at least nine people were executed in connection with huge protests across Iran in January, while another 10 were executed for alleged membership in opposition groups, and two others on espionage charges.

More than 4,000 people have been arrested on national security-related charges in Iran since the end of February, his office says.

Lebanese army soldier killed in Israeli strike

A Lebanese army soldier was killed Wednesday along with his brother in an Israeli strike that targeted the motorcycle on which they were traveling from the soldier’s work post to his home in the village of al-Souaneh, the army said in a statement.

The Lebanese army has stood on the sidelines during the latest Israel-Hezbollah war, which began on March 2 when the militant group launched a salvo of missiles into Israel, two days after the U.S. and Israel launched their attacks on Iran. But soldiers have frequently gotten caught in the crossfire.

A total of 20 Lebanese army soldiers have been killed by Israeli strikes since March 2, most of them while en route to or from their duty stations, the army said. Altogether, more than 2,500 people have been killed in Lebanon during the war and during a shaky ceasefire implemented earlier this month that has reduced but not halted the fighting.

Iran’s highly enriched uranium likely at Isfahan, IAEA says

The majority of Iran’s highly enriched uranium is likely still at its Isfahan nuclear complex, which was bombarded by airstrikes last year and faced less intense attacks in this year’s U.S.-Israeli war, the head of the U.N. nuclear agency told The Associated Press.

Rafael Grossi said in an interview on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information.”

IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel last June launched a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran’s highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since,” Grossi said.

Pakistan's weekly oil bill rises to $800M from $300M before Iran war

Pakistan’s weekly oil import bill has surged by about 167% due to soaring global prices, adding strain to the cash-strapped nation’s fragile economy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday.

In televised remarks during a Cabinet meeting, Sharif said the weekly oil import bill had risen from $300 million before the conflict to $800 million.

He said the government is taking steps to conserve energy and reduce oil consumption, and that diplomatic efforts to promote peace are still ongoing.

Iran’s rial currency hits record low

Iran’s national rial currency hit a record hit Wednesday of 1.8 million to $1 as a shaky ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel still holds.

The rial had remained stable for weeks during the war, which began Feb. 28, in part because there was little trading or imports coming into the country.

The rial began to slide two days ago, hitting the record low Wednesday.

Experts warn the fall of the rial is likely to further fuel inflation in a country where many imported goods, from food and medicine to electronics and raw materials, are affected by the dollar rate.

The war is now in a ceasefire, but a U.S. blockade has continued to increase pressure on Iran’s already-battered economy, cutting into a key source of government revenue and hard currency by stopping or intercepting oil shipments.

Pakistan continuing efforts to ease US-Iran tensions, PM says

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday his government is continuing efforts to help ease tensions between the United States and Iran.

Speaking during a Cabinet meeting in Islamabad, he said a “marathon session” was held in the capital during an initial round of direct talks between the two sides on April 11, leading to progress on a ceasefire that remains in place.

He said Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Pakistan over the weekend during the ceasefire, where another extended round of talks took place between Iran and Pakistan. Araghchi later traveled to Oman, returned briefly, and then departed for Russia, Sharif said.

Sharif said before leaving for Moscow, Araghchi spoke to him by phone and “assured me that after consulting with his leadership, he would respond as soon as possible.” He did not specify what Araghchi would respond to, but Pakistan has said it is seeking to host a second round of talks between the United States and Iran.

Hegseth to face Congress for the first time since Iran war began

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will face questioning from members of Congress for the first time since the Iran war began.

The hearing Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee will focus on the Trump administration’s $1.5 trillion military budget for 2027.

Democratic lawmakers are likely to grill Hegseth on the Iran war’s costs and huge drawdown of critical munitions. While a ceasefire is now in place, the U.S. and Israel launched the war Feb. 28 without congressional oversight.

The facility is in the Perm region of Russia, located in the Ural mountains more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) from Ukraine. Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, said it had struck a Russian oil pumping station near the city of Perm as part of efforts to target Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Russian media also reported the attack, though Perm Gov. Dmitry Makhonin said only that a drone hit an unspecified industrial facility, sparking a fire.

Russian officials have not been forthcoming about Ukrainian claims that Kyiv is carrying out more long-range attacks and that its domestically developed drones are increasingly accurate.

Advanced drone technology has become a defining feature of the battle as Russia’s bigger army presses its more than four-year invasion of its neighbor. Ukraine’s response has included a drive to develop new drones for attack and defense.

Ukraine claims it hit a key Russian oil hub

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday posted a video on the Telegram messaging app showing a large plume of black smoke rising into the sky in countryside near a built-up area. Without specifying it was the reported Perm attack or what was hit, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was expanding the range of its long-distance strikes, describing them as a new phase in efforts to limit Russia’s ability to wage war by denying it crucial oil revenue.

It was not possible to independently verify the video.

The SBU claimed that most oil storage tanks at the facility, which it said is owned by Russia’s pipeline operator Transneft and is a key hub in the country’s oil transportation system, were ablaze. The claims could not be independently verified.

Zelenskyy thanked the SBU for the precision of its strikes.

“The straight-line distance is more than 1,500 kilometers. We will continue to increase these ranges,” he said.

The attack came a day after Ukraine struck the Tuapse oil refinery and terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks, prompting the evacuation of local people and threatening what Russian President Vladimir Putin said could be “serious environmental consequences.” Local authorities said the fire at the Tuapse had been “contained” by Wednesday.

Ukrainian drones exploit Russian vulnerabilities

Ukraine has escalated its long-distance strike campaign against Russian oil facilities in an effort to stop Moscow gaining a financial windfall from a U.S. waiver on sanctions amid global supply restrictions caused by the Iran war, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank.

Kyiv is exploiting the vulnerabilities of Russia’s large land mass, it said.

“Ukrainian forces will likely continue to exploit the large attack surface of Russia’s deep rear and overstretched Russian air defenses to launch more frequent and larger strikes against Russian oil infrastructure and military assets, supported by increased Ukrainian domestic drone production,” the institute said late Tuesday.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its air defenses overnight intercepted 98 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Ukraine's weapon surplus could go to partner countries

After years of relying heavily on foreign military support, Ukraine is now poised to export its sought-after drone know-how.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine is producing a surplus of up to 50% in some types of weapons.

Military cooperation with partners supporting Ukraine “is already underway” with countries in the Middle East, the Gulf, Europe and the Caucasus, he said on Telegram late Tuesday.

The deals involve the production and supply of drones and missiles as well as software and technology, according to Zelenskyy.

Kyiv has also handed a proposal to the United States for cooperation on drones, defense systems and other types of weapons for use in the air, on land and at sea, he said.

Russian nighttime attacks wound civilians

Russia, meanwhile, hasn’t eased up on its own long-range attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas, damaging homes and infrastructure, regional authorities said.

Eight people were injured in an overnight attack on the northeastern Kharkiv region, the regional prosecutor’s office said.

In the northeastern Sumy region, officials said a 60-year-old woman died of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of an attack.

In the southern Odesa region, Russian forces struck Izmail, damaging infrastructure facilities in the city, according to the local administration. A district hospital building was damaged.

Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 154 of the 171 drones launched by Russia overnight.

___

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

Six people were aboard the 145-foot (44-meter) ship, called the Mariana. Divers on April 21 recovered one crew member's body from the overturned ship.

“The decision to suspend the search is an incredibly difficult one that is only made after very careful consideration of all available information,” Cmdr. Preston Hieb of the U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District said in a video posted on X. “From working and communicating with the families, I know how devastated they are by this outcome.”

The search by sea, air and land lasted more than 100 hours and covered an area larger than the state of California, he said. Agencies from Guam, Japan and New Zealand assisted, looking for an orange, 12-person life raft.

The Coast Guard identified the six crew members who were aboard the Mariana as Frederick L. Nosek Jr., Landon Delos Reyes, Jose L. Ramirez, Mohammed A. Rahaman, Chet R. Brochon, and Vincent B. Agulto. Their ages and hometowns were not immediately available.

It also was not immediately known which crew member had been found dead.

“We offer our deepest prayers and ask for God’s comfort and strength to surround their families and friends during this incredibly difficult time,” the Roman Catholic Diocese of Chalan Kanoa in Saipan posted online Wednesday.

The diocese also expressed “profound gratitude” to the Coast Guard and all of the international and military partners in the search. “Thank you for your bravery and your service to our islands,” it said.

Community members held a shoreline vigil for the crew last week, near the 13 Fishermen Memorial Monument honoring the victims of a capsized vessel during a typhoon in 1986.

The suspension of the search came two weeks after the crew notified the Coast Guard that the ship had lost its starboard engines and needed assistance as Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Pacific island chain. The Coast Guard lost contact with the vessel the next day.

Heavy wind hindered initial search efforts, but the overturned ship was eventually spotted April 18 about 40 miles (64 kilometers) northeast of Pagan, one of the islands that make up the Northern Marianas, which is a U.S. territory.

The Coast Guard said debris included a partially submerged inflatable life raft was spotted about 110 miles (177 kilometers) from the ship.

“We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families of the Mariana crew, as well as the entire Saipan community,” Hieb said.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the Northern Mariana Islands, causing wind damage and flooding.

Rafael Grossi said in an interview on Tuesday that the International Atomic Energy Agency has satellite images showing the effects of the latest U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against Iran and that “we continue to get information.”

IAEA inspections ended at Isfahan when Israel last June launched a 12-day war that saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear sites.

The U.N. nuclear watchdog believes a large percentage of Iran's highly enriched uranium “was stored there in June 2025 when the 12-day war broke out, and it has been there ever since,” Grossi said.

“We haven't been able to inspect or to reject that the material is there and that the seals — the IAEA seals — remain there,” he said. “I hope we'll be able to do that, so what I tell you is our best estimate.”

Images from an Airbus satellite show a truck loaded with 18 blue containers going into a tunnel at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center on June 9, 2025, just before the start of the June war. Those containers, believed to contain highly enriched uranium, likely remain there.

Grossi says all Iran's nuclear sites must be inspected

The IAEA also wants to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz and Fordo, where there is also some nuclear material, the IAEA director-general added.

Iran is a party to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, whose five-year review is underway at U.N. headquarters. Under its provisions, Iran is required to open its nuclear facilities to IAEA inspection, Grossi said.

Iran has 440.9 kilograms (972 pounds) of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the agency. Grossi has said the IAEA believes roughly 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds) is stored in tunnels at the Isfahan site.

The Iranian stockpile could allow the country to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program, Grossi told the AP last year, should Iran choose to rush for the bomb.

Tehran long has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. President Donald Trump said one of the major reasons the United States went to war was to deny Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons even as he has insisted that the strikes last June “obliterated” the country's atomic program.

IAEA has talked to Russia and others about taking Iran's highly enriched uranium

Grossi said the IAEA has discussed with Russia and others the possibility of sending Iran's highly enriched uranium out of the country — a complex operation that would require either a political agreement or a major U.S. military operation in hostile territory.

“What's going to be important is that that material leaves Iran” or is blended to reduce its enrichment, he said.

Grossi said the IAEA participated in the last cycle of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks in February but hasn’t been part of recent ceasefire negotiations mediated by Pakistan. He said the agency has been in discussions separately with the U.S. and informally with Iran.

The latest proposal from Iran would postpone discussions on its nuclear program but end its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial sea route for oil and natural gas shipments, if the U.S. lifts its blockade and ends the war.

Grossi described that as an indication that Iran wants to sequence how it confronts the objectives mandated by the U.S., including curbing its ballistic missile program and dealing with its proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Houthis in Yemen.

“What is indispensable is that we address it,” the IAEA director-general said of Iran’s nuclear program.

A deal between the US and Iran will take ‘political will’

This will take “political will” from Tehran, he said, stressing that “Iran has to be convinced that it is important to negotiate.”

Iran's leaders say they are willing to negotiate and so does the Republican U.S. president, Grossi said, but “where the frustration kicks in, apparently for both, is that they do not seem to come to agreement, or be at an eye-to-eye level on what needs to be done first, or on how.”

Calling himself a negotiator who likes to see a “flicker of hope,” Grossi noted that “one important thing is that there is apparently an interest on both sides to come to an agreement.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News Channel this week that preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear weapon “remains the core issue” that must be confronted.

Asked if he thinks the Iranians are serious about making a deal, Rubio said that they are skilled negotiators looking to buy time and that any agreement must be "one that definitively prevents them from sprinting towards a nuclear weapon at any point.”

Grossi said in any political agreement, full IAEA inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities must take place.

The rial had remained stable in the early weeks of the war that began Feb. 28, in part because there was little trading or imports.

The rial began to slide two days ago. Experts warn that its fall is likely to further fuel inflation in a country where many imported goods, from food and medicine to electronics and raw materials, are affected by the dollar rate.

A U.S. naval blockade during the ceasefire has increased pressure on Iran’s already battered economy, cutting into a key source of government revenue and hard currency by stopping or intercepting oil shipments.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Wednesday his government was continuing efforts to help ease tensions between the U.S and Iran following an initial round of direct talks on April 11.

The latest slide of Iran's currency comes months after a currency shock helped fuel nationwide protests in January. At the time, the rial weakened from about 1.4 million to 1.6 million to the dollar in less than a week, deepening public anger over rising prices and fears about the country’s economic future.

Iran’s economy has faced decades of sanctions, chronic inflation and a widening gap between official and open-market exchange rates.

Prices of basic household goods had already been rising before the rial's latest fall, adding to pressure on Iranian families. Over the past two weeks, people buying daily essentials have faced higher prices for milk, yogurt, cooking oil, bread, rice, cheese and detergents.

The increases point to broader inflationary pressure in the economy driven by uncertainty, supply disruptions, higher transport and production costs and the continuing impact of the U.S. blockade. The rial’s latest slide is likely to add further pressure particularly on goods tied to imports, packaging and raw materials.

The economic pressure also has extended to the labor market. The reformist Shargh newspaper reported Monday that 500 workers at Pinak in Rasht and 700 workers at Borujerd Textile Factory had been laid off since the beginning of the new Iranian calendar year in late March after their contracts ended.

The reported layoffs add to concerns that rising costs, weaker demand and uncertainty after the war and blockade are forcing some companies to cut jobs or avoid renewing temporary contracts.

___

Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

The conviction for obstruction of justice and other charges comes on top of a life sentence he has already received on rebellion charges stemming from his baffling authoritarian push, which triggered the most serious crisis for the country’s democracy in decades.

Judge Yoon Sung-sik of the Seoul High Court said the conservative former president sidestepped a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting before declaring martial law, falsified documents to conceal the lapse, and deployed security officials “like a private army” to resist law enforcement efforts to arrest him in the weeks following his impeachment. Former President Yoon stood quietly as the verdict was delivered and made no comment.

Yoo Jeong-hwa, one of Yoon’s lawyers, called the verdict “very disappointing” and said the legal team would appeal to the Supreme Court. Yoon has also appealed his life sentence.

A lower court in January sentenced Yoon to five years in prison but partially cleared him of abuse-of-power charges tied to the Cabinet meeting ahead of the martial law declaration, finding he was not responsible for the failure to attend of two members who were invited.

The Seoul High Court reversed that acquittal, finding him guilty on all counts and ruling that he violated the rights of those two as well as seven other Cabinet members who weren’t notified by convening only a select few to simulate a formal meeting.

Though brief, Yoon’s Dec. 3, 2024, martial law decree threw the country into a severe political crisis, paralyzing politics and high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets. The turmoil eased only after his liberal rival, Lee Jae Myung, won an early presidential election in June.

Yoon was suspended from office on Dec. 14, 2024, after being impeached by the liberal-led legislature and was formally removed by the Constitutional Court in April 2025.

Following his suspension from office, he refused to comply with a Seoul court's warrant to detain him for questioning, setting up a standoff in which dozens of investigators arrived at the presidential residence in early January 2025 but were blocked by presidential security forces and vehicle barricades. He was detained later that month, released by another court in March, and was then re-arrested in July.

He remained in custody after that as a series of criminal trials, which are continuing, began.

Wednesday’s ruling came a day after the same court increased to four years the sentence of Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, for charges including accepting luxury gifts from the Unification Church, which sought political favors from Yoon’s government, and involvement in a stock price manipulation scheme.

Prosecutors in a separate trial last week also requested a 30-year prison term for Yoon over allegations that he deliberately tried to escalate tensions with North Korea in 2024 by ordering drone flights over Pyongyang as he sought to create justifiable conditions for martial law at home.

The program, born in the grief of one of the nation’s worst mass shootings, teaches students how to identify warning signs among their peers and urges them to report any red flags to an anonymous tip system or a trusted adult to head off any violence.

Since that first class in a Columbus church, the program, “Say Something,” has been presented to thousands of students nationwide. Nearly 395,000 tips have been sent in, ranging from threats of school shootings and suicides to drug use and bullying. One tip last year led to the arrest of an Indiana student who threatened a shooting at her school.

“It’s been very successful,” said Hockley, whose son Dylan was among the 20 first graders and six educators who died at Sandy Hook in Newtown, Connecticut, on Dec. 14, 2012. “Having had direct experience of both of my children being in a school shooting and my youngest one dying, I feel very compelled to honor that legacy by doing all that I can to prevent future acts of violence and school shootings.”

Trainers with Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit founded in early 2013 by Hockley and other relatives of the Newtown victims, have traveled to all 50 states to show students how to spot signs of potential violence or self-harm — which can include threats on social media, an obsession with weapons or behavioral changes — as well as the importance of speaking up before something bad happens.

Shootings are on students' minds

For students who have grown up in an age where mass killings are often in the news and whose schools regularly run lockdown drills, having a way to take action can be comforting.

“School shootings are definitely very scary, and they do run through your head as a high school student,” said Addison Hunt, a 17-year-old junior at Hanover High School in Hanover, Massachusetts. “But I think being able to have these outlets where you can report things definitely makes me feel a lot safer.”

On a recent afternoon, a “Say Something” instructor took Hunt and her classmates through the program in the auditorium of the school, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) south of Boston.

Keely Rogers, a 28-year-old former high school music educator, explained to the group that research has found that nearly all school attackers showed warning signs beforehand, most commonly on social media.

“You are going to become the eyes and ears of your school through social media, right?” she said. “Your teachers and staff don’t follow the same people as you. They can’t keep an eye out. They can’t keep everyone safe.”

In a slideshow she pointed to an Instagram post, pulled from a real tip to the group’s reporting system, that said, “Don’t come 2 school tomorrow if you wanna live.” Rogers said someone reported the post within three minutes and action was taken.

Ava Khouri, Hanover’s senior class president, said one of the program’s key points, for her, was not to worry about what others will think about you if you speak up.

“I think that definitely students are wary to bring these issues up to adults and administration in the school, because they’re worried they’re either going to be made fun of for tattling or getting someone else in trouble,” she said. “So I think that this program definitely gave light to the fact that you’re not a tattletale if you’re helping someone and you’re helping others.”

Both Hunt and Khouri said they had reported troubling behavior to parents and educators before learning about the program.

A tip leads to an arrest

Trained crisis counselors staff the “Say Something” anonymous reporting system 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, referring serious situations to police and school officials. The most common tips are concerns about bullying, drug use, harassment and self-harm, according to Sandy Hook Promise.

Every once in a while, the system receives an alarming tip that is immediately passed on to law enforcement.

Last year in Indiana, among many examples, someone used the system to report that a student was planning a shooting at Mooresville High School, near Indianapolis, on Feb. 14. That's the anniversary of the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. The student, 18-year-old Trinity Shockley, was arrested Feb. 12.

The tipster, a friend of Shockley, said Shockley was obsessed with the Parkland shooter and had access to an AR-15 rifle, according to a police report. Authorities said Shockley’s social media postings included one that said “Parkland part two. Of course. I’ve been planning this for a YEAR.”

Shockley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced in November to 12 years in prison, though her lawyer insisted that Shockley would not have carried out the plan, local news outlets reported.

Sandy Hook Promise believes that its program and reporting system prevented a shooting in Mooresville, as well as in other communities, and has also stopped suicides.

“So it’s bittersweet,” said Hockley, the co-founder, “because I wish this had existed before Sandy Hook.”

It will be the first time in nearly two decades — and in Russia’s 4-year-old war in Ukraine — that no military equipment will rumble through Moscow’s Red Square on May 9, the day Russia celebrates its most important secular holiday. The Kremlin has used it to showcase its military might and global clout, and it is a source of patriotic pride.

Victory Day parades on Red Square have involved military equipment and various weaponry every year since 2008. Smaller parades are held elsewhere across the country, including in cities like St. Petersburg.

The ministry cited the “current operational situation” as a reason for excluding military equipment, as well as cadets, from this year’s parade on the 81st anniversary of the victory. Ukraine has launched drone attacks deep inside Russia to counter Moscow’s more than 4-year-old invasion.

While the ministry did not elaborate, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday blamed Ukraine, accusing it of “terrorist activity,” in an apparent reference to the drone strikes. In recent months, attacks have reached locations deep inside Russia, like the Baltic port of Ust-Luga to the north of Moscow, the Samara region near the border with Kazakhstan, and the Perm region in the Ural mountains.

“All measures are being taken to minimize the danger,” he told reporters.

The parade will feature “servicemen from higher military educational institutions of all kinds and certain service branches of the Russian Armed Forces” and a traditional military aircraft flyover, the ministry said.

Boosting national pride

World War II remains a rare point of consensus in the nation’s divisive history under Communist rule, and the Kremlin has leveraged that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia’s position as a global power.

The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche.

President Vladimir Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 25 years, has turned Victory Day into a key pillar of his tenure and has tried to use it to justify the war in Ukraine.

“Traditionally, the parade of tanks, missile systems and other military hardware across Red Square has been central to these celebrations, providing powerful optics and reinforcing Russia’s image as the heir to Soviet victory in World War II," said Natia Seskuria, associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute.

"Removing this important element weakens the propaganda value of the event, particularly for domestic audiences, as it reduces one of the most visible symbols of Russian power and military prestige,” she told The Associated Press.

Security concerns are the most likely explanation, Seskuria said.

But there also could be practical military considerations, "including the need to preserve equipment, avoid highlighting battlefield losses, and reduce the exposure of valuable military assets,” she said,

"This decision signals a degree of vulnerability rather than strength, because even last year, Russia demonstrated a range of new tanks and drones in front of invited world leaders,” Seskuria added.

An 80th anniversary drew dignitaries

Last year’s parade on the 80th anniversary was the largest since Russia sent troops into Ukraine, and drew the most global leaders to Moscow in a decade, including high-profile guests like Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Fico will attend this year, too, along with other foreign dignitaries, Putin aide Yuri Ushakov said Wednesday.

It featured over 11,500 troops and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine, as well as huge Yars nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as drones carried on military trucks. Fighter jets flew over Red Square, too.

Putin had declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire starting May 7, 2025, and authorities blocked cellphone internet in Moscow for several days to avert Ukrainian drone attacks.

In 2023, the parade was scaled down, with fewer troops and military equipment on display and no flyover.

In the Soviet era, the first Red Square parade marking the defeat of Nazi Germany took place on June 24, 1945. Then it was held on May 9 several times after that, with the last Soviet-era parade taking place in 1990.

After the USSR collapsed, the parades resumed in 1995. That year, troops and veterans marched through Red Square, and a separate parade of military equipment took place at the sprawling Poklonnaya Gora World War II memorial. After that, parades were held every year. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities moved the parade to a later date, and it was held on June 24.

Atletico last played in the semifinals in 2016, when it reached the final before losing to city rival Real Madrid. Arsenal last appeared in the final in 2006, when it lost to Barcelona.

“It’s a huge objective, something the club has never achieved,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said Tuesday. “But it’s a soccer match and, ultimately, it’s the players who decide these games.”

Simeone could be without striker Ademola Lookman, who missed the last two games because of a muscle issue.

Kai Havertz has been ruled out for Arsenal. The Germany international was substituted in the first half of Arsenal’s win over Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday because of a muscle injury. Jurrien Timber also won’t make it to Wednesday’s match.

Arsenal was eliminated by eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain in last year’s semifinals.

PSG edged Bayern Munich 5-4 at home Tuesday in the first leg of the other semifinal.

___

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

The EU's executive branch said Meta Platforms lacked effective measures to prevent children younger than 13 from signing up, and that it was not doing enough to identify and remove children after they had opened accounts.

Meta's own minimum age to open an account on Facebook or Instagram is 13.

The problem is not just that children are getting access. The European Commission said Meta is also inadequately assessing the risk of children younger than 13 being exposed to “age-inappropriate experiences” on the platforms.

Meta disagreed with the decision, saying that it has measures in place to detect and remove accounts for anyone younger than 13.

“Understanding age is an industry-wide challenge, which requires an industry-wide solution, and we will continue to engage constructively with the European Commission on this important issue,” the company said in a statement, adding it will have more to share next week about additional measures it plans to roll out soon.

Brussels is targeting the Meta with the Digital Services Act, a sweeping set of regulations that requires tech companies operating in the 27-nation bloc to do more to clean up online platforms and protect internet users.

Meta now has the chance to respond to the preliminary findings, before the commission issues its final decision. Violations can result in hefty fines worth up to 6% of a company's worldwide annual revenue.

Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the European Commission, said the bloc's investigation launched in 2024 found that Instagram and Facebook “are doing very little” to prevent children from getting access despite their own terms and conditions indicating “their services are not intended for minors under 13."

“The DSA requires platforms to enforce their own rules: terms and conditions should not be mere written statements, but rather the basis for concrete action to protect users – including children,” she said in a statement.

Things feel a bit different now, with the Wild going home for Game 6 on Thursday night with a chance to eliminate the Dallas Stars and advance to the second round for the first time since 2015.

“I think it’s important just to stay calm. You know, don’t overthink it,” said Zuccarello, the 16-year NHL veteran in his seventh season with the Wild. “Don’t read whatever you guys (media) say about we haven’t gotten out of the first round in a couple of years. Just calm and collected.”

Zuccarello scored the first goal less than four minutes into Game 5 on Tuesday night in Dallas, which was the 38-year-old top-line forward’s return from a three-game absence with an upper-body injury. The Wild, in their 12th playoff appearance over 14 seasons, went on to a 4-2 win for a 3-2 series lead.

The only other time Minnesota has ever had a 3-2 series lead was that first round in 2015, when they beat St. Louis in six games. The Wild have since lost nine consecutive playoff series, including to Dallas in 2016 and 2023.

“We’ve got to just look to control our emotions in Game 6 and in front of our home crowd, a place where we had a good feeling leaving last time,” said forward Marcus Foligno said, who is in his ninth season. “I think it's a little bit different. I think we have a lot of leadership and guys that are experienced. ... It’s a close group but a really hard working group and a confident one right now.”

Wild captain Jared Spurgeon and fellow defenseman Jonas Brodin are the only two current players who have taken part in a postseason series victory in Minnesota. Spurgeon was then a 25-year-old in his fifth of his 16 NHL seasons — all with the same team. Brodin's status is uncertain for the potential clincher at home after leaving Game 5 with a lower-body injury.

If Minnesota can't wrap up the powerhouse first-round series at home, where it won Game 4 in overtime, a deciding Game 7 would be Saturday in Dallas.

The series winner will advance to play well-rested top-seeded Central Division foe Colorado, which finished off a sweep of its first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings last Sunday.

Kirill Kaprizov had two assists on Tuesday night, two days after his 29th birthday, before an empty-net goal with two minutes left. His second goal in this series was the 17th playoff goal of his career, breaking a tie with Zach Parise for the most in franchise history. His ninth career multipoint playoff game also surpassed Parise.

Matt Boldy, the 25-year-old budding standout, had the tiebreaking power-play goal in the final minute of the second period after having one taken away because of a goalie interference challenge at the end of the first.

Jesper Wallstedt, their 23-year-old rookie who has started every game in net over Filip Gustavsson in this series, had 20 saves in Game 5. He has allowed only three goals against the Stars in five-on-five situations, with neither coming that way.

“We’re very confident of where we’re at. ... Now we get to bring the series home,” Wallstedt said. “I’ve never played in a game of that type of magnitude. I’m very excited. I’m looking forward to it so much.”

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Bongos, rare antelopes known for their striking stripes, have been declared critically endangered due to poaching and diseases. There are fewer than 100 mountain bongos left in the wild, according to the Kenyan government. Many were sent to Europe in the 1980s after a major rinderpest disease outbreak killed thousands.

The returnees arrived from Dvur Kralove Zoo in wooden crates at Kenya’s main airport and were received by the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Tourism Minister Rebecca Miano, who hailed it as a “homecoming of the majestic bongos.”

It's the third such return in recent years, with the previous one in February 2025. After a period of quarantine and acclimatization, the bongos will be sent to the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, which houses 102 bongos, before being released into the wild.

The conservancy runs a national recovery plan for the mountain bongo in collaboration with the government and plans to use the four bongos to interbreed and strengthen the gene pool.

Kenyan-raised nature explorers and filmmakers Jahawi and Elke Bertolli told The Associated Press that the bongos will bring genetic variation that is critical for their conservation, adding that the species plays a key role in protecting the forests that are vital to Kenya’s water supply.

Czech Republic Ambassador Nicol Adamcova said the relocation reflects a long-standing partnership between the Czech Republic and Kenya in conservation and a shared commitment to protecting endangered species.

Mudavadi said such milestones show what can be achieved when policy, science, and collaboration come together in pursuit of a shared conservation goal.

Prodded by his son, Mattingly decided to give baseball another go, and he accepted a job over the winter as bench coach in Philadelphia, where he would be reunited with old friend Rob Thomson from their New York Yankees days.

But manage again when the Yankees great known as Donnie Baseball was about to turn 65?

“I don’t think I have the energy for that anymore,” Mattingly said in January.

Mattingly seemed candid about his future at the time because all logic and recent history showed that he was joining a heavyweight World Series contender in Philadelphia. Why even toss around the idea of ever filling out a lineup card again, especially with a high-priced, postseason-tested roster brimming with talent including Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler?

Fast forward four months and the Phillies' season has come to this: Mattingly's last best shot at winning his first World Series ring after more than 40 years in baseball starts with managing one of the worst teams in the National League.

Mattingly is indeed the manager for the rest of the season, taking the interim job Tuesday after the Phillies fired Thomson — and openly flirted with the idea of replacing him with former Red Sox manager Alex Cora — with the stout belief that a championship team beats in the heart of this underachieving roster.

The job either comes with a perk or the potential for awkwardness with Mattingly also the father of his new boss, Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly.

“I know how competitive he is,” Mattingly said. “Him and I are a little different. He looks at things, he's a little outside the box at times, which I appreciate. It's helped me grow.”

Also give 11-year-old son Louis Mattingly the bulk of the credit for flipping dad’s decision in the offseason.

Mattingly — who wore a white pinstriped suit in the 1980s Hit Man poster that was a staple in many an '80s New York kid's bedroom — is off to a fine start in Philly.

Thomson, who led the Phillies to four straight postseason berths, including the 2022 World Series, might still have his job had Philadelphia regularly played as well at it did in a 7-0 win over San Francisco in Mattingly's debut.

“I’m going to watch our game,” Thomson said in a video call with reporters shortly before the game. “I really am.”

Thomson surely enjoyed the result — even if it perhaps came with a bit of frustration that the Phillies failed to play more consistent complete games throughout April.

Turner became the first Phillies player all season with a four-hit game. Jesús Luzardo, just two starts after the lefty allowed nine runs and 12 hits against the Cubs, tossed two-hit ball, struck out eight and walked none over seven innings. He teamed with two relievers for the Phillies' first shutout of the season.

The Phillies lost 10 straight games and 11 of 12 in Thomson's final stretch of an otherwise successful tenure. Mattingly kept the coaching staff intact — notably beleaguered hitting coach Kevin Long, who took most of the heat for the Phillies' woes — and third base coach Dusty Wathan was promoted to bench coach.

“I don't know if I'm a whole lot different from Rob, honestly,” Mattingly said. “I trust players, I believe in players, I like players. But I want us to play better baseball.”

Mattingly, who managed the Dodgers from 2011-15 and the Marlins from 2016-22, also didn't seem to mind he was Philadelphia's second managerial choice.

Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, made it clear Tuesday that Cora was his first choice to succeed Thomson. Dombrowski ran the front office in Boston when Cora managed the Red Sox to a World Series championship in 2018. A Philly reunion made sense on paper, though Cora ultimately passed.

“I came to the conclusion that if he took it, I would make a change. I thought he would take it," Dombrowski said. "Until Monday morning it was apparent from his perspective he wanted to take time with his family. He wanted to be a father first and foremost and so that’s what he had decided.”

The Phillies' woes stretch way beyond the manager.

From former All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm to second baseman Bryson Stott, the Phillies underperformed for a team with $284.7 million payroll. The Phillies are aging and the rotation was a disaster — which led to the decision to release Taijuan Walker — all part of a recipe for a team that used Tuesday's win to move to 10-19.

The Phillies, of course, have been here before, notably in 2022 when Dombrowski fired Joe Girardi after a 22-29 start and they went 65-46 the rest of the season under Thomson. The schedule works in Mattingly's favor to duplicate that run, with nine of the next 13 games at home, with only the Athletics (out of three other teams) holding a winning record.

Mattingly thought he was out. He's now all the way back in — and the Phillies' World Series hopes are firmly pinned on a manager who's never won one.

“This is not about how I'm going to do,” Mattingly said. “It's really about club.”

___

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

Sixteen cities across the United States, Mexico and Canada will be hosting the 2026 World Cup in June and July. On average, July is the hottest month of the year for the contiguous U.S., according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and it’s only gotten warmer since record-keeping began in 1895. Wet bulb globe temperatures, which factor humidity, wind speed, sun angle and more, could exceed 90 F (32 C) in the afternoons in the Texas cities of Dallas and Houston and Monterrey, Mexico, research shows.

“Almost all of the host locations, 14 out of 16 of them, experience levels of extreme heat, which could be potentially dangerous to players, match officials and possibly spectators,” said Donal Mullan, a senior lecturer at Queen’s University Belfast who lead a paper last year examining the heat risks of this year's host cities. Some stadiums have the advantage of being fully covered, reducing the risks.

Exposure to heat, amplified during exertion, can lead to nausea, dehydration, headaches, stroke and, in extreme cases, death. Worries from some that millions of people could be exposed during the tournament were amplified in March, when record-breaking temperatures hit large swaths of the U.S. And with global temperatures rising because of pollution from burning oil, gas and coal, scientists have warned that staging soccer tournaments in the summer is getting more dangerous.

The 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar was moved from summer to winter because of the threat of extreme heat. Last year's Club World Cup experienced a heat wave that sent temperatures soaring into the 90s F (32s C) and above in many areas. Following the event, the soccer players' global union warned that extreme heat would likely be an even bigger problem at the next two men’s World Cups. The 2030 World Cup will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

This year, host cities, stadiums and FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, are working to protect players and spectators by conducting heat risk assessments, enhancing shade, cooling zones and water access, stationing medical teams during events and more.

Some plans are still being finalized, but here’s a look at what to expect inside stadiums and at outdoor events:

Protecting athletes and FIFA personnel

Players will get 3-minute hydration breaks midway through each half, regardless of weather conditions, FIFA said. Other welfare plans include allowing teams the usual of up to five substitutions, a minimum of three rest days between matches, and staff and substitutes will have access to climate-controlled benches at outdoor matches. Climate conditions are factored into the match schedule.

“Outdoor matches during the hottest parts of the day have been strategically limited, kick-off times adjusted in certain markets, and matches expected in warmer windows prioritized for covered stadiums where possible,” FIFA said.

The federation has also created a Heat Illness Mitigation and Management Task Force made of medical and operational experts. Ahead of the games, they are finalizing heat-risk alert systems, coordinating stadium medical action plans and other standardized guidance.

Heat messaging, activating extreme heat plans and medical personnel

Officials will be monitoring weather conditions and be prepared to activate extreme heat plans if they determine that temperatures are too hot. If activated, plans will include sending out public safety messaging on how to protect yourself from heat and how to recognize signs of heat exhaustion and stroke.

If Canada's federal agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, issues an official heat warning, for instance, the city of Vancouver will add more temporary drinking fountains, handwashing and misting stations outside to complement its multilanguage heat awareness campaign.

Along main tournament and festival routes, volunteers will also be providing heat safety information to attendees and workers.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it will be disseminating heat safety and proper hydration information leading up to and during the games. It will also be launching a heat dashboard for the public with near-real-time data on heat-related emergency room visits in the county.

New York City will be prepared to send out notifications in 14 different languages to its 1.5 million public warning subscribers, as well as international visitors on the Everbridge app and WhatsApp channels.

Educational campaigns are helpful for promoting hydration, use of shade and more, but research shows passively disseminating information doesn't always have the intended effect, said William Adams, assistant professor in kinesiology at Michigan State University who researches exertional heat stress among athletes. It requires a more active approach, but that isn't really feasible with large events like this one, he said.

Medical personnel will also be stationed and available in FIFA Fan Festivals and around several stadiums during matches to manage heat-related illnesses, including at the Toronto Stadium in Canada and the Dallas Stadium in Texas.

At Dallas' outdoor events, all medical professionals will have access to ice and ice immersion bags, and the city’s festival site — where people can watch live matches — will also have two medical stations in climate-controlled locations.

Increased access to shade, water and cooling stations

Cities and stadiums will be increasing access to shade, cooling areas and water for spectators and workers.

In addition to being ready to implement its heat and smoke response plans if necessary, the Seattle Office of Emergency Management in Washington State is exploring using air-conditioned buses, tents and water misters at fan fests and matches.

In Vancouver, there will be shaded seating areas at all the various tournament events and locations around the city.

Volunteers and workers at outside events in Dallas will have mandated rest and hydration breaks. And officials will be working with volunteer organizations to hand out water.

These combined efforts hope to reduce heat‑related illnesses and help minimize strain on local hospitals during the tournament.

Stadium coverage and cooler hours

Some stadiums are covered, such as Canada’s BC Place Vancouver stadium that will host seven games. It is “one of only four 2026 World Cup stadiums which are fully covered so players and fans will not be exposed to weather conditions while inside the stadium,” the City of Vancouver said in a statement.

The Dallas venue has air conditioning and is also enclosed, “so we don’t anticipate any weather-related issues inside,” said Tim Ciesco with the Arlington Police Department.

In Santa Clara, California, all matches will be played in the evening, when weather conditions are cooler.

Elliot Arthur-Worsop, founding director For Football for Future, a group focused on creating environmental sustainability in soccer, said the tournament's organizers have a responsibility to keep people safe. “That’s a social contract that exists between the fans and football governing bodies,” he said. In a climate report they published ahead of this year's games, they found heat and other climate risks will intensify in most stadiums hosting games in 2050.

“By the next time the World Cup comes back and is awarded in this part of the world,” he said, “it will have to be structured differently and adapted.”

___

Associated Press writers Graham Dunbar and Seth Borenstein contributed to this report.

___

The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

De'Aaron Fox had 21 points, Julian Champagnie added 19 and Dylan Harper scored 17 for the Spurs, who led by as many as 28 in winning their third straight game in the best-of-seven series to advance to the second round.

“We didn’t want to go back to Portland,” Champagnie said. “That was kind of the emphasis for the guys on the team. We just didn’t want to fly back to Portland. It's a four-hour flight. So being up 3-1 and playing at home, it’s a good chance to close it out and not go back. So, that was all of the motivation we needed tonight.”

San Antonio advances to the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2017, when it beat the Houston Rockets before losing Kawhi Leonard to an ankle injury and then getting swept by Golden State in the conference finals.

The Spurs will face the winner of the series between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves lead that series 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday.

Leonard’s injury and subsequent trade led to a rapid descent in the Spurs’ fortunes. That futility allowed San Antonio to draft Wembanyama, and the 7-foot-4 center from France was stellar in closing out the Blazers.

“It’s extremely difficult,” Portland coach Tiago Splitter said of Wembanyama's defense. “You've got to do a lot of tricks and try to set back screens and seals and spin actions. It's not easy, because he can contest the 3 and the rim at the same time, basically. He's going to create a lot of problems for a lot of teams for a long time.”

Portland cut its deficit to 91-82 with eight minutes remaining following an 11-0 run. But the Spurs stuffed the rally, including Wembanyama sending Deni Avdija’s floater off the top of the backboard and into the crowd in the final minutes.

Avdija finished with 22 points, but was 1 for 6 from 3-point distance as the Trail Blazers shot 23% from long range.

Portland’s Scoot Henderson scored five points. He was limited to 10 points after a skirmish with Harper in the final minute of the third quarter in San Antonio’s 120-108 win in Game 3 on Saturday.

It was one of several skirmishes during a physical and chippy series between the second-seeded Spurs and No. 7 seed Trail Blazers.

Coach Mitch Johnson said the Spurs could not afford another early double-digit deficit as they had in the third and fourth games. San Antonio responded by charging to a 17-4 start, fueled by a pair of 3-pointers and eight points from Champagnie.

“It’s never perfect, of course, but that’s exactly what we said we wanted to do before the game,” Wembanyama said.

Champagnie finished 5 for 7 from long distance and San Antonio shot 40% from 3-point territory.

___

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

The S&P 500 fell 0.3%, a day after falling from its all-time high due to drops for artificial-intelligence stocks and worries about higher oil prices. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 299 points, or 0.6%, as of 12:46 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.4%.

Another procession of profit reports from companies showing stronger growth for the start of 2026 than analysts expected helped support the market.

Visa jumped 9.1% after delivering stronger results than analysts expected, and CEO Ryan McInerney said consumer spending remained resilient in the quarter. Starbucks climbed 8.5% after likewise reporting better results than expected, while saying customers spent more at each visit, particularly at its North American stores.

Most companies so far this earnings reporting season have been topping analysts’ expectations, which has helped the U.S. stock market rally to records despite the high gasoline costs and soured confidence among U.S. households caused by the Iran war.

But those not meeting expectations have gotten punished. GE Healthcare Technologies dropped 11.8% after falling short of analysts’ forecasts. Robinhood Markets tumbled 14% after reporting growth in profit that was not as strong as analysts expected.

Booking Holdings swung between losses and gains after the online travel company said the war with Iran is affecting its results and kept some potential customers from booking rooms during the latest quarter.

The company behind Booking.com, Priceline and other brands is expecting the conflict to continue affecting its business through the end of June. It could affect travel not only in the Middle East but also in major transit corridors, such as between Europe and Asia.

The clearest result in financial markets of the war with Iran is how high oil prices have jumped. The price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June rose again Wednesday, up 7.3% to $119.38. Brent for delivery in July, which is where more of the trading is happening in the oil market, rose 6.5% to $111.21.

Brent’s price is approaching its high point of the war, slightly above $119 per barrel, and is well above its roughly $70 level from before the war. A ceasefire is still in place between the United States and Iran, but so is a closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and a U.S. blockade of Iran's ships. That's all keeping oil tankers pent up in the Persian Gulf and crude prices high.

Expensive oil is one of the main reasons virtually all of Wall Street believes the Federal Reserve will not announce a resumption of its cuts to interest rates in the afternoon. While lower rates can help the economy, they also risk worsening inflation.

The consensus among traders is instead that the Fed will hold the federal funds rate steady in what’s likely to be Jerome Powell’s final Fed meeting as its chair. The bigger question is whether Powell will say if he’s staying on at the central bank after ceding the chairmanship. He has been a target of President Donald Trump’s anger for not cutting interest rates more quickly and more sharply.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.36% late Tuesday following the latest rise in oil prices.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, several AI stocks held firmer ahead of reports due after trading ends for the day from the biggest spenders on AI technology. Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Microsoft could help show whether all the investment in AI chips and data centers is providing the kind of profits and productivity that would make it all worth it. Worries are high on Wall Street that it may not be and that all the immense spending is just a bubble.

Broadcom fell 0.6%, a day after falling 4.4%. Nvidia slipped 1.7%.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 1.7% for one of the world’s strongest moves.

___

AP Business Writer Chan Ho-him contributed to this report.

The hearing before the House Armed Services Committee was focused on the administration's 2027 military budget proposal, which would boost defense spending to a historic $1.5 trillion. Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, stressed the need for more drones, missile defense systems and warships.

Democrats quickly pivoted to the ballooning costs of the war, the huge drawdown of critical U.S. munitions and the bombing of a school that killed children. Some lawmakers also questioned Trump's dealings with allies and President Donald Trump's shifting justification for the conflict.

The war has cost $25 billion so far, the chief financial official for the Pentagon told lawmakers. Jules Hurst III, the acting undersecretary of war for finances, said most of that money was spent on munitions. The military has also spent money on running the operations and replacing equipment.

Hegseth dismissed criticism of the war as political and said lawmakers who have raised questions about it are one of the greatest challenges facing the U.S. military.

“The biggest challenge, the biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless, feckless and defeatist words of congressional Democrats and some Republicans,” Hegseth said.

Democrats press Hegseth over Iran's nuclear program, war's impact

In one tense exchange, Hegseth told Democratic Rep. Adam Smith that Iran’s nuclear facilities were obliterated in a 2025 attack by the U.S., prompting Smith to question the Trump administration’s reasoning for starting the Iran war less than a year later.

“We had to start this war, you just said 60 days ago, because the nuclear weapon was an imminent threat,” said Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. “Now you’re saying that it was completely obliterated?”

Hegseth responded by saying that Iran “had not given up their nuclear ambitions” and still had thousands of missiles.

Smith said the war “left us at exactly the same place we were before.”

Democrats accused Hegseth of mismanaging the war and lying to Americans about the reasons for the conflict and said rising gas prices are now threatening the pocketbooks of millions of people in the U.S.

“Secretary Hegseth, you have been lying to the American public about this war from day one and so has the president,” said Rep. John Garamendi of California, who called the war “a geopolitical calamity," a “strategic blunder" and a ”self-inflicted wound to America."

Hegseth blasted Garamandi's remarks.

“Who are you cheering for here?” he asked the lawmaker. ”Your hatred for President Trump blinds you” to the success of the war.

Lawmakers want answers about war's justifications and cost

While a fragile ceasefire is now in place, the U.S. and Israel launched the war Feb. 28 without congressional oversight. House and Senate Democrats have failed to pass multiple war power resolutions that would have required President Donald Trump to halt the conflict until Congress authorizes further action.

Republicans say they will keep faith in Trump’s wartime leadership, for now, citing Iran’s nuclear program, the potential for talks to resume and the high stakes of withdrawal. Still, GOP lawmakers are eager for the conflict to end, and some are eyeing future votes that could become an important test for the president if the war drags on.

While Democrats pressed Hegseth and Caine over Iran, Republicans focused their questions on the Department of Defense's budget proposal, not the management of the war.

Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the committee, opened the hearing by noting Trump's call to increase military spending. He pointed to recent increases in defense spending by China, Russia and Iran.

“We don’t have enough munitions, ships, aircraft or autonomous systems to ensure dominance against every adversary," Rogers said. “They are spending more of their GDP on defense than we are.”

Iran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor for the world's oil, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing and posed problems for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. The U.S. has responded with a Navy blockade of Iranian shipping and further built up its military forces in the region. Three American aircraft carriers are in the Middle East for the first time in more than 20 years.

The countries appear locked in a stalemate, with Trump unlikely to accept Tehran's latest offer to reopen the strait if the U.S. ends the war, lifts its sea blockade and postpones nuclear talks.

Hegseth has avoided public questioning from lawmakers about the war, although he and Caine have held televised Pentagon briefings. Hegseth has mostly taken questions from conservative journalists, while citing Bible passages to castigate mainstream outlets.

The 31-year-old two-way superstar gave up two runs, one earned, and five hits while walking three against the Miami Marlins. He threw 104 pitches — his most for the Dodgers — with 67 for strikes before leaving trailing 2-0. The Dodgers lost 2-1.

“Stuff-wise, it wasn’t that great,” Ohtani said through a translator. “I wasn’t happy with how the runs scored, too. So overall, it wasn’t that great of an outing.”

It was the second time in three weeks Ohtani only pitched and wasn't in the batting order as the designated hitter.

“It’s almost like a half-day for him,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “I think that in itself is a win for his mind and body.”

Dalton Rushing replaced Ohtani as both the DH and leadoff hitter. Rushing was 0 for 4 with a run scored and a strikeout.

Roberts said the lineup's performance when Ohtani isn't the DH won't figure into decisions on when to use him solely as a pitcher.

“Even without him in the lineup, we should have won the game,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers are trying to carefully manage Ohtani's workload in his first full season with them as a two-way player on a team that is attempting to win a third straight World Series championship.

“Obviously having him do both duties, theory, practice, it’s great,” Roberts said beforehand. “But how sustainable is it without kind of taking a little bit off his plate? That’s the question and it’s not exact science.”

It's too early for Ohtani to tell whether sometimes being a one-way player will preserve him for a potential run deep into the postseason.

“We're only going to find out in the totality if it’s a plus or a minus,” he said. “I think for players who want to do two-way and want to DH, they should get the option to do DH. But at the same time, it’s hard to tell now. We’ll see how it goes at the end of the season.”

Ohtani said he will respect any decisions that are made about when he pitches and hits or just hits.

“I also understand the importance of getting to the end of the season with everybody healthy,” he said. “So talking with the training staff, talking with the team, I think it’s really important that the team makes the decision on what’s good for the team.”

Struggling with his command at times, Ohtani gave up his second earned run in 30 innings over five starts this season, bumping his ERA from 0.38 to 0.60.

“I don’t think he felt completely in sync,” Roberts said. “There was a lot of misfires and bad misses. It was probably with him a delivery situation. But for him to find a way to still navigate six innings and then give up two runs, we should win the game.”

Ohtani was pitching on five days’ rest for the first time this year instead of his usual six or more.

“From the bullpen (onward), I didn’t exactly feel like my stuff was in line with where I wanted to be,” Ohtani said. “I feel great physically. I think it’s something to do with my mechanics.”

Ohtani joined Fernando Valenzuela in 1981 and himself last season as the only Dodgers pitchers to allow just one run over their first five starts of a season. In 2025, Ohtani did so while tossing only 9 1/3 innings.

Ohtani will return to hitting Wednesday afternoon in the series finale.

The four-time MVP is batting .278 with six home runs, 13 RBIs and 32 strikeouts in 108 at-bats. He has an .898 OPS.

“I do feel like over the course of my career it’s just a reality that I’m not exactly hitting at the best of my ability at this time of year,” Ohtani said. “At the same time as a player, I do want to be better and get to that position where I’m feeling really good. It’s a balancing act of the two.”

___

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

It was more than four decades ago and Mills, the first female prosecutor working in the state attorney general’s criminal division, secured a successful verdict in a murder trial. Yet a newspaper headline focused on a more trivial angle: “The prosecutor wore pale powder blue.”

“That wasn’t the first time someone underestimated me. And it certainly wasn’t the last,” Mills, now running for U.S. Senate, wrote in a recent memo to campaign donors.

The message is one the two-term governor is returning to frequently as she seeks the Democratic Senate nomination to take on longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Despite having decades in public office and the support of the party establishment in Washington, she's back to being the underdog ahead of the first Democratic primary debate next week.

Mills' top opponent in the June 9 primary, military veteran and oyster farmer Graham Platner, is drawing bigger, more enthusiastic crowds. He has raised more money than Mills, and has flooded airwaves with ads since entering the race last summer.

Mills argues she is the strongest candidate to face Collins in a race that is crucial to Democrats' effort to win the Senate. Her smaller, more intimate gatherings help her better connect to voters, Mills says. Their May 7 debate is scheduled to be the first of five, and Platner's past controversies will undoubtedly be a focus. She's leaning on her vast experience, while Platner has served no higher than the planning board in a small town.

Speaking after a Portland rally in support of Planned Parenthood, Mills noted she co-founded the Maine Women's Lobby, which has pushed for gender equity since the 1970s, and that she has been fighting for reproductive rights for years. Planned Parenthood Action Fund endorsed Mills earlier this month.

“He’s been nowhere on these issues,” Mills said of Platner. “He’s never walked the walk.”

Establishment vs. new face

Mills has a long track record of success. She’s been Maine’s first woman district attorney, first woman attorney general and the state’s first woman governor. In the Senate race, she is endorsed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

But it's not clear that what has worked in the past will work in this year's Democratic primary, when the party is divided over whether establishment candidates or new faces offer the best way forward. Platner is endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, and other progressive leaders who say Democrats' 2024 losses prove the party needs a new direction.

Age also has surfaced as a factor. Mills, 78, has said she will only serve one term if elected. Platner, 41, argues voters should elect a senator who will stick around in Washington, where it often takes years to gain seniority and influence over policymaking and funding. Age is a double-edged sword in the race, as Maine has one of the oldest median ages in the country and many thousands of older voters, but Democrats have grown increasingly wary of older candidates since Joe Biden's aborted run for a second term at 81 years old.

“I’m really torn, I want the person who can win,” said Karen Tilbor, 79, who described herself as a supporter of Mills as governor but said she's unsure how she’ll vote in the primary. She said she thinks “many more young people” will vote for Platner.

While Platner has held large-scale rallies and events around the state, Mills supporters say the governor doesn't need to pack theaters or hold rallies because she already has the widespread name recognition and voters largely know her positions and personality.

For voters like Denham Ward, 79, that's important.

“She has got supporters who have known her for a long time, who know what she can do,” Ward said. “She's a known commodity for the state and has an organization that I think can take on Susan Collins.”

Emily Cain is a former Maine state lawmaker and former executive director of EMILY’s List, a group that supports female Democratic candidates and is backing Mills. She said the question ultimately facing primary voters is: “Who do you think has the best chance of beating Sen. Collins?”

Maine supported Democrat Kamala Harris for president over Donald Trump in 2024, but Collins has served for decades by winning as a moderate in a blue state.

“If it’s just about who you like better, or who makes you feel better, then that is different than who you think can win in the fall,” Cain said.

Political liabilities

Even Mills supporters like Cain hesitate in declaring that she holds the upper hand in the Democratic primary.

“I think the governor has a path to victory,” Cain said. “I think it’s going to be up to her, her team and her supporters to get across that finish line.”

Mills argues that Platner, who has courted controversy since entering the race, has political baggage that makes him the riskier candidate to send to the general election.

There have been lingering questions about inflammatory comments Platner made in old online postings, which he has since disavowed but that Mills highlighted in an attack ad where women described his statements as “disgusting.” He has been dogged by questions about the skull-and-crossbones tattoo recognized as a Nazi symbol that he said he got during a night of drinking when on military leave in Croatia. Platner has since covered up the tattoo.

Mills also faces challenges. Some liberal voters have criticized her opposition to a voter referendum to create a red flag gun law in the state. The referendum ultimately passed.

Separately, Mills has fashioned herself as an opponent of Trump, a position that may be helpful in much of Maine but could turn off voters in rural parts of the state. Trump won the presidential vote in the Republican-leaning 2nd Congressional District three times in a row.

Platner has centered his campaign on affordability issues such as housing and healthcare and focused his ire on billionaires and what he calls “oligarchy.”

On a recent Saturday, he was joined at a rally by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who told the crowd of hundreds that the country needs major change.

Mills, meanwhile, spent a recent Friday visiting with small business owners in Cape Elizabeth and South Portland, coastal communities just south of the state’s largest city of Portland.

The events were not designed to attract huge crowds, and they did not. One consisted of her chatting with a handful of patrons at a lunch restaurant and another of her speaking with the owner and staff of a floral shop. They attracted about five to 10 people each.

But some of the voters who were there said Mills' experience in office could benefit the state.

“Janet Mills has a ton more experience at many levels of government and I think has the best chance to hopefully give Maine a little bit of a leg up in terms of getting federal funding for us, and some federal recognition,” said Shelley Stevens, 51, who owns Fiddleheads, the florist in Cape Elizabeth. “It's just very pragmatic for me.”

___

Kruesi reported from Providence, R.I.

The government is appealing lower court orders that blocked the Department of Homeland Security from quickly ending temporary protected status for people from Haiti and Syria. If the justices agree with the Trump administration, authorities could potentially strip protections from up to 1.3 million people from 17 countries, exposing them to possible deportation.

The court has sided with the administration before and allowed the end of the program for people from Venezuela as lawsuits continue to play out, though the justices did not detail their reasoning.

The Justice Department argues that the Homeland Security secretary has the power to end the program known as TPS, and the way the law is written bars judges from questioning those decisions. “’No judicial review’ means no judicial review,” federal attorneys wrote in court documents.

But lawyers for about 350,000 migrants from Haiti and 6,000 from Syria say judges can consider whether authorities followed all the steps laid out in the law. They contend that in both cases, the government short-circuited the process.

Since the start of President Donald Trump's second administration, Homeland Security has ended the protections for 13 countries. Some people who have lived and worked in the U.S. legally for more than a decade have lost jobs and housing in a matter of weeks, attorneys said. Going back to Haiti and Syria is out of the question for many people because those countries remain wracked with violence and instability, said Sejal Zota, co-founder and legal director of Just Futures Law.

“This really is life or death,” she said. Four Haitian women who were deported from the U.S. in February were found beheaded and dumped in a river several months later, lawyers said in court documents.

The Trump administration appealed to the high court after judges in New York and Washington, D.C., agreed to delay the end of protections. One found that “hostility to nonwhite immigrants” likely played a role in the decision to end protections for Haitians. During his presidential campaign, Trump amplified false rumors that Haitian immigrants were abducting and eating dogs and cats. Federal authorities have denied racial animus played any role in the TPS decisions.

Protections for Syrians were first granted protected status in 2012, during a civil war that lasted for more than a decade before the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government in late 2024.

Haitians joined the program in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake and have been extended multiple times amid ongoing gang violence that has displaced more than a million people, according to court documents.

Maryse Balthazar was on vacation in the U.S. when the earthquake hit her home country of Haiti. She’s now been in the U.S. for 16 years with temporary legal status. She has two children and works as a nursing assistant to the elderly. The field relies on Haitian immigrants like her, and would be hobbled by a Supreme Court decision that allowed their status to end, an industry group said in court papers.

For Balthazar, losing those protections would be devastating. She lost her home in Haiti to the earthquake, and another house she could have lived in was destroyed in a fire, possibly due to gang involvement. “I’d be homeless,” she said. “I’m scared … it’s a fear we are all living with.”

Other immigration cases the high court is considering this year include Trump's push to restrict birthright citizenship and the administration's power to revive a restrictive asylum policy.

The royal couple’s swing through the city comes midway through a four-day trip marking 250 years of American independence. It will be the first trip to New York by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2010.

They are expected to take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial, where they will meet with first responders and the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries are also expected to attend the ceremony, which comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks.

The queen is then scheduled to visit the New York Public Library, where she’ll deliver a new “Roo” doll to add to the library’s famed collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, as the beloved children’s character turns 100 this year.

The five dolls currently on display -- Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Kanga -- were the inspiration for the characters in A.A. Milne’s children’s books. They were owned by the English author’s son, the real-life Christopher Robin, in the 1920s. The dolls were donated to the library in 1987 and are a centerpiece of the library’s collection of children’s literature. Roo, in the books, was a small brown kangaroo and son of Kanga.

The king, meanwhile, was expected to visit an after-school, urban farming effort that works with young people affected by food insecurity, as well as meet later with business and financial leaders in Manhattan.

The royal couple are then expected to attend a reception for the King's Trust, a charity Charles founded in 1976.

The four-day trip is Charles’ first state visit to the U.S. since he became king. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.

Monday, the king and queen joined President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump for tea at the White House.

On Tuesday, Charles and Trump had a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office. The king then delivered a rare speech before Congress -- the first by a British monarch since his late mother in 1991 -- followed by a formal state dinner at the White House.

The monarchs are also expected to make stops in Virginia before wrapping up their U.S. visit back at the White House on Thursday with a formal farewell from Trump. Charles then travels solo to Bermuda on his first visit as king to a British overseas territory.

___

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

“It would be to avoid media,” said Cohen, an independent voter who has opposed Trump since he announced his 2016 presidential campaign.

Although Cohen has given up, others have not. A new Media Insight Project survey finds that about 6 in 10 U.S adults say they actively try to avoid news stories about Trump “often” or “sometimes.”

Most aren't finding hope in the news — particularly the people who are more apt to dislike Trump. Republicans are more likely to say the news they consume gives them a hopeful view of the world, while few Democrats say this is how they feel.

The findings from the new survey reflect divisions in an American electorate at a time when increased polarization and social media are changing the way people consume news.

David Sterrett, a principal research scientist at the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, which was a partner on the project, said Democrats may be exercising wishful thinking when they say they try to avoid news about Trump.

“They would like to avoid Trump news, but they’re probably not because most national politics news is somewhat connected to the president,” he said.

Most Democrats follow political news, but it doesn't make them hopeful

Democrats tend to have more faith in media, particularly national news outlets, compared to Republicans, and they're also more likely to regularly follow national political news, the survey found.

But Republicans are more likely to say the news they consume gives them a hopeful view of the world, while Democrats are more likely to say the news is too stressful to read or watch.

About two-thirds of Democrats and independents say that they “often” or “sometimes” actively try to avoid news stories about Trump. Among them is Fernando Ocegueda, a Democrat in Los Angeles who said he recently cut back on consuming political news for precisely that reason.

“I don’t agree with his decisions,” the 50-year-old phlebotomist said of the president. “I don’t think he’s fit, so I don’t even want to bother in paying attention to what he has to say.”

Cohen, the retiree, said he thinks the president has created a sense of instability that puts many Americans in fight-or-flight mode. He thinks that’s part of what keeps people coming back for more.

“People don’t want to know, but they sort of want to know, because of the imminent sense of threat that is attached to him,” he said. “You know it’s a train wreck, and you just can’t take your eyes off of it.”

Even Republicans say they at times try to avoid Trump news

It's not just Democrats. About half of Republicans in the survey said they “often” or “sometimes” actively try to avoid news stories about Trump. Nicole Pratt, who identifies as a moderate Republican, is one of them.

The 62-year-old in Torrance, California said she supports some things the Trump administration is doing and wants to know the news, but she doesn’t need to read any more stories about what she views as the president's narcissism.

“His fights with other people, his arguments — I don’t bother with that anymore,” she said. “It’s like, I have other things to do.”

Sterrett said some Republicans might say they avoid news about Trump not because they're tired of Trump updates but because they distrust traditional news sources.

“A lot of his followers do get news directly from him via social media, and his posts and announcements,” he said.

Both parties get news on social — even as they say it's a misinformation haven

About 4 in 10 Republicans and Democrats say they get news from social media at least “daily,” but they also recognize the pitfalls of what’s shared there.

Most Democrats and Republicans point to social media users as having “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the spread of misinformation about events and important issues.

They're more divided on where to place the blame otherwise.

About three-quarters of Democrats say politicians have a high amount of responsibility for misinformation spreading, compared to 65% of Republicans. Another 64% of Democrats say that about social media companies such as Facebook or Meta, X, and YouTube, compared to 53% of Republicans.

Most Democrats, 58%, also see at least “quite a bit” of responsibility for misinformation coming from artificial intelligence companies that create and develop AI chatbots. A smaller share of Republicans, 47%, see AI companies as responsible.

Most Republicans, meanwhile, point to national news media as having “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the spread of misinformation about events and important issues. About half of Democrats say the same.

Partisans are hooked on news. Independents, not as much

While Americans aligned with one of the two major parties often differ on their specific views of trust in media, it's independents who are less engaged.

About 8 in 10 Democrats and Republicans regularly follow various news and information topics, compared to roughly 7 in 10 independents.

Other than Trump-related news, partisans are similarly likely to report avoiding news about celebrities, news in general, or news on their various devices — such as on social media or on their phone. Most on both sides of the aisle try to avoid the news when talking with friends or family at least sometimes.

Sterrett said even as the political parties differ in their news preferences, the survey shows some areas of overlap. For example, Americans in both parties are similarly likely to say they follow sports news, weather news or crime news.

“Especially when it comes to local issues and the stuff that affects people’s daily lives, it does seem like Republicans and Democrats are following similar sources and following similar topics,” Sterrett said.

___

Swenson reported from New York, and Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina. ___

The Media Insight Project survey is an initiative of the American Press Institute, Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, Local News Network at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll of 2,101 Americans included 1,092 U.S. adults ages 18 and older and 1,009 teenagers ages 13 to 17 but partisanship was only asked of U.S. adults. The poll of adults was conducted Feb. 5-8 and the poll of teens was conducted Feb. 2-16 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 4.1 percentage points and the margin of sampling error for teenagers overall is plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

Powell will preside over what will probably be his last meeting as chair and hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon, when he may say whether he will take the unusual step of remaining on the central bank's board of governors, even after his term as chair ends May 15.

Separately, the Senate Banking Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination of Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell. The nomination is expected to be approved on a party-line vote, and will then be taken up by the full Senate next month. President Donald Trump nominated Warsh, a former top Fed official, in January. Last year, Warsh echoed Trump's calls for the Fed to lower its key interest rate, leading many Democrats in Congress to question how independently he will operate as Fed chair.

The Fed is widely expected to keep its key rate unchanged Wednesday for a third straight meeting at 3.6%. Most policymakers believe at that level, the rate can still cool inflation by slowing borrowing and spending, but not so much that it will drag down hiring or raise unemployment.

Still, a key issue for the news conference Wednesday is what Powell says, if anything, about his future. Powell serves a separate term as a governor that lasts until January 2028. Chairs typically leave the board when their leadership terms end, but Powell has signaled he could remain. He would be the first chair to do so since 1948.

If Powell, who has made protecting Fed independence a key part of his legacy, chooses to stay, he would deprive Trump of the opportunity to pick his replacement and fill another seat on the Fed’s seven-member board. Three of the seven current governors are Trump appointees.

At the same time, it could worsen tensions with the Trump administration and would create what some analysts refer to as a “two Popes” scenario, with a chair and former chair both on the Fed’s board. In that case, divisions among policymakers could increase, if some decided to follow Powell's lead rather than Warsh's.

Warsh argued for rate cuts last year, but is unlikely to be able to reduce borrowing costs anytime soon, given that most policymakers have signaled they would prefer to wait and evaluate the Iran war’s impact on the economy.

The leadership turmoil comes while the economy remains unusually murky, putting the Fed in a difficult spot. Inflation has jumped to 3.3%, a two-year high, as the war has sharply raised gas prices. That makes it harder for the central bank to reduce rates. The Fed typically leaves rates unchanged, or even raises them, if inflation is worsening.

At the same time, hiring has ground almost to a halt, leaving those without jobs frustrated by the difficulty of finding new ones. Typically, the Fed cuts rates when the job market is weak, to spur more spending and job gains.

But layoffs also remain low, as employers appear to be following a “ low-hire, low-fire ” strategy. Many Fed officials have suggested that as long as the unemployment rate is low, the central bank doesn't need to cut rates to spur more spending and hiring. Unemployment declined to 4.3% in March, from 4.4%.

A key change economists will look for Wednesday is whether the Fed alters the statement it issues after each meeting to signal that it is possible that their next move could be either a rate cut or a hike. Right now, the statement indicates that any change to its rate would be a cut. According to minutes of its last meeting in March, many of the 19 participants on the Fed’s rate-setting committee support considering a hike, though it's likely short of a majority.

When that question appears on a Missouri ballot later this year, it will mark the first time since the modern income tax began over a century ago that a U.S. state legislature has asked voters whether to eliminate the tax. If they say “yes,” they will also be authorizing a sales tax expansion.

Missouri's unique proposal caps a five-year tax-cutting binge in states that flourished while governments were flush with cash during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and only recently abated as some Democratic-led states embraced higher tax rates on millionaires. During that time, almost every state made either permanent or temporary reductions to some type of tax, whether on income, sales, property or gas. And more than half the states that levy income taxes reduced their top tax rate.

Those tax cuts seldom were offset by increasing other types of taxes. But Missouri's new measure implicitly acknowledges that it's hard to eliminate an income tax without raising other revenues to keep government running.

When did the income tax begin?

Congress gained the power to tax income with the ratification of the 16th Amendment in 1913. Many states adopted their own income taxes over the ensuing years, including Missouri in 1917.

But some states — Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming — never adopted an individual income tax, instead relying on sales taxes, oil taxes or other sources. New Hampshire and Tennessee, which taxed income from interest and dividends but not wages, each ended those taxes within the past five years.

Alaska is the only state so far to impose a general individual income tax and then repeal it. Lawmakers eliminated the tax in 1980 while rich with oil revenues.

Massachusetts voters rejected an income tax elimination in 2008 and 2002. But those ballot measures were initiated by citizens, not lawmakers responsible for building the state budget.

Which states are trying to phase out their income tax?

A 2022 Kentucky law reduced the state’s income tax rate and set a series of revenue-based benchmarks that could gradually lower the tax to zero. It also expanded the sales tax to some services, such as personal fitness training and website design. But the revenue triggers aren’t automatic, meaning the General Assembly must approve each additional income tax rate reduction.

A Mississippi law enacted last year gradually reduces the income tax rate from 4% to 3% by 2030 and sets revenue growth benchmarks that could trigger additional cuts. It could take over a decade to eliminate the tax, if all the benchmarks are hit.

Oklahoma also enacted a law last year that would trigger gradual income tax rate reductions based on revenue growth, until the tax is phased out. But the state won't know until next year whether it's met the revenue mark to trigger the first tax-rate reduction.

South Carolina joined the trend a month ago, when Republican Gov. Henry McMaster signed a law that could eventually phase out the individual income tax as revenues grow.

What does the Missouri proposal say?

Missouri's proposed constitutional amendment directs the General Assembly to eliminate the individual income tax through gradual reductions based on revenue growth. To spur that along, it gives lawmakers the authority to raise revenues by imposing the sales tax on “any goods and services” — sidestepping a constitutional ban on expanding the sales tax base that voters approved in 2016.

The legislature would have five years to decide which additional sales to tax without needing another vote of the people.

But some voters may not realize they are authorizing more sales taxes. The ballot wording asks whether to phase out the income tax and “modify” the sales tax — avoiding the words “increase” or “expand.”

The amendment, which was approved last week by the legislature, will appear on the November ballot, unless Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe sets an election sooner.

A businessman explains his move

Kehoe has made the individual income tax repeal a priority, arguing it will spur the economy while attracting businesses and new residents.

At a House committee hearing earlier this year, Will Spartin said he attended business college in St. Louis but located the headquarters of his beverage businesses in Florida because that state has no individual income tax. He would love to return to Missouri, but only if it makes financial sense, Spartin said.

“If Missouri moves in this direction, even gradually, it would be a meaningful signal to people like us that Missouri wants to compete for modern industries,” Spartin told lawmakers.

A retiree raises sales tax concerns

Retired elementary school teacher Sharon Wells, of suburban St. Louis, said she paid a few hundred dollars in state income tax this past year. She's worried her overall tax bill could rise if the income tax is replaced with a broader sales tax.

Wells pays someone to mow her lawn. She goes to a hair salon twice a month. She has periodic medical and dental visits and a car that needs maintenance. None of those services currently are taxed. But they all could be under the Missouri proposal.

“I think it’s a huge mistake,” she said. “We’re already paying far more than we have in the past for groceries, medicine, all kind of services. Everything has gone up.”

What does the data say?

A family earning between $49,000 and $78,000 annually would pay an average of $535 more in taxes if Missouri's income tax is repealed and replaced with higher sales taxes, according to an estimate by the nonprofit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Those earning less would pay even more, the group said.

“Pretty clearly, this is going to be a tax increase for most people,” said Carl Davis, the institute's research director.

Other data suggest that income tax policies — though not the primary motivation — can play a role in attracting people to states. Texas, Florida and Tennessee all ranked in the top five for net interstate migration of federal income tax filers in 2023, while the higher-tax states of California, New York and New Jersey ranked near the bottom, according to an analysis of IRS data by the nonprofit Tax Foundation.

If Missouri's referendum is approved by voters, “it could embolden other states to accelerate their own planned income tax reductions,” said Katherine Loughead, the foundation's director of state tax projects.

The message is not one of punishment but of unceasing support. The men start to perk up.

“We’re going to talk about keeping you and those you love alive and free,” Jim Hopkins, emeritus pastor of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church, says he told the men who gather at his church. “If you put down the gun, start taking the (city's) services, we’ll help you find another way.”

The California city has driven homicides to historic lows, and experts say part of the credit goes to a program that identifies people who are most likely to get pulled into gang violence and pairs them with life coaches to help turn their lives around.

City officials meet weekly to review recent shootings and identify the participants. The city's Department of Violence Prevention finds and talks to those people, one-on-one or in a group session at the church, and offers a host of services, including a life coach.

There is no single reason why a city’s homicide rate falls, but officials say the Oakland Ceasefire-Lifeline program has been key, making a difference one person at a time.

Oakland records lowest homicide rate since the '60s

Homicides rates have plummeted in major cities across the U.S. in recent years but the shift in Oakland has been particularly dramatic.

Homicide rates have not been this low in the city of roughly 400,000 people since 1967, when the Black Panthers were a powerful force and hippies overran nearby San Francisco for the Summer of Love.

For nearly 25 years, Oakland ranked among the nation's most dangerous cities. City police recorded annual homicide rates ranging from 16.2 up to 36.4 deaths per 100,000 people, while the U.S. rate hovered around five per 100,000.

Oakland adopted the lifeline program, which originated in Boston, after gun violence in 2011 took the lives of three children ages 1, 3 and 5 in separate incidents. The city recorded a 43% reduction in homicides from 2012 to 2017.

Officials subsequently watered the program down until it was essentially dismantled during the pandemic, according to an audit in 2023.

It wasn’t until city officials implemented changes recommended in the audit that the number of homicides declined, from 118 in 2023 to 78 in 2024.

Last year, Oakland hit a record low of 57 homicides.

Meeting people whose lives were changed by violence

Police are not involved except to provide the names of people expected to retaliate for a shooting that wounded or killed a friend or relative, or to be a victim of retaliation.

“People may underestimate how little the clients believe in themselves, and how little they value their own lives,” said Holly Joshi, chief of the violence prevention department.

Once selected, the men meet or learn of people whose lives have been forever changed by gang violence, such as parents who have lost a child, or someone left paralyzed able to communicate only by clicking their tongue.

Last year, Bernard, a 27-year-old former gang member, was among 200 people matched with a life coach. He was contacted as he was leaving prison after serving six years for attempted robbery. Today, he has a full-time job, an apartment and a new outlook.

He’s more aware of community ties, he says.

“When I was younger, I didn’t realize I wasn’t only hurting myself. I was hurting everybody around me, everybody who cared for me,” said Bernard, who asked that his last name not be used because he fears sharing his background could hurt his future opportunities.

Ready to turn his life around

At first, Bernard was standoffish with his life coach, 35-year-old LaSasha Long.

But then the young man who missed his mother’s funeral because he was still behind bars when she died suffered another loss. A close childhood friend had died. He had to talk to someone.

“As soon as I called Sasha, she was there with advice,” he says.

Long understood. She had a chaotic upbringing, bouncing between relatives after a stray bullet killed her mother when she was a toddler. She told him what she felt would have helped her move forward: That he'd lost a lot, but had a lot to live for too. And she reminded him his friend would have wanted him to live.

He listened.

“I can’t take the credit for it because it was all him. He was the pilot,” she says, adding that she helped with rides and reminded him of upcoming appointments. “But he wanted to change. He wanted that.”

Now, they chat on the phone every day. He makes goofy faces at her while posing for photographs for The Associated Press. She says she'll be the best man at his wedding one day. He says she's not a man. She says he hasn't seen how good she looks in a suit.

Long describes life coaching as “heart work,” helping someone see light in a dark tunnel.

Wanting to inspire others

Bernard aspires to be like Long one day, a coach who can offer a lifeline to others who grew up surrounded by violence and with bills to pay. His mother was loving but addicted to drugs. His father was in and out of jail.

He has discovered the joy of helping people.

On a recent day, Bernard was on break from his job cleaning streets in San Francisco when he saw a teen crash his bike. The old him would not have rushed over, much less reassured the embarrassed boy that everyone falls sometimes.

But Bernard helped wash the gravel burn on the boy’s face and told him jokingly: “Tell your girl you got jumped.”

“All some of us need is to see or know that people care,” he said. “Once people realize that, I believe they start to do better, they want to do better. They figure there’s more to life.”

In a memo late Tuesday to lawmakers, the Office of Management and Budget said money that President Donald Trump tapped to pay Transportation Security Administration and other workers through executive actions will be exhausted by May. It called on the House to quickly approve the budget resolution senators approved in an all-night session last week that would pave the way for full funding for the department.

“DHS will soon run out of critical operating funds, placing essential personnel and operations at risk,” the memo said.

The pressure from the Trump administration could help House Speaker Mike Johnson, whose narrow Republican majority has been stalled out, tangled in internal party disputes on a range of pending issues, including the Homeland Security funding. They have left the chamber at a virtual standstill.

The House is expected to vote as soon as Wednesday on the Senate budget resolution that is designed to unlock a multistep process to eventually fund the department, and the administration warned GOP lawmakers off making changes that could prolong passage.

“Restoring funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has never been more urgent, as demonstrated by recent events,” the memo said, a nod to the situation over the weekend when a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the annual White House correspondents' dinner that Trump, the vice president and top Cabinet officials were attending.

Homeland Security shutdown is longest ever

Homeland Security has been operating without regular funds for more than two months after Democrats refused to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol without changes to those operations after the deaths of Americans protesting Trump’s deportation agenda.

While immigration enforcement workers have largely been paid through the flush of new cash — some $170 billion — that Congress approved as part of Trump's tax cuts bill last year, others, including TSA, have had to rely on Trump’s intervention through executive action to ensure their paychecks.

But with salaries topping $1.6 billion every two weeks, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said recently, those funds are drying up.

Complicated budget strategy ahead

House and Senate Republicans have embarked on a go-it-alone strategy, attempting to approve funds for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol without Democrats. They want to provide $70 billion for those immigration operations for the remainder of Trump's term to ensure no further interruptions.

It's a cumbersome process, the same that was used last year to approve Trump's tax cuts bill, that will play out over several weeks.

The Senate launched the process last week, and is now waiting on the House to act. Once that budget resolution is approved, both the House and Senate are expected to draft the actual funding bill, a process that can take weeks.

In the meantime, Johnson is expected to quickly turn this week to legislation that would fund the other parts of Homeland Security, including TSA, the Coast Guard and other agencies.

That bipartisan bill has support from Democrats and already passed the Senate a month ago, when Republicans reluctantly agreed to carve out the immigration-related funds that Democrats had opposed. But it has been stalled out in the House, as Republicans in that chamber disagreed with the Senate's approach.

___

Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security at https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-homeland-security.

With their second straight lopsided victory, the Knicks positioned themselves to win the series Thursday night in Atlanta. They would have another chance at home in Game 7 if they need it — and it's getting harder to picture why they should.

The Hawks took a 2-1 lead in the series with one-point victories in Games 2 and 3, but a pretty sizable gap between the teams has appeared since. The Knicks led by 24 on their way to a 114-98 win in Game 4 in Atlanta and by 32 on Tuesday, when the lead was never below double digits in the second half.

“I know they’re going to try to bring a lot of force down there,” Knicks reserve Jordan Clarkson said. “So we've got to be prepared and we know what’s coming, so we’ll be ready.”

Brunson already had eight 40-point games in his first three postseasons with the Knicks. He hadn't even cracked 30 in this series until pouring in 17 points in the fourth quarter to prevent any chance of Atlanta making it a game.

Brunson said the Knicks have picked up their play in the last two games and said they were confident, but also cautious.

“Anything can happen in this series, so we’ve just got to be locked in for Game 6,” he said.

OG Anunoby added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. The Knicks need one more victory to reach the second round for the fourth straight season, which would continue their longest streak since advancing nine straight times from 1991-92 through 1999-2000.

Jalen Johnson had 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Hawks. Dyson Daniels scored 17, but CJ McCollum, the catalyst of both Atlanta victories, had just six.

The Knicks outrebounded the Hawks 48-27 and had a 13-4 advantage in fast-break points against an Atlanta team that needs to win the transition game.

“I just think that their mindset was to come out and try to bully us and be physical, and they did that," Daniels said.

The Knicks made eight of their first 12 shots, then broke free with a 9-0 run late in the first quarter and were ahead 35-22 at the end of the period. Brunson had the last two baskets of an 8-0 surge in the second that pushed it to 59-37, and the Knicks led 64-48 at the break after making 58.5% their shots.

Leading by 18 after three, they put it away when Brunson had a three-point play and 3-pointer to ignite a 12-0 spurt that made it 110-82.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Onyeka Okongwu both had 16 points for the Hawks.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

It happened on Monday around 9:16 a.m. at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, a fight had previously broken out at the school between four students.

During that fight, deputies said the suspect, Tavaris Walker, “came up to the victim, grabbed him with both hands and then started punching him several times.”

The victim, who according to an arrest report is 17 years old, suffered minor bruising to his face and was taken to Coral Springs Medical Center to be evaluated further.

Walker, 18, is facing one count of battery causing bodily harm.

He went before a Broward County judge on Tuesday morning and was granted a $1,000 bond.

Walker was no longer listed among Broward County inmates as of Tuesday evening.

Police said 16-year-old Antoinette Smith was last seen near Southeast 14th Avenue after walking away from her home and not returning.

She’s described as 5-foot-5, weighing around 120 lbs. with long black braided hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, pink leggings, and white Crocs.

Police say she needs medication that she does not have with her.

Anyone with information is urged to give the Homestead Police Department a call at 305-247-1535 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

Sure enough, there was David Pastrnak already heading toward Buffalo’s zone.

Set up by Lindholm, Pastrnak scored on a breakaway 9:14 into overtime, and the Bruins avoided elimination with a 2-1 win in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.

“He’s pretty special when it comes to those opportunities, too, so it was fun to see it go in,” Lindholm said.

Pastrnak said the chemistry he has with Lindholm is a result of them being neighbors.

“We always call it the neighbor connection,” Pastrnak said. “Seems like anytime he has the puck and I have an opening, I have the confidence that he’s gonna find me.”

The series shifts back to Boston for Game 6 on Friday night, with Buffalo still seeking to clinch its first playoff series victory since eliminating the New York Rangers in six games of a 2007 second-round series. The Sabres are in the playoffs for only the third time since, and after snapping an NHL record 14-season playoff drought this year.

Elias Lindholm also scored for Boston which overcame a 1-0 deficit. Jeremy Swayman stopped 25 shots, including foiling Jason Zucker set up in front 3:30 into the extra period.

Rasmus Dahlin scored for Buffalo and Alex Lyon stopped 27 shots.

“He’s always lurking,” Lyon said of Pastrnak, whom the goalie robbed on several chances. “Obviously, he’s one of the best players in the league,” Lyon added of a player who reached the 100-point mark for a fourth straight season. “It’s just one play at the end from a really good player. That’s usually how these things go. And now it’s just incumbent on us to move forward.”

The Sabres were caught up ice, and the Bruins jumped into making a line change, with Pastrnak coming off the bench as the turnover occurred.

Accepting Lindholm’s pass in stride as he crossed Buffalo’s blue line, Pastrnak drove in on net a step ahead of Buffalo’s Mattias Samuelsson. He faked cutting across the front and nearly lost his balance before slipping the puck inside the right post.

“He always gets it done. And what a nice finish from him,” coach Marco Sturm said of the 12th-year player. “I’m just very happy because this guy puts a lot of pressure on himself and he wants to be the difference. And today he was.”

The goal was the 41st of Pastrnak’s playoff career, and second in overtime. He scored Boston’s last overtime goal, also coming in an elimination game, to seal the Bruins’ 2-1 win over Toronto in Game 7 of their 2024 first-round series.

Lindholm tied it 9:24 into the second period after his bad-angle shot bounced into the slot. Lindholm got to the loose puck first and, with his back to the net, spun around and fired in a low shot through a crowd.

Dahlin opened the scoring at 3:35 with his first playoff goal, and Buffalo’s first power-play goal in nearly a month. Driving up the left wing, Zucker’s initial pass attempt was blocked before recovering the puck and feeding Dahlin for a one-timer in the right circle.

The Sabres had gone 0-of-17 with the man advantage this series, and entered the playoffs failing to convert 22 straight chances, dating to a 4-3 win over the New York Islanders on March 31.

The Bruins played without second-line forward Viktor Arvidsson, who was hurt in the first period of Game 4 on Sunday.

Buffalo lost rookie forward Noah Ostlund to a lower-body injury in the first period.

Coach Lindy Ruff didn’t reveal what the injury was, but said, “it doesn’t look good.” Ostlund had just returned to the lineup from an upper-body injury in Game 3, in which he had a goal and assist.

The Bruins have won back-to-back outings in Buffalo after squandering a 2-0 lead in the final 7:58 of a 4-3 loss in Game 1. The Sabres won both outings in Buffalo, and were coming off a 6-1 win on Sunday.

“We’re in a good spot. We should be ready for the next one,” Dahlin said. “It’s a tight game and stuff happens, so we’re ready for going to Boston.”

___

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl