FHP officials said the crash happened at approximately 6:37 a.m. at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Southwest 184th Street.

They said a Dodge pickup truck collided with a flatbed semi-truck, igniting a small fire in the Dodge’s engine compartment.

The driver of the Dodge, a man who has not yet been identified, died at the scene, according to troopers. They said the driver of the semi-truck was not injured.

U.S. 1 is currently closed between Southwest 183rd Street and Southwest 186th Street as authorities investigate the crash.

Fort Lauderdale police said they responded at approximately 3:45 a.m. to a report of a shooting in the 1700 block of Northwest Ninth Street.

They said officers found the girl, who has not been identified at this time, and immediately began providing aid until Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews arrived at the scene.

She was taken by trauma alert to Broward Health Medical Center with serious injuries, according to investigators.

Police later confirmed that the victim is expected to survive.

Police said the shooting remain under investigation, and they are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Earlier Saturday morning, Fort Lauderdale police also responded at approximately 1:51 a.m. to a ShotSpotter alert in the 1600 block of Northwest Eighth Avenue, where they said a man was shot dead.

Police have not connected the two shootings.

Anyone with information about both shootings is urged to call Fort Lauderdale police or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Match dates for each of the 36 teams' eight-game schedules were published Saturday by UEFA, two days after the draw in Monaco.

In two early starts on the opening day, Club Brugge will host Aston Villa and AEK Athens will welcome LASK, the newcomer from Austria. Both games will kick off at 6:45 p.m. (1645 GMT).

One day later, defending champion Paris Saint-Germain will host Slovan Bratislava — coached by Yaya Touré, the first African leading a team at the league phase — and Liverpool will host Atletico Madrid, a repeat of their opening game last season. That was a 3-2 win for Liverpool at Anfield.

Debut-making Sabah of Azerbaijan will start at Manchester United on Sept. 10, the same day Como hosts Leipzig and Bayern Munich welcomes Bodø/Glimt.

Tough October for PSG

Manchester City hosting PSG on Oct. 14 is a highlight of the second round of games played more than one month later, after the new and extended four-game slate for national teams.

PSG will then face Barcelona at Parc des Princes on Oct. 20, one day before Bayern Munich hosts Arsenal.

Barcelona’s next trip will then be a long way east to play Sabah in Baku on Nov. 25, before the Spanish champion hosts Man City on Dec. 8.

Arsenal will host Real Madrid on Dec. 9 for the first of coach Jose Mourinho's scheduled two visits to London.

Madrid will return on the final match day, Jan. 27, to face Shakhtar Donetsk at Chelsea, where Mourinho won three Premier League titles for the club's Russian then-owner Roman Abramovich. Stamford Bridge is the Ukrainian champion’s choice of neutral venue for its four home games.

Welcome to Norway

The two Norwegian teams each must have a home game in January, during their domestic offseason when the weather should be most severe, and both will be in the seventh round.

Bodø/Glimt will welcome host Atletico Madrid to the Arctic Circle at its tiny stadium on Jan. 19 and Viking will welcome PSV Eindhoven to Stavanger one day later.

Final round

The final round on Jan. 27 sees all 18 games start at the same time, when it’s 9 p.m. in central Europe, and Barcelona will host newcomer Como coached by its former star Cesc Fabregas.

Como gets the toughest January run-in after hosting PSG one week earlier.

PSG will finish by hosting Galatasaray, Arsenal will host Sabah and Bayern will host Real Betis.

The top eight teams in the final standings go directly to the round of 16 in March. Teams placed ninth to 24th enter the knockout playoffs in February to decide the other eight teams in the round of 16. Teams placed 25th to 36th are eliminated.

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

She knows the hotel they were staying in was swept away. But as she shared memories of them on Friday, she caught herself.

“I shouldn’t talk in past tense yet,” she said. “We don’t know anything.”

As rescuers continued pulling survivors from the mud, family members of some of the more than 2,000 people missing in the disaster were still holding out hope — however dim — that their loved ones survived.

On a Zoom call Thursday night, some family members wanted to know if they could reach the site and whether a relative might be trapped inside an air pocket, said Sanket Pandey, managing director of Himalayan Glacier Adventure and Travel Company.

The tour group, which has an office in Baltimore, had organized a two-week excursion to the region with 40 guests and seven tour guides. All of them are now missing, Pandey said. Their families are desperate for any information.

“It’s really difficult to have nothing,” he said.

Patel’s family was in the Himalayan Glacier group when the floods struck on Wednesday, killing hundreds of people and leaving more than 2,000 missing. About 90 Americans are among those unaccounted for, according to the U.S. State Department.

Patel, 27, said her dad, Umesh Kumar, 56, had wanted to make the trip for many years and traveled through India to Nepal, where he was joined by her sister, Akanksha, 32, and her sister’s husband, Ishan, 32.

Ishan’s mom, Shilpa, 59, was also on the trek. Ishan and Shilpa Patel have dual Canadian and U.S. citizenship while Umesh Kumar and Akanksha Patel are Canadian citizens, according to Mukti Patel.

Akanksha Patel is a psychiatrist who wants to break stigma around mental health problems, her sister said.

“Everything I’ve done in life has been off the blueprint of my sister,” Mukti Patel said between tears in a phone interview. “There’s no ounce of meanness in her.”

Her father is a joyous person who helped victims of the COVID-19 pandemic, and her brother-in-law, an orthopedic surgeon, has brought great happiness to her sister’s life, she said.

Ishan Patel turned 32 on Wednesday, and the family called to wish him a happy birthday. That was their last contact.

Mukti Patel said she would like more countries to help the rescue and recovery efforts.

Jiwan Jyoti, who has U.S. citizenship, also was traveling with Himalayan Glacier and was listed by the group as missing. They had stopped in Timure, Nepal, before they were set to leave for a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a sacred site for Hindus, Buddhists and others, her longtime friend Manmeet Singh Meet said.

Jyoti, a 50-year-old from Lexington, Massachusetts, called her family from breakfast on Wednesday as she was preparing to cross into Tibet.

Meet said the phone call ended “at around 8:40 a.m. local time in Nepal, and then I think around 8:45, this flash floods came, and then our world turned upside down.”

He later heard that the hotel where Jyoti had been staying — and where her location was last recorded on the Find My iPhone app — was destroyed. Now Meet said he is losing hope that his best friend of 15 years will be found alive.

“She was essentially almost in the epicenter over there,” Meet said.

Vaasavi Unnava, a 31-year-old PhD student, thought her parents had already crossed into Tibet with the same tour group when she learned about the flooding.

“I was not really that worried, but I just sent them a text like to be sure,” she said. The WhatsApp message didn’t get delivered.

Her father, Hanumantha Rao Unnava, and mother, Vasundhara Unnava, had set out on a retirement trip and were most excited to go spend two months in India with family after going to Mount Kailash. The couple from Woodland, California, is among dozens of U.S. citizens missing in the flood.

“They were so, so excited. My dad was talking about finally getting to spend time with his mother,” Vaasavi Unnava said.

Until recently, her father was the dean of the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Davis, and her mother lectured at the university, she said. Vaasavi Unnava described her dad as “disciplined and duty-bound” but also “a big joker.” She described her mom as “spontaneous and playful” and “the smartest woman I’ve ever met.”

“They have just changed so many people’s lives for the better,” she added.

___

Associated Press journalist Hannah Schoenbaum contributed.

Police said they responded at approximately 1:51 a.m. to a ShotSpotter alert in the 1600 block of Northwest Eighth Avenue.

When officers arrived, they found a victim and immediately began life-saving measures, police confirmed. Officers said they performed CPR until Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews arrived.

Authorities confirmed that the victim was taken to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s Homicide Unit responded to the scene and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Earlier Saturday morning, officers blocked off the area for several hours as detectives examined the scene, photographed evidence and spoke with neighbors about what they may have seen or heard before and after the gunfire.

The shooting occurred north of Sunrise Boulevard and east of Interstate 95.

Investigators have not released the identity of the man who was killed or details about what led to the shooting.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Fort Lauderdale police or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

He is pushing to have the U.S. Postal Service send mail ballots only to voters verified as U.S. citizens. The Census Bureau promoted a dubious report about thousands of noncitizens voting in 2020, an election that the Republican lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump's Department of Homeland Security is claiming without providing evidence that 250,000 noncitizens might be on the rolls in just four states.

This week, the Republican candidate for governor in Maine confirmed an audio recording in which he said he plans to ask Trump’s border czar to send U.S. marshals and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling places in the state to ensure that only legal voters are casting ballots.

Evidence of noncitizens voting is continuing to “pile up,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said when asked about the census report.

In fact, voting by noncitizens is extremely rare and is punishable as a felony that carries the potential for deportation. Even so, opponents say the hyperfocus on the issue by Trump and his allies is setting the stage for legal challenges to outcomes he may not like during the midterms in which control of Congress is on the line.

“Throw out these deceitful, deceptive claims as an excuse for disruptions,” said Alexandra Chandler, director of impact programs, free and fair elections at the nonpartisan Democracy Project. “You can deny the results later.”

Census report methodology is flawed, but it could help sow distrust

The census report, which the president cited in a Truth Social post, said it found in a “beginning analysis” that 24,000 noncitizens voted illegally in 2020. It cited data from a commercially available voter file, which was checked against federal records.

Experts say the methodology might have created false positives. For example, if a person’s name was linked to the wrong address or someone's citizenship status had not been updated in a particular database.

Details that typically would be included in such a report about error rates were missing, said Justin Levitt, a Loyola Marymount University law professor. Nevertheless, election experts say it could help generate distrust among certain voters during this year’s general election.

“This is an empty manila folder that the administration will wave around when it says the elections were fraudulent, noncitizens voted,” Levitt said.

Election heads puzzled by claim of 250,000 noncitizens on voter rolls

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin's July letter to California, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, alleging that as many as nearly 250,000 noncitizens were registered in those states, was met with skepticism and requests for more information.

“I have serious doubts about the reliability of your data and accuracy of your claims, since my office has not shared our statewide voter registration list with DHS or any other federal agency or official,” California's secretary of state, Democrat Shirley Weber, said in response.

In New Jersey, Mullin's department indicated as many as 35,000 noncitizens were registered. Shortly after the letter, the Democratic-controlled state disclosed that about 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered through its motor vehicle system in 2023 and 2024.

Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill said those people answered “no” when asked whether they were citizens, but were registered anyway. The governor said her administration found that “fewer than 400” of them had voted and that it has begun replacing the vendor involved in the improper registrations.

Pennsylvania's secretary of the commonwealth, Republican Al Schmidt, said in a letter this week that DHS officials acknowledged during a recent meeting they did not have high confidence that the 14,576 people referenced in the initial letter were in fact noncitizens improperly registered to vote. He said federal officials said they would provide a methodology and that Pennsylvania officials were awaiting that information.

Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar, a Democrat, said he did not understand the methodology the federal government used.

“All I can say is we have done significant work to make sure our voter rolls are as clean as possible,” he said.

Messages from The Associated Press seeking comment from DHS were not immediately returned.

Tightening election security or interfering in the midterms?

The relentless attention on claims that noncitizens are marring elections in the United States comes as Trump continues to pressure Republican senators to pass a bill that would require people to show documented proof of American citizenship when they register to vote for the midterms, even though millions of people do not have ready access to such records.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or SAVE America Act, has passed the GOP-led House but is stalled in the Senate, where even some members of the president's party are skeptical of its provisions.

Kathy Boockvar, former Democratic secretary of state of Pennsylvania who now runs a nonpartisan election security firm, said she viewed the administration's release of the census report as part of a “doing everything it can” strategy to pass the legislation.

Republican supporters say the bill would improve the integrity of elections, including the requirement to show a photo ID. Gathering the documents necessary to prove citizenship would be difficult for many would-be voters. A 2025 University of Maryland study estimates that 21.3 million people in the U.S. who are eligible to vote do not have, or do not have easy access to, documents proving their citizenship.

Trump's opponents say his raising the specter of noncitizens voting leading to fraudulent results is less about maintaining the integrity of elections than it is about him doing whatever he can so his party retains power in Washington after November.

On Friday, the U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles used the arrest of a Honduran national on charges alleging he fraudulently registered to vote as a signal that more attention on the issue was coming for California, a state that has a handful of important U.S. House races in November. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the arrest was “the first of many to come” while warning “there’s no telling how many noncitizens are currently registered to vote” in the state.

“Trump is trying to lay the groundwork to reject the ’26 election,” said Colorado's secretary of state, Democrat Jena Griswold. “He’s trying to destabilize both confidence and actual election administration. His efforts to destabilize election information, administration are not working.”

But Cave Creek Mayor Robert Morris can't shake the real possibility that it's not enough to keep the desert community of about 5,000 people afloat well into the future. And a recent federal plan to address a deepening crisis in the river basin won't help.

Cave Creek gets nearly all of its water from the river, which serves 40 million people across the U.S. West and has been dwindling because of climate change, demand and overuse. The town already was forced to make cuts this year and it stands to lose more under a new federal plan.

Morris likened the situation to planning for a meteor strike.

“You can see it coming, but you can't get out of the way and you don't know what the damage is going to be,” he said.

The uncertainty stretches across seven U.S. states, tribal nations and Mexico. Farmers are deciding which crops are worth the investment. Phoenix could lose some municipal and industrial water for the first time and turn to backup supplies. And residents could face even more costly water.

Nevada raised the stakes this week by suing the Interior Department and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, saying basic needs in the Las Vegas region will go unmet if the area has to absorb planned reductions of up to 70% of its Colorado River water in the next decade.

The bureau said Thursday it does not comment on litigation.

“The uncertainty is going to continue to build in the wrong direction,” said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources.

Western reservoirs see record lows

In the U.S. West, water is stored primarily in reservoirs, aquifers and snowpacks. But a record snow drought means there's far less water to recharge those sources.

The two largest reservoirs in the country serve as barometers of health for the Colorado River system: Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Both hit record lows this month.

Eight other reservoirs operated by the Bureau of Reclamation recently recorded the lowest levels in at least the last 30 years. Among them is Elephant Butte Lake in New Mexico that's critical for supplying water for crops in southern New Mexico, Texas and Mexico. The Green Mountain Reservoir serves the western part of Colorado, and the Guernsey Reservoir in Wyoming funnels water to farmers in the eastern part of the state and western Nebraska.

Under the Bureau of Reclamation’s plan, California, Nevada and Arizona will collectively reduce water use by 1.25 million acre-feet (about 1.54 billion cubic meters) — enough to fill over 600,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools — annually in the next two years, with the possibility of larger cuts depending on conditions. Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico are not required to make cuts for now but could voluntarily reduce water.

While El Niño could bring intense moisture to the northern Rockies and the Southwest in the coming months, it won't erase decades of drought.

“Drought is a slow-moving phenomena and it can take some time to come into it and also come out of it,” said David Mocko, senior research scientist who authored a recent U.S. Drought Monitor map.

Farmers are reluctant to plant

John Boelts grows vegetables, melons, durum wheat and other crops in Yuma, Arizona — a region that produces about 90% of leafy greens eaten in North America during the winter.

Farmers there have high-priority rights and may avoid cuts to their Colorado River supply over the next two years but, Boelts said, the reprieve isn't enough to make longer-term plans. That makes farmers reluctant to plant new acreage.

Citrus, date and other orchard crops that thrive in the region take years to become commercially productive, he said.

“There's no food that we grow in a hurry,” said Boelts, the Arizona Farm Bureau president. “Beef takes years to produce. The lettuce you eat today? A farmer was working on how they would grow that crop six plus months ago.”

Ray Martinez grows alfalfa on a reservation that's home to the Colorado River Indian Tribes. The tribe holds some of the river’s oldest rights, and while its Arizona allocation is huge, an old irrigation system and the lack of infrastructure have kept much of the water out of reach.

Martinez and the water department are concerned about having enough water to finish this growing season. He has left some fields unplanted for years to help prop up Lake Mead. If the reservoir keeps dropping, he said, surface water coming to him and neighboring farms will be further limited.

“Unfortunately, Mother Nature has its own way of doing things, and we have no control of that,” he added.

___

Pineda reported from Los Angeles.

___

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

“Honestly, it doesn’t come up as much,” said Hughes, who chairs the state's chapter of the College Democrats.

What a difference six years makes.

During President Donald Trump’s first term and especially during the Democratic primaries to determine who would run against him in 2020, Democrats spoke constantly about climate change. They used it to rally young voters such as Hughes, fueling protests and sweeping demands to remake the economy with proposals like the Green New Deal.

But there has been a national shift in the conversation that is sharp enough for some researchers to coin the term "climate hushing” to describe it. The Searchlight Institute, a Democratic think tank, urged the party to stop mentioning climate change because it is not a priority for voters. The Sunrise Movement, a left-wing group that pushed global warming as a top issue for young people, switched its mission last fall to a broader mandate of fighting the Republican president.

The shift is encapsulated by the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts on Tuesday as the incumbent, Ed Markey, 80, tries to fend off a challenge from U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, 47. Although Markey still talks about sponsoring the Green New Deal, his campaign is more focused on other issues to burnish his left-wing bona fides and prove to voters that he is not too old for the job.

It is the latest example of how climate change has been eclipsed by issues such as affordability, U.S. support for Israel and, above all, how to confront Trump.

“Six years ago, Green New Deal was every phrase out of Ed Markey’s mouth every chance he got. That is not the case now,” said Mary Anne Marsh, a veteran Democratic strategist in Massachusetts. “It’s about who’s best to fight. Period, full stop. Everything falls under that.”

‘People are increasingly freaked out about other issues’

Even if the political discussion on climate change has quieted, the planet has not. Scientists say there is an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could be the hottest year on record, or at least come close. A strengthening El Nino is forecast to be off the charts, spiking global temperatures.

Some advocates expect the issue to return to center stage if Democrats retake the U.S. House in November and climate-sparked disasters dominate the winter.

U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, a prominent Democratic voice on climate change, said in an interview that ignoring the issue is a major strategic “blunder.”

“Climate change has moved from the science department into the economics department," he said. "It's now battering people’s home insurance, property values, pocketbook concerns. So I think it’s a very powerful argument.”

Trump has falsely claimed climate change is “a hoax," and his party has regularly scoffed at Democratic proposals such as the Green New Deal.

The Sunrise Movement, founded in 2017 to mobilize young voters over climate issues, announced in October that it was shifting to a broader fight against “fascism.” The group’s executive director, Aru Shiney-Ajay, said that was a prescient move because of reports that federal agents infiltrated protest meetings during Trump’s immigration raids in Minneapolis.

“We just live in a significantly more authoritarian country. Because of that, a lot of the Democratic primaries are about more existential questions,” Shiney-Ajay, whose network generally backs left-wing Democrats, said in an interview. “It has felt less like people care less about climate and more like people are increasingly freaked out about other issues.”

About 6 in 10 Democrats say climate change is “a very big problem” for the country, according to a Pew Research Center poll from April. That is roughly the same as in 2016. Still, climate has often taken a back seat to other issues in Democratic voters' priorities, such as inflation, healthcare affordability and the role of money in politics.

Affordability concerns have dominated the political debate this year.

McKenzie Wilson of Blue Rose Research, a Democratic data firm, said voters have called for sweeping changes in response to economic discontent, demonstrating a level of anger not seen in years.

“In that kind of environment it’s hard to think about long-term, existential problems,” Wilson said. “If we don’t talk and focus our attention on the number one thing the electorate wants to talk about, as we saw in 2024, we’re not going to be connecting with the electorate.”

'Don't say climate change'

That view was summed up by the Searchlight Institute, a Democratic think tank that last year released a provocative suggestion: “The First Rule About Solving Climate Change: Don’t Say Climate Change.”

It contended that voters saw it as such an intimidating, complex issue that Democrats were more likely to win by focusing on other subjects — thus enabling them to regain power and tackle the crisis that they were not talking about.

Leah Stokes, a political scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara and author of “The Carbon Wave,” a book about Democratic President Joe Biden's domestic agenda, said it was “galling” when politicians made the issue less of a priority.

“The climate crisis is accelerating and we can’t really not talk about it for like a decade, because the planet will be even more on fire if we do that,” she said.

Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, agreed with those concerns.

“What happens over the course of the next decade will profoundly shape the habitability of the planet for literally thousands of years to come,” he said.

Some are making climate an affordability issue

Climate has come up as part of the national backlash to data centers, but it is only one part of the conversation about the projects' impact. Many climate advocates are adjusting how they talk about the issue, stressing how green energy can lower prices and ease insurance costs.

“What we’re seeing right now is, whether you’re advocating for healthcare reform or climate action or some niche tech issue, everything is filtered through some cost frame,” said Jared Leopold, a veteran Democratic strategist who has long focused on climate change.

That is how the Green New Deal came up at a recent debate between Markey and Moulton, when a voter asked how each candidate would reduce energy prices. Notably, the questioner asked about increasing nuclear or gas generation, not clean energy, to deal with cost. Markey turned the opportunity into a slam against the president.

“There was a plan in place in order to have a strong, clean affordable energy future for our commonwealth,” Markey said, “and Trump attacked it.”

Tatishe Nteta, a political scientist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said that is how Markey has used climate change this election — to signal his willingness to fight Trump as well as his alliance with the left flank of the Democratic Party, which has run up a series of primary wins this year. But other issues have become even more useful in doing that.

“The definition in where you’re at in terms of a progressive candidate and a progressive elected official is your viewpoint on Israel,” Nteta said. “You’re not hearing this in most races, that I’m the candidate who’s going to protect and save our planet.”

Massachusetts’ summer has been the hottest that Eileen Cefail can recall in the 30 years she has worked in the Roofers Local 33 office. “The roofers are tough as nails, and they work so hard, and their work is so grueling,” she said. “This heat has been horrendous for them.”

Cefail is backing Markey in the primary, but climate, she said, was not the main reason.

“He’s always been a union guy,” Cefail said. “He’s just for the labor.”

_____

Riccardi reported from Denver and McDermott from Providence, R.I. Associated Press writer Linley Sanders in Washington contributed to this report.

McLaren said the new deal features “a multi-year option to commit beyond that date.”

Financial terms were not announced. The Press Association news agency said the British driver's new contract could be worth up to $35 million a year.

The 26-year-old Norris secured McLaren’s first drivers’ title last year since Lewis Hamilton won his first championship in 2008.

“McLaren is my home, and I’m very pleased to be signing a new contract to keep me with the team until at least 2030," Norris said.

“When I started this journey nine years ago, I was clear about the goals I wanted to achieve: to get McLaren back to the front and to win championships. We’ve achieved that goal, but we want more; we want to keep on winning, and we know as a team that we’re capable of achieving it.”

The announcement came just over a week after his rival for the last two titles, Max Verstappen, similarly committed to 2030 with Red Bull.

These are very long contracts by F1 standards. Racing with McLaren into 2030 would mark 12 seasons for Norris with the team since his debut in 2019. That would match the current F1 record of Lewis Hamilton’s 12 seasons with Mercedes for the most by a driver with the same team, though Verstappen’s contract puts him on course to break that.

Norris won the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23 after his victory in Hungary before the midseason break. He is currently fourth in the standings, trailing leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes by 83 points. Ahead of next weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, the back-to-back wins reignited talk of a successful title defense but Norris said he doesn’t yet have a car capable of vying for the championship.

“I know I’ve just won two races in a row and had two poles in a row, but at the minute I don’t have the car I need to fight for a championship,” Norris said. He added that the right changes to target McLaren’s troubles in slow-speed corners could set him up to chase down Antonelli.

Norris has raced in 163 Grands Prix for McLaren, more than any other driver in the team's history, securing 18 pole positions, 48 podiums, and 13 wins.

“He is an exceptional driver, someone who combines outstanding natural speed with maturity, consistency and a strong commitment to McLaren, but above all, he is a special human being who is valued by everyone in the team,” said Andrea Stella, the McLaren team principal.

___

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

1 Cuban medianoche roll or a brioche roll/bread

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened, plus more as needed

3-4 ounces sliced turkey breast

2 tablespoons strawberry preserves, plus more as needed

½ teaspoon unsalted butter

Slice or split the bread roll in half to fill as a sandwich. Spread a ⅓-inch-thick layer of cream cheese on the bottom half. Lay turkey neatly on top of the cream cheese. Do not overfill the sandwich. Spread jam on the top half of the bread and sandwich with the bottom.

In a pan over medium-low heat, add the butter and place the sandwich bottom side down in the pan and press it with a spatula or a cast-iron skillet. Heat to warm the sandwich, until the bottom is lightly toasted but not burned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the sandwich and repeat with the other side. Remove from the heat, cut the sandwich in half on a bias and serve immediately.

For one empanada:

purchased empanada dough

For the filling:

1.2 ounces deli ham, thinly sliced, cut into ½ inch squares (honey maple or other sweet variety)

1 ounce Swiss cheese, thinly sliced, cut into ½ inch squares

.75 ounces roasted pork (recipe below)

½ ounce French’s yellow mustard

2 each thin slices of dill pickle

For sealing the dough:

egg wash

Place a round of empanada dough down on your workstation.

Start by layering the honey baked ham, then Swiss cheese and lechon on the empanada. Top with a line of some yellow mustard over the pork, then the pickles over the top.

Brush the edges with egg wash and fold over the dough to seal it. Press the edges together with a fork.

Fry at 350˚F until golden brown.

For the Roasted pork:

1 pork butt, cut in half

Pork Seasoning:

½ cup kosher salt

2½ tablespoons demerara sugar

⅓ cup granulated onion powder

⅓ cup garlic powder

¼ cup dried oregano

4 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 teaspoons ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon mustard powder

For the marinade:

⅓ bunch cilantro

⅓ bunch Italian parsley

1 large shallot

8-10 garlic cloves (about 2½ tablespoons minced)

3-4 scallions, ends trimmed

½ to ⅔ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Remove and discard extra fat from the pork butt. Cut a deep “X” into the flesh side.

Season the pork all over with the dry seasoning. Transfer to a large, deep baking pan.

Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a blender and puree until smooth.

Generously marinate the pork pieces with the marinade. Add enough water to the pan to just cover the pork. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper pressed down on top of the pork, then cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Cook at 325˚F for 4 hours. The pork should be very tender. Allow to cool, remove any excess fat from the sauce. Remove and discard the skin and fat. Pull the meat into large chunks, tossing with a little of the de-fatted braising liquid.

1 loaf Cuban bread, slice crosswise into individual sandwiches (8-10 inches) and half lengthwise

butter, for the outside of the bread

For the mayonnaise / mustard mixture:

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon Dijon

For the filling:

4-5 slices Swiss cheese

3-4 slices sweet ham

1-1 ½ cups warm roasted pork, shredded (recipe below)

6 dill pickle chips

Spread butter on the outside of the bread.

Mix together the ingredients for the mayonnaise / mustard mixture.

Spread the mayonnaise / mustard mixture on the inside of the bread.

Layer the inside of the sandwich with 2 slices of Swiss cheese, 3-4 sliced sweet ham, 1-1 ½ cup warm roast pork, dill pickle chips and then another 2 slices of Swiss cheese.

Top the sandwich with remaining bread, buttered side out. For extra flavor and melting, wrap the assembled sandwich tightly in foil.

Preheat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

Place foil-wrapped sandwiches in the skillet. Put a second heavy skillet on top.

Cook 3–4 minutes per side, turning with care until both sides are golden, the bread is crispy, and the cheese has melted through.

Remove from heat, unwrap from foil, and slice each sandwich on a bias before serving.

For the Roasted Pork:

1 pork butt, cut in half

Pork Seasoning:

½ cup kosher salt

2½ tablespoons demerara sugar

⅓ cup granulated onion powder

⅓ cup garlic powder

¼ cup dried oregano

4 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

4 teaspoons ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon mustard powder

For the marinade:

⅓ bunch cilantro

⅓ bunch Italian parsley

1 large shallot

8-10 garlic cloves (about 2 ½ tablespoons minced)

3-4 scallions, ends trimmed

½ to ⅔ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

⅓ cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Remove and discard extra fat from the pork butt. Cut a deep “X” into the flesh side

Season the pork all over with the dry seasoning. Transfer to a large, deep baking pan.

Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a blender and puree until smooth.

Generously marinate the pork pieces with the marinade. Add enough water to the pan to just cover the pork. Cover the pan with a piece of parchment paper pressed down on top of the pork, then cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Cook at 350˚F for 4 hours. The pork should be very tender. Allow to cool, remove any excess fat from the sauce. Remove and discard the skin and fat. Pull the meat into large chunks, tossing with a little of the de-fatted braising liquid.

What ultimately did was rewarding the law-abiding ones with fewer red lights.

The solution, which the city credits for a dramatic drop in crashes and injuries along one busy stretch of road, is a relatively novel version of a longstanding traffic safety concept commonly known as “rest in red," in which traffic signals default to red until a vehicle approaches. But Albuquerque and Portland, Oregon, took it a step further by adding speed sensors that grant a much earlier green light to drivers traveling at or below the posted limit.

“We’re finding that the technology itself is kind of its best advertisement,” Jennifer Turner, Albuquerque’s director of municipal development, said of the strategy the city deployed on Lead and Coal avenues, parallel one-way streets. "If you come to Albuquerque right now and you’re driving that corridor, you will learn pretty quickly that if you are speeding, you stop.”

Isaac Romero, who lives along the corridor, said he has noticed a big difference. Before rest in red, he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of drivers racing to beat the traffic lights or one another. He saw cars that had crashed and flipped, including one that ended up in his neighbor's yard.

“We had one accident where it’s even shaken the whole house because some guy slammed into a tree,” Romero said. “It's a lot of change because now you don't get as many people flying through there.”

Portland credits its ‘virtual speed bumps’

Portland recently rolled out the concept during the late-night hours on Southeast Powell Boulevard, a busy state highway with a long history of crashes, including fatal ones.

Peter Koonce, who manages signals and street lighting for the city, calls the new approach a “virtual speed bump” and said the early results are promising. At the first intersection tested, rest in red was able to lower the average speed from 39 mph (63 kph) to 30 mph (48 kph), which is the speed limit, he said.

Oregon State University researchers helped Portland choose its vehicle detection system for monitoring speeds, and now they're assessing its performance. David Hurwitz, a professor of transportation engineering who leads the study, said it's too early to draw sweeping conclusions.

“This choice that we are making to try to increase speed compliance seems like it’s working really well — seems like it has potential,” said Hurwitz, who stressed that further research is needed to ensure those gains aren't offset by more drivers running red lights or other negative consequences.

Cities try to change driver behavior but avoid other problems

Potential negative consequences are also a primary concern of Jay Beeber, chief government affairs and policy officer for the National Motorists Association, a drivers advocacy group. Although he acknowledges that rest in red could be effective in certain places at specific times, he questions whether driver behavior can really change without a broad education campaign and believes there are simpler, less-intrusive solutions.

“I think it's wishful thinking that drivers are aware enough and pay attention enough to really learn to change their speeds based on whether the light is gonna be red or not,” Beeber said. “I think people are going to end up at the light and just be frustrated. I don’t think they’re gonna know why.”

Many U.S. cities, including Albuquerque and Portland, have long used speed cameras to successfully prevent speeding. In fact, Albuquerque set up three near where it also deploys the rest in red approach, which has made that approach even stronger, according to officials.

LA briefly tried rest in red, but most cities haven't

A few other cities including Boulder, Colorado, and Long Beach, California, implemented smaller targeted efforts to use the threat of more red lights to force speeders to slow down.

Rebecca Sanders, a national safety practice leader at the transportation consulting firm Fehr & Peers, led a 2019 report at Arizona State University and Toole Design looking at various strategies used across the country to manage speed. Of the cities surveyed, only Los Angeles was trying rest in red at the time, and it briefly experimented with using feedback signs to trigger a red light when a driver traveling too fast was detected.

Sanders said the concept seems to work best on roads built for high-capacity traffic during the day but much less congested — and therefore more conducive to speeding — at night.

A 2023 study on five rural and urban roads in North Carolina found a 43% reduction in total crashes after rest in red was implemented around the clock, said Aaron Moody, spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Unlike the systems being used in Albuquerque and Portland, this and other versions of the rest in red approach didn’t use speed sensors to turn lights green for law-abiding drivers, but instead kept lights red by default until vehicles approached, slowing them.

Despite their apparent effectiveness at deterring speeding, cities have been slow to embrace rest in red.

Romero said he's visited enough neighborhoods through his home security business to know that the approach could work in many other places in Albuquerque and beyond. But it'll take all drivers buying in, as the presence of just one speeder can trigger a red light.

“If everybody cruises to 30 calmly, I can promise you, you can get every single green light all the way down,” Romero said. “But the moment that one person is there, it changes that whole route for everybody.”

The seabreeze will move in earlier than usual so any showers early in the day will be pushed well inland by afternoon so plan accordingly if you have any outdoor plans this weekend.

We’re locked into this pattern through much of next week, so keep the umbrellas handy especially during the morning hours heading into the first week of September. Highs will average near normal in the lower 90s the next few days. We’re watching the remnants of former tropical storm Dolly because some of that left-over moisture could increase our rain chances here in South Florida later next week. Otherwise, all is relatively quiet in the tropics as we approach the statistical peak of the season soon.

They have a lot to consider.

Over the past five weeks, the jury heard testimony from doctors, first responders, relatives and even Clancy’s former husband. It now weighs the question of whether she should be held criminally responsible for killing her three young children at her Massachusetts home in 2023.

Both sides agree Clancy did it. But her attorneys argue the former labor and delivery nurse was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time, and that poor mental healthcare exacerbated her condition. Prosecutors argue she intentionally planned the killings.

If Clancy is convicted, her sentence could be as severe as life in prison. If she’s found not guilty, she may be released or remain confined in a mental health facility.

As the jury deliberates, here are moments from the trial they may be considering.

___

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

___

Clancy's former husband made anguished 911 call

Clancy's former husband, Patrick Clancy, was first to take the stand.

In emotional testimony, he described the day he found his wife after she tried to kill herself.

Lindsay Clancy had sent him out to get takeout food and medication for their daughter, which prosecutors argue was an excuse to get him out of the house.

He came home to find the house unusually silent, before finding blood throughout the main bedroom and a window open.

Jurors listened to the 911 call Patrick Clancy made after finding his wife outside in the snow. Clancy can be heard speaking with his wife, then tells the dispatcher he’s going to check on the children.

Moments later, he howls and cries after finding his children in the basement. The confused dispatcher repeatedly asks what happened.

“She killed the kids!” he yells.

Everyone knew Clancy was struggling

Clancy's mother, mother-in-law, sister, friends and co-workers testified that Clancy struggled with her mental health after giving birth to Callan, the youngest of her three children.

Clancy's mother-in-law, Susan Clancy, said she and her former daughter-in-law were close. Both worked as labor and delivery nurses. She described Lindsay as a wonderful mother.

But Susan Clancy testified that Lindsay had become anxious, paranoid and suicidal, and that the psychiatric care she was getting wasn't helping.

“She felt unwell. She had insomnia. She was losing her appetite. She was very anxious and sad,” Susan Clancy said. “She was begging for help.”

Lindsay Clancy’s mother, Paula Musgrove, testified that her daughter was scared of sleeping alone, became paranoid and believed the medications she was taking “were destroying her mind.”

“Mom, will you please come up and stay with me for a bit? I’m really sick. Something is wrong,” Clancy wrote in an October 2022 text message that Paula Musgrove read in court. “I had horrible insomnia all night, and I just don’t know how I am going to get through the day. … It’s just really scary, and I don’t want to be alone.”

The defense questioned the quality of Clancy's medical care

Clancy saw several doctors about her declining mental health, and eventually checked herself in to a psychiatric hospital.

Her lawyer, Kevin Reddington, argued that she was misdiagnosed and overmedicated.

As he cross-examined one of her psychiatrists, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, Reddington questioned her expertise, prescribing decisions and use of 25-minute video appointments with limited time for talk therapy.

At one point, Reddington implied that Tufts was a box-checking “robot.”

“What did you do? You had a woman who was telling you she felt hopeless,” he asked as they discussed an appointment about two months before the killings.

“I told her that this was something we could address, that there was hope, that there are treatments, that there are different types of programs,” Tufts said, “so she knew that she still had options and a reason to hope.”

Clancy said she heard a voice telling her to kill

Paul Zeizel, a clinical and forensic psychologist who visited Lindsay Clancy in the hospital after she killed the children, testified that he overheard her saying that a disembodied male voice had told her she had no choice but to kill her children and then herself. Zeizel said he believed Clancy wasn't responsible for her actions because of her deep mental illness.

Prosecutors called a rebuttal witness, forensic psychologist Kirk Heilbrun, who said he didn’t believe Clancy had hallucinated voices.

“One of the things that she said when I asked about what happened, is that in the course of strangling each child, she said, ‘Go to God, baby. Go to God,’” he said. “That was part of her expectation that she and the children would be together in heaven with God.”

Dr. Gregory Saathoff, a senior psychiatrist for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, testified for prosecutors that Clancy “had the capacity to know right from wrong.”

The lawyers got the last word

After testimony was complete, each side got about an hour to make their closing argument to the jury.

Reddington showed the jury a photograph of the Clancy family, looking happy, and a second one of Lindsay Clancy in the hospital.

“How does this turn into this?" Reddington asked. “How? Because of the damn medicine and the lousy medical care that she got.”

Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague said criticizing the mental health system was “a distraction.” She said Clancy chose to kill her children because doing so would make it easier to kill herself.

“She was depressed. She was exhausted. She was done. She didn’t want to try anymore. She felt damaged,” Sprague said. “But those kids, those kids were her protective factor. Those kids were keeping her from ending her misery.”

___

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

“Esto es todo lo que tenemos, estos dos estanques pequeños que están llenos de peces jóvenes”, afirmó Dusan Jovanovic, pescador. Los peces están en peligro porque hay muy poca agua y su temperatura supera los 30 grados Celsius (86 grados Fahrenheit), agregó.

“Si empiezan a morir, morirán todos de golpe”, advirtió.

La sequía persistente y el calor abrasador de este verano han arrasado ecosistemas y negocios en toda la región, desde un lago en Eslovenia y el canal lateral del Danubio en Serbia, hasta piscifactorías en Bosnia, República Checa, Rumanía y Hungría.

La industria pesquera se ha visto especialmente afectada, con daños estimados en millones de euros (dólares). Esto se suma al ya elevado costo provocado por los problemas en el suministro de energía y agua, las cosechas arruinadas, pérdidas en el tráfico fluvial y el comercio.

Desprevenidos ante la crisis de este año, países y empresas sopesan ahora maneras de minimizar los efectos de futuros fenómenos meteorológicos extremos que los científicos han vinculado al cambio climático provocado por el ser humano.

Hungría ve morir sus peces con todo el país en sequía extrema

Alrededor del 99% del territorio húngaro se encuentran actualmente bajo condiciones de sequía severa o extrema, de acuerdo con el servicio meteorológico nacional. La desertificación, un proceso por el que la vegetación retrocede debido al calor intenso y a las escasas precipitaciones, amenaza gran parte de la gran llanura húngara.

Entre las zonas más afectadas están las aproximadamente 27.000 hectáreas (67.000 acres) de estanques de peces de Hungría. El Ministerio de Agricultura y Economía Alimentaria reportó la semana pasada que el “calor persistente y la escasez de agua” habían provocado que 1.588 hectáreas (3.924 acres) de esos estanques se secaran, causando la muerte de casi 280 toneladas métricas de peces en 20 granjas.

La pérdida estimada de ingresos por los daños fue de 1.300 millones de forintos (4,2 millones de dólares), agregó. Los productores dicen que reemplazar los peces muertos podría tomar años. En ocasiones, los operadores se ven obligados a vaciar un estanque y desviar su agua para salvar los peces de otro, señaló a principios de agosto la Organización Intersectorial de Acuicultura y Pesca de Hungría.

Años de sequías perjudican a piscicultores rumanos

Para los piscicultores en Rumania, especialmente los que crían carpas, la sofocante ola de calor de este año sucede a las severas sequías de 2023 y 2024, cuyos efectos aún se sienten, explicó Catalin Platon, presidente de la Asociación Nacional de Productores de Pescado ROMFISH.

En la producción de la carpa, señaló Platon, el ciclo es de tres o cuatro años.

“Así que lo que perdimos en 2023 ha tenido impacto cada año desde entonces”, manifestó Platon. Las políticas de uso del agua que priorizaron el riego para la agricultura durante las sequías anteriores “nos dejaron sin agua para los peces”, lamentó.

Productores checos toman medidas de emergencia

En República Checa, los piscicultores han adoptado diversas medidas de emergencia: reducir o suspender la alimentación para disminuir el consumo de oxígeno, airear los estanques o drenarlos cuando es necesario.

Funcionarios de la Asociación Checa de Pesca señalan que unas precipitaciones sostenidas podrían aliviar la crisis inmediata, pero que se necesitan medidas a largo plazo para retener más agua en el paisaje.

Jan Sokolik, técnico de la pesquería Rybarstvi Trebon, explicó que “algunos estanques que en realidad tenían poca agua ya se han vaciado, pero todos eran estanques marginales”.

“Ahora apenas estamos empezando a planificar qué hacer con los estanques grandes”, agregó.

Criadores de trucha bosnios “buscan sobrevivir al verano”

Veljko Budjen es el propietario de una granja de truchas cerca de Trebinje, en el sureste de Bosnia. Los veranos calurosos y secos han causado problemas graves en el país mayormente montañoso, famoso por sus restaurantes de trucha, añadió.

“La trucha es un pez de agua fría, que requiere agua fría con mucho oxígeno", explicó. "Así que durante el verano te ves obligado a reducir la producción de trucha y la alimentación para que el negocio apenas pueda sobrevivir”.

Una opción, indicó, es añadir oxígeno líquido al agua durante la campaña estival. De lo contrario, afirmó, “hay que esperar a las primeras lluvias".

Eslovenos bombean agua a un lago para tratar de salvar a peces

Equipos de emergencia han estado bombeando agua al lago Pristava, en el este de Eslovenia, un lugar muy frecuentado por pescadores, para tratar de evitar una asfixia masiva de peces

Los bomberos han arrojado 8 millones de litros (2 millones de galones) de agua, pero se temen pueda no ser suficiente.

“Nos sorprende que haya sobrevivido algún pez”, contó Danijel Fras, de la Asociación de Pesca Pesnica Lenart, a la radiodifusora pública RTV Slovenia.

En Serbia, los pescadores señalaron que la única solución para los peces en peligro en el canal lateral del Danubio en Novi Sad es trasladarlos a otro lugar.

“Las temperaturas este año son extremas", reconoció Jovanovic, el pescador serbio. "Nadie recuerda algo así”.

___

Los periodistas de The Associated Press Justin Spike en Budapest, Hungría; Eldar Emric en Trebinje, Bosnia; Stanislav Hodina en Praga, y Steven McGrath en Leamington Spa, Inglaterra, contribuyeron a este despacho.

___

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

The attack sparked a fire in the Bucha district, west of Kyiv, that swept through homes and damaged at least 50 residential buildings, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the local regional military administration.

Kyiv investigates warehouse targeted in attack

In a statement on the attack, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that a warehouse had been struck in the village of Myla, “followed by a detonation.”

He did not give details on the site, but wrote in the same message that Ukrainian law forbade the storage of ammunition close to civilian homes and that criminal proceedings had been opened.

“Those who allowed this to happen must be held accountable for their decisions,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian leader also wrote that a care home for elderly people and people with disabilities had been damaged, and that an evacuation from the area was ongoing.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi also didn't offer information on the warehouse targeted, but referenced an attack on the Kyiv suburb of Vyshneve early in July, which hit an ammunition depot, killing 22 and triggering large detonations and fires that tore through nearby homes.

“Unfortunately, we can already see that the terrible tragedy in Vyshneve did not become a lesson,” Koretskyi said. “In the fifth year of a full-scale invasion, making the same mistakes is criminal negligence. And all those guilty, without exception, must be severely punished so that such situations do not happen again.”

In a statement, Russia's Ministry of Defense said that it had hit a warehouse in Myla storing components and launch boosters for long-range drones. It also said that it had attacked the ports of Mykolaiv and Izmail, as well as a logistics center and warehouse facilities storing parts for Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missiles in the Kyiv region.

Zelenskyy later announced that two officials from state-owned companies, including Ukraine’s largest arms producer, Ukroboronprom, had illegally allowed the storage of weapons on the site in Vyshneve and would be held accountable.

Russia bombards Kyiv with third day of nearly non-stop attacks

Three days of almost constant Russian air raids on Kyiv have choked the economy in the Ukrainian capital and severely disrupted civilian life more than 4½ years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor.

Russian strikes on the southern Kherson region Saturday killed two people and wounded 27 more, Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the region administration, said in a statement on social media.

He said that attacks had damaged homes and apartment blocks, and that one child was among the injured.

Earlier in the week, Prokudin said that Russia has intensified attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which is about 70% under Russian control. He also urged tens of thousands of residents to move to safer regions because of the possibility of prolonged power and heating outages this winter.

Russia has significantly increased its use of jet-powered drones, and their numbers will keep growing as Moscow sees their effectiveness, said Pavlo Palisa, deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office, in comments to journalists Friday that were embargoed until Saturday.

“Means of attack always outpace means of defense. We will certainly need to adapt. It will take time,” Palisa said. He said interceptor drones currently available to Ukraine, which could theoretically intercept jet-powered drones, are not yet to demonstrate the expected effectiveness, though Ukraine is working on solutions.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has stepped up its long-range attacks on Russian military industries and energy facilities in recent months, using locally made drones, aiming to cut Moscow’s revenue for its invasion and make Russians feel the consequences.

In his evening statement to the nation Friday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv hoped to increase its long-range strikes on Russia to reach 1000 drone launches every day.

“Right now, we average over 300 of our long-range sanctions,” Zelenskyy said, his preferred term for Kyiv’s long-range attacks that have also lately targeted Russian large-scale online retailers. “There must be more. We have a very specific goal, and we will achieve it.”

Moscow’s forces destroyed 313 Ukrainian drones overnight, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said Saturday.

Ukrainian drone attacks wounded 11 people in Russia’s Rostov region, Gov. Yuri Slyusar said. Writing on social media, he said that nine people were hospitalized, including four children.

Eating out or relying on convenience foods are increasingly difficult solutions for many American families, who are facing the biggest jump in grocery prices in a half century. It can also be healthier to cook at home, where it is easier to control things like how much salt or sugar is added to a meal.

But in many cities, there's another way to break the “what's for dinner” rut without breaking the bank: shopping at international food markets.

It can be surprisingly simple to incorporate new flavors into home meals by pairing unfamiliar ingredients with pantry staples, says Palina Louangketh, a self-described foodie and the director of the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora. She also teaches cooking classes, partnering with Boise-area refugees who demonstrate dishes and techniques from their home countries.

“Coming here to an international market, you get both a dose of cultural experience but also healthy, fresh exotic ingredients,” Louangketh said on a recent trip to the Idaho Capital Asian Market in Boise, pointing to products from China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea and elsewhere.

“It doesn’t have to be so scary or unique. If you pair your protein with vegetables and with a starch and add savoriness to it — soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce — you’re covered," she said.

Yes, navigating a grocery store full of new-to-you products with foreign-language labels might feel daunting at first, said Beryl Shereshewsky, a New York video producer whose YouTube channel is dedicated to exploring dishes and cultural connections from around the world.

But there are ways to incorporate international supermarkets into your home cooking routine, she said.

Here are some tips:

Venture outside your neighborhood

“I think you would be surprised by how many international markets exist even in small towns and cities,” said Shereshewsky. “Everywhere you go in America, you’re going to find immigrants, and those immigrants are still cooking their foods from their countries and cultures."

Sales at international supermarkets and small grocery stores across the U.S. have been growing steadily for years, according to market research firm IBISWorld.

There are more than 20 international markets in Boise, which has just over 235,000 residents. Several more are located in nearby Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell.

People tend to shop near home, Shereshewsky said, but exploring new territory can reveal hidden gems.

“It allows you to interact with your city or town in a different way,” she said.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help

Store workers are often happy to assist.

“It’s exciting,” said Bailey Hughes, a cashier at Idaho Capital Asian Market who enjoys following food trends. “People will come in because they saw something viral on the internet, like Chinese Baddie Tea.”

The viral beverage is based on a traditional Chinese tea recipe made with jujube dates and ginger.

And doing a little advance research goes a long way.

Many food bloggers focus on one cuisine, like vegetarian chef Manjula Jain who writes about Indian cuisine, Lola Osinkolu who specializes in Nigerian and indigenous African cooking, and Maangchi, a go-to resource for Korean cooking.

“There are a lot of people out there who are recipe developers who have spent a lot of time perfecting dishes and making them acceptable,” Shereshewsky said. She goes into markets “with a very specific list and recommendations of what I need to buy because going in there with no plan can be like, a little bit too much.”

It’s OK to start small

You can find inspiration in the familiar if you're not ready to fully venture into the unknown.

“Look at something you really like and see the iterations of it around the world. That way you add a couple of new ingredients and you’re trying something new from something that’s familiar,” said Shereshewsky. “Even though we speak different languages or wear different clothing, or we live in different places, suddenly we’re all connected through a tomato."

Breakfast lovers might try swapping scrambled eggs and toast for a Ugandan rolex, a thin vegetable omelet wrapped in chapati flatbread. Or a basic side salad can be replaced with Chinese spinach salad, an addictive appetizer made using blanched Taiwanese spinach, vinegary dressing and peanuts. The Taiwanese variety is sweeter and crunchier than the flat-leaf spinach found in most big-box grocery stores.

Soups are another good place to start, says Louangketh. She likes to add bright, tart flavor to broths with fresh lemongrass and kaffir leaf, both pantry staples in Laos, where she was born.

Keep your eyes open for savings

Spices, fresh produce and some specialty sauces are often less expensive in international markets than in mainstream grocery stores. Even proteins like fresh and frozen seafood can be substantially cheaper, in part because these stores are more likely to work with multiple suppliers.

But keep your eyes open, and don't just assume everything will come at a savings. International markets can also carry very high-end versions of specialty products compared to what you might find elsewhere.

“I think you'll find some ingredients are much cheaper than in the traditional supermarket and others could be just as expensive — it depends on what you're looking for,” Shereshewsky said.

You might find a new favorite food

If you see something that intrigues you, don’t be afraid to try it.

“If you just buy some things because you’re vibing with them, you can then reverse-engineer meals out of them by searching that ingredient and recipes,” Shereshewsky said.

Filipino dishes have become part of her regular cooking rotation, in part because they are simple to prepare and often allow for ingredient substitutions that don’t change the overall flavor or integrity of the dish, she said.

“For example, they have calamansi juice, which is a type of citrus, but you can use lemon, no problem,” she said.

Other favorite ingredients for Shereshewsky include pork floss — a Chinese finely shredded dried pork with a texture similar to savory cotton candy — and aji panca, a mild Peruvian chile with a sweet and smoky flavor. Banana sauce, a sweet and tangy cousin to tomato ketchup, is another pantry staple, she said.

Look beyond your plate for a deeper connection

It can be fun to dabble in different cuisines, but real satisfaction comes from appreciating the cultures and people behind the food, says Louangketh.

“Food is about building community,” she said, and creating opportunities "to connect through something that is healthy.”

Consider attending cultural festivals or events or taking classes, like the free online “Kitchen of Exotic Eats” cooking classes offered by the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora.

Viral food trends may offer an easy entry point to exploring a new cuisine, said Shereshewsky, but don't let that overshadow the history of a dish. "If you take the time to understand where that food is from, you can get a lot out of it and learn a lot from the people who have grown up with these dishes,” she said.

Eala is now up to a career-best 18th in the world, and at just 21 appears to be on a trajectory to stardom that has outgrown all but the biggest venues at Flushing Meadows.

“The crowd is going to be wild for her,” ESPN's Patrick McEnroe said. “Better make sure they don’t put her on one of those side courts early in the tournament.”

Eala is back in New York for the latest stop on the whirlwind tour that has her on a path to being one of the future faces of tennis. She is less than a month removed from winning in Washington for her first WTA title, and her popularity is exploding in the process.

Back at a Grand Slam after reaching the round of 16 at Wimbledon, she called herself “a drop in the ocean” while downplaying her impact on the sport.

“At the forefront of everything is gratitude: I’m very grateful for the support that my fans give me and that my supporters give me,” Eala said Friday. “Every single WTA player and every single ATP player has contributed to the world of tennis and its history just by being here and by putting in the work every single day.”

Part of what grounded Eala, she believes, is partnering with Venus Williams in doubles a couple of times this summer. She has also studied tennis history along the way and realized how much work it takes to get to the top.

“That really keeps me humble,” Eala said. “It keeps me motivated to work harder and stay among these incredible people.”

One of those incredible people is third-ranked Jessica Pegula, who was up a set in the final in Washington. Eala came back to become the first player from the Philippines to win a singles title on the tour.

"I’ve gotten to compete against the best of the best a lot more frequently," Eala said. “I have experienced so much growth in the past year, and so many milestones in my career.”

Mary Joe Fernandez, who once was ranked as high as fourth, called Eala “a big star to highlight” at the U.S. Open.

“Her game’s really good,” Fernandez said. “She backs it up. She’s improved tremendously, I think, in the last 12 months when we saw her break through. She’s getting better and better.”

Fernandez, now an ESPN analyst, marvels at Eala's “off the charts” fan following that she saw firsthand last year in Miami.

“It’s just gotten bigger and bigger everywhere she goes,” Fernandez said. “Every point is loud. Every point she wins, it feels like she’s won more than a point. It’s remarkable.”

Eala is scheduled to play her first-round match against American qualifier Mary Stoiana. She would need to win three in a row to potentially set up a showdown with fourth-seeded Coco Gauff, which would almost certainly put Eala on center stage at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

“I fully anticipate him being a member of our team,” LaFleur said Friday night after the Packers closed their preseason schedule with a 42-38 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

The Brown County (Wisconsin) District Attorney’s office filed misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property against Jacobs on Thursday. The charges arose from an incident that took place three months ago.

When he was asked about Jacobs’ potential availability for the Packers’ Sept. 13 season opener at Minnesota, LaFleur replied that “I can’t really comment on that because I don’t know.”

Jacobs was arrested May 26 after police were called to his home to investigate a disturbance, and he was released from jail the next day.

Jacobs’ lawyers — David Z. Chesnoff, Richard A. Schonfeld, and Clarence F. Duchac III — issued a statement Thursday acknowledging the charges and noting that they “do not include domestic violence.”

“The allegations will be addressed in court, and not in the media,” they said. “Mr. Jacobs respects the District Attorney’s office and the process it followed.”

The NFL has said it is monitoring the case. The Packers said they were aware of the charges and would continue to cooperate with the NFL.

Jacobs rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. That followed a 2024 season in which Jacobs ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection.

Running backs behind Jacobs on Green Bay’s depth chart include MarShawn Lloyd, Pierre Strong Jr. and Chris Brooks.

Lloyd stayed healthy throughout this preseason, but injuries have caused the 2024 third-round pick to play just one game over the last two seasons. Strong spent last season on Green Bay’s practice squad but has 499 career yards rushing. Brooks ran for 106 yards on 27 carries last season while contributing primarily on special teams.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Sosa connected just two batters after Wade Meckler reached deep into the right field stands to rob Bryson Stott of a three-run homer.

After J.T. Realmuto drew a walk that loaded the bases and chased shaky closer Ben Joyce (0-2), Sosa crushed a low changeup from Sammy Peralta 404 feet to center, far beyond Mike Trout's reach.

Alex McFarlane (4-1) pitched the eighth for Philly. Jonathan Bowlan got the ninth instead of closer Jhoan Duran, and he put two Angels on base before he struck out Adam Frazier to finish his second save.

Bryce Harper extended his on-base streak to a career-high 30 games with a bunt single in the fourth for Philadelphia, which improved to 2-2 on its nine-game West Coast trip. The Phillies also moved one game behind the Cubs for the top NL wild-card spot.

Reid Detmers yielded one run and eight hits over six resilient innings, but the AL-worst Angels lost their fifth straight with yet another bullpen implosion.

After Alec Bohm and Justin Crawford reached base without a hit off Joyce, Meckler appeared to save the game for Los Angeles with his spectacular running catch on Stott’s sinking fly, putting his body onto the waist-high wall of the short porch and sticking his glove in among the fans.

Instead, Sosa connected for the Phillies’ first go-ahead grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning since Shane Victorino did it in 2009.

Meckler drove in a run on the first pitch he saw in his return from the concussion injured list during a three-run first inning for the Halos, who managed just three singles — one after the first.

Andrew Painter recovered nicely from that 28-pitch first in which he threw two wild pitches that brought home Trout and Meckler, facing the minimum 15 batters during five hitless innings afterward.

Up next

Phillies All-Star Cristopher Sánchez (16-4, 2.62 ERA) takes the mound Saturday against the Angels' Ryan Johnson (3-7, 5.75 ERA).

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

In the opener of a critical four-game series, Rafaela committed a costly baserunning blunder in the fifth inning Friday night and then got thrown out at home plate to end the seventh.

Shut out for the second consecutive game and seventh time this season, Boston (73-61) dropped three games behind the Yankees (76-58) in the race for the top American League wild-card and home-field advantage throughout a potential best-of-three playoff series between the longtime rivals.

With the Red Sox trailing on Paul Goldschmidt's third-inning homer off starter Patrick Sandoval, they put two on against New York ace Cam Schlittler with one out in the fifth. Wilyer Abreu lined out to center field, and Rafaela got doubled off first as the trail runner to end the inning — with cleanup batter Willson Contreras on deck.

“That’s a bad read on me. That’s very bad," Rafaela said. "No excuses. That can’t happen.”

In the bottom half, cameras caught Rafaela shaking his head at himself in center field.

“I don’t know if it was an outs thing or if it was both guys when the ball kind of came off the bat, they started to extend, thinking it was going to drop," Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. “He may have just extended too far, got close to the bag and then he flipped the ball in quick and he’s back-picked at first. So, tough one there, obviously.”

In a nip-and-tuck game with a playoff feel, Boston then put runners at second and third with one out in the seventh when Rafaela singled and Abreu doubled on the first two pitches from reliever Paul Blackburn.

Contreras lofted a fly to medium left field and Cody Bellinger cut down the speedy Rafaela at home plate with a 99.7 mph throw.

“Honestly, not surprised because we know he has a good arm," Rafaela said. “He throws with accuracy and that was being aggressive trying to tie the game right there and he made a perfect throw. I think that’s the only throw that can get me out right there.”

Rafaela said he went on his own, even though interim third base coach Chad Epperson was telling him to hold.

“That’s not him. That’s on me. Sometimes I make dumb decisions trying to be over-aggressive and those things happen,” Rafaela said.

Tracy, however, thought trying to score was the right play in that situation.

“We haven’t scored much lately, so you've got to take your shot," he said. "You get the ball in the air, which is what you need, and you have a really good baserunner in Rafa and speed at third. You’re going to take your shot and with him running, it’s got to be a perfect throw and he made a perfect throw right on the money.

“It’s like, how many opportunities are you going to get? And you've got to go there and force it,” Tracy added. “If you get it a little bit offline in one direction with Rafa running, you’re going to be safe.”

Schlittler was thrilled with the end result.

“It was a great throw on a great runner. That changed the whole game right there," he said.

Boston finished 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 overall in its first 1-0 loss to the Yankees since July 25, 2008. The 13-game season series is tied 5-all.

“Everything matters in these games,” New York manager Aaron Boone said.

Paired with a 4-0 defeat Wednesday at Miami, it's the first time the Red Sox have gone two games in a row without scoring since September 2023.

“These games are fun,” Bellinger said. "Atmosphere is incredible and I always like to impact the game some way. So I was glad I was able to make that throw.”

___

AP freelance writer Larry Fleisher contributed to this report.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The beloved country superstar, who died this week at 80, never embraced the feminist label. In fact, she eschewed it when asked, just as she carefully avoided political labels.

But a label is just that — a label, and one that was still new when Parton was building her groundbreaking career in music. More telling to her legions of admirers were Parton’s life choices, accomplishments, social alliances and especially, her lyrics — words that made clear how fiercely independent the woman beneath the wig and rhinestones truly was, and what she believed in.

In short, Parton may not have claimed to be a feminist, but her feminist fans claimed her just the same — with pride and affection.

Fans like Lynn Melnick, who, in writing a book about how Parton's songs impacted her own life and her recovery from trauma, found herself searching incessantly for moments where the singer might have called herself a feminist.

“She didn’t tell us she was a feminist,” says Melnick, author of “I’ve Had to Think Up a Way to Survive: On Trauma, Persistence, and Dolly Parton.” “She showed us — in her actions and her words and in her songs. And I think that’s why people loved her so much.”

She skewered a double standard with humor and relatability

Witness the whoops of joy — from women — at the Newport Folk Festival in 2019. A cheeky Parton, then in her early 70s, drew delighted cheers when she sang the famous lyric to “Just Because I’m a Woman”:

“My mistakes are no worse than yours, just because I’m a woman.”

Parton had just explained to the crowd that the song was about a double standard — a reference to a frank conversation she’d had with her husband soon after marriage, when he asked if she’d been with other men.

“When you boys get married you want us to be just as pure as snow — well, sometimes we’re not!” she told the crowd. “This is for you, gals, and your boys just gotta take it, OK?”

The remarks were vintage Parton, making a point without alienating anyone. She was, after all, about relatability.

“One thing about Dolly is that no matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on, you think she’s with you,” Melnick says. “Everyone claims her. And so as a feminist I always thought, well, obviously she’s a feminist, and the more I read about her and wrote about her, it was just undeniable — first of all because of how she lived her life completely on her own terms.”

And those terms involved flipping the script, says music writer Caryn Rose.

“She knew she was blonde and pretty, and that it was always going to work against her,” says Rose. “So she figured out how to make it work FOR her. There's not anything more feminist than that!”

She earned admiration from an icon of feminism

Or take it from perhaps the most visible icon of the feminist movement: Steinem herself.

“People who haven’t listened to Dolly Parton or to feminism may be surprised to learn that they go together,” Steinem wrote in that 1987 issue. “She has used her business sense to bring other women and poor people along with her. And her flamboyant style has turned all the devalued symbols of women to her own ends.”

“If feminism means each of us finding our unique power, and helping other women to do the same,” Steinem wrote, “Dolly Parton certainly has done both.”

To Evelyn McDonnell, Parton’s looks — the eyelashes, the big hair, the curves — served as an invisible cloak, helping her to freely express progressive views.

“She took the objectification of being a pop star and embraced it,” says McDonnell, editor of the music anthology “Women Who Rock” and professor at Loyola Marymount University. “It was like her magic cloak — she could be saying feminist things and doing feminist things and modeling a life and a voice that was outspoken, progressive, political. But you saw the package and you’re like, ‘Oh, okay.’ It made it safe.”

Parton’s priorities, McDonnell notes, are clear from songs like “9 to 5,” from the movie in which she starred with Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda. “It’s all about feminism, right? About women in the workplace, economic empowerment, pushing back against the male supervisor, uniting women’s voices.”

Parton addressed equal pay, reproductive justice, teen pregnancy and more

Equal pay was just one of the key women's issues Parton wrote about. She also, notes author Melnick, addressed reproductive justice, teen pregnancy, double standards regarding sex and "all of these very feminist issues ... she was just doing the work quietly, in her songs.”

One such song was “The Bargain Store," from 1975. “I may have just what you’re looking for, if you don’t mind the fact that all the merchandise is used," Parton wrote. “But with a little mending, it could be as good as new.”

Country radio, Parton said later, shunned the song because they took it to be about prostitution, when it was really about healing after a relationship. Melnick also sees a “gutsy” message about how a woman has value even without a man.

Then there was “Down from Dover,” about a single teen mother. “I wrote that back during a time when people didn’t talk about unwed mothers,” Parton told Vulture in 2023. “They wouldn’t play that on the radio.”

Some saw in her an early example of third-wave feminism

Melnick posits that Parton, well ahead of her time, exemplified so-called third-wave feminism, which gained currency in the ’90s with a focus on individual choice. A feminism where one could wear big heels, big hair and sparkly rhinestones, for example — as a choice.

And that’s exactly how Parton framed her looks in a 1977 interview with Barbara Walters: “It's certainly a choice.”

Parton said later that people had warned her against talking to Walters, who'd chew her up and spit her out. But a 31-year old Parton, with quiet confidence and a generous smile, emerged looking far better than her interlocutor.

Walters asked Parton if she thought she was “a joke.” She asked if she was faithful to her husband and why she was even married, if she was constantly traveling. She even asked Parton if her famous breasts were real — blaming the question on an assistant.

Walters also asked Parton to stand up and display her body.

Parton did, politely. But she was as tough as her famous nails when she explained why she was comfortable with the jokes — and, in fact, in on them. Her self-analysis echoed the words of Steinem, who has said feminism “is fundamentally about self-respect and respect for others.”

“I know exactly what I am doing and I can change it at any time,” Parton told Walters. “I make more jokes about myself than anybody ... I am sure of myself as a person and I am sure of my talent. I am very content. So I can afford to diddle around with makeup and clothes and stuff because I am secure with myself.”

As some of her fans might ask, is there anything more feminist than that?

The yes-or-no referendum question is simple enough for the 265,000 or so eligible voters: Should Iceland resume accession negotiations with the European Union?

A yes vote would trigger negotiations with the EU’s executive branch, the European Commission, covering 35 areas, from the economy to human rights. Some supporters believe the European Union could offer protections if Trump ever made similar threats against Iceland. They also see economic stability in joining the bloc.

If voters reject the proposal, that’s it, for a generation at least. Opponents have rallied around the threat EU membership would pose to Iceland’s rich fishing stocks and the fact that Iceland already reaps benefits from being in the EU’s frictionless single market and the Schengen free-travel zone.

Experts expect a close vote.

More than 20% of voters cast early ballots in advance of election day, Iceland’s national broadcaster RÚV said.

Nearby Greenland casting a shadow over referendum

When Trump talked about U.S. control of Greenland, particularly at the start of this year, he shifted the mood in Iceland, just 180 miles (290 km) from the self-governing territory of Denmark, a longtime U.S. ally. Some Icelanders were particularly alarmed when he mistakenly named their country four times while speaking about his designs on Greenland.

Though Trump has indicated he won't use force to seize Greenland, his interest doesn't appear to have cooled.

The underlying worry among many in Iceland is clear — if Greenland is seized, is Iceland next?

The ensuing question is clear too: if yes, does EU membership provide a bulwark against any new Trump ambition in the North Atlantic?

Iceland’s left-leaning coalition government, elected in 2024, certainly thinks so, and that’s largely why it moved forward with the EU referendum that it had planned for next year.

“We can’t really trust the U.S. anymore,” said Hildur Knútsdóttir, a horror fiction writer who plans to vote in favor of EU membership.

After more than a decade, EU membership is back on the agenda

EU talk is nothing new in Iceland, which formally ended its previous effort to join the bloc in 2015, largely over concerns of what membership would mean for its rich fish resources.

The hefty cod and haddock catches from the chilled Arctic waters around Iceland are central to the national identity too. Descendants of Vikings who settled in Iceland have lived off the sea for centuries.

With much of the country's economy geared toward its lucrative and well-managed fishing industry, fishing rights have been a talking point in the run-up to the referendum.

Joining the 27-nation EU would require Iceland to be part of the bloc’s common fisheries policy that would allow Spanish, Dutch and other trawlers into its waters. The government has indicated it would seek a special arrangement, potentially a full opt-out from the policy.

In the final days ahead of the vote, Iceland’s prime minister, Kristrún Frostadóttir, has sought to remind voters that the referendum is not the end of the matter, and that there will be another referendum if and when Iceland reaches a membership agreement with the EU.

“This is not an election about membership and not about adaptation, as there will be another referendum on an accession agreement if the result is yes,” Frostadóttir told a rally.

Fish is not just an economic matter; it's part of the national identity

For many, Iceland's national identity and ultimately its culture is on the ballot too.

Iceland, which gained independence from Denmark in 1944, has a proud history of refusing to be pushed around by bigger and richer European nations. It even fought — and won — the so-called Cod Wars with Britain in the 1970s over its fishing grounds.

Backers of EU membership say it’s best for Iceland to get closer to its European neighbors to combat issues that don't respect borders, such as climate change. They also say the euro would bring more stability than Iceland's volatile króna currency.

Opponents say the current setup is just right and that Iceland already enjoys all the benefits of European integration without the sovereignty compromises that inevitably come with full membership. They cite trade deals, such as one with China, that are more favorable.

“I think Iceland is better off outside of the EU, within the close collaboration with the EU,” former prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, told The Associated Press.

____

Melley reported from London. Pan Pylas contributed to this story.

After Nepali authorities updated their figures Saturday, the combined toll in Nepal and Tibet rose to 676 dead and nearly 3,000 people missing. Chinese authorities have reported seven deaths and more than 550 missing, while Nepal’s disaster agency said the death toll had climbed to 669 with 2,426 people missing.

More than 3,700 people have been rescued in Nepal so far.

In Nuwakot, one of the Nepali districts devastated by the floods, helicopters arrived loaded with boxes and bags of aid, including clothes, instant noodles, crackers and rice. Others returned from the flood-hit areas carrying survivors.

An older man was carefully helped off one helicopter, while a soldier carried an older woman on his back to a medical tent. Most arrived with nothing except the clothes they were wearing.

About a dozen people emerged from another helicopter. Soldiers carried several babies who had been evacuated.

The evacuees had been brought from the nearby community of Trishuli.

Villagers return to devastated homes

As people were still leaving Trishuli, some village residents were returning to see what could be salvaged from their decimated homes.

One boy walked out of the village carrying muddy sandals from his house. Another woman, Shoba Shretha, returned to find Sweetie, the dog she was forced to leave behind when the floods came. Shretha sat on the ground petting her and feeding her water from a bottle.

At some point, relief coordinators cleared villagers, reporters and volunteers from the entrance to Trishuli, as excavation equipment drove into the flooded village to dig.

Families begin to lose hope

In Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital, relatives and friends gathered outside the main government hospital from early morning, desperately searching for news of missing loved ones.

Many shuffled between the help desk and the hospital notice board, clutching photographs and scanning injured patients’ lists in the hope of finding them.

Dil Maya Lama stood weeping outside the help desk at the hospital, searching for information about her missing 26-year-old brother, a driver for a hydropower company in Rasuwa. She had traveled from Ramechhap, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) away.

“I came here with the hope that I might find him,” she said. “There is no information about him.”

Nelza Moktan anxiously sought information about her missing cousin, who also worked as a driver in Rasuwa.

“I feel hopeless. It has already been four days,” she said.

Families covered hospital walls with posters showing missing relatives, photographs and contact numbers in a desperate appeal for any clue that could bring them home.

Families search paper lists for any clue

Back in Nuwakot, military personnel taped sheets of paper listing dozens of missing people to a wall at a relief center, prompting families to crowd around them.

Some scanned lists of the missing and dead, took photos and wiped away tears as they looked through the names.

Rajesh Kumar Ram desperately searched through a list for his son's name.

“I’m hopeful, by chance, that my son is somewhere," he said, crying as he spoke. "Maybe they find him stuck somewhere. I’m waiting for that moment only.”

Outside, people walked along mud-covered streets past signs of the disaster. On one street, a truck was stuck in the mud with its bed raised in the air.

Priti Kharel stood outside the entrance to the army barracks, holding a poster with a picture of her brother, Milan Kharel, who works as an engineering geologist at Doosan Enerbility. His family hasn’t heard from him since the floods.

“It’s already four days,” said Kharel, who believes his brother could be one of the people trapped inside the tunnel of a hydropower construction site, where authorities have rescued some people.

“We want the government to rescue him as soon as possible,” she added.

Rescuers battle to find survivors in disaster-hit areas

Search and rescue efforts continued at several locations in Nepal and China’s Tibet, including the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project in Nepal’s Rasuwa district and the severely damaged Gyirong border crossing on the Chinese side.

Nepali Army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Raja Ram Basnet said rescue efforts would continue at the hydropower construction site, where authorities believe more than 100 people are trapped in a tunnel filled with thick mud.

Rescuers had been on high alert for more flooding from a new lake that formed high up in the Himalayan mountains after the initial floods Wednesday.

Monitoring data from the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources showed late Friday that the lake had dwindled in size. The water level dropped by 10 meters (32 feet) from the high point on Thursday morning, Chinese broadcaster CCTV said.

The Chinese broadcaster showed images Saturday of rescuers arriving at Gyirong Port, the hard-hit border crossing with Nepal. “Anyone, anyone?” rescuers yelled.

It was not immediately known how many people were at the border checkpoint building when the floods hit.

Hundreds of the missing are foreigners who were in the area to work, trek or make a pilgrimage to a sacred peak.

Steep mountains and narrow gorges hamper rescue operations

In a news briefing Saturday, Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said authorities have mobilized all available resources with support from international assistance for search, rescue, relief and recovery operations, with a particular focus on locating those still missing.

“This is currently our national priority,” he told reporters Saturday.

He said rescue operations are challenging because of steep, tall mountains and narrow gorges in the disaster-hit region.

Khanal said the government has sought specialized support from Nepal’s neighbors in tunnel rescue, survivor-detection technology, rapid forensic and DNA analysis, as well as morgue refrigerators.

An 11-member tunnel rescue reconnaissance team from India has been deployed while a similar rescue team from China is expected shortly, he added.

The minister said Nepal has received over 57 metric tons of relief supplies from India, with additional aid arriving from China, Japan, Australia and other countries. He added that further support will be sought as need assessments continue.

___

Kafle reported from Kathmandu, Nepal. Associated Press journalists Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Sibi Arasu in Bengaluru, India; Upendra Mansingh in Nuwakot district, Nepal; Aijaz Hussain in New Delhi, India; and Didi Tang in Washington contributed to this report.

——-

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.

“His spirit wants this to come out and wants this to get justice," Williams said.

Nearly 30 years after Shakur’s death, the trial of the only person ever charged in his killing has drawn fans back to a loss many of them never stopped carrying. For them, the case not only offers the person who may be responsible for Shakur's death, but a chance for resolution after decades spent keeping his music, message and memory alive.

Former Southern California street gang leader Duane “Keffe D” Davis has pleaded not guilty to orchestrating the drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

After his death in 1996, Shakur and his influence lived on through fans and pop culture. He received a posthumous star in 2023 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a street named after him in Oakland, California, and will be a character in the upcoming video adventure game “Stranger than Heaven.”

Fans see Shakur as a revolutionary

There's no official memorial to Tupac where he was shot on the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996. But visitors stop at the intersection and fans gather regularly on his birthday, June 16, adding messages to a utility pole that is covered in remembrances, such as “RIP King," “Tupac 4 Life” and “Gone but never forgotten.”

They leave balloons, cake or his favorite type of brandy, Hennessy. On a strip of concrete nearby, someone painted a rose with the phrase “the rose that grew from concrete,” a reference to Shakur's posthumous book of poetry.

Atlanta resident Julie Hardy has been to the memorial three times on Shakur's birthday to pay her respects.

"People still care, and he has not been forgotten,” said Hardy, 56.

For fans like Hardy, Shakur is more than just a rapper. Hardy categorized Shakur, the son of a Black Panther, among the likes of Black activists such as Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King Jr. because he wrote about the “revolution” and the ups and downs the Black community faces, she said.

Shakur's philosophy that he dubbed T.H.U.G. L.I.F.E, which stood for “the hate U give little infants f—-s everybody,” called for the uplifting of marginalized communities and demanded accountability from systems that oppressed Black people and the youth.

Hardy gravitated toward Shakur when she was 19 living in Cincinnati, Ohio, and her cousin showed her Shakur's first solo album, “2Pacalypse Now.”

Shakur's “Brenda's Got a Baby” resonated with Hardy because of the high rate of teen pregnancy at the time, she said. His song “Soulja's Story” inspired her to write hip-hop songs because it told a story of things she also saw growing up in Black communities, such as police and gun violence.

When she saw on the news that he was shot, she called everyone she knew. Hardy then went to her friend’s house and prayed, hoping Shakur would survive like he did when he was shot in a robbery in November 1994.

She felt like a family member passed when she learned he died days later a hospital. He was 25.

“We looked up to him as an icon and a revolutionary, and now we’re looking up to him as a legend,” Hardy said.

Shakur inspired others in songwriting

Din “Lil Therapy” Malone took a bus from Denver, Colorado, to watch the trial in Las Vegas.

Malone was introduced to Shakur when he was 13 years old watching Shakur in his breakout starring role as a troubled teen in the 1992 movie “Juice.” Then, he started listening to his music.

“Tupac taught me how to translate my tears into words,” said Malone, a songwriter and artist. Outside of an overflow room in the courthouse, Malone wore a Shakur shirt and played Shakur's music on his phone's speaker.

Shakur wrote about his own hardships, and inspired Malone to do the same, putting into words experiences of being bullied as a kid or mourning family deaths, Malone said. He grew up in a Crips-run neighborhood in Denver and — like Shakur — learned how to “live through the hood.”

Shakur's song “It Ain't Easy” spoke to Malone about the importance of persevering when life isn't easy. Even though he never met the rapper, he said he felt like he lost an older brother.

Shakur's legacy continues

Williams, a North Carolina resident, runs a Facebook fan page for Shakur called All Eyez on Pac that has over 25,000 followers.

The 38-year-old has loved Shakur ever since she watched “Poetic Justice,” the 1993 movie starring Shakur as a postal worker and Janet Jackson as a grieving hairdresser. One of the first Shakur songs she heard was “Dear Mama,” and she said she was touched by Shakur's deep love for his mother, Afeni Shakur.

Over the years, Williams watched every video about Shakur and every interview of people who knew him, she said.

“That’s what made me create the page because I really truly have a love for Tupac," she said.

She saw Shakur as a sweet, kind-hearted person who was misunderstood. Shakur wasn't perfect. He was convicted of sexual assault and acquitted on more serious charges in a sex abuse case in 1994. He was sentenced to 18 months to over 4 years in prison, but served nearly eight months before he was released. But Shakur was human, Williams said.

Some fans who sat in the courtroom during the trial still don't believe Shakur died, believing he faked his own death and is living in Cuba.

Williams said she was in denial when she first saw Shakur's autopsy photos but sadly came around to realize he was gone

“He would want to have justice,” she said. “He would want to keep his name and legacy alive.”

La captura el jueves de Luis Saúl Pérez Nieto, quien según las autoridades colombianas era el coordinador de las redes de armas y narcotráfico de la pandilla en toda la región, ofrece una señal temprana de cuán rápidamente ambos países han intensificado sus empeños conjuntos contra el crimen organizado en el gobierno del nuevo presidente conservador de Colombia, Abelardo de la Espriella.

Admirador del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump, De la Espriella llegó al poder previamente este mes, prometiendo aplastar a los poderosos narcotraficantes de su país con ayuda de Washington. Su gobierno ha designado a Medellín, la segunda ciudad más grande de Colombia, como el centro de la nueva alianza regional antidrogas de Trump, y ha dado la bienvenida a operaciones conjuntas con las fuerzas armadas de Estados Unidos en territorio colombiano, en un marcado giro respecto de su predecesor progresista Gustavo Petro.

“Los narcoterroristas no tienen refugio seguro en nuestro hemisferio”, señaló el Comando Sur de Estados Unidos en su comunicado del viernes, al anunciar la captura de Pérez Nieto. “Estamos unidos con nuestros socios para desmantelar estas redes criminales y proteger nuestra patria”.

Arresto en Colombia

Pérez Nieto, conocido por los alias “Páez” y “Nairobi”, fue capturado en una operación en la que también participó la DEA, informó la policía colombiana, sin dar más detalles.

La policía de Colombia acusó a Pérez Nieto de encabezar la expansión del Tren de Aragua en Perú mientras coordinaba el tráfico de drogas y armas en todo el continente, contribuyendo a transformar lo que comenzó como una banda que operaba desde la penitenciaría venezolana de Tocorón en una organización criminal transnacional.

En 2023, Pérez Nieto escapó de esa prisión junto con su confidente cercano, el líder de la banda, Héctor Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero”, añadió la policía colombiana. Guerrero Flores murió previamente este año en un ataque militar de Estados Unidos, en una inusual colaboración con Venezuela.

El gobierno de Trump designó el año pasado al Tren de Aragua como organización terrorista extranjera, parte de su iniciativa por tratar a los cárteles latinoamericanos como amenazas a la seguridad nacional en lugar de grupos criminales convencionales. Sin embargo, en ocasiones Trump ha exagerado los vínculos que tiene la pandilla en un intento por justificar la deportación de venezolanos, según reportó previamente The Associated Press.

“Felicitaciones al presidente Abelardo de la Espriella y a la Policía Nacional de Colombia por la captura de Luis Páez Nieto, un alto dirigente del Tren de Aragua”, declaró Terry Cole, el administrador de la DEA.

Autoridades colombianas y peruanas indicaron que Estados Unidos había solicitado el arresto y la extradición de Pérez Nieto por cargos de terrorismo, lavado de dinero, narcotráfico y asociación delictuosa. El gobierno de Trump no ha dado detalles del caso en su contra. La DEA no respondió a preguntas sobre los cargos contra Pérez Nieto en Estados Unidos ni sobre su papel en la operación.

Mayor cooperación en la frontera colombo-ecuatoriana

Previamente esta semana, el jefe del Comando Sur de Estados Unidos, el general Francis Donovan, se reunió con el ministro de Defensa de Colombia y con mandos militares en la ciudad portuaria de Tumaco, antes de viajar a Ecuador para conversaciones regionales de seguridad centradas en la volátil frontera entre ambos países, azotada por el contrabando de drogas, la minería ilegal y la trata de personas.

Durante su visita, Donovan indicó que funcionarios de Estados Unidos, Ecuador y Colombia habían acordado una estrategia para “cazar a los líderes de los cárteles, destrozar su logística y negarles permanentemente un refugio seguro”.

“La frontera entre Colombia y Ecuador es un cuello de botella geográfico que los cárteles violentos han explotado durante mucho tiempo”, sostuvo. “Hoy estamos cambiando las reglas del juego”.

Colombia y Ecuador están entre los pocos gobiernos de la región que han aceptado permitir operaciones conjuntas con fuerzas de Estados Unidos contra grupos criminales en su territorio, parte de los empeños del gobierno de Trump por extender a tierra su campaña letal contra embarcaciones sospechosas de contrabando de drogas.

Chile celebra la extradición de miembros del Tren de Aragua como un éxito de seguridad

Esto ocurre mientras los votantes sudamericanos eligen cada vez más a líderes conservadores alineados con Trump, que han exhortado a llevar a cabo amplias ofensivas para mejorar la seguridad.

Entre ellos está el presidente chileno José Antonio Kast, cuyo gobierno ha pasado apuros para cumplir sus amplias promesas de frenar el delito y llevar a cabo deportaciones masivas.

Pero el viernes, funcionarios chilenos celebraron una victoria al anunciar la llegada de dos presuntos líderes del Tren de Aragua, extraditados desde Estados Unidos y Colombia, para enfrentar cargos en Chile relacionados con el secuestro y asesinato del exteniente del ejército venezolano Ronald Ojeda, en 2024. El cuerpo del disidente venezolano, que había solicitado asilo político en Chile, fue hallado dentro de una maleta enterrada bajo una losa de cemento en Santiago, la capital.

Las autoridades chilenas han acusado a Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas, presunto líder de Los Piratas —la principal rama del Tren de Aragua en Chile—, de secuestro, extorsión y asociación ilícita, entre otros delitos.

El otro sospechoso, Alfredo Camilo Carrillo Ortiz, alias “El Gocho”, fue extraditado desde Colombia. Los fiscales chilenos lo acusan de ayudar a planificar y ejecutar el asesinato y de operar el asentamiento informal donde fue enterrado el cuerpo de Ojeda.

La subsecretaria chilena de Seguridad Pública, María del Pilar Giannini, calificó las extradiciones como “una manifestación concreta” de la cruzada del gobierno de Kast contra el crimen organizado. “A los delincuentes les decimos: los vamos a buscar hasta las últimas consecuencias”, advirtió.

Funcionarios estadounidenses elogiaron la extradición de Gámez desde California, donde cumplía una condena en una prisión federal por reingresar ilegalmente al país. El secretario de Justicia, Todd Blanche, la calificó como “evidencia de la sólida cooperación con nuestros socios chilenos para combatir el crimen transnacional, desmantelar organizaciones terroristas extranjeras como el Tren de Aragua, y exigir rendición de cuentas a sus miembros por sus atroces actos criminales”.

___

DeBre informó desde Buenos Aires.

___

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

American Heritage led 6-0 in the second quarter when Tremaine Mullen spun across the goal line for a short touchdown run, making it 12-0.

In the third quarter, the Patriots added to their lead. Nieman Lawrence escaped pressure and threw it up for his 6-foot-5 receiver, Tray Proctor, who came down with the touchdown to make it 21-0.

But East St. Louis stormed back.

Reece Shanklin found Ronnie Gomiller down the sideline for a 42-yard touchdown, tying the game at 28-28.

That sent the game to overtime.

On American Heritage’s possession, Lawrence faked the defense with play action and found a wide-open Michael Stringer on the far end of the field. The Patriots took a 35-28 lead.

Jaytoin Thomas sealed it with an interception.

American Heritage won 35-28.

Palmetto rolls past Mater Academy

In Miami-Dade County, Palmetto faced Mater Academy at Tropical Park.

In the first quarter, Palmetto was backed up facing third-and-20 when Jamison Larsen aired it out to Kaden Howard.

Howard hauled it in and raced 80 yards for a touchdown, giving the Panthers the early lead.

Then it was Larsen again, this time slinging it to Jefftavious Lyons.

The Panthers rolled, taking a 27-0 lead.

As a result of the ruling that came a few hours after the game, Reese will be available for the Dream's game against Minnesota on Sunday.

Reese was tangled up in the paint with the Fire's Carla Leite as Dream guard Rhyne Howard made a 3-pointer from the right corner during the fourth quarter.

Leite was facing the basket and trying to box out Reese, who was directly behind her. Leite had both arms extended backward in an effort to contain Reese, who pushed herself free after Howard's basket went down. Reese protested the call on the court.

Earlier this month, the WNBA rescinded a technical foul called against Caitlin Clark, sparing her from what would have been a automatic one-game suspension for her eight technical of the season.

The Fire beat playoff-bound Atlanta, 101-83, with Leite scoring 26 points.

___

See AP’s full sports coverage here

Cam Schlittler (12-6) shut down his hometown team again, striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings of two-hit ball. The right-hander from Massachusetts overcame five walks, which matched a career high, as the Red Sox went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 overall.

They also cost themselves with a terrible baserunning blunder by Ceddanne Rafaela, who got doubled off first as the trail runner when Wilyer Abreu lined out to center field — ending the fifth with cleanup batter Willson Contreras on deck.

New York remained four games behind first-place Tampa Bay in the AL East and moved three ahead of Boston in the race for the top American League wild card and home-field advantage throughout a potential best-of-three playoff series between the longtime rivals.

Such a matchup would be a reprisal of last year, when Schlittler pitched a Game 3 gem as a rookie to send the Yankees on. Schlittler, who surpassed 200 strikeouts this season and leads the AL with a 2.09 ERA, is 3-1 with a 0.56 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings over five career starts against Boston — including the postseason.

In a nip-and-tuck game with a playoff feel, Boston put runners at second and third with one out in the seventh when Rafaela singled and Abreu doubled on the first two pitches from reliever Paul Blackburn.

Contreras lofted a fly to left and Bellinger cut down Rafaela at the plate with a 99.7 mph throw.

Blackburn worked a 1-2-3 eighth and David Bednar pitched a perfect ninth for his 31st save.

With the Yankees facing a left-handed starter for the first time since Aug. 8 (excluding openers), Goldschmidt batted leadoff and launched a 430-foot homer to left off hard-luck loser Patrick Sandoval (1-3) in the third.

Up next

A day-night doubleheader Saturday to make up a June 6 rainout. Max Fried (4-4, 2.81 ERA) will come off the injured list to start the early game for the Yankees, with fellow left-hander Carlos Rodón (4-2, 3.15) taking the ball in the other. Rookie LHP Jake Bennett (8-6, 3.49) pitches the opener for the Red Sox, who had not announced a Game 2 starter.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Tagovailoa was greeted by a chorus of boos as he took the field against his former team.

The Falcons scored on Tagovailoa’s first drive after he entered the game. He completed 3 of 4 passes, including a 37-yard pass to tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., before running back Brian Robinson Jr. scored on a run up the middle to give Atlanta a 7-0 lead after a made extra point by Nick Folk.

The Dolphins, who rested all of their starters, played primarily backups and players competing for roster spots.

Third-round rookie wide receiver Chris Bell made his NFL preseason debut for Miami and caught two passes for 23 yards.

Cam Miller, making his second consecutive preseason start, completed a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Jalen Tolbert on a play-action play before connecting with Bell on an 18-yard post route. Riley Patterson later made a 46-yard field goal to cut Atlanta’s lead to 7-3.

Bell later took a hard hit from Atlanta safety Demarcco Hellams on a pass breakup and briefly remained on the field before getting back up.

Miami’s defense forced a turnover on Atlanta’s next possession when Tagovailoa fumbled a snap during an exchange with Robinson. Linebacker Willie Gay Jr. recovered the ball at the Atlanta 42-yard line.

The Dolphins were unable to capitalize.

Miller forced a pass toward Bell that was nearly intercepted, and Patterson’s 56-yard field-goal attempt was blocked by Atlanta’s defensive lineman Chris Williams.

Pitts continued to hurt Miami’s defense in the first half, finishing with three catches for 59 yards.

The Dolphins forced another turnover when linebacker Tyrel Dodson forced Robinson to fumble and linebacker Jackson Woodard recovered at the Atlanta 15-yard line.

Tagovailoa’s night ended in the second quarter after he completed 7 of 8 passes for 95 yards. Quarterback Cooper Rush replaced him at quarterback for the Falcons.

Rush later found tight end Jack Velling for a 3-yard touchdown to extend Atlanta’s lead to 14-3.

Jalen Reagor gave Miami a spark on the ensuing kickoff, breaking a tackle and returning the ball 47 yards. Miller followed with an 18-yard completion to Terrace Marshall Jr., helping set up Patterson’s 45-yard field goal.

The field goal marked the first time during the preseason that the Dolphins scored on consecutive drives, cutting Atlanta’s lead to 14-6.

Atlanta added to its lead before halftime when Rush connected with running back Tyler Goodson on a wheel route. Nick Folk made a 34-yard field goal to give the Falcons a 17-6 halftime lead.

Miami’s defense opened the second half with a stop after defensive linemen Matthew Butler and Seth Coleman-Lyles combined to sack quarterback Jack Strand for the Dolphins’ first sack of the game.

Quarterback Mark Gronowski later led Miami on a promising drive, connecting with Marshall on a 33-yard reception after the receiver made an adjustment to the ball. A pass interference penalty helped move the Dolphins closer to the goal line.

Carlos Washington Jr. picked up 9 yards on fourth-and-1 to set up first-and-goal, but Miami was unable to find the end zone. Washington was stopped on consecutive plays before Gronowski found Theo Wease Jr. open in the end zone. Wease bobbled the pass and was unable to come down with it.

Patterson made his third field goal of the game to cut Atlanta’s lead to 17-9.

Gronowski later used his legs to pick up two consecutive first downs and connected with Wease for a 15-yard gain before a bad shotgun exchange resulted in a fumble recovered by Atlanta.

Miami’s defense gave the offense another opportunity when a bobbled pass was intercepted by cornerback Miles Battle, giving the Dolphins possession at the Atlanta 19-yard line.

However, the Dolphins were unable to capitalize on the turnover after Atlanta’s pass rush collapsed the pocket and EDGE James Pearce Jr. brought down Gronowski.

Patterson made his fourth field goal of the game to cut Atlanta’s lead to 17-12.

Gronowski later connected with AJ Henning on a short pass that Henning turned into a 37-yard gain, but the promising drive ended in another punt after Atlanta’s defense forced Gronowski out of the pocket for a loss on third down.

Miller finished 7 of 16 passing for 71 yards as Miami struggled to generate consistent offense with him under center.

Gronowski may have secured the team’s third-string quarterback job after completing 4 of 8 passes for 98 yards and adding four carries for 28 yards.

Up next:

The Dolphins now turn their attention to deciding their 53-man roster and practice squad.

Miami (0-3) will open its season on the road against the Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) at Allegiant Stadium.

Atlanta (2-1) will open their season against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.

The pair scored 30 or more for the fourth game this season, extending their WNBA single-season record for a duo.

Clark added 12 assists, marking the fifth time this year she's had a double-double with at least 30 and 10.

Mitchell notched her 24th straight 20-point game in the Fever's final game before a three-week break for the FIBA Women's World Cup. Indiana has won seven of nine as Clark, Aliyah Boston, and coach Stephanie White head to Berlin for the tournament. Boston scored 14 points.

Diamond Miller finished with 19 points and Nell Angloma had 17 to lead Connecticut, who have lost six of their last eight games.

Indiana went on a 10-0 run to end the first quarter and start the second, nearly erasing all of a 28-14 deficit. Clark and Mitchell then combined for the first 12 points in an 18-2 run to close the first half, giving the Fever 58-43 lead.

After Connecticut cut the deficit to 62-52 midway through the third quarter, Indiana answered with a 14-5 run that extended the margin to 76-57. The Sun never recovered.

During the third quarter, Mitchell dished her 911th assist, moving past current Fever assistant coach Briann January her into second on Indiana's all-time leaders.

The Fever paid tribute to the late Dolly Parton with a dance routine to the song “9 to 5” between the third and fourth quarters.

Up next

Sun: Make the second stop of a three-game road trip Sunday at Dallas.

Fever: Return to action Sept. 18 at Toronto.

___

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

“Creemos que a través del mundo espiritual también podemos hacer la fuerza para llegar a restaurar nuestra nación, tanto espiritual como físicamente”, dijo a The Associated Press Santiago Alejandro Rojas, de 18 años, quien llevaba una vela y vestía la camiseta de la selección colombiana de fútbol.

El homenaje religioso fue convocado por el gobierno del conservador Abelardo de la Espriella y reunió a cientos de ciudadanos, aunque decenas de sillas quedaron vacías en la plaza en la que confluyen el Congreso, las altas cortes y la principal catedral del país.

“Oración por Colombia”, como fue llamada la convocatoria, inició con un minuto de silencio por las víctimas mortales del terremoto de mayor magnitud registrado en lo que va del siglo en Colombia, que impactó a 16 departamentos del país, especialmente los del occidente como Chocó —epicentro del sismo—, Valle del Cauca y Risaralda.

A más de dos semanas del terremoto, las autoridades aún buscan a 152 personas reportadas como desaparecidas y avanzan en el levantamiento de escombros, luego del colapso de 655 edificios y la destrucción de más de 33.300 viviendas, según la Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres.

De la Espriella anunció el viernes desde Cali, una de las ciudades más afectadas, un subsidio de alquiler de aproximadamente 331 dólares mensuales para quienes perdieron sus viviendas.

El mandatario acompañó en la noche la vigilia en Bogotá, rodeado con un fuerte esquema de seguridad, junto a la primera dama, Ana Lucía Pineda, quien ha liderado en parte la entrega de ayuda a damnificados, y sus ministros.

“Mi corazón está con las víctimas, sus familias y cada una de las personas que resultaron damnificadas. Pero junto a este dolor, también nace un profundo sentimiento de gratitud, gracias a la solidaridad”, dijo con la voz quebrada Pineda.

Líderes religiosos de distintas vertientes, especialmente católicos y cristianos, hicieron oraciones desde una tarima en la que se proyectaba la bandera de Colombia y algunas fotografías de los escombros en las zonas afectadas por el terremoto. De la Espriella cerró el homenaje con la “coronación” de la virgen María.

“No nos invitaron como parte de las expresiones religiosas, sino que nos han dejado como público general, cuando nuestra expresión de fe tal vez difiere de la que están ahorita promulgando”, reclamó Sara Alejandra Misnaza, representante de la Confesión Islámica, desde la Plaza de Bolívar.

El terremoto ha representado el primer gran desafío de De la Espriella, posesionado el 7 de agosto, quien declaró la situación de emergencia económica, que le permitirá establecer impuestos temporales sin el aval del Congreso con la intención de recaudar fondos para una costosa etapa de reconstrucción que ha calculado en aproximadamente 9.500 millones de dólares.

The settlement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, announced Friday, also dealt Gabriel Perez a three-year trading ban. Perez was placed on unpaid leave from his job at the White House after reports emerged that he used his position to make bets on what President Donald Trump would say in speeches.

The White House did not immediately comment on the settlement. A White House official said in July that Perez was no longer in his position but did not say if he had been fired or resigned.

The commission found that Perez made $107,500 on prediction markets by betting on words and phrases that would appear in Trump’s speeches between December 2025 and February 2026.

“In his position, Perez had access to presidential speeches prior to those speeches being delivered and Perez misappropriated that information — in breach of his duty of trust and confidence,” according to a release from the commission.

Perez was ordered to repay his profits in full, along with the $65,000 civil penalty, which the commission said was a reduction because of his “exemplary cooperation.”

As details emerged July 16, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was “unfortunate” and “a disgrace.”

Skubal allowed one run on four hits and struck out seven. He was welcomed back with mostly cheers, and a smattering of boos, from fans in his first game as a visitor at Comerica Park since being traded this month.

In a crowd that had mixed emotions about Skubal’s return, a couple young fans had fitting outfits sporting white Tigers jerseys with 29 and Skubal on the back — and a blue Dodgers hat.

Evan Phillips (2-2), Brock Stewart and Alex Vesia combined for three innings of scoreless relief and Tanner Scott pitched the ninth for his 20th save in 22 chances.

Jacob Waguespack (1-2) gave up one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Skubal allowed a leadoff double to Gleyber Torres and the two-time Cy Young Award winner went on to retire the next 12 batters, including striking out the side in the third inning.

Eduardo Valencia led off the fifth with a double against Skubal and Max Clark followed with a two-out triple in the inning to break a scoreless tie.

The Dodgers tied it in the next inning on Miguel Rojas' RBI single off left-handed reliever Drew Sommers and they went ahead in the eighth. Freeman hit a two-out single to center that scored Teoscar Hernández for a 2-1 lead.

The 29-year-old Skubal was drafted by Detroit out of Seattle University in the ninth round of the 2018 draft and spent his entire career with the Tigers until they dealt him for prospects earlier this month.

___

Up next

Dodgers LHP Blake Snell (2-1, 2.57 ERA) is scheduled to face Tigers RHP Keider Montero (9-8, 3.30) on Saturday.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The capture on Thursday of Luis Saúl Pérez Nieto, who Colombian authorities described as having coordinated the gang's weapons and drug-trafficking networks across the region, offers an early sign of how rapidly the two countries have intensified their joint efforts against organized crime under Colombia's new conservative president, Abelardo de la Espriella.

An admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump, de la Espriella came to power earlier this month promising to crush his country’s powerful drug traffickers with help from Washington. His government has named Medellín, Colombia’s second-largest city, as the hub of Trump’s new regional anti-cartel alliance and welcomed joint operations with the U.S. military on Colombian soil in a sharp break from his progressive predecessor.

“Narco-terrorists have no safe haven in our hemisphere,” the U.S. Southern Command said in its statement on Friday announcing the capture of Pérez Nieto. "We stand united with our partners to dismantle these criminal networks and protect our homeland.”

Arrest in Colombia

Pérez Nieto, known by the aliases “Páez” and “Nairobi,” was captured in an operation that also involved the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Colombian police said, without elaborating.

Colombian police accused Pérez Nieto of leading the expansion of Tren de Aragua in Peru while coordinating drug and arms trafficking across the continent, helping transform what began as a prison gang operating from Venezuela’s Tocorón penitentiary into a transnational criminal syndicate.

In 2023, Pérez Nieto escaped from that prison along with his close confidant, the gang’s leader, Héctor “Niño Guerrero” Guerrero Flores, Colombian police added. Guerrero Flores was killed in a U.S. military strike in a rare collaboration with Venezuela earlier this year.

The Trump administration last year designated Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization, part of its effort to treat Latin American cartels as national security threats rather than conventional criminal groups. However, Trump has at times overstated the gang's connections in an effort to justify deporting Venezuelans, The Associated Press previously reported.

“Congratulations to President Abelardo de la Espriella and the Colombian National Police on the capture of Luis Páez Nieto, a senior Tren de Aragua leader,” DEA Administrator Terry Cole said.

Colombian and Peruvian authorities said the U.S. had requested Pérez Nieto’s arrest and extradition on charges of terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking and criminal conspiracy. The Trump administration has not publicly detailed the case against him. The DEA did not respond to questions about the charges against Pérez Nieto in the U.S. or its role in the operation.

Increased cooperation at the Colombian-Ecuadorian border

Earlier this week, U.S. Southern Command chief Gen. Francis Donovan met Colombia’s defense minister and military leaders in the port city of Tumaco before traveling to Ecuador for regional security talks focused on the volatile border between the two countries, rife with drug smuggling, illegal mining and human trafficking.

During his visit, Donovan said that U.S., Ecuadorian and Colombian officials had agreed on a strategy to “hunt cartel leadership, shatter their logistics and permanently deny them safe haven.”

“The border between Colombia and Ecuador is a geographic chokepoint that violent cartels have long exploited," he said. “Today, we are changing the game.”

Colombia and Ecuador are among the few regional governments that have agreed to allow joint operations with U.S. forces against criminal groups on their territory, part of the Trump administration's efforts to extend its lethal campaign against suspected drug smuggling boats to land.

Chile celebrates Tren de Aragua extradition as security success

It comes as South American voters increasingly elect Trump-aligned conservative leaders who have called for far-reaching security crackdowns.

Among them is Chilean President José Antonio Kast, whose government has struggled to deliver on its sweeping promises to curb crime and carry out and mass deportations.

But on Friday, Chilean officials celebrated a victory as they announced the arrival of two alleged Tren de Aragua leaders extradited from the U.S. and Colombia to face charges in Chile related to the abduction and killing of former Venezuelan army Lt. Ronald Ojeda in 2024. The body of the Venezuelan dissident, who had sought political asylum in Chile, was found inside a suitcase buried beneath a cement slab in Santiago, the capital.

Chilean authorities have charged Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas, the alleged leader of Los Piratas, the main branch of Tren de Aragua in Chile, with kidnapping, extortion and criminal association, among other offenses.

The other suspect, Alfredo Camilo Carrillo Ortiz, alias “El Gocho,” was extradited from Colombia. Chilean prosecutors accuse him of helping plan and carry out the killing and running the informal settlement where Ojeda’s body was buried.

Chile’s undersecretary for public security, María del Pilar Giannini, called the extraditions “a concrete demonstration” of the Kast government’s crusade against organized crime. “We are going to pursue them to the very end,” she said.

U.S. officials praised Gámez’s extradition from California, where he was serving a federal prison sentence for illegally reentering the country. Attorney General Todd Blanche called it “evidence of the strong cooperation with our Chilean partners to combat transnational crime, dismantle foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua and hold members accountable for their heinous criminal acts.”

___

DeBre reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

There will still be plenty of dry time. The highest chance of running into the rain on Saturday will be in the morning through early afternoon with lower chances in the late afternoon and evening. High temperatures will be in the low 90s with a heat index in the low 100s.

Sarah Lyon, an intake associate at the station, at 1279 79th St. Causeway, said the young brown pelican found in Haulover Beach was in extremely bad shape when admitted in early May.

“He was just looking really down and weak,” Lyon said.

For about three months, veterinarians treated the pelican for fungal lesions in the pouch, ulcers in both eyes, and infections in both ankle joints. There were IV fluids, bloodwork, X-rays, antibiotics, two surgeries, and physical therapy.

“It didn’t look so good in the beginning, so it’s definitely a little extra emotional seeing a patient like this getting his second chance at freedom,” Lyon said.

For more information about the station and how to join their efforts, visit this page.

“Luckily enough, I was able to make it to the tunnel before more happened,” Skubal said after allowing one run over six innings to help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Friday night. “It’s tough. This is the place I’ve known my entire career since 2018.

"It’s special.”

Skubal was welcomed with cheers and a smattering of boos in his return to Detroit, pitching for the first time against the middling franchise that traded him to the two-time defending World Series champions.

When the visitors' lineup and Skubal were shown on the videoboard and his name was announced before the first pitch, most of the crowd at Comerica Park clapped for him while some jeered.

The Tigers showed highlights from his seven-season career with the team and posted a message at the end: Thank you, Tarik.

Skubal turned his head to the right a few times to watch the video as he walked from the bullpen beyond the left-field wall and toward the Dodgers' dugout with a white towel draped around his neck, which he used to wipe away sweat and tears.

He extended his right arm, holding his glove, toward his former teammates and used his left hand to pat his chest.

After the game, Skubal returned to the field to catch up with some of his former teammates.

Skubal did not appear to react to, or acknowledge, the fans before or during the game and didn't get a chance to do so as he exited the game because a pitching change was made after the sixth inning in a 1-all game. He struck out seven over six innings with 83 pitches, the fewest since he threw 74 in the season-opening game in March.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the plan was to limit Skubal's pitches after he threw 106 and 109 in his previous two starts.

In a crowd that had mixed emotions about Skubal’s return, a couple young fans had fitting outfits sporting white Tigers jerseys with 29 and Skubal on the back — and a blue Dodgers hat.

When the left-hander jogged to the mound to pitch for the first time as a visitor in the Motor City, booing fans were heard first followed by more cheers from fans in the stands.

His first pitch was delayed because he appeared to have trouble with his communication device.

After throwing a 96-mph fastball for a ball, Gleyber Torres hit Skubal's second pitch to center for a double and the crowd roared in unison.

Skubal settled in, striking out Hao-Yu Lee and All-Star Kevin McGonigle and getting All-Star Dillon Dingler to fly out.

“It’s weird to see him on the other side,” McGonigle said before the game.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said the team's familiarity with Skubal might not be helpful at the plate.

“If anybody knows him, it’s us,” Hinch said. “You can know everything about a pitcher, that doesn’t make it easy to hit.”

That was evident when Skubal retired 12 straight batters, including striking out the side in the third, before Eduardo Valencia led off the fifth with a double. Max Clark followed with a two-out triple in the inning to break a scoreless tie.

The 29-year-old Skubal was drafted by Detroit out of Seattle University in the ninth round of the 2018 draft and spent his entire career with the Tigers until they dealt him earlier this month.

Skubal said in July that it was his preference to finish the season with the Tigers and to compete for a World Series championship, which has eluded the franchise since 1984. The Tigers, though, thought it was wise to trade him before the deadline to acquire three minor league prospects instead of likely losing him in free agency.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Independent experts say the conflict is a symptom of a social and political debate over how to frame a national surge in measles cases, the worst seen in more than three decades.

Pennsylvania officials this week reported that two unvaccinated residents died after being infected with measles, with Gov. Josh Shapiro stressing that vaccinations could have averted the deaths.

But the announcement quickly came under fire, as a clash erupted between Shapiro, a vaccine-promoting Democrat, and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Trump administration appointee with a history of raising alarms about established vaccines. Kennedy said in a social post the deaths “may even have been altogether fabricated.”

Kennedy’s attack echoed statements he made last year, when three measles-related deaths were recorded. Kennedy questioned whether one of the children who died was killed by measles.

Medical experts say the brouhaha has diverted focus from an exploding public health threat.

“Now it's turned political,” said Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease doctor in the Pittsburgh area and a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. “It's no longer about getting answers and figuring this out.”

The challenges of tallying measles deaths

The U.S. eliminated the domestic spread of measles in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, but they have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks. In November, international health officials will meet to determine if the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status.

Complicating the situation in Pennsylvania are questions about what counts as a measles death, which is rare in the United States. The World Health Organization counts a death when a person has tested positive for measles and when the death occurs within a month from when a rash appears and the death is not obviously due to another cause such as trauma.

State health officials are the ones who report measles cases and measles-associated deaths. The question of defining a measles death hasn't come up much in recent decades because vaccination rates were high and measles illnesses and deaths had become rare.

Recent trends are driving conversations among health officials about how to better track the consequences of a surging problem.

“As measles infections increase, we also need to prepare for more of the tragic complications we have largely avoided in this country for decades," including not only deaths but also hospitalizations and brain injuries, said Janet Hamilton, executive director of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists, in a statement.

What's known and not known about the measles deaths

In Pennsylvania, what's not disputed is that both people who died had been infected with measles and they were unvaccinated. The unresolved question is whether measles was the main cause, or a contributing cause, of their deaths.

In one of the deaths, an official has reached a conclusion. The Lancaster County Coroner, Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, said he is aware of only one death with evidence of measles infection. It was a newborn baby boy who died August 14 — someone too young to get a recommended measles vaccination.

Because one of the boy's family members had measles, investigators tested the boy's lung tissue and found evidence of measles infection, Diamantoni said.

But investigators did not see signs of a swollen spleen or other ravages from a measles infection that would have contributed to the death. The cause is being attributed to a tear in the spleen, but the coroner's office says the virus did not play a role.

The baby “did not die as a result of measles,” Diamantoni said.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health initially refused to disclose any details about the two people who died. But on Wednesday night, state health officials posted on social media that one of the deaths is under investigation by the coroner's office. No information has been released about the second death.

The department said it stands by its announcement, adding that it relies on two questions to determine if a death was measles-related: Did the person have measles and did they die?

As of Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not updated the latest national tally of measles cases and deaths. The agency said on its website that the scheduled update was delayed, but did not disclose why.

Dr. Paul Offit said he’s worried that two measles-related deaths are an unusually high number in a county that reportedly has about 400 cases. The expected death rate for measles is 1 in 1,000 cases.

That suggests there are a large number of other unreported infections in the Lancaster County area, said Offit, a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia vaccine researcher.

That’s worrisome, given that this is the time of year when kids go back to school, which could increase the spread of an extremely transmissible disease. Vaccination efforts need to be stepped up “to prevent what I think is a coming disaster,” Offit said.

Adalja faulted Pennsylvania officials for how they announced the deaths earlier this week. It should have only been health and medical officials, stating what is known and not yet known.

“They should learn to keep the politicians out of it,” he said.

___

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.

Seneca Nation President J. Conrad Seneca on Friday called for Trump's order to be rescinded and for the Lake Ontario name to remain as a reflection of the Indigenous people in the U.S. and Canada who lived in territory around and along the lake long before the creation of either nation.

“The President cannot assert ownership over our culture or erase it through irresponsible political action," he said in a statement.

Trump this week signed an order directing the Interior Department to update the lake’s name in the U.S. geographic naming service, part of his escalating trade war with Canada. The order showed the change is supposed to be made in 30 days.

Seneca said the renaming violated the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua, which was signed by President George Washington and the Haudenosaunee confederacy promising perpetual peace and friendship. The Seneca are one of the six nations of the confederacy, also known as the Iroquois Confederacy.

The name Lake Ontario comes from the Huron Indigenous people’s word “oniatarí:io,” which means “lake of shining waters.” The Canadian province of Ontario, founded in 1867, took its name from the lake.

In the traditional Seneca language, the lake's name is “sga:nyodai:yoh," meaning “beautiful lake," Seneca said.

Trump floated the name change in recent days as the U.S. announced it was imposing new tariffs on Canadian goods after talks broke down between the countries. Canada responded with its own retaliatory tariffs on American goods, while the country's leaders slammed the idea of changing the lake's name.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney rejected the move, noting the lake’s Indigenous roots and that the name predates both the Canadian Confederation and the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Trump can't force Canada to follow along with the renaming.

Trump has argued that Canada has been ripping off the U.S. on trade and military issues and suggested Canada should be absorbed as the 51st state.

Hovland had one of five birdies on the peninsula-green 15th hole, a par 3 at only 155 yards but tucked to the left near a sharp slope that feeds off the putting surface. He had a 66 to join Gerard at 10-under 130 going into the weekend.

Right behind? Just about everybody.

That includes Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player who had a 67 and was two back. And it included Cameron Young, in last place after the first round and atop the leaderboard for much of the day after a 62. He also wound up two behind.

Collin Morikawa and Chris Gotterup each shot 67 and were one behind at 9-under 131.

Gerard has more on his mind than the $10 million prize and the five-year exemption on the PGA Tour. The captain's picks for the Presidents Cup will be announced after the Tour Championship, and it's on the mind of the 27-year-old from North Carolina.

“It’s hard not to think about it a little bit,” Gerard said. “I'm very aware that a good week this week goes a long way to help my chances. I’m playing this week for myself and to try and put up some good scores and hopefully win a trophy at the end of the week.”

The trophies — one for the Tour Championship and one for the FedEx Cup — are up for grabs at the halfway point. One third of the field is separated by three shots on a course that has relatively soft with either rain Thursday or overcast Friday, even with a little wind late in the day.

No one took advantage quite like Young, who remains in the picture for PGA Tour player of the year with his signature win at The Players Championship and a big win at a signature event at Doral.

He opened with two early bogeys in the opening round when everyone was going low and jokingly said it made him wonder about his career choice. He shot 70 that left him tied for last place and going off as a single Friday in the 29-man field (J.J. Spaun has withdrawn).

He made the turn in 30, and then poured in two more birdies to reach 7 under through 11 holes. Young cooled slightly with a bogey from the bunker at the 12th and missed opportunities the rest of the way until a 40-foot eagle putt slammed into the back of the cup on the par-5 18th for a 62.

The put him in a tie for the lead as the final group was starting, and Young would have been a little surprised to be within two shots by the end of the round. Low scores were there, and he had reason to believe someone would motor well past him.

“I was in last place about three-and-half hours ago,” Young said. “There’s not much wind today, and the field seems to be playing pretty well for even par being last place after yesterday. I think I can pat myself on the back for shooting 8 under, but that doesn’t change how much work there is left to even give yourself a chance.”

He ended the way with a mock handshake for the partner he didn't have. Young didn't race his way around the course. It felt like a practice round he plays by himself. There was one moment where it looked like any recreational round when he removed the flag on No. 12 and set it on the fringe because his caddie was busy raking the bunker.

Now that single falls to Robert MacIntyre, the only player not under par at East Lake. MacIntyre shot a 76 — eight shots over the field average — and was 13 shots behind.

Scheffler had two early bogeys to fall five shots behind and then answered with five birdies in a stretch of six holes around the turn to get back in the game. He was closing in until his approach sailed over the 17th green — the pin was in the back — and he stooped over for the longest time.

“I watched it get in the jet stream up there and fly,” Scheffler said.

He made up for it with a two-putt birdie on the 18th was in a good position — along with so many others — with two days left in the season.

___

See AP’s full golf coverage here

Trump in a social media post announcing the agreement said it was negotiated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

“The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY!” Trump wrote.

Rodríguez’s government in a statement said the deal involves the development of 17 fields with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels. It said the agreement could draw $100 billion in investment into Venezuela's oil industry and yield over $209 billion in taxes for Caracas.

Rodríguez in a posting on Telegram predicted the deal “will have a significant impact on our nation’s revival.”

The agreement allows for the United States to partner with an unnamed private operator in Venezuela to create a new private company to take hold of the reserves, according to a U.S. official familiar with the contours of the deal.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, added that Rodríguez granted the company 100-year rights to develop the oil fields.

The deal gives the United States 55% effective output of the new private company -- including an ownership stake and rights to buy oil at cost. The company would be the second largest corporate holder of proven reserves after Saudi Aramco, according to the official.

Trump is under pressure to show he’s lowering oil costs

The announcement comes nearly nine months after the U.S. military at Trump’s direction carried out an operation to capture Venezuela’s then-President Nicolás Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face federal narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges.

Trump faces mounting pressure to address high gas prices as the war in Iran on Friday reached a six-month milestone with no conclusion in sight. The U.S. has tapped its strategic petroleum reserves, which in early August fell below 300 million barrels, down by more than 100 million barrels since the start of 2026.

The U.S.-Israel war against Iran has led to a dramatic slowdown of Gulf oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz, which about 20% of the world petroleum passed through prior to the conflict.

The average price of gas in the U.S. stood at about $4.09 a gallon on Friday, according to AAA. The average price was $3.21 at the same time last year.

A significant drop in U.S. gas prices tied to the agreement should not be expected immediately. Experts have repeatedly warned that a substantial boost in Venezuelan oil production will not happen quickly as repairing and expanding infrastructure takes years and requires billions of dollars.

Persuading big American oil companies to return the region could face headwinds given the political uncertainty and decades of badly damaged infrastructure.

Days after the ouster of Maduro, Trump gathered oil executives at the White House and called on them to rush back into Venezuela. Executives expressed interest in the opportunity but there was also a measure of caution given their past experience in the country.

Darren Woods, CEO of ExxonMobil, the largest U.S. oil company, said at that moment he saw the country as “un-investable.”

But Trump has insisted that his administration has brought a measure of stability to Venezuela.

He has argued that Venezuela stole U.S. oil when former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez moved decades ago to nationalize hundreds of foreign-owned assets, including those owned by American oil companies.

Rodríguez, in one of her early moves after taking power, signed a law that opens the nation’s oil sector to privatization and reversed a bedrock tenet of the self-proclaimed socialist movement that has ruled the country for more than two decades.

Rubio said on X that the agreement would usher in billions in private investment into Venezuela and lead to lower gas prices in the United States.

“This deal is a huge win for both the American and Venezuelan people,” Rubio posted.

The oil bought from the new company would go toward filling the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve and toward military use, according to the U.S. official.

Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world, with an estimated 303 billion barrels of crude oil in the ground. That’s about 17% of the world’s supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Unlike other parts of the world, where geologists have to search for untapped oil, the reserves under Venezuela’s soil are largely mapped and known, experts say. But because of dilapidated infrastructure, the country only produces about 1% of the world’s oil.

Maduro remains jailed in the U.S. He has pleaded not guilty.

__

Garcia Cano reported from Caracas.

Leer en español

Attorney Donna Rotunno, who represented Harvey Weinstein in New York, sat next to Caruso, 67, during the pre-trial detention hearing, before Orange County Circuit Judge A. James Craner, a former Gov. Rick Scott appointee.

While on the stand in court, Caruso’s wife, Tracy Caruso, a business owner, said house arrest would be in a high-rise building, and they have a “private elevator” and “a ton of security” in Palm Beach County.

“Yes, he will return to that residence. I love him,” Tracy Caruso, who has been married to Caruso for about 12 years, said in court.

Caruso served in the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 to 2025, when Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed him to his current position in Palm Beach. In February, Caruso announced that he was running to keep the job on Nov. 3.

Caruso didn’t have a Republican opponent during the primary. DeSantis suspended Caruso after his arrest, but that isn’t enough to remove him from the ballot. Caruso has not withdrawn.

Caruso faced charges of kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury, records show.

The investigation

Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies talked to the child, and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Reuben Roach included a video of an interview as evidence, according to the warrant.

During the hearing on Friday, Roach, who testified for the prosecution, said he was assigned the case on Dec. 9, 2025, and he spoke to the victim’s parents, who were concerned about their son’s behavior with a toddler sibling before their son disclosed Caruso’s sex abuse to them.

“He is a 4-year-old boy with a lot of energy,” Roach told the prosecutor in court about the victim.

The alleged abuse happened while Caruso was alone with the boy in Orange and Palm Beach counties and during a Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas 7-day cruise that sailed from PortMiami in Miami-Dade County on or about Aug. 24, 2025, according to the warrant.

During the hearing, Roach told Jason Weiss, the defense attorney representing Caruso, that the boy’s disclosure to his parents was on Oct. 22, 2025, and his parents’ report to OCSO, and a Florida Department of Children and Families investigator’s interview were on Nov. 24, 2025.

Roach also told Weiss that the boy’s forensic interview with an expert was on Dec. 1, 2025.

Roach reported that the victim in the case was receiving psychological care in Orange County, and the victim’s family learned from a psychologist that the boy “exhibits responses consistent with trauma,” according to the warrant.

“The child was going through a lot of emotional issues,” Roach told the prosecutor during the hearing.

While based at the Miami Regional Operations Center, Roach, who has more than two decades of experience, conducted recorded calls between Caruso and relatives who were familiar with the allegations, according to the warrant.

“Caruso admitted that he had isolated the victim during the cruise ... denied showering with the victim,” Roach, whose experience includes serving as chief of police in Norwich, New York, wrote, according to the warrant.

On Aug. 17, a judge issued a warrant for Caruso’s arrest over the alleged 2024 and 2025 abuse of the boy. Craner said he had found flaws in the investigation.

Craner ordered Caruso to surrender his passport and to stay away from minors, the victim in the case, and witnesses.

Other alleged familial victims

During a conversation, Caruso admitted he had faced intra-familial sex abuse accusations before, according to the warrant.

“He acknowledged knowing that his [relative] ... had accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior, including sexual battery,” Roach wrote about a conversation with a relative on Dec. 6, according to the warrant.

During the hearing, Roach said that during his investigation, he also learned “through a family member” that another male relative had disclosed that Caruso had also abused him ”from the age of 10 to adulthood."

Roach said another man who is related to Caruso told him it was not “uncommon to be slapped or punched” as a child by Caruso or for him to play “tickle monster” to touch his genitalia.

A woman “now advised that at the approximate age of 4 she was alone with Mr. Caruso in the house and he made her get into the shower at which point they were in the shower together with no clothes on,” Roach said in court about another relative’s accusation of child sex abuse.

Roach said a Deerfield Beach Police Department report also mentioned Caruso had played the “tickle monster” game with an alleged victim. Roach said no charges were brought in Broward County.

“There were some DCF reports that were unfounded,” Roach told Weiss in court about the allegations of child sexual abuse.

Roach also said a man and a woman who are Caruso’s relatives said they witnessed Caruso’s intra-familial violence.

Roach answered in the affirmative to a prosecutor’s questions about Caruso’s relatives being afraid of his release from Orange County jail.

During the hearing, a prosecutor told Craner that Caruso could use his “status, resources, and connections” to interfere with the case if released on bond.

Caruso has denied the allegations.

Roach answers prosecutor’s questions

Related stories

• Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso held without bond on child sex abuse charges
• Palm Beach County Clerk of Court Michael Caruso arrested on child sex abuse charges, AG says
• Mike Caruso discusses Alligator Alcatraz in 2025

As detentions rise, so are the number of encounters between law enforcement and people pulling out their phones to record what’s happening.

From Homestead to Lake Worth, people are watching for ICE operations in their communities and turning to social media to warn their neighbors.

One woman, who asked Local 10 to use her online nickname, La Akateka, said she has been doing this for about a year.

She recently streamed a scene at a gas station that went viral.

The video shows law enforcement pulling one man out of a work truck and arresting him. Another man is arrested as he stands nearby and watches.

The video also shows an officer approach another man and question him.

Another person in the video says the man “was minding his own business” and had nothing to do with the prior detention.

As more people record these encounters, legal experts say people should know their right to record, but also be aware of the limits.

The videos are drawing more eyes as the federal crackdown on immigration intensifies.

One question for people recording is whether they are getting in the way of ICE agents doing their jobs.

La Akateka pushed back on that idea.

“I’m not actually getting in the way when they know exactly what they’re doing,” she said. “Am I getting in their way because I’m putting them on blast?”

DHS has not commented on what is seen in the viral video. It maintains that agents and officers are simply doing the job they’ve been asked to do.

Leer en español

The gritty interpretation of the Magic City runs from Ocean Drive to the Everglades.

“Grand Theft Auto” — GTA — is coming back with its sixth game, and Miami-Dade County wants a piece of the action.

In a proposal obtained by Local 10 News, the county pitches a partnership to temporarily rebrand Miami International Airport as “Vice City Airport.” The proposal also includes Vice City manhole covers.

“They love GTA. And most people visit here because of that — Grand Theft Auto,” store manager Shruti Salwal said.

At a Miami souvenir shop, the best sellers are vintage shirts from when GTA first featured Miami in 2002.

One tourist from Italy knows the franchise well.

“Grand Theft Auto is great, but it’s a little stereotypes, I think,” she said.

In Wynwood, a mural celebrates the classic Vice City, too.

A county spokesperson said, “Given Miami-Dade’s clear influence on the game, we think there could be a unique opportunity to generate revenue for the County while showcasing Miami-Dade to a massive audience.”

But the idea of promoting Miami through the game’s world of violence and crime gets mixed reactions.

“I feel like Miami is more turning into a very wellness-oriented city with a lot of growth, so promoting violence and guns and -- I mean it could be fun as a play world sort of thing,” Miami resident Evan Metzo said.

Another resident pointed to the contrast between the game and the city itself.

“You got the Ferraris out here,” resident Carnell Williams said. “You got the Maybachs — you got the violence over there.”

For Williams, though, the game’s depiction of crime doesn’t feel completely fictional.

“It’s real life, to be honest — people do steal. Somebody stole my phone the other day,” he said.

The Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-2 on Friday to approve its $796 million share of the mixed-use entertainment district that includes a new 31,000-seat stadium that will be near Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Rays' new stadium is expected to open in 2029. The Tampa City Council city voted 4-3 on Thursday to approve $80 million.

Rays CEO Ken Babby said the team’s partnership with the county and city on the project secures the long-term future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay.

“We now look forward to celebrating before breaking ground with Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa on a future that has long been doubted, but will indeed happen,” Babby said. “By making the Forever Home a reality, the Rays are now home forever in Tampa Bay.”

The Rays have committed to contributing at least $1.3 billion, plus any cost overruns. Another $30 million will come from federal disaster recovery funds.

The Rays ownership reached an agreement earlier this year with Hillsborough College to build the stadium and entertainment district on the campus and to renovate some of the school’s buildings. The property is located next to the New York Yankees’ spring training facility and across a highway from the NFL stadium.

Since the team's inception in 1998, the Rays have played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, except for moving home games to the Yankees’ George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025 following hurricane damage at the Trop. The Rays’ lease runs through at least the 2028 season. The team returned to the Trop for the start of this season.

A proposed $1.3 billion redevelopment deal for a new ballpark adjacent to the Trop fell through last year, raising new questions about the future of the team, which was bought last September by Patrick Zalupski’s ownership group.

“This has been a long and challenging process, and we know that transformational projects rarely come easily,” Zalupski said Friday. “Today’s vote represents an extraordinary milestone, not simply for the Rays or for a ballpark, but for the future of Tampa and the entire Tampa Bay region.”

___

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

Trump confirmed his plans Friday. Vice President JD Vance will attend the New York observance and other administration officials will go to the ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the White House said.

This year marks a quarter-century since the hijacked plane attacks by al-Qaida militants that claimed nearly 3,000 lives in the three locations and upended American foreign policy and national security.

After returning from a trip to Houston on Friday, Trump was asked by reporters alongside Air Force One why he would not be at the New York ceremony, as some published reports said. He responded, “Because I’m going to the Pentagon.”

In a social media post Friday, Trump described 9/11 as “a day to remember the victims, and their beautiful family members.”

Last year, Trump commemorated the anniversary at the annual Pentagon ceremony, where he delivered remarks recounting moments from the day, including snippets of conversations from passengers who were aboard the hijacked airplanes.

The president, who is originally from New York, last attended the ground zero ceremony in 2024.

Vance had planned to be in New York for the anniversary last year but instead flew to Salt Lake City to be with the family of Charlie Kirk after the conservative activist was assassinated.

Leer en español

Coral Gables Police Department Chief Ed Hudak said the suspects targeted the Valencia Avenue home of Henry Parra, 55, and Adam Hlavaty, 42, knowing they died in the Aug. 19 crash along with five others, several of whom had South Florida ties.

“These people were targeted the day they were killed in that crash, which I find reprehensible,” Hudak said at a news conference on Friday.

Flanked by Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, and high-ranking members of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and his own department, Hudak said the investigation revealed a beehive of identity theft, fraud and burglary.

“We have boxes of documents that could be potential victims,” Hudak said.

He said those boxes of documents were found at the northwest Miami-Dade home of suspects Geybert Alexander Garcia, 40, and Melany Perdomo, 24, in the 8300 block of Northwest 195th Terrace.

The two are accused of stealing jewelry, electronics, documents, artwork and the couple’s Porsche and Range Rover.

Fernandez Rundle called the targeting of the late couple “really shocking and unfathomable” and part of a “much larger scheme.”

Hudak said CGPD “can’t rule anything out” when it comes to whether the suspects had help on the inside. He said the suspects knew to go behind the home’s liquor cabinet to remove the couple’s security system.

He also addressed purportedly-notarized paperwork Garcia’s attorney showed in court claiming that the victims signed over their vehicles to him.

Both a family friend and a CGPD detective testified that they believe the document is phony.

“I’ve never known anyone to have an affidavit for a dead person,” Hudak said.

Hudak said the sheer scale of the investigation has led CGPD to work with MDSO and multiple federal agencies, including the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and explosives, to probe the wider case.

“We walked into ground zero of identity theft in this area,” Hudak said.

That includes passport fraud, he said, leading to the Diplomatic Security Service to join the investigation.

At the suspects’ home, near the unincorporated Palm Springs North area, Hudak said investigators recovered 20 key fobs corresponding to suspected stolen vehicles and authorities are working to track down the owners.

Additionally, investigators said they found a Ford F-250 with an altered VIN that turned out to be stolen out of Indian River County.

Hudak said owing to the sheer scale of evidence discovered the investigation is “going to take us some time.”

Meanwhile, as of Friday, Garcia and Perdomo remain locked up in Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on multiple charges, including burglary and grand theft.

They were ordered to remain there without bond and are set to be arraigned in Miami-Dade court on Sept. 28.

Christian Demostenes Constantiny, 31, was taken into custody on Thursday.

According to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, a search warrant on his Kik account revealed “(numerous) files and chat logs” of Constantiny distributing illicit videos of children.

Deputies said the videos depicted boys and girls as young as 3 being raped and sexually abused.

The MDSO report includes two chat logs where deputies said Constantiny was communicating with users who said they were 13 and 17, sharing child sexual abuse material with them. They said he claimed to be 21 in one of the chats.

Deputies said they took Constantiny into custody at a home near Northwest 17th Avenue and 87th Street in the county’s West Little River area on Thursday. They said he invoked his right to remain silent.

Records show he was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $30,000 bond.

Constantiny’s arrest report lists his occupation as “teacher.”

An official directory associated Constantiny with Miami Dade College, but an MDC spokesperson told Local 10 News that while he worked at one point as an adjunct instructor, he “has no current employment or teaching relationship” with the school and the allegations occurred after he left MDC.

It’s unclear whether he was employed by anyone else as a teacher at the time of his arrest.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, el incidente ocurrió el 14 de agosto dentro de la tienda Ross ubicada cerca de Southwest 137th Avenue y Miller Drive.

Los agentes dijeron que una empleada de la tienda vio a Sean Edward Uribe, del suroeste de Miami-Dade, caminando de un lado a otro “sin rumbo y de manera sospechosa”.

La testigo dijo a los agentes que vio a Uribe agarrándose el pene por encima de la ropa y “masajeándolo”, según un informe de arresto.

Según el informe, la testigo dijo que luego vio que el pene de Uribe estaba completamente erecto mientras se colocaba detrás de otra empleada de la tienda, quien trabajaba en un pasillo, y tenía ambas manos frente a él cerca del área de la entrepierna.

Los agentes dijeron que la testigo vio a Uribe posiblemente rociando la camisa de la víctima con un “líquido desconocido” mientras se alejaba.

Cuando la testigo se acercó a su compañera de trabajo para alertarla sobre lo ocurrido, vio que la parte posterior de la camisa y los pantalones de la víctima tenían una “sustancia turbia y pegajosa de un líquido desconocido”, según el informe de arresto.

Según el informe, los detectives pudieron identificar a Uribe mediante un video de vigilancia debido a que ya tenían conocimiento sobre él y su “modus operandi”.

Una revisión de registros también reveló que Uribe tenía dos condenas previas por agresión en el condado Miami-Dade.

Los agentes dijeron que la testigo identificó a Uribe en una rueda de reconocimiento fotográfica el 19 de agosto y fue detenido el lunes por un cargo de agresión con dos condenas previas.

Según el informe, Uribe invocó su derecho a permanecer en silencio.

Hasta la mañana de este viernes, Uribe permanecía detenido en el Centro de Detención Metrowest. Los registros de la cárcel en línea indicaban que su fianza estaba “por determinar”.

Los registros muestran que se encontraba bajo libertad condicional al momento de su arresto por agresión e intento de manipulación de evidencia física. Además del cargo más reciente de agresión, también enfrenta un cargo por violación de la libertad condicional.

Customs and Border Protection already paused activity after CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott visited the park last week to consult with local officials. His visit came after bulldozers started plowing through parts of the park in the far south of Texas, sparking widespread outrage.

The Department of Homeland Security said at the time that the bulldozers were not launching into full construction but were part of initial design and survey work. Scott's pause was slated to expire on Monday.

In Big Bend National Park, the government’s plans have included building a new road, installing detection technology and barriers to stop vehicles from crossing the border, although an attorney for the government emphasized Friday that no final plans have been decided for what will be built in the park.

U.S. District Judge Orlando L. Garcia said during the court hearing in San Antonio that he hoped the two sides would use the extra time to come together to work out what could be done to address both sides' concerns. The pause applies to both the national park and a section of land upriver and west of the park, a Justice Department lawyer said during Friday's hearing.

The work in Big Bend National Park is part of a $46 billion plan by the Trump administration to cover the length of the 2,000-mile border from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico in a combination of 30-foot tall steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers and detection technology to stop illegal immigration and smugglers.

As construction has ramped into high gear, the administration has increasingly run into opposition from a combination of landowners, environmental groups, and Native Americans.

But the government argued Friday that Customs and Border Protection's authorities when it comes to building the wall or other border infrastructure comes from Congress.

“Congress gave them the authority,” said government lawyer Pamela Amaechi. "Congress has spoken.”

The lawsuit in Friday's case alleges that the government overstretched its authority in seeking to build border infrastructure in a national park established by Congress. And the lawsuit alleges the slated construction violates the religious freedoms and cultural practices of Native Americans for whom access to burial sites or areas where they conduct specific ceremonies are central to their religious practices.

The government has argued that it has the authority given by Congress to build the wall and other border security infrastructure and waive certain regulations to do so swiftly. They’ve also argued that the plaintiffs haven’t shown that the construction projects will in fact restrict anyone’s ability to practice their religion and that the construction plans in the park are limited.

Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat state senator in Texas who also argued the case Friday against the government, called the outcome a “win” for their side even though the pause is temporary. Gutierrez said anything that slows the government down until midterm elections in November is a good thing with the hope that a change in control of Congress might result in a rethinking of the border wall plans.

Durante la audiencia, la esposa de Caruso, Tracy Caruso, dijo que el arresto domiciliario sería preferible, ya que tienen un “ascensor privado” y “muchísima seguridad” en Palm Beach.

“Sí, regresará a esa residencia. Lo amo”, dijo Tracy Caruso en la corte.

Caruso, de 67 años, sirvió en la Cámara de Representantes de Florida de 2018 a 2025, cuando el gobernador Ron DeSantis lo nombró para su actual cargo en el condado Palm Beach. En febrero, Caruso anunció que se postulaba para conservar el cargo el 3 de noviembre y no ha retirado su candidatura.

DeSantis suspendió a Caruso después de su arresto. El Departamento de Correcciones del condado Orange ingresó a Caruso el 19 de agosto y lo mantuvo detenido sin derecho a fianza, según muestran los registros.

Caruso enfrentaba cargos de secuestro, abuso lascivo o indecente, exhibición lasciva o indecente, atraer o inducir a un menor y abuso infantil que causa daño mental, según muestran los registros.

La investigación

Tras un reporte en el condado Orange, un agente del Departamento de Aplicación de la Ley de Florida realizó la investigación. El agente tiene más de dos décadas de experiencia, incluido su servicio como jefe de policía en Norwich, Nueva York, según muestran los registros.

Mientras estaba asignado al Centro Regional de Operaciones de Miami, el agente de FDLE habló con los padres de la víctima y realizó llamadas grabadas entre Caruso y familiares, según muestran los registros.

El 17 de agosto, un juez emitió una orden de arresto contra Caruso. Recientemente, un juez le ordenó entregar su pasaporte y mantenerse alejado de menores, de la víctima del caso y de los testigos.

Historias relacionadas

• Secretario judicial del condado Palm Beach Michael Caruso permanece detenido sin derecho a fianza por cargos de abuso sexual infantil
• Arrestan a secretario judicial del condado Palm Beach Michael Caruso por cargos de abuso sexual infantil, dice fiscal general
• Mike Caruso habla sobre Alligator Alcatraz en 2025

Her Instagram account is filled with photos where she is fashionably dressed in beautiful settings, or lounging in a bikini in relaxing ones. Life looks great.

On the court, it's as bad as it's been in a while.

The top-ranked women's player hasn't even gotten past the fourth round of her last few tournaments, and she hardly looks ready to become the first player to win three straight U.S. Open titles since Serena Williams from 2012-14.

Sabalenka doesn't sound concerned. She sounds defiant.

Her response to those wondering what's wrong with her game: “Maybe there’s something wrong with people,” she said.

To those who don't like the black mesh-covered outfit she's wearing on the court in New York: “Who cares about people, right? All matters for me is that I love it,” Sabalenka responded.

Sabalenka looked headed for a superb season at the start of the year. She lost in the Australian Open final to Elena Rybakina, but then won back-to-back hard-court titles at Indian Wells and Miami. Even after she was knocked out by Naomi Osaka in the fourth round at Wimbledon, it was assumed Sabalenka would quickly return to form when she came back to North America and the hard courts where her power is so tough to handle.

Then she was upset by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the fourth round in Toronto and blew leads in both sets and was ousted by Sara Bejlek in Cincinnati, appearing frustrated at times with her game the way she used to earlier in her career.

She won't specify what was wrong, but hinted that everything wasn't right.

“It wasn’t the best period. I don’t want to defend myself, but obviously I just don’t want to talk about that period. I’ve been dealing with several things,” Sabalenka said.

“But who cares, right? Yeah, I didn’t perform my best. These tough lessons are definitely going to make me way, way stronger and working even harder. I work on my mental side of the game. I was trying to reset my mind and to come back stronger, so it’s only going to make me stronger. It’s only a matter of time for me to come back.”

It wouldn't be a surprise if it was in New York, where she won the title for the first time in 2024 by beating Jessica Pegula in the final. She defended it last year by topping Amanda Anisimova.

Reaching the top has given the 28-year-old from Belarus plenty of benefits off the court. Endorsement deals and photo shoots. Vacations during the season to Greece with her fiance.

It gives critics who see Sabalenka detail all of that on social media the opportunity to question whether it's too much fun and not enough work.

“She’s still No. 1 in the world. So I think the results are there,” said Paula Badosa, Sabalenka's friend on tour who has been pictured in some of those photos with her.

“Of course, everyone is going to expect for her to win every tournament. That’s very, very difficult. And at the moment, that one player is not winning what they expected. Of course, they’re saying that it’s because of the photo shoots or the TikToks and all this stuff, and I’m not going to lie, she’s been doing that since she was maybe out of the top 100. And when she was winning, nobody says anything, you know? And when she loses a couple of matches, it’s because of that. I think it’s none of it.”

The No. 1 ranking is in jeopardy after Sabalenka's summer swoon. She may need to make a deep run in New York with the likes of Rybakina and Pegula gaining on her.

Sabalenka has done it before. She may be down now but doesn't sound like she plans to stay there.

“Well, that’s the beauty of the sport,” she said. “Throw tough challenges at me, I will come back only stronger.”

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Leer en español

Beau Brattain was attacked by several dogs on July 28 while collecting sand on a beach in Bimini, according to the Royal Bahamas Police Force. They said he suffered numerous bites to his legs, arm, face and head, including the loss of part of his scalp.

Authorities said the Coast Guard crew evacuated Beau and his father from the Bahamas to Miami-Dade County, where Beau was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center for treatment.

Beau has undergone multiple surgeries and is expected to need additional procedures and therapy as he continues to recover.

His mother, Aliette Trelles, told Local 10 News on Friday that Beau is improving each day but still faces a long recovery.

“Beau is improving every day, and his positivity and spirit remain strong, but he has a long road ahead and with a number of additional surgeries scheduled,” Trelles said.

Trelles previously told Local 10 News that Beau was collecting sand for hermit crabs when the dogs suddenly attacked him. She said he managed to get back to the home where he was staying with family and friends.

Harrington Rolle, of South Bimini, was arrested in connection with the attack and faces charges including negligently causing grievous harm and failing to control a dangerous dog, according to Bahamian police.

Beau’s family has created a GoFundMe to help with his medical and rehabilitation expenses as he continues his recovery.

A more likely scenario: his teammate at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, Ryan Preece, eking into the postseason with a strong showing at NASCAR’s home track Saturday night.

“My car needs like a miracle,” said Keselowski, the 2012 series champion.

Added Preece: “I just think about trying to win stages and win the race. … There’s a lot of unknowns right now and trying to be as prepared as possible.”

Keselowski and Preece are among five drivers vying for the final three spots in the 10-race Chase for the championship in the summer race at Daytona. Bubba Wallace, Austin Cindric and Shane van Gisbergen also are looking to lock down postseason berths in the 400-mile race.

Those five will share the spotlight under the lights at the high-banked track. It’s the result of NASCAR changing its playoff format, which no longer guarantees a postseason berth to drivers who win a race during the regular season.

Keselowski is approaching the regular-season finale at Daytona more as a mindful team owner than a desperate participant. Fellow RFK driver Chris Buescher is already locked into the playoffs, and getting Preece in there would help the team’s financial bottom line.

“We’re paying a lot of attention to that,” Keselowski said.

Wallace and Cindric are close to being locks to make the 10-driver Chase for the championship, essentially leaving van Gisbergen and Preece to battle for the 16th and final spot in the playoff field. Van Gisbergen leads Preece by 31 points — a relatively small cushion that could be quickly trimmed in the opening stages.

“A lot going on. Not really sure how it’s going to play out,” van Gisbergen said. “I think 30 points is a lot — until it’s not, until he has two good stages and then we’re under a lot of pressure. … I think we plan to be pretty conservative and see how his race is going and react to that.”

All the drivers will need to react to horsepower and aerodynamic changes that NASCAR made in hopes of improving racing at the superspeedway.

The sanctioning body mandated engine changes that will reduce horsepower from 510 to 465. It also shaved 3 inches off rear spoilers, providing less downforce and assumedly less handling.

“The pack will have a vibe to it that will play off how comfortable everyone feels in the car around other cars,” points leader Denny Hamlin said. “The intensity of the actual race is going to be dependent of that comfort level.”

Hamlin said earlier in the week it could lead to “absolute chaos,” partly because drivers weren’t allowed any track time to test the new setup.

“It would have been nice,” driver Daniel Suárez said. “Sometimes a little bit is better than nothing. There’s going to be a lot of people making adjustments in stage one.”

And all eyes will be on van Gisbergen and Preece.

“It’s a pretty cool feeling to have the pressure on us,” van Gisbergen said.

Suárez on baby watch at Daytona

Suárez, who is already locked into the playoffs with Spire Motorsports, is ready to leave Daytona on a moment’s notice. Suárez’s wife, Julia, is 38 weeks pregnant and could give birth before, during or right after the race.

Suárez recently completed a hospital tour so he knows where to go and what to do if he needs to fly home in a hurry.

“Hopefully it’s a Monday to Friday baby,” he said, adding that the team has yet to pick a standby driver.

“We’re looking for someone,” he said. “He has to speak Spanish, though.”

Who is the betting favorite to win the race?

William Byron and Ryan Blaney are the co-favorites at plus-850. Joey Logano (plus-1100) is the third choice, followed by Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott at plus-1200.

Blaney won last year's race, and Reddick won the Daytona 500 in February.

___

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

“I think it was like 20 pitches," manager Dave Roberts said before the Dodgers started a series against the Detroit Tigers. “I really don’t know what to make of it. I didn’t put eyes on it.

"Obviously, I've got to talk to Shohei, talk to (pitching coach) Mark (Prior), and then we’ll make a decision for Sunday.”

Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 because of a left knee injury. The right-hander is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings this season. He has continued to start at designated hitter and is batting .285 with 30 homers and 80 RBIs.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Leer en español

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred Aug. 14 inside the Ross store off Southwest 137^th Avenue and Miller Drive.

Deputies said a store employee witnessed Sean Edward Uribe, of southwest Miami-Dade, walking back and forth “aimlessly in a suspicious manner.”

The witness told deputies that she saw Uribe grabbing his penis on the outside of his clothing and “massaging it,” an arrest report stated.

According to the report, the witness said she then saw that Uribe’s penis had become fully erect as he positioned himself behind another store employee, who was working in an aisle, and had both of his hands in front of him near his crotch area.

Deputies said the witness saw Uribe possibly spraying the victim’s shirt with an “unknown liquid” as he walked away.

When the witness approached her co-worker to alert her about what had occurred, she saw that the back of the victim’s shirt and pants had a “cloudy, sticky substance from an unknown liquid,” the arrest report stated.

Detectives told Local 10 Friday that the liquid was “consistent with semen.”

“That fluid hits her in the back of the shirt and the employee’s pants. Obviously she’s freaked out, she didn’t know what to do, she goes home crying. And we took care of the case after that,” Detective Diego Mendoza said.

According to the report, detectives were able to identify Uribe from surveillance video due to previous knowledge about him and his “modus operandi.”

A records check also revealed that Uribe had two prior battery convictions in Miami-Dade County.

Deputies said the witness identified Uribe in a photo lineup on Aug. 19 and he was taken into custody Monday on a charge of battery with two prior convictions.

According to the report, Uribe invoked his right to remain silent.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer set his bond at $10,000 on Friday, but he will remain jailed at the Metrowest Detention Center until he appears before a division judge.

Detectives say Uribe committed a similar act a few years ago at another Ross location, about 10 minutes down the road from the store at Southwest 137th Avenue and Miller Drive.

Records show he was on probation at the time of his arrest for battery and attempting to tamper with physical evidence. Deputies confirmed he was taken into custody when reporting to his probation officer. In addition to the latest battery charge, he also faces a charge of probation violation.

Detectives ask anyone who believes they were victimized by Uribe to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Leer en español

Dolly’s remnants will head in the direction of the easternmost Caribbean islands today, where hostile conditions should keep it from reforming before reaching the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands later this weekend.

Though Dolly’s remnants could bring squally weather and locally heavy rain to higher terrain as it crosses the islands, its quick pace should limit widespread issues and the rainfall is generally a net positive for areas of the Caribbean, which have been plagued with intensifying drought conditions this summer, in part due to the strengthening El Niño.

Dolly the storm, not the singer

In a strange coincidence, Dolly the storm was christened only two days after the passing of American cultural icon and country music legend Dolly Parton.

With the unusual timing and insensitive appearance of naming a tropical storm Dolly the week flags were lowered in honor of the late, great singer, and the National Hurricane Center issued a statement clarifying the use of the name in its first advisory for Dolly on Thursday:

“The timing of the use of the name Dolly for this storm is purely coincidental,” the center wrote. “Tropical storm and hurricane names for the North Atlantic Basin originate from six pre-determined rotating lists established by the World Meteorological Organization Region IV Hurricane Committee. The name Dolly replaced Diana after the 1990 hurricane season and was first used in 1996.”

For the crossover weather enthusiasts and Dolly Parton fans (including yours truly), the very first time a tropical cyclone was named Dolly was for a western Pacific typhoon in 1946, the same year as Ms. Parton’s birth.

Dolly unlikely to reform closer to the U.S.

As we’ve discussed in the newsletter all week, some outside scenarios have depicted Dolly’s remnants trying to reform in a region of lower wind shear and unusually warm waters around the Bahamas or into the eastern Gulf for middle next week.

Though the odds were low to begin with, models decidedly dropped that scenario yesterday. They’ve waffled somewhat since but Dolly should be sufficiently disrupted by its passage through the Great El Niño-driven wall of shear this weekend as its remnants hit the mountainous speed bumps of the islands – especially in places like Hispaniola – that an encore performance won’t be in the cards.

Google latest DeepMind’s 1,000-member ensemble system puts redevelopment odds at around 30% for next week, so it’s something to monitor.

We’ll of course update you in the event models change their tune, but for the time being, it’s nothing to be concerned about.

The terms of the deal were confirmed by his agency, Bartlett Hockey.

Makar’s extension is set to be the the richest in NHL history, surpassing the eight-year, $136 million extension signed by Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov last September. Makar's deal runs through the 2034-35 season.

With an annual average value (AAV) of $20.4 million beginning in 2027-28, Makar’s deal eclipses that of San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini, who signed a five-year, $94 million extension in late July and has an $18.8 million AAV.

Makar’s record-setting deal could push the limit even higher with Edmonton's Connor McDavid and Toronto's Auston Matthews eligible for extensions next summer.

“I couldn’t be more excited to continue my journey here with the Avalanche in this amazing city of Denver,” Makar said in a video posted on social media by the team, calling it a historic day. “Here’s to another hopefully amazing nine years.”

The 27-year-old Makar is coming off a season in which he had 20 goals and 59 assists. He finished second to Zach Werenski of Columbus in the Norris Trophy voting, an award that goes to the league’s top defenseman. Makar has won the award twice over his career.

The cap hit for Makar for last season was $9 million after signing a six-year, $54 million contract in 2021. The new deal for Makar now sets the bar for fellow standout defensemen Quinn Hughes of Minnesota and Werenski.

Securing the long-term services of Makar was a high priority this offseason for president of hockey operations/general manager Joe Sakic, who maintained that Makar was “going to finish his career” in Colorado. Makar was taken fourth overall by Colorado in 2017 out of the University of Massachusetts.

The salary cap is projected to be $113.5 million in 2027-28 when Makar's new deal begins. He will take up roughly 18% of the room for a team with a Cup-ready roster. Left wing Artturi Lehkonen is set to be a free agent after this season, along with center Nicolas Roy and goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

Makar was banged up heading into a Western Conference Final where the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche were swept by the Vegas Golden Knights. An upper-body injury sidelined him for Games 1 and 2, but he returned for the final two contests. Sakic recently said that Makar is slated to be ready for training camp.

It’s been a busy offseason for Sakic, who’s stepping back into the role of GM after Chris MacFarland left to lead the front office in Nashville. Among the deals orchestrated by Sakic was sending Valeri Nichushkin to the Blue Jackets for draft picks. It was a way to free up space to negotiate the extension for Makar.

“Cale is a generational defenseman and his accomplishments speak for themselves,” Sakic said in a statement. "He is obviously a tremendous competitor and player but even more so a great person, teammate and ambassador for the Avalanche and the Rocky Mountain region. We are beyond thrilled to get this deal done and have Cale in an Avalanche sweater for the next decade.”

A native of Calgary, Alberta, Makar has turned in four 20-goal seasons in his career, one of just 12 defensemen in league history to post at least that many campaigns. He also notched his 500th NHL point on March 28 in his 467th career game. He’s the fourth-fastest defenseman to reach that milestone, behind only Hall of Famers Bobby Orr (396 games), Paul Coffey (422) and Denis Potvin (465).

The core of Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog helped Colorado to a Stanley Cup title in 2022. Makar had eight goals and 21 assists during the championship run to capture the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.

Makar's younger brother, Taylor, recently signed a two-year contract with the Avalanche that runs through the 2027-28 season. Taylor Makar made his NHL debut on Nov. 1 in San Jose, as the brothers became the first siblings to appear in the same contest while playing for the Avalanche. The Stastny brothers — Anton, Peter and Marian — accomplished the feat when the team was the Quebec Nordiques.

“Colorado has truly become a second home to us, and we are so grateful to be here,” Cale Makar said. "I look forward to getting back on the ice with my teammates and continuing to work toward our goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to the Mile High City.”

___

AP Hockey Writers Stephen Whyno and John Wawrow contributed to this report.

___

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

Leer en español

The county approved $10 million for the program three years ago. Now, the money is drying up, and if voters do not approve a proposed tax increase, County Mayor Mark Bogen says the program may not survive.

“Rather than waiting till it’s stage 4 or waiting until you get a heart attack, we now have a way to try to catch it before it really can kill you,” Bogen said.

Bogen lost his mother to a heart attack.

He learned about a test ― essentially, a CT scan of the heart done on a machine. He said the county is the first nationwide to offer the test for free, even if patients have no symptoms.

It is recommended for those over 45 with conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease.

Bogen says the county has scanned 7,000 people. More than half — 4,000 — ended up needing medical care.

The program is run by Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital.

Alex Espinosa, the hospital’s chief operating officer, said many patients needing care have been “asymptomatic, didn’t have any idea they had heart disease, relatively healthy.”

Espinosa remembers having a heart attack right in the hospital’s parking lot, even though other heart tests did not show any problems.

“I was coming to work and I collapsed,” he said.

He believes if he had this scan, he could have prevented his heart attack.

“It may have found it and said, ‘Be proactive instead of reactive,’” Espinosa said.

If passed, the sales tax, currently 7%, would rise a quarter-percent to 7.25% for the next five years.

“It’s not on your groceries, it’s not on your medication, it’s not on your insurance, it’s not on your water bills, there’s so many things, it’s not on for people in their day to day living,” Bogen said.

Still, some doctors do not think the test is necessary. A county auditor review found testing people with no symptoms is “not universally accepted in the medical community.”

The review also found the test is rarely used unless the patient has greater risk.

Espinosa, though, thinks things are changing.

“I think it’s coming. I think we’re getting there,” he said. “I think giving it visibility and understanding the effects it has on the population from preventing heart disease, I think it’s very important.”

The program also covers cancer testing and primary and preventive healthcare for some people.

Voters head to the polls on Nov. 3.

El condado aprobó $10 millones USD para el programa hace tres años. Ahora, el dinero se está agotando y, si los votantes no aprueban un aumento de impuestos propuesto, el alcalde del condado, Mark Bogen, dice que el programa podría no sobrevivir.

“En lugar de esperar hasta que esté en etapa 4 o esperar hasta que tengas un ataque cardíaco, ahora tenemos una manera de intentar detectarlo antes de que realmente pueda matarte”, dijo Bogen.

Bogen perdió a su madre por un ataque cardíaco.

Se enteró de una prueba que consiste esencialmente en una tomografía computarizada del corazón realizada en una máquina. Dijo que el condado es el primero en todo el país en ofrecer la prueba de forma gratuita, incluso si los pacientes no presentan síntomas.

Se recomienda para personas mayores de 45 años con condiciones como colesterol alto, presión arterial alta o antecedentes familiares de enfermedades cardíacas.

Bogen dice que el condado ha realizado pruebas a 7,000 personas. Más de la mitad, 4,000, terminaron necesitando atención médica.

El programa es administrado por Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital.

Alex Espinosa, director de operaciones del hospital, dijo que muchos pacientes que necesitaron atención eran “asintomáticos, no tenían idea de que tenían una enfermedad cardíaca y estaban relativamente saludables”.

Espinosa recuerda haber sufrido un ataque cardíaco en el estacionamiento del hospital, a pesar de que otras pruebas cardíacas no habían mostrado ningún problema.

“Venía a trabajar y colapsé”, dijo.

Él cree que si se hubiera realizado esta prueba, podría haber prevenido su ataque cardíaco.

“Podría haberlo detectado y haber dicho: “Sé proactivo en lugar de reactivo””, dijo Espinosa.

Si se aprueba, el impuesto sobre las ventas, actualmente de 7%, aumentaría un cuarto de punto porcentual a 7.25% durante los próximos cinco años.

“No se aplica a tus alimentos, no se aplica a tus medicamentos, no se aplica a tu seguro, no se aplica a tus facturas de agua, hay tantas cosas a las que no se aplica en la vida cotidiana de las personas”, dijo Bogen.

Aun así, algunos médicos no creen que la prueba sea necesaria. Una revisión de un auditor del condado encontró que realizar pruebas a personas sin síntomas “no es universalmente aceptado en la comunidad médica”.

La revisión también encontró que la prueba rara vez se utiliza a menos que el paciente tenga un mayor riesgo.

Espinosa, sin embargo, cree que las cosas están cambiando.

“Creo que viene. Creo que estamos llegando a ese punto”, dijo. “Creo que darle visibilidad y comprender los efectos que tiene en la población para prevenir enfermedades cardíacas es muy importante”.

El programa también cubre pruebas de cáncer y atención médica primaria y preventiva para algunas personas.

Los votantes acudirán a las urnas el 3 de noviembre.

La cruda interpretación de la Ciudad Mágica se extiende desde Ocean Drive hasta los Everglades.

“Grand Theft Auto”, GTA, regresa con su sexto juego, y el condado Miami-Dade quiere una parte de la acción.

En una propuesta obtenida por Local 10 News, el condado plantea una asociación para cambiar temporalmente el nombre del Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami a “Vice City Airport”. La propuesta también incluye tapas de alcantarilla de Vice City.

“Les encanta GTA. Y la mayoría de las personas nos visitan por eso, por Grand Theft Auto”, dijo la gerente de la tienda Shruti Salwal.

En una tienda de recuerdos de Miami, los artículos más vendidos son camisetas vintage de cuando GTA presentó por primera vez a Miami en 2002.

Una turista de Italia conoce bien la franquicia.

“Grand Theft Auto es genial, pero creo que tiene un poco de estereotipos”, dijo.

En Wynwood, un mural también celebra el clásico Vice City.

Un portavoz del condado dijo: “Dada la clara influencia de Miami-Dade en el juego, creemos que podría haber una oportunidad única para generar ingresos para el condado mientras mostramos Miami-Dade a una audiencia masiva”.

Pero la idea de promocionar Miami a través del mundo de violencia y crimen del juego genera reacciones diversas.

“Siento que Miami se está convirtiendo más en una ciudad muy orientada al bienestar y con mucho crecimiento, así que promover la violencia y las armas, quiero decir, podría ser divertido como una especie de mundo de juego”, dijo el residente de Miami Evan Metzo.

Otro residente señaló el contraste entre el juego y la propia ciudad.

“Aquí tienes los Ferrari”, dijo el residente Carnell Williams. “Tienes los Maybach, y allá tienes la violencia”.

Para Williams, sin embargo, la representación del crimen en el juego no parece completamente ficticia.

“Es la vida real, para ser sincero, la gente roba. Alguien me robó el teléfono el otro día”, dijo.

The war isn’t over, though Trump claims that through bombs and blockade, he has already devastated Iran’s leadership, military and economy.

And this week his administration said it would turn its focus to increasing economic pressure — rather than military action — to try to finish off Iran. The shifting strategy centers on threats to punish any country or entity that continues to conduct business with Tehran.

The turn to using sanctions as the cudgel of choice comes as the administration weighs diminished munitions stockpiles after months of war, sparking concerns that the prolonged conflict could undermine U.S. military readiness in other parts of the globe.

As the conflict grinds on, Trump’s talk of finding a quick end to the war also appears to be fading. He stressed this week that he’s “not in a hurry” to get Iran back to the negotiating table, and he continues making the case that the Islamic Republic’s leadership is on the ropes.

“They’re not paying their troops. They’re in deep trouble. They have very little capacity,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “We don’t want to speak to them. We’re not looking to meet or anything,” he said.

It’s unclear how — or if — Trump will address the six-month anniversary of a conflict that has already cost the United States more than $37.5 billion and done damage to his popularity ahead of critical November elections for his party. The president is spending Friday in Houston, where he’ll honor the Artemis II NASA crew for their 10-day mission around the moon earlier this year.

Trump is declaring ‘mission accomplished’ — a phrase that hurt a Republican predecessor

On its face, the moment is complicated for the “America First” leader who fiercely criticized his White House predecessors for wasting American taxpayer money and U.S. troops’ lives in Middle East conflicts and vowed on the campaign trail to keep the military out of “endless wars.”

But Trump has bristled at suggestions that this war — in which no American troops have deployed into Iran — can be compared with the yearslong wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in which more than 7,000 Americans were killed.

His Republican predecessor, President George W. Bush, was widely mocked for a 2003 speech aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln beneath a White House-produced banner that read “Mission Accomplished.” It came to symbolize a premature declaration of victory for the Iraq War, which would go on for nearly nine more years. More than two decades later, there are still U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.

Trump’s war has stretched on far longer than he told Americans it would. It didn’t stop him from sharing a social media post this week declaring “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 2026.” The AI-generated image features Trump against a backdrop of U.S. fighter jets, a warship and American flags above smaller images of Bush and former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli strike in the opening salvos of the war.

Trump has consistently emphasized that the U.S. and Israel campaign has been devastating for Iran’s navy and air force. Iranian officials have said the country has suffered $270 billion in direct and indirect damage. Israeli military strikes in the first weeks of the war wiped out much of the theocratic government’s leadership structure, including Khamenei.

But Iran has found leverage through its own strikes in the critical Strait of Hormuz, where relatively few vessels carrying oil and liquefied natural gas are risking passage. Trump again declared Thursday that the “Strait of Hormuz is open,” saying 24 vessels passed through a day earlier. That’s a fraction of the roughly 130 vessels that passed through the vital waterway daily before the war began.

Trump is showing little interest in talks

Mediators Qatar and Pakistan continue to press for a diplomatic off-ramp from the two sides. Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, was in Tehran on Thursday to discuss a proposed plan between Iran and Oman to boost traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

But in Washington, Trump has shown little interest in getting back to the preliminary deal reached in June that aimed to reopen the strait and launch talks about Iran’s nuclear program. That deal fell apart within weeks after Iran started attacking ships.

At the same time, Trump says the U.S. effort to economically choke off Tehran is working, with a U.S. naval blockade preventing Iranian oil from making it to market as the trickle of vessels carrying oil from other Gulf nations pass through.

“We have control and we have the blockade,” Trump said. “Iran is not getting anything. Nothing is going through.”

Iran is badly battered, but has a history of showing resilience

There’s no doubt that the strikes combined with decades of international sanctions have battered Iran, said Aarathi Krishnan, a geopolitical risk analyst at RAKSHA Intelligence Future.

But as Trump tries to turn to a new chapter in the war, Krishnan argues the Republican may be misguided in concluding that more pressure on Tehran — which has spent decades adapting to international economic sanctions — will produce the political outcome he wants.

Indeed, Iran’s economy in the run-up to the start of the war was mired in surging inflation, according to the International Monetary Fund. National income per person had fallen from about $8,000 in 2012 to $5,000 in 2024, according to World Bank data.

But Tehran has also shown resilience, selling discounted oil and establishing opaque shipping and financial networks, Krishnan said.

“This administration has completely underestimated the Iranian resolve,” Krishnan said. “This is not new to the Iranian regime.”

Trump must decide how far he’s willing to go with sanctions

Richard Goldberg, who served as a senior adviser on Iran at the National Security Council during Trump’s first White House term, argues that Iran now finds itself in “uncharted waters” if the administration follows through with a truly biting campaign to pressure Iranian trade partners.

“What we should be seeing is an attempt to seal off every escape hatch the regime has left,” said Goldberg, who is now at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank. “Use the economic power of the United States to layer a naval blockade with an air and land embargo while dropping the hammer on anyone who gives the regime access to hard currency — whether that’s in the Middle East, China or even Europe.”

But it remains to be seen how far the administration is willing to go.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week unveiled a campaign the White House calls “Operation Economic Outcast,” but only issued warnings to nations to cut trade and has yet to announce any secondary sanctions. Bessent told reporters the administration wanted countries to have a chance to shift away from Iran before it was too late — and acknowledged there was economic risk to the U.S., too, in moving ahead.

The Treasury Department announced on Friday that it was taking steps that could lead to eventually severing Banque Misr, Egypt’s second-largest bank, from the U.S. financial system. The department accused the bank of serving as an economic lifeline to Tehran’s leadership.

China, which is Iran’s biggest trade partner and oil buyer, responded earlier this week to the Trump administration’s broad threats of going after countries and firms that still do trade with Iran by expressing its opposition to “illegal unilateral sanctions.”

Pressed Thursday about why he wasn’t already sanctioning Chinese banks, Trump offered a cryptic response.

“Who said I’m not? You don’t know if I’m doing it,” Trump said. “I don’t have to announce everything, do I?”

—

Associated Press writer Farnoush Amiri in New York and Fatima Hussein contributed to this report.

The move away from an automatic disqualification falls along a continuum of evolving recruitment standards within federal law enforcement and at the buttoned-up bureau, which several years ago relaxed its approach to candidates’ past marijuana use and has drawn more recent concern among some current and former agents about a perceived loosening of recruitment requirements as it seeks to replenish its ranks.

The bureau still intends to dismiss applicants who are revealed during the vetting process to have engaged in prostitution within the last 10 years, three or more times overall or while in a position of trust such as public safety, according to guidance issued this past spring and described by a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss internal decision-making and spoke on condition of anonymity. For others, it will allow for consideration of the context of the conduct rather than treat it as grounds for an automatic rejection from the FBI’s hiring process.

The practical impact is not immediately clear since many who have engaged in prostitution may still be either immediately disqualified or weeded out upon further scrutiny from FBI polygraphers and security officials.

The FBI said the change was meant to account for the fact that some otherwise suitable candidates, including service members, may have engaged in the practice in places where it is legal and to accommodate applicants who may done so as a young child or have themselves been victims of sexual abuse.

“It is false to suggest criminal behavior like this is no longer disqualifying at the FBI. Any applicant who has engaged in criminal sexual acts like those referenced would of course not be eligible for employment, and it is ridiculous to suggest otherwise,” the FBI said in a statement that described the background check process as “wide-ranging and extensive.”

“The FBI has and always will maintain some of the highest suitability standards for its applicants and employees in the US Government,” the statement added.

Justice Department is easing recruitment requirements in general

Even so, the shift is being made at a time when current and former officials worry that the FBI, and the Justice Department more generally, have eased recruitment requirements while facing a mass personnel exodus brought on by retirements, voluntary resignations and firings. The bureau, for instance, has taken steps to make it easier for its own professional staff to become agents and has offered a truncated training academy for applicants from other federal law enforcement agencies.

“If they’re moving the bar for sexual encounters to include prostitution, what is that saying about the applicant pool? They’re trying to bring in more people, which to me indicates that the applicant pool is extremely shallow right now,” said Daniel Brunner, a retired FBI agent who spent two decades in the bureau.

In 2015, then-Attorney General Eric Holder issued a memo reiterating that all Justice Department employees were prohibited from soliciting or accepting prostitution, including in places where it was legal. But both before and since that directive, the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies have confronted periodic episodes in which agents serving abroad have been accused of sexual encounters with prostitutes.

As recently as last year, for instance, the Justice Department inspector general substantiated allegations that a supervisory special agent solicited and used prostitutes on multiple occasions while overseas and used a bureau-issued cellphone for the transactions.

Chris Piehota, a retired top FBI executive, said he would be more troubled if the bureau were to loosen its standards for current employees who require periodic renewals of their security clearances. But he said he could understand the FBI leaning “toward leniency” for actions taken as a teenager or college student.

“I don’t think you get a better or worse candidate from something you did in your college years,” Piehota said. “That’s why they have the screening process, that’s why they have the vetting process. And the people who do the recruiting and hiring, they look at all those things.”

Background checks, polygraph tests and more

Applicants to the FBI undergo a multistep application and vetting process that includes, among other things, a background check, a detailed questionnaire, credit checks, interviews with neighbors and colleagues and a polygraph test. The comprehensive regimen is meant to uncover any prior criminal conduct in an applicant’s past as well as embarrassing personal information that could make an employee vulnerable to blackmail.

Felony convictions, domestic violence convictions, failure of a urinalysis and the bureau’s drug policies are among factors treated as automatic disqualifiers.

Though the new guidance will allow for a broader and more contextual evaluation of applicants who disclose past experience with prostitution during their polygraph admission, such an admission has historically been typically regarded as a “death knell” for potential employees at agencies including the FBI, CIA and NSA, said Daniel Meyer, a Washington lawyer with the Tully Rinckey law firm who specializes in the background check and the security clearance process.

Haaland, the league top goal-scorer last season, opened his account after 17 minutes with a neat header.

Cherki doubled the visitor’s lead early in the second half when he danced through a nest of players and poked the ball home from close range.

However, Palace reduced the deficit almost immediately when Yeremy Pino's superb free kick hit the bar and then rebounded into the net off the despairing back of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Cherki, though, was in fine form and restored City's two-goal advantage two minutes later when his deflected shot from just outside the box wrong-footed keeper Dean Henderson.

It was the first brace of his Premier League career but he was not happy and called his performance “so-so.”

The French midfielder said he thought he was about to be subbed so turned on the style to ensure his permanence.

“When I see Enzo Maresca wanted to change me I didn't like that, so I had to show him I wanted to play and wanted to score,” Cherki said of the recently appointed coach.

“With Pep Guardiola we had a big history,” he added. “Now we have started another story. We have to prove that every week, and we are here for that.”

Haaland rounded off the scoring with a left-footed strike six minutes from time and City was on top of the league with six points from its first two games.

Palace is pointless after two games and midfielder Adam Wharton suggested the team needed more time to adapt to new coach Pierre Sage, who took over in June.

“I thought we had good moments but we didn't test their keeper enough, like we should have,” Wharton said. "It is a disappointing result.

“We are trying to work every day and implement the gaffer's way of playing in and out of possession. I think we improved from last week and were in the game for longer. We need to keep at it and next week hopefully we'll be even better."

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Incluso en un país tan conectado a internet como Brasil, los anuncios en televisión y radio siguen definiendo el tema de conversación y pueden influir en los votantes, ya que llegan a rincones remotos del país.

Dado que el presidente Lula —que busca un cuarto mandato no consecutivo— se encuentra actualmente empatado en las encuestas con el senador Flávio Bolsonaro, hijo del expresidente Jair Bolsonaro, el consultor político independiente y exministro brasileño Thomas Traumann prevé que los anuncios serán extremadamente beligerantes.

“Creo que la campaña será más sucia que la de 2022, y 2022 ya fue una de las más sucias de la historia brasileña”, conjeturó Traumann en referencia a la última elección presidencial, cuando Lula derrotó al expresidente Jair Bolsonaro —quien actualmente cumple una sentencia de 27 años de cárcel por intento de golpe de Estado— por el margen más estrecho desde el retorno de Brasil a la democracia en 1985.

Los anuncios de campaña en televisión y radio son un indicativo de la proximidad de las elecciones, y colocan la contienda en primer plano en la mente de los brasileños.

Maria Izabel Pecanha, una profesora jubilada de historia de 84 años de Rio de Janeiro, comenta que muchos votantes como ella no prestarán atención a los anuncios en redes sociales y, en cambio, verán los de radio y televisión, como lo ha hecho desde la década de 1950.

“Me gusta verlos para entusiasmarme, para enojarme, para pensar en cómo se muestran los actores políticos de Brasil. Siempre es muy instructivo", comentó Pecanha por teléfono. "He visto los de hoy y seguiré haciéndolo hasta el final de la campaña; es como ver un poco de historia desarrollarse”.

A diferencia de lo que ocurre en Estados Unidos, los anuncios de campaña en Brasil no tienen costo para los partidos, y el tiempo al aire se distribuye según el tamaño de la coalición y la representación en la Cámara de Diputados.

La gratuidad de los anuncios “defiende el principio democrático de igualdad de trato, y significa que la cantidad de tiempo que recibe cada partido no va a estar determinada por el poder económico de cada partido”, señaló Bruno Pompeu, profesor de comunicación y publicidad en la Universidad de Sao Paulo.

Con los años, el tono, el estilo y la naturaleza de estos espacios han evolucionado. João Ricardo Matta, profesor de negocios en la Fundación Getulio Vargas, un centro de estudios y universidad, señaló que el auge de las redes sociales y su lenguaje más informal probablemente influirán en los anuncios de campaña en las plataformas más tradicionales.

“Serán menos artificiales, más naturales, con apariencia de algo hecho en casa”, comentó Matta, quien también espera que fondos que tradicionalmente se destinaban a la producción de anuncios de televisión y radio se trasladen a material de campaña en redes sociales.

Antes de la primera vuelta de votación del 4 de octubre, las emisoras deben reservar 14 minutos al día para casi 1.000 anuncios de 30 segundos, además de bloques de 12 minutos y 30 segundos exclusivamente para los candidatos presidenciales.

De esos bloques, Lula y los partidos aliados tendrán 5 minutos y 31 segundos, mientras que el partido del senador Flávio Bolsonaro dispondrá de 4 minutos y 20 segundos. El tiempo restante se dividirá entre otros dos partidos.

Que Flávio Bolsonaro tenga menos tiempo que Lula ilustra que ha tenido dificultades para que otros partidos apoyen su candidatura, señaló Traumann, a diferencia de su padre, que ganó en 2018.

En caso de una segunda vuelta, prevista para el 25 de octubre, los dos candidatos restantes tendrán la misma cantidad de tiempo.

___

El periodista de The Associated Press Mauricio Savarese contribuyó a este despacho desde Sao Paulo.

___

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

Although most embassies are not returning to full strength immediately, starting this week the State Department has begun to lift certain staffing and other restrictions on personnel.

The changes are not necessarily reflective of a shift in the Trump administration's policy toward Iran — now focused on economic rather than kinetic military warfare. Instead, the changes are mainly due to the legalities of human resources policy, which limits the time diplomats may be away from post while still being paid and collecting benefits for themselves and their families.

On Friday, the day the Iran war hit its six-month mark, embassies in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain announced they would allow diplomats’ family members to return, although in Bahrain and Kuwait it applies only to those older than 18.

Earlier in the week, all family members of U.S. government employees in Israel, as well as those who are over 21 of those who work in Lebanon, were given the go-ahead to return.

These embassies were all placed on “ordered departure” or “authorized departure” status in March as Iran began retaliating for U.S. and Israeli attacks by targeting U.S. interests, including embassies and military facilities, and creating chaotic situations in countries around the region.

Ordered departure means that all nonessential personnel and families must leave the country. Authorized departure means that staff deemed nonessential and their families may leave.

However, regulations time-limit those statuses, which were beginning to expire six months after being initiated, meaning affected diplomats and their families would be losing their housing and other benefits, creating significant hardships among the workforce.

To deal with this, the State Department created a new status — that of “restricted operations” — which is designed to allow the embassies to resume normal functions. On a case-by-case basis, each affected embassy will make its own determination on appropriate staffing, the presence of families and pay and benefits.

Diplomats and their families were ordered to leave embassies in another five countries in the region early in the war, and changes in status at some of them also were anticipated soon.

“We remain committed to supporting our workforce and their families throughout this process and will provide updates through appropriate channels as decisions are made,” the department said.

Se trata de una resolución que deroga la anterior, que mantenía suspendida la aspersión aérea con glifosato, un herbicida químico que elimina plantas inhibiendo su crecimiento. El documento, fechado el 18 de agosto, fue conocido por la prensa el viernes tras ser divulgado por el Diario Oficial, una publicación que contiene la información legal estatal.

La fumigación aérea con glifosato fue suspendida en 2015 por orden de la Corte Constitucional como precaución ante los posibles daños en la salud y el medioambiente y tras el concepto de la Organización Mundial de la Salud que advertía que el herbicida “probablemente” causaba cáncer en seres humanos.

Durante la campaña electoral, el conservador De la Espriella dijo que quiere fumigar con herbicidas biológicos los plantíos de hoja de coca, distintos al glifosato para no saltar la decisión de la corte, pero efectivos.

La resolución fue firmada por el viceministro de Política Criminal y Justicia Restaurativa, Carlos Gómina, y aclara que no implica la reanudación automática del programa de erradicación de cultivos ilícitos mediante aspersión aérea, dado que faltan otros requisitos como una licencia ambiental, la consulta a comunidades étnicas y el concepto favorable del Instituto Nacional de Salud.

El gobierno del conservador Iván Duque (2018-2022) intentó que se reanudaran las fumigaciones aéreas con glifosato, pero la Corte Constitucional frenó la iniciativa.

La política de lucha antinarcóticos de De la Espriella, quien recién asumió el cargo, representa un giro con respecto a la de su antecesor y opositor, el progresista Gustavo Petro, quien desestimuló la erradicación forzada y priorizó la voluntaria con los campesinos cultivadores de hoja de coca.

De la Espriella ha dicho que no va a permitir que salga más cocaína de Colombia, el principal país productor de ese alcaloide, y que se adhiere a la política antidrogas de Trump, incluyendo los bombardeos a embarcaciones que presuntamente trafican drogas.

El área sembrada con hoja de coca en Colombia en 2024 alcanzó las 261.000 hectáreas, según el último informe disponible de la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito.

Leer en español

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials spent the day searching for the crocodile but had not located it as of this publishing.

Officials are urging residents to keep pets on leashes and keep children away from the water’s edge, particularly at night.

The search comes one day after South Miami resident Enrique Pomares said his dog, Kygo, was attacked while outside with his two other dogs outside of his home on Thursday morning near Miller Drive and Southwest 63rd Court.

“It was horrific,” said Pomares. “The dog was trying to get away. I pulled him down several times and (it was) just horrific watching this whole thing go down.”

Pomares said he tried to save Kygo, even throwing a kayak at the crocodile. The dog was pulled underwater and was later found on an embankment several homes away.

“Now this is personal,” he said. “Now, it’s taken a member of our family.”

The attack has left some South Miami residents concerned about crocodiles in the area.

“It is a little nerve racking. We’ve had people call about it and nothing is happening with the crocs being moved,” resident Jacqueline Correa said.

Correa said she has seen two crocodiles in the area.

“We have seen two for sure one is a smaller one, and the one is quite the larger one,” Correa said.

Correa also captured video in June showing what she described as the larger crocodile swimming through the same waterways where Kygo was attacked.

FWC officials returned to the area Friday to search for the crocodile and determine whether it meets the criteria for relocation.

“I mean it would be great if they could relocate them to a different space,” Correa said.

But relocation is not necessarily immediate.

FWC officials say American crocodiles are a protected species, meaning officials must monitor the animal’s behavior and determine whether it meets the criteria for relocation.

Until then, residents and visitors are being urged to remain cautious around the waterways and keep pets and children away from the water’s edge.

Funcionarios de la Comisión de Conservación de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida pasaron el día buscando al cocodrilo, pero no lo habían localizado hasta el momento de esta publicación.

Los funcionarios instan a los residentes a mantener a las mascotas con correa y a los niños alejados de la orilla del agua, particularmente durante la noche.

La búsqueda se produce un día después de que Enrique Pomares, residente de South Miami, dijera que su perro Kygo fue atacado mientras estaba afuera con sus otros dos perros cerca de su casa el jueves por la mañana, cerca de Miller Drive y Southwest 63rd Court.

“Fue horrible”, dijo Pomares. “El perro intentaba escapar. Lo jalé varias veces y fue simplemente horrible ver cómo sucedía todo esto”.

Pomares dijo que intentó salvar a Kygo, incluso lanzándole un kayak al cocodrilo. El perro fue arrastrado bajo el agua y posteriormente fue encontrado en un terraplén a varias casas de distancia.

“Ahora esto es personal”, dijo. “Ahora se ha llevado a un miembro de nuestra familia”.

El ataque ha dejado preocupados a algunos residentes de South Miami por los cocodrilos en el área.

“Es un poco angustiante. Hemos tenido personas que han llamado por esto y no está sucediendo nada para trasladar a los cocodrilos”, dijo la residente Jacqueline Correa.

Correa dijo que ha visto dos cocodrilos en el área.

“Hemos visto dos con seguridad, uno es más pequeño y el otro es bastante más grande”, dijo Correa.

Correa también grabó un video en junio que muestra lo que describió como el cocodrilo más grande nadando por las mismas vías fluviales donde Kygo fue atacado.

Funcionarios de FWC regresaron al área el viernes para buscar al cocodrilo y determinar si cumple con los criterios para ser trasladado.

“Quiero decir, sería excelente si pudieran trasladarlos a otro lugar”, dijo Correa.

Pero el traslado no es necesariamente inmediato.

Funcionarios de FWC dicen que los cocodrilos americanos son una especie protegida, lo que significa que deben monitorear el comportamiento del animal y determinar si cumple con los criterios para ser trasladado.

Hasta entonces, se insta a residentes y visitantes a permanecer atentos cerca de las vías fluviales y mantener a las mascotas y los niños alejados de la orilla del agua.

The report released Friday says the 250-foot-tall (76-meter) memorial arch is likely to disrupt the historical significance of dozens of sites near its planned location adjacent to Memorial Bridge.

Many of Washington’s monuments, buildings and sites have been carefully planned over decades to reflect significant moments in the nation’s history and to evoke symbolism through sightlines that connect them to other sites. The arch will disturb the sightline between more iconic Washington landmarks than anticipated, the report said.

But the Park Service report says “the same characteristics that make Memorial Circle sensitive from a preservation perspective are also the characteristics that make it the historically appropriate location for the undertaking.”

The project’s effects cannot be “fully avoided without either relocating the Arch away from the historically identified site or eliminating the principal commemorative feature, both of which would fail to meet the undertaking’s purpose and need,” the report said.

“For this reason, alternative locations outside Memorial Circle are not reasonable avoidance alternatives,” the report said.

The 133-page report by the Park Service supports Trump's plans for the controversial arch and could play an important role in bolstering the administration's case in its fight against a legal challenge filed by three veterans and an architectural historian.

The proposed arch is one of several projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave his lasting imprint on Washington, including renaming and renovating the Kennedy Center, building a huge new White House ballroom, refurbishing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and rebuilding a golf course in East Potomac Park that could significantly reduce the public’s access to running and biking paths.

The proposal for a towering, gilded arch received initial approval this summer from a key federal commission, even as an earlier report from the park service said the project could impact the “integrity” of dozens of historic properties because it would change “character-defining visual and spatial relationships” between them.

One of the most obvious elements cited by the park service is that the arch would break alignment between the Lincoln Memorial, Memorial Bridge and Arlington House that was formerly Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s home. That alignment was “intended to physically and symbolically unite North and South through a coordinated monumental composition extending across the Potomac River,” the report said.

The Lincoln Memorial Arlington House connection was one of dozens of historic sites and structures listed as being impacted directly by the proposed structure. It added that the National Mall, the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Georgetown Historic District, Old Naval Observatory, Key Bridge, National Cathedral and other sites also would be affected.

Nicolas Sansone, an attorney with Public Citizen Litigation Group representing the plaintiffs, said Friday that the new report “confirms what we've been saying all along: the project will have an enormous impact and transform the National Mall.”

The report underscores the legal challengers' claim that a project of this size and importance “is a decision for Congress to make” and should not be rushed through by executive decree, Sansone said.

The arch design, proposed by Trump, has already received early approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The commissioners were all appointed by Trump. The National Capital Area Planning Commission approved the site and preliminary plans at its July meeting. The commission is expected to take up the matter again this fall.

Immigration officials announced on Friday that Yiannopoulos was arrested at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and accused him of overstaying after entering the United States legally in May 2019 through New York City. An immigration judge issued a final order of removal on July 22 after Yiannopoulos failed to show up for his immigration hearing, a DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

“He chose to overstay his welcome in violation of our nation’s laws,” a spokesperson for DHS wrote in an emailed statement.

ICE’s online detainee locator did not say where Yiannopoulos was being held, but directed family and legal representatives to the agency’s office in Alexandria, Louisiana, a deportation hub for international flights.

Representatives of Yiannopoulos did not respond to a request for comment. It was unclear whether he has legal representation.

The British national has most recently worked for the rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, who was scheduled to perform in New Orleans on Friday evening.

Yiannopoulos is a well-known champion of conservative causes and has frequently taken provocative public positions criticizing feminism, Islam and immigrants. He has been especially supportive of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.

“Zero immigration for the next 20 years. No ifs, no buts,” Yiannopoulos wrote on the social platform X last year.

Yiannopoulos rose to fame in the early 2010s as an incendiary writer for the conservative website Breitbart News. He resigned from the company in 2017 after a video of him endorsing pedophilia resurfaced online. He later apologized for the remarks and said he himself was a victim of sexual assault as a minor.

Yiannopoulos' arrest Thursday comes amid a nationwide uptick in detentions as part of Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Far-right conservative activist Laura Loomer swiftly took to social media to applaud Yiannopoulos’ arrest after years of public feuding between the two personalities.

“I was the first person to report on the fact that Milo was in the US illegally where he incited violence against President Trump and worked for Marjorie Traitor Greene,” Loomer wrote on X.

Controversy around Yiannopoulos ballooned in 2017 when he carried out what he called his “Troll Academy Tour” across college campuses nationwide. Fights broke out when some students protested Yiannopoulos' appearances and accused him of hate speech, while others celebrated him as a champion of free speech. Around that time, Buzzfeed reported on Yiannopoulos' cozy relationships with self-proclaimed white nationalists.

In recent years, Yiannopoulos continued to work in the orbit of conservative activism. In 2022, he was an intern for former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, according to the Washington Post. He subsequently ran the short-lived 2024 presidential campaign for Ye. Most recently, Yiannopoulos has worked as a spokesperson for Ye, who has been beset by controversy of his own following antisemitic comments that the rapper has since apologized for.

___

This story has been corrected to say Milo Yiannopoulos entered the U.S. legally in 2019, not illegally. It was also updated on Aug. 29, 2026, to correct the date of Yiannopoulos’ arrest in paragraph 10. He was arrested on Thursday, not Friday.

“Sign the extension,” she said as more than 16,000 fans in the arena roared.

No pressure, Kelsey.

It's been a disappointing season for the Mercury, who will miss the playoffs one year after playing in the WNBA Finals and have a 13-26 record through Thursday's games. But there's a fair degree of optimism around the franchise these days and that's because of the blockbuster trade that brought Plum to the desert on Aug. 2.

The 32-year-old and five-time All-Star is still in the prime of her career and could give the Mercury a new franchise cornerstone. There's only one catch: She's a free agent at the end of this season and gets to choose where she'll play in 2027.

Plum didn't say if Taurasi's endorsement will affect her decision to sign an extension in Phoenix — but it sure didn't seem to hurt.

“D.T. was the reason I started playing basketball,” Plum said. “So that was kind of a full circle moment.”

Plum made her home debut with the Mercury on Tuesday in a 94-84 loss to the Washington Mystics, coming off the bench to score 10 points over 17 minutes. The 5-foot-8 guard has nursed a calf injury for much of the past few months and will likely be on a minutes restriction for the rest of the season.

Plum sat out Thursday's game as the team continues to be cautious.

Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts said he's been encouraged by Plum's limited time on the court, especially the way she plays with veteran forward Alyssa Thomas. If everything works out with contract situations, Plum, Thomas and high-scoring guard Kahleah Copper would form the nucleus of the team in 2027.

“These are reps that we need,” Tibbetts said. “I thought the second half we looked a little bit better. We haven't had a ton of practice time with K.P. — but your point is very valid that it does look very natural for those two veteran players who know how to play.”

Plum agreed that she's quickly gaining chemistry with her new team, particularly Thomas.

“A.T. is amazing — phenomenal passer, extremely skilled, great anticipation, plays amazing in transition,” Plum said. “Just trying play off of her, learn her, where she likes to get ball screens set, where she likes to pass. It's a learning-on-the-fly type of situation, but she makes it easy.”

Plum conceded that the calf injury has led to some frustration as she tries to adapt to her new surroundings, but she's pushing through the best she can. The veteran has been healthy for most of her career besides a ruptured Achilles tendon that caused her to miss the 2020 season.

“I've never been in a situation like this before — 2020 was kind of an anomaly,” Plum said. "For me, I've learned a lot this year. And through it all, I feel like it'll carry me well moving forward.

“And it's brought me here.”

___

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

The notice of appeal filed Friday comes after a federal judge in Boston handed down a new decision blocking implementation of an executive order from President Donald Trump for the next two weeks.

The Supreme Court previously allowed the plan to move ahead on procedural grounds, but hasn’t decided whether it’s legal. The U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals will next consider the case, though it could soon be back before the nation's highest court.

Under Trump’s executive order, the U.S. Postal Service could refuse to deliver ballots from states that do not submit lists of eligible voters and follow a uniform envelope style. The White House calls the plan a set of “commonsense measures” aimed at protecting ballot security, and calls the order blocking it “unreasoned and unlawful.”

Celina Stewart, chief executive officer of the League of Women Voters, which sued to block Trump, said the plaintiffs are confident the law is on their side.

“I'm hoping that federal judges continue to hold the line on their constitutional authority and duty,” Stewart said, adding, “The bottom line for voters is, right now, your right to vote has not changed.”

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani found that states don't have the time or money to design and produce new ballots, update their systems and train officials to upload voter data to the Postal Service in the short time before the midterm elections.

The first mail ballots of the general election to determine control of Congress are scheduled to be sent out Sept. 4.

The Thursday ruling came after Democrats and voting rights groups filed a fresh round of lawsuits to comply with the recent Supreme Court decision. They note that the Constitution grants states and, in some cases, Congress the power to make election rules — not the president or Postal Service.

The whipsawing legal battle could have major ramifications for the midterms. Nearly one-third of Americans vote by mail and election officials contend there isn’t enough time to revise their systems to comply with the new Postal Service directives.

The president has long targeted mail voting, which he falsely blames for his 2020 election loss even though he himself uses it to cast his ballot. A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 found that mail voting fraud occurred in only about four cases out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.

Trump's executive order was challenged in court shortly after being issued in March. Talwani, nominated to the bench by President Barack Obama, agreed to block it for the midterm elections. But the Supreme Court found earlier this week that she had acted too soon. The Post Office plan has since been finalized.

Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

Gordon called the monitors' behavior “a bit aggressive” and “irregular" in an otherwise routine meeting to confirm the election results in the mostly rural and Republican state.

“I feel very strongly about the federal government coming in and taking our guns. I don’t like that. I don’t like the federal government coming in and taking our votes, either,” Gordon said at the meeting Wednesday.

Gordon spokesperson Amy Edmonds on Friday confirmed the investigation by Attorney General Keith Kautz, who was appointed by the governor.

Voting rights groups have raised concern about President Donald Trump's Justice Department shifting priorities away from enforcing civil rights laws with respect to voting. Trump instead has directed federal prosecutors to search for fraud in the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump has meanwhile been more assertive about influencing the department, including encouraging investigations of political opponents, in his second term.

Approaching the end of his second and final term in office, Gordon has publicly expressed little if any previous criticism of federal polices under Trump.

The monitoring happened in southeastern Wyoming's Laramie County, home to the state capital, Cheyenne.

The monitors arrived soon after polls opened at 7 a.m. on primary day and said they intended to interview voters while assessing compliance with federal civil rights and voting rights laws, Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee said in a statement.

Lee said her office didn't allow interviews to be conducted in polling places and denied the monitors permission to do so. The monitors questioned local officials about “the nature, length and timing of poll worker training," Lee said.

“Monitors requested training guides, asked how our new election equipment was acquired and wanted to examine our tabulators,” Lee said.

Wyoming law allows only election observation by certified poll watchers who monitor registration and turnout, Lee said.

“This was a poorly managed exercise and one that showed complete disregard for our state laws and administration of our elections,” Lee said in the statement.

She said she hadn't been notified the monitors would be in Laramie County. A Justice Department official in Washington told her the decision to send them was made on short notice and an email was sent to her but “may have gone to the wrong address," Lee said.

The Justice Department routinely sends monitors to observe polling places or election offices, but they are not supposed to interfere with voting or election administration.

The DOJ did not answer questions about the monitors Friday but referred to a primary day statement by Darin Smith, the U.S. attorney for Wyoming. He said monitors would be in the state “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and strict compliance with federal voting rights statutes.”

“Voters deserve absolute confidence that their ballots are secure and their voices are heard without interference,” Smith said in the statement. “We are working alongside local officials to ensure every lawful vote is protected.”

Appointed by the governor, Wyoming's attorney general works mainly in the service of the executive branch and is not politically independent as in other states.

No one, including Gordon, is asserting the monitoring influenced the election outcome, Edmonds said.

“It’s really a fact-finding mission just to sort of figure out exactly what did happen,” Edmonds said.

Trump's fraud claims about the 2020 election have been amplified by Wyoming's Republican secretary of state, Chuck Gray, who successfully ran in 2022 in part by showing a discredited documentary about those claims at campaign rallies across the state.

Gray told Gordon at the elections meeting that his office “got an email,” but that was all the communication it had with the Justice Department about the federal officials. Wyoming law allows election observers, Gray said.

“Certainly happy to visit with the attorney general,” Gray told the governor during the meeting. “Transparency is so important, and accountability.”

Gray is not seeking reelection as secretary of state and won the Republican nomination for Wyoming’s seat in the U.S. House during the primary.

The decision from the Food and Drug Administration allows the company to sell a new version of its top-selling vaping device for the first time since it launched more than a decade ago. In recent years, the company has had to lay off hundreds of employees while paying roughly $3 billion to settle government and private lawsuits over teen use of its products.

Juul plans to market the new device under the brand name Juul2, along with updated versions of its tobacco- and menthol-flavored cartridges. In 2019, the company discontinued several flavors, including mango, mint and creme, that drove most of its sales but were favored by teens.

In a statement Friday, Juul CEO K.C. Crosthwaite said the company plans to seek authorization for “a portfolio of flavors — beyond tobacco and menthol — that are targeted to adult nicotine consumers.”

The latest announcement is not an approval or endorsement, and people who do not smoke should not use Juul or any other e-cigarettes, according to regulators. The FDA decision means that smokers who switch completely to Juul can reduce their exposure to deadly carcinogens and other chemicals found in traditional cigarettes.

According to company studies reviewed by the FDA, between 20% to 50% of smokers who used Juul products were able to stop smoking at the end of six weeks. The rates of quitting varied based on which flavors were used.

The new device also gives users the option to require age verification via an online app before the e-cigarette can be unlocked.

The FDA has authorized a handful of e-cigarettes to help adult smokers quit or cut back on cigarettes. In May, the FDA OK'd the first fruit-flavored electronic cigarettes intended for adult smokers. The approval represented a major policy shift and came after months of appeals to President Donald Trump from the vaping industry.

Juul is no longer the top-selling e-cigarette brand in the U.S. and trails Vuse, which is sold by tobacco giant Reynolds American. Reynolds also makes Camel and Newport cigarettes.

Teens have shifted away from Juul as part of a wider drop in vaping, according to federal figures. Teens who continue to vape mostly use unauthorized disposable e-cigarettes imported from China, which come in fruit and candy flavors.

___

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.

__

An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Juul's CEO. He is K.C. Crosthwaite.

Leer en español

According to the arrest report completed by the Miami Police Department, the investigation began in February after detectives received an online complaint about five images/videos that were considered child sexual abuse material being uploaded to a Google account registered to Eric Cuevas Cordero.

Police said detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force executed a search warrant at Cordero’s home on Wednesday, at which time they seized multiple electronic devices.

According to the arrest report, a forensic examination of the 21-year-old’s cellphone revealed numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material involving victims ranging from infants to children as old as 12.

The report stated that Cordero made some kind of admission to detectives, however his exact statement was redacted from the publicly released report.

Cordero was arrested Thursday on 15 counts of possession of images showing the sexual performance of a child.

As of Friday afternoon, he remained held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Online jail records listed his bond as “to be set.”

Según el informe de arresto elaborado por el Departamento de Policía de Miami, la investigación comenzó en febrero después de que detectives recibieran una denuncia en línea sobre cinco imágenes/videos considerados material de abuso sexual infantil que fueron subidos a una cuenta de Google registrada a nombre de Eric Cuevas Cordero.

La policía dijo que detectives del Grupo de Trabajo de Delitos en Internet contra Menores ejecutaron una orden de registro en la casa de Cordero el miércoles, momento en el que incautaron múltiples dispositivos electrónicos.

Según el informe de arresto, un análisis forense del teléfono celular del joven de 21 años reveló numerosas imágenes y videos de material de abuso sexual infantil que involucraban a víctimas desde bebés hasta niños de 12 años.

El informe indicó que Cordero hizo algún tipo de admisión ante los detectives, sin embargo, su declaración exacta fue censurada en el informe divulgado públicamente.

Cordero fue arrestado el jueves por 15 cargos de posesión de imágenes que muestran la actividad sexual de un menor.

Hasta la tarde del viernes, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight. Los registros de la cárcel en línea indicaban que su fianza estaba “por determinar”.

UEFA, the European soccer confederation, is spearheading the backlash against Infantino over his failed World Cup sell-off plan that created a deep rift in the sport one month ago.

Many of its member federations have withdrawn their support for the FIFA leader, who is up for re-election in March 2027, and some have called for his resignation.

Infantino has not given any indication he plans to step down.

Here’s what to know about the growing pushback against the FIFA president.

UEFA ramps up the pressure with legal action

On Thursday, UEFA escalated the situation by revealing that it is preparing a possible criminal complaint against the FIFA president in Switzerland – where the organization is based – for alleged mismanagement.

The European soccer confederation filed requests in U.S. courts seeking evidence about Infantino’s secretive plan to give private investors led by Joshua Kushner a stake in the profits of future World Cups and other FIFA tournaments for $4.2 billion.

FIFA withdrew the proposal on Aug. 1, just days after it was made public, after intense pushback.

UEFA’s lawyers called the plan “a vehicle for Infantino and that small circle to acquire a permanent stake in and otherwise profit from FIFA’s most valuable assets to the detriment of FIFA, its members, and other parties within the football family.”

FIFA did not comment on UEFA’s move, which increases pressure on Infantino and puts other FIFA staffers at risk of legal exposure relating to a project that its now-fired chief operating officer said was Infantino’s idea.

It also means Kushner, the younger brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, faces increased scrutiny at a time when he is involved in a $12 billion takeover deal for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Some of Infantino’s critics want him to step down before the vote.

“Infantino is polarizing the world in a way we haven’t seen in history,” Norwegian soccer federation president Lise Klaveness said in Monaco.

Norway was the first FIFA member federation explicitly asking Infantino to resign in the wake of the World Cup investment plan.

Infantino’s re-election no longer a foregone conclusion

Just months ago, ahead of the World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Infantino was cruising toward an uncontested election win next March, with a clear majority of FIFA members backing him.

Things look less certain now, with UEFA, Asian confederation AFC and CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer North and Central America and the Caribbean, accusing the FIFA president of “ deception.”

Together those groups represent a majority of FIFA member federations. However, several AFC and CONCACAF members have declared continued support for Infantino as have a series of soccer federations in Africa and South America, many of which depend on FIFA funding. He needs just over half of FIFA’s 211 member federations to vote for him to be re-elected.

Infantino spent last weekend in the Dominican Republic meeting FIFA members from the Caribbean, despite a request by FIFA’s Canadian vice president and CONCACAF leader Victor Montagliani not to visit.

The Kushner-backed $4.2 billion investment would have funded $20 million offers to each of FIFA’s 211 member federations. That would be game-changing money for the 25 members in the Caribbean.

On Wednesday, Infantino’s Instagram account showed he was in Vietnam.

So far, no challenger has emerged to run against Infantino. The candidate deadline is Nov. 18, four months before election day in Rabat, Morocco, which is a FIFA stronghold.

Key dates on the soccer calendar

Infantino would be expected in Poland soon for the FIFA-organized Under-20 Women’s World Cup played from Sept. 5-27. But one Polish soccer official in Monaco said they had no idea of Infantino’s plans to be in the country.

It is a long-standing quip that FIFA staff read Instagram to learn where he is.

UEFA has an executive committee meeting Sept. 15 in Thessaloniki, Greece.

The influential European Football Clubs group meets Sept. 29 in Copenhagen. It is close to sealing a joint venture deal with FIFA overseeing the 2029 Club World Cup that Infantino wants to be worth $2 billion.

The clubs’ leader Nasser al-Khelaifi, from Paris Saint-Germain, is a key ally of UEFA and also a member of the government of Qatar which has backed Infantino in this crisis.

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and the CEO of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority both came out in favor of the name change Friday. It's expected to come up at the authority's meeting next month.

Long before 80-year-old Parton died Tuesday, fans in January 2025 started an online petition calling for officials to rename Nashville International Airport in her honor. It got renewed attention following Parton's death, jumping to more than 155,000 signatures Friday.

The change would make Parton the first woman whose name adorns one of America's 50 busiest airports.

The governor said he’s already discussed the idea with representatives for Parton.

“At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter and greet travelers with the enduring legacy of Dolly’s music, generosity, faith, and kindness,” Lee said in a statement.

Born in poverty in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Parton became an icon whose popularity crossed generational, geographic and political boundaries. In addition to writing and recording hit songs such as “Jolene” and “I Will Always Love You,” she starred in Hollywood films including “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”

A number of American airports bear the names of beloved celebrities, from Muhammad Ali International Airport in Louisville, Kentucky, to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. New Orleans' airport was renamed for jazz icon Louis Armstrong in 2001.

The vast majority of U.S. airports named for a person honor men. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Arkansas, is one exception. Another is Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport in Atchison, Kansas.

Putting Parton's name on the Nashville airport could require its governing authority to revisit its policy for such honors, which states that airport properties should only be named for people who have been dead for at least two years.

The governor’s office said his proposal and the naming policy will be discussed by the airport authority at its meeting Sept. 17.

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

The 40-year-old Florida coach signed a one-year extension earlier this month that increased the total value of his deal to $49.5 million. It averages $8.25 million annually and keeps him under contract through the 2031-32 season.

Golden's salary for next season jumps from $6 million to $7.5 million. He's due a $300,000 raise annually, with the contract culminating at $9 million in its final year. Only Kansas' Bill Self, UConn's Dan Hurley and Arkansas' John Calipari are slated to make more than Golden next season. New North Carolina coach Michael Malone also will make $7.5 million this season.

Golden’s deal is nearly fully guaranteed. Florida would owe him 85% of the remaining value if the school fired him without cause at any point.

Golden’s buyout to leave Gainesville starts at $16 million next season and drops annually: $13 million in 2027-28; $5 million in 2028-29; $3 million in 2029-30; $2 million in 2030-31; and $1 million in 2031-32.

However, Golden can leave for the NBA at a much lower price. His NBA buyout begins at $3 million next season and drops to $2 million (2027-29) and then $1 million in 2029-30.

Included in Golden’s annual compensation is a $500,000 annual longevity incentive and a $100,000 annual expense account. In addition to that, he gets 30 hours of free use of the university athletic association’s jet and other fringe benefits (cars, tickets, travel, etc.) valued at $62,000.

He would earn a $100,000 bonus for winning the SEC regular-season championship, a $50,000 bonus for winning the SEC Tournament, a $100,000 bonus for making the NCAA Tournament and a $50,000 bonus for every NCAA Tournament victory.

He also would get an additional $100,000 if his team's academic progress rate reaches 965.

The Gators made it clear in May that they wanted to get another deal done with their brightest coaching star, and the sides had most of the details worked out months ago. The finishing touches were finalized this month, weeks before the start of fall practice.

Golden’s raise also makes him the highest-paid coach on Florida’s campus; first-year Florida football coach Jon Sumrall’s six-year contract averages $7.45 million annually.

Golden has done plenty to earn his latest payday. He is 103-41 (.715) in four seasons in Gainesville, including a 36-4 mark in 2024-25 while leading the Gators to the program’s third national title.

And Florida is the betting favorite to win it all again this season. Golden returns nearly 82% of his team’s scoring from last season, most notably front-line stars Rueben Chinyelu, Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh.

Golden joined Florida in 2022 after three seasons at San Francisco. He got his first contract extension after Year 2, signing a deal that bumped his annual salary to $4.1 million. He signed another one last year that raised his salary to $6 million.

___

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full men’s basketball coverage here

“You’re going to see Carlitos playing the way he always has,” Alcaraz said.

The 23-year-old from Spain is set to play his first competitive singles match Monday since getting sidelined by the wrist injury in mid-April. He insists he has not changed anything about his mechanics and expressed confidence about physically feeling great.

"I need competition," Alcaraz said Friday. “We, my team and me, believe that I’m ready. It wasn’t an easy decision. I just did whatever it took to be ready."

Alcaraz is the defending champion and favored to go back-to-back, a year after beating Jannik Sinner and overtaking him for the No. 1 ranking. The field this time does not include Sinner, who withdrew because of a right knee injury.

“We are not going see each other for, like, six months now, seven months,” Alcaraz said. “It’s kind of a weird situation, to be honest.”

Alexander Zverev is the top seed in Sinner's absence. But all eyes are on Alcaraz, who earlier this year won his seventh Grand Slam title by defeating Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.

“Everyone is going to be pretty tapped in to see his first match,” 11th-seeded American Frances Tiafoe said. “If he comes back anywhere near his level, it’s tough. Regardless, even if he’s not at his tip-top (shape), you’ve still got to beat him in five (sets).”

Alcaraz opens against Roman Safiullin as he dives right back into best-of-five-set tennis in his return. He did get a chance to shake some rust off by playing a couple of mixed doubles matches with Serena Williams this week, but he knows not getting a full ramp up to the U.S. Open adds another layer of difficulty.

“It’s really challenging,” Alcaraz said. “Probably in terms of preparation and everything, (it) is not the best time.”

But the energy of playing in New York was enough of a draw that he said, “There is no better tournament than the U.S. Open to be back.”

Can he win it off such a long layoff? He knows Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have done it but does not want to set any expectations.

“I’m not going to set a limit for myself,” Alcaraz said in Spanish. “I don’t want to focus on a specific result. I want to focus on the process we’ve gone through. Just go out there, enjoy it and feel good.”

Zverev, who's now four years removed from tearing ligaments in his right ankle, was reluctant to compare two very different injuries. But he expects Alcaraz to be formidable as the tournament goes on.

“Wrist is never easy,” Zverev said. “I expect him to be maybe a bit rusty the first or second match, but once he gets through that, I think he’s going to be a contender, for sure, here.”

After dealing with intrusive thoughts during his time away from the sport, Alcaraz is still playing a mental game to not worry too much about the injury. His goals are to get through the U.S. Open healthy and stay away from the fear that creeps into his head.

“I just have to go 100%,” Alcaraz said. “I've got to trust my team. I've got to trust my people that tell me that it’s going to be fine.”

___

AP Sports Writer Eric Nunez contributed to this report.

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

In a changing of the guard match, Sakamoto beat Nishikori 6-4, 7-6 (3) on Friday in the final round of qualifying to earn a place in the main draw.

“Not happy to lose today, but I’m happy for Rei,” Nishikori said. “He’s the next Japanese top player.”

The 20-year-old Sakamoto, like many other players from Japan, considers Nishikori his hero. He was 8 years old and remembers when Nishikori reached the 2014 U.S. Open final, becoming the first Asian man to get that far in a Grand Slam tournament.

“I honestly grew up watching him play and he was my idol for my whole life,” Sakamoto said, “and it’s also a pity to see his last season.”

Sakamoto is typical of many tennis players and doesn't like to look at his draw ahead of time to see who he might play. This time, though, he couldn't help but find out.

“Like, after the second that draw came out, my mom texted me, ‘Hey, I hope you can make it to the final and play Kei,’” Sakamoto said. “So this time I got spoiled by my mom.”

Nishikori, 36, has battled injuries in recent years and has said this will be his final season. No longer ranked high enough for a guaranteed spot in the main draw, he was given a wild card by the U.S. Tennis Association into the qualifying tournament.

He won two matches, but needed one more to lock up his spot. With fans chanting his name late in the second set, Nishikori was outplayed by Sakamoto, who pounded 19 aces, the last to end it after Nishikori had saved two match points.

Afterward, Nishikori was presented with a framed portrait of himself in action by U.S. Open officials. Sakamoto helped hold it up for a picture together.

It was a big moment for Sakamoto, but also a bittersweet one.

“I think a lot of people, like most of the people still follow tennis because of him,” Sakamoto said. “So he’s a superstar and he did a lot to Japanese tennis I think.”

The final round of qualifying was pushed back to Friday because of rain a day earlier. Zheng Qinwen, the 2024 Olympic women's gold medalist in singles, pulled out a three-set victory to reach the main draw, while Bianca Andreescu, who beat Serena Williams in the 2019 U.S. Open final but has struggled to stay healthy since, blew a lead and lost in three sets.

Grigor Dimitrov, who reached the 2019 U.S. Open semifinals after beating Roger Federer in what turned out to be Federer's final match in Flushing Meadows, advanced Thursday when his opponent withdrew.

None of those matches had quite the same stakes as Nishikori's. Once ranked No. 4 in the world, he returned to the U.S. Open semifinals in 2016 and ′18 but had various injuries that kept him off the court for long stretches and determined he will stop playing after this year’s Japan Open.

“I think his career would have been one of the best, maybe on a similar level to maybe a (Andy) Murray or Stan Wawrinka if he didn’t have so many injuries, because he was injured a lot, especially in his prime,” No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev said. “Once he got up to No. 4 in the world, No. 5 in the world, every single time he got injured. So I’d say in that aspect he was a little bit unlucky, but from a tennis point of view, he was amazing.”

___

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Más de 170 restaurantes participan en la promoción de este año, ofreciendo menús de precio fijo y experiencias gastronómicas especiales en todo Greater Fort Lauderdale hasta el 30 de septiembre.

El evento anual fue creado para ayudar a los restaurantes a atraer clientes durante la temporada tradicionalmente más lenta, al tiempo que brinda a los comensales la oportunidad de conocer nuevos lugares a precios reducidos.

Uno de los nuevos participantes de este año es The Wagyu House en Atlantic Village, en Hallandale Beach.

El restaurante surgió de una carnicería y la carne sigue siendo el centro de su menú. A pesar de su nombre, JP Abbas, de The Wagyu House, dijo que los clientes no deberían asumir que todo tiene un precio de lujo.

“La mayoría de las personas piensan que, debido a que nuestro nombre es Wagyu, somos un restaurante muy caro”, dijo Abbas. “Así que tenemos platos desde $20 USD o $22 USD hasta $300 USD”.

Las opciones de Dine Out Lauderdale ofrecen una variedad de platos, entre ellos burrata con maracuyá, branzino mediterráneo y ribeye.

También hay un crostini de picanha Wagyu flameado en la mesa.

Sakana Nikkei es otro participante por primera vez, que ofrece a los comensales una muestra de la cocina Nikkei, que combina técnicas japonesas con sabores peruanos.

“Les doy la bienvenida a todos los amantes de la comida. No se van a arrepentir”, dijo la propietaria Rosemary Batzel.

Por $60 USD, la cena de Dine Out del restaurante incluye opciones como ceviche clásico y dumplings hechos en casa, junto con un cóctel de bienvenida.

Los comensales que buscan cocina italiana pueden dirigirse a Vitolo, dentro de Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Hasta el 30 de septiembre, El chef Anthony Vitolo ofrece un menú de cuatro platos por $60 USD de domingo a jueves, con platos que incluyen boloñesa hecha en casa y ravioles de langosta.

“La comida es amor para mí, así que eso es lo que recibes cuando vienes aquí”, dijo Vitolo.

Casa Sensei, en Las Olas Boulevard, regresa a la promoción con su cocina de fusión panasiática y latina.

“Tenemos un poco de todo para todos”, dijo el chef Will Reyes. “Tenemos cortes de carne prime, tenemos mariscos, tenemos muchas opciones diferentes entre las que puedes elegir y todo se prepara desde cero”.

El restaurante está incluyendo varios de sus platos populares en su menú de precio fijo, entre ellos arroz frito con kimchi preparado con carne de res coreana y su característico Red Dragon Roll.

Reyes dijo que la promoción permite a los comensales probar varios platos por menos de lo que normalmente gastarían al pedirlos individualmente.

“Solo un roll cuesta como $20 USD, $22 USD”, dijo Reyes. “Puedes obtener tres cosas por $35 USD para el almuerzo, $45 USD para la cena”.

Dine Out Lauderdale continúa hasta el 30 de septiembre, con menús de precio fijo de tres platos disponibles en los restaurantes participantes de todo Greater Fort Lauderdale.

Los menús de almuerzo comienzan en $35 USD, mientras que las opciones de cena están disponibles por $45 USD o $60 USD. La promoción también incluye experiencias gastronómicas de lujo por $75 USD.

Durante la promoción se llevan a cabo eventos especiales, incluidas experiencias gastronómicas inmersivas.

Una lista completa de los restaurantes participantes, eventos e información adicional sobre Dine Out Lauderdale está disponible haciendo clic aquí.

Leer en español

More than 170 restaurants are participating in this year’s promotion, offering prix-fixe menus and special dining experiences across Greater Fort Lauderdale through Sept. 30.

The annual event was created to help restaurants attract customers during the traditionally slower season while giving diners a chance to experience new spots at discounted prices.

One of this year’s newcomers is The Wagyu House at Atlantic Village in Hallandale Beach.

The restaurant grew out of a butcher shop, and meat remains at the center of its menu. Despite its name, JP Abbas of The Wagyu House said customers shouldn’t assume everything comes with a luxury price tag.

“Most of the people that think because our name is the Wagyu, they think that we are a very expensive restaurant,” Abbas said. “So we have dishes from $22 or $20 up to $300.”

Its Dine Out Lauderdale selections offer a mix of dishes, including burrata with passion fruit, Mediterranean branzino and ribeye.

There’s also a Wagyu picanha crostini torched tableside.

Sakana Nikkei is another first-time participant, offering diners a taste of Nikkei cuisine, which combines Japanese techniques with Peruvian flavors.

“I welcome all the food lovers. They’re not going to regret (it),” owner Rosemary Batzel said.

For $60, the restaurant’s Dine Out dinner includes choices such as classic ceviche and house-made dumplings, along with a welcome cocktail.

Diners looking for Italian cuisine can head to Vitolo inside the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Through Sept. 30, Chef Anthony Vitolo is offering a four-course, $60 menu Sunday through Thursday, featuring dishes including house-made Bolognese and lobster ravioli.

“Food is love to me, so that’s what you get when you come here,” Vitolo said.

Casa Sensei on Las Olas Boulevard is returning to the promotion with its Pan-Asian and Latin fusion cuisine.

“We have a little bit of everything here for everybody,” chef Will Reyes said. “We have prime steaks, we have seafood, we have many different options you can choose from, and everything is made from scratch.”

The restaurant is putting several of its popular dishes on its prix-fixe menu, including kimchi fried rice made with Korean beef and its signature Red Dragon Roll.

Reyes said the promotion allows diners to sample several dishes for less than they might normally spend ordering individually.

“Just one roll is like $20, $22,” Reyes said. “You can get three things for $35 for lunch, $45 for dinner.”

Dine Out Lauderdale continues through Sept. 30, with three-course prix-fixe menus available at participating restaurants throughout Greater Fort Lauderdale.

Lunch menus start at $35, while dinner options are available for $45 or $60. The promotion also includes $75 luxury dining experiences.

Special events are being held throughout the promotion, including immersive dining experiences.

A full list of participating restaurants, events and additional information about Dine Out Lauderdale is available by clicking here.

Melissa Farris is scheduled to be arraigned next week on two felony counts. Grand jurors indicted her Thursday on charges of destroying the veterans' memorial and destroying government property.

An attorney for Farris didn't immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Friday.

Farris, of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, is suspected of spray painting the words “Clean hands dirty $” on the monument and filling a fountain with bubbles on Aug. 13. She was ordered released after her initial court appearance on Aug. 17.

President Donald Trump posted about the damage to the memorial on social media with a reference to his repeated claims — without providing evidence — that vandals had been damaging the nearby Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals,” Trump wrote his Truth Social site. “First the Reflecting Pool, now this.”

A former Olympian was charged in late July with deliberately damaging the Reflecting Pool, but the Justice Department later moved to dismiss that case, saying evidence prosecutors had received refuted the idea that vandals were to blame.

President Donald Trump presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the three Americans and one Canadian whose April lunar flyby set a new distance record for humanity.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and other dignitaries took part in the packed ceremony at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, home to Mission Control. Trump used the occasion to announce the creation of a U.S. Space Academy for the Space Force as well as NASA and the commercial space community.

“Space is the hot thing,” the president told the crowd, adding that the academy's location has yet to be determined.

Commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada’s Jeremy Hansen became the first astronauts to travel to the moon in more than half a century, coming within 4,067 miles (6,545 kilometers) while test-driving NASA’s new Orion capsule. They were the first to launch aboard NASA’s new moon rocket, a 30-story behemoth that had soared only once before from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center.

While they didn’t stop at the moon, the four set the stage for next year’s Artemis III docking rehearsal in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV’s moon landing by two astronauts, near the lunar south pole, could follow as soon as 2028.

Trump said Americans will land back on the moon before his term ends. Mars is next — “very shortly,” he said.

The president called the newest recipients “four intrepid space heroes.” He pointed out that they did not do it alone, thanking all who contributed to the Artemis II mission.

“There are no finer humans we could have sent as our ambassadors to the stars,” Isaacman added.

Wiseman and his crew are in good company, with only 30 astronauts receiving the prestigious honor before them. Many of the recipients were honored posthumously following their tragic spaceflight-related deaths.

Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong — whose phrase “That’s one step for man, one giant leap for mankind” gripped the world on July 20, 1969 — was the first to receive the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

President Jimmy Carter awarded six of these medals in 1978, which also went to Alan Shepard, the first American in space; John Glenn, the first American in orbit; and Apollo 8 commander Frank Borman, whose 1968 mission marked humanity’s first lunar voyage.

The most recent recipients were Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, the first astronauts to launch aboard a SpaceX rocket. Coming nine years after the space shuttle program's close, their 2020 test flight to the International Space Station restored America’s ability to launch crews from home soil. President Joe Biden awarded them the medals in 2023.

Dozens of astronauts participated in the ceremony, including Apollo 17 moonwalker Harrison Schmitt, who is now 91, and the four men assigned to NASA's upcoming Artemis III mission.

Schmitt noted that his mission — Apollo's last moonshot — was the most productive lunar exploration yet.

“Soon to be surpassed by Artemis,” he said of active astronauts standing behind him.

NASA plans a sustainable moon base staffed by astronauts and robots near the lunar south pole, where permanently shadowed craters are thought to hold tons of frozen water that could be turned into rocket fuel and drinking water. China is eyeing the same region.

“The second space race has begun,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Matthew Anderson.

As the two-hour ceremony came to a close, the Artemis II astronauts presented Trump with his own blue flight jacket complete with space patches, a promise they made while visiting him in the Oval Office following their mission.

The president then hustled over to Mission Control to call the three U.S. astronauts aboard the International Space Station. He informed them of the new U.S. Space Academy, then briefly handed the phone to two of their spouses for a quick hello.

___

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 Greenlandic government, which commissioned the inquiry, released the reports Friday but, when pressed by journalists during a news conference, would not say whether its leaders concluded whether a genocide had occurred. The government told the authors to use the definition under the United Nations' 1948 genocide convention, which includes “imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group.”

The reports come as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes to control the Arctic island, which is a self-governing territory of Denmark. The leaders of Greenland and Denmark say the island is not for sale and only Greenlanders can decide their fate.

Known as the “spiral case, " the revelations have rocked both Denmark and Greenland. More than 350 Greenlandic Indigenous women and girls, including some 12 years old and younger, previously came forward to investigators and reported that they were forcibly given contraception by Danish health authorities. Denmark says more than 4,000 women and girls — reportedly half the fertile women in Greenland at the time — received IUDs between the 1960s and mid-1970s.

The Inuit victims, many of them teenagers at the time, said they were either fitted with intrauterine contraceptive devices, known as IUDs or coils, or given a hormonal birth control injection. They were not told details about the procedure, or did not give their consent.

The alleged purpose was to limit population growth in Greenland by preventing pregnancies. The population on the Arctic island was rapidly increasing at the time because of better living conditions and better health care.

The cases occurred between the 1960s and the early 1990s. Greenland took over its own healthcare programs on Jan. 1, 1992.

The Danish government on Thursday approved payouts of 300,000 Danish kroner (about $46,500) to each victim. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen officially apologized last year.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said a reconciliation commission would be set up, a move that Frederiksen endorsed in a statement Friday.

Authors split findings into two reports

On Friday, the Greenlandic government only accepted the findings of one of the reports, saying that an expert found that the second — the one that definitively said a genocide had not taken place — did not meet recognized scientific standards.

“There is no empirical evidence to assume that any Danish or Greenlandic authority, or any individual healthcare professional, at any time had any intention of destroying the Greenlandic population or a significant proportion of it,” the authors of the rejected report wrote. “There was no genocide.”

The accepted report, however, did not conclude whether there was a genocide. The authors wrote that they were not able to determine if any intent to destroy the population existed solely through the forcible contraception cases, and suggested further study that encompassed other Danish practices at the time that affected Greenlandic children and families. The authors did not, unlike the other report, conclusively say a genocide did not occur.

“It is difficult to imagine circumstances in which an attempt to substantially reduce the population of a single ethnic group could not constitute an intent to destroy, in part, that ethnicity,” the report said.

The reports were originally supposed to be a single publication but two of the four members of the group broke away several months ago and wrote their own report. Theirs was the one rejected by the island's government; one of the authors is a former director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

“The reason given was professional disagreements amongst the members and, to some extent, concerns about the geopolitical situation,” the Greenlandic government said Friday in a news release.

The news release did not elaborate on what the two authors considered to be the geopolitical situation.

Este es el primer estado de emergencia decretado por la presidenta Keiko Fujimori desde que llegó al poder hace un mes tras prometer orden en un país azotado por las extorsiones y los asesinatos, que convirtieron a la lucha contra el crimen en la primera preocupación de los peruanos.

Por 60 días se limitarán varios derechos constitucionales, incluida la inviolabilidad de domicilio. El decreto publicado en el diario oficial contempla la creación de un Comité de Inteligencia que coordinará la estrategia del trabajo policial y militar.

El comité estará integrado por funcionarios del sistema de inteligencia, de finanzas y del servicio penitenciario, así como por policías y militares. Para sus tareas utilizará un sistema integrado que conectará cámaras públicas y privadas, drones, sistemas satelitales y algoritmos de reconocimiento facial.

El incremento de la delincuencia provocó que desde octubre de 2025 el anterior gobierno decretara ocho estados de emergencia consecutivos en Lima. El más reciente finalizó el miércoles.

Las denuncias por extorsiones, el delito más extendido, pasaron de 2.421 en 2019 a 26.734 en 2025, según datos oficiales.

Fujimori lanzó el 8 de agosto el plan de seguridad denominado “Escudo” enfocado en combatir a los extorsionadores que asesinan a los choferes del transporte público en Lima y tirotean los autobuses o las terminales en zonas de la periferia, donde vive la mayoría de los 10 millones de habitantes de la capital peruana.

Desde el inicio de ese plan la violencia no se ha detenido. Se han reportado 20 ataques con armas de fuego, que han dejado siete muertos —seis choferes y un pasajero— y 17 heridos de bala.

The mountains are also a draw — home to millions of people with generations of connection to their environment, as well as many visitors who come to trek up some of the world's highest peaks or visit religious sites.

That has become clear in the aftermath of the floods, with people from at least 30 countries joining the hundreds of the region's residents among the missing.

Trekking has a deep history

People in that region of Asia have been traversing the mountains for centuries, such as traders moving their goods along a part of the route system known as the Great Silk Road.

Certain ethnic groups like the Sherpas in Nepal developed an expertise in mountaineering. In the mid-20th century, when the modern-day nation started welcoming in foreigners and tourism, Nepalis were tapped for their knowledge and guidance by explorers from elsewhere looking to make the climbs.

In 1953, one of them, Tenzing Norgay, connected with New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary and the two men became the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world.

In the decades since, interest in trekking has burgeoned, making tourism a bigger part of Nepal's economy. But it's also brought concerns about how to manage it.

Among the popular places for visitors to make a climbing attempt are Mount Everest and Everest Base Camp, as well as the trails of the Annapurna conservation area in Nepal. In May, a record 274 climbers reached the Everest summit in a single day. The uptick in mountaineers has drawn discussions about how to keep Everest pristine and managing issues like garbage and debris.

The area closer to Kathmandu, where flooding took place this week, is also a part of the country that sees wide trekking interest.

The increase in interest has spurred change in the country overall, said Rajendra Lama, general secretary of the Nepal Mountaineering Association, who lives in Kathmandu and has been working as a guide for more than two decades.

There's been infrastructure improvements like better roads in some areas, the rise of places to stay and eateries along the way, even the possibility of pizza.

“There's a big difference from when I started ... Nowadays people need more facilities,” Lama said in a phone call with The Associated Press.

Tourism has developed, but Nepal is loved for its unspoiled beauty

Despite the growing trappings of modern mass tourism, many are drawn to and love the country because of its natural beauty and unforgettable vistas, and the people and cultures that call it home.

That's the draw for Ariel Estulin. The photographer from Toronto has visited Nepal four times, his first visit more than 15 years ago.

He's traveled around the mountainous country to see different regions, some of them so remote that getting to them required “two full days of travel on the most unimaginable bus ride from Hell you can imagine,” he said. They were places where finding a place to sleep took knocking on a farmer's door and asking if he could spend the night, sharing their meals.

“It is changing,” he said, “but it will always remain wild.”

Lama is counting on that love to help Nepal get through this catastrophe, as rescuers are still trying to find survivors while a threat of more flooding looms.

He recalled the 2015 earthquake in Nepal that killed thousands and injured many more. He remembers how worried he was that it would keep visitors afraid and away, and how heartened he was when that didn't happen.

He's hopeful that same kind of energy will come through now, and said he's been getting numerous messages of support.

“It means,” he said, “that people love Nepal.”

Beau Brattain fue atacado por varios perros el 29 de julio mientras recogía arena en una playa de Bimini, según la Real Fuerza de Policía de Bahamas. Las autoridades dijeron que sufrió numerosas mordeduras en las piernas, un brazo, el rostro y la cabeza, incluida la pérdida de parte del cuero cabelludo.

Las autoridades dijeron que la tripulación de la Guardia Costera evacuó a Beau y a su padre desde Bahamas hasta el condado Miami-Dade, donde Beau fue trasladado en ambulancia aérea al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital para recibir tratamiento.

Beau ha sido sometido a múltiples cirugías y se espera que necesite procedimientos adicionales y terapia mientras continúa recuperándose.

Su madre, Aliette Trelles, dijo a Local 10 News el viernes que Beau mejora cada día, pero todavía enfrenta una larga recuperación.

“Beau está mejorando cada día, y su positividad y ánimo se mantienen fuertes, pero tiene un largo camino por delante y varias cirugías adicionales programadas”, dijo Trelles.

Trelles dijo anteriormente a Local 10 News que Beau estaba recogiendo arena para cangrejos ermitaños cuando los perros lo atacaron repentinamente. Dijo que logró regresar a la casa donde se hospedaba con familiares y amigos.

Harrington Rolle, de South Bimini, fue arrestado en relación con el ataque y enfrenta cargos que incluyen causar negligentemente lesiones graves y no controlar a un perro peligroso, según la policía de Bahamas.

La familia de Beau creó una campaña en GoFundMe para ayudar con sus gastos médicos y de rehabilitación mientras continúa su recuperación.

Elon Musk’s company is now in the process of shipping Starship back to its home base in Texas, a trip expected to take several months. SpaceX shared pictures of the recovery effort near Christmas Island late this week.

Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket in the world — blasted off July 24 from Starbase, Texas. It was the 13th test flight of a full-up Starship, but unlike all the others, it survived the hourlong space-skimming flight and remained floating and intact.

“Congratulations to the entire SpaceX Recovery team for battling through challenging conditions to give our engineers access to a wealth of data to continue rapidly developing Starship,” the company said via X.

Starship is how Musk intends to get people and equipment to Mars, where he hopes to build a city. First up, though, is the moon. NASA is counting on Starship as well as Jeff Bezos' Blue Moon lander to return astronauts to the lunar surface as early as 2028.

President Donald Trump endorsed both destinations during a visit to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston on Friday. He presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to each of the four Artemis II astronauts who flew around the moon in April.

___

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.

El jefe del Departamento de Policía de Coral Gables, Ed Hudak, dijo que los sospechosos atacaron la casa de Henry Parra, de 55 años, y Adam Hlavaty, de 42, en Valencia Avenue, sabiendo que habían muerto en el accidente del 19 de agosto junto con otras cinco personas, varias de ellas con vínculos con el sur de Florida.

“Estas personas fueron blanco de los delincuentes el día que murieron en ese accidente, lo que me parece reprochable”, dijo Hudak durante una conferencia de prensa el viernes.

Acompañado por la fiscal estatal de Miami-Dade, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, y altos funcionarios de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade y de su propio departamento, Hudak dijo que la investigación reveló una gran red de robo de identidad, fraude y robo.

“Tenemos cajas de documentos que podrían corresponder a posibles víctimas”, dijo Hudak.

Dijo que esas cajas de documentos fueron encontradas en la casa de los sospechosos Geybert Alexander Garcia, de 40 años, y Melany Perdomo, de 24, ubicada en la cuadra 8300 de Northwest 195th Terrace, en el noroeste de Miami-Dade.

Los dos están acusados de robar joyas, aparatos electrónicos, documentos, obras de arte, así como el Porsche y el Range Rover de la pareja.

Fernandez Rundle calificó el hecho de que la pareja fallecida fuera elegida como blanco de los delincuentes como “realmente impactante e inconcebible” y parte de un “esquema mucho más amplio”.

Hudak dijo que CGPD “no puede descartar nada” en cuanto a si los sospechosos recibieron ayuda desde dentro. Dijo que los sospechosos sabían que debían ir detrás del gabinete de licores de la casa para retirar el sistema de seguridad de la pareja.

También se refirió a documentos supuestamente notarizados que el abogado de Garcia mostró en la corte, alegando que las víctimas le habían transferido sus vehículos.

Tanto un amigo de la familia como un detective de CGPD testificaron que creen que el documento es falso.

“Nunca he conocido a nadie que tenga una declaración jurada de una persona muerta”, dijo Hudak.

Hudak dijo que la magnitud de la investigación ha llevado a CGPD a trabajar con MDSO y múltiples agencias federales, incluido el Servicio Secreto de Estados Unidos y la Oficina de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos, para investigar el caso más amplio.

“Llegamos al epicentro del robo de identidad en esta área”, dijo Hudak.

Eso incluye fraude de pasaportes, dijo, lo que llevó al Servicio de Seguridad Diplomática a sumarse a la investigación.

En la casa de los sospechosos, cerca del área no incorporada de Palm Springs North, Hudak dijo que los investigadores recuperaron 20 llaveros electrónicos correspondientes a vehículos que se sospecha fueron robados y las autoridades trabajan para localizar a los propietarios.

Además, los investigadores dijeron que encontraron una Ford F-250 con un VIN alterado que resultó haber sido robada en el condado Indian River.

Hudak dijo que, debido a la enorme cantidad de evidencia descubierta, la investigación “nos va a tomar algún tiempo”.

Mientras tanto, hasta el viernes, Garcia y Perdomo permanecían detenidos en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight de Miami-Dade por múltiples cargos, incluidos robo y hurto mayor.

Se ordenó que ambos permanezcan allí sin derecho a fianza y está previsto que sean procesados en una corte de Miami-Dade el 28 de septiembre.

Romo was arrested July 23 in Wisconsin on suspicion of operating a vehicle while under the influence.

The case against the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was amended Thursday to add citations for possessing open intoxicants in a motor vehicle, unsafe passing on the right and first-offense operating while intoxicated. He already had received a citation for refusal to take a test for intoxication after arrest.

CBS Sports president David Berson said earlier this month that he does not have a timeline for a decision about Romo’s future with the network.

Romo, 46, has been the lead game analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage since 2017 after making four Pro Bowl appearances during a playing career that ran from 2004-16 and was spent entirely with Dallas.

Analyst JJ Watt will join play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Romo’s absence. Their first game will be on Sept. 13, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers.

Romo's arrest followed a traffic stop as he was driving south on Interstate 43. According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests before getting arrested, booked and released.

Citations released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office indicated an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage was found in the passenger’s side of Romo’s black Jeep during an inventory before it was towed.

Body camera footage released earlier this week showed Romo telling deputies he had been coming from a golf course and was on his way “to visit grandma and grandpa” when he was stopped. A deputy told Romo he suspected him of being impaired because he had “red glassy eyes” and an “odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage.”

“Tony accepts full responsibility for his actions and has taken proactive steps to ensure that this isolated civil matter is properly resolved,” a Romo spokesperson said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and TMZ. “We are working with local authorities to bring this matter to a close and we are communicating with CBS about next steps.”

Romo went to high school about 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee in Burlington, Wisconsin.

Romo remains the Cowboys’ franchise leader in career touchdown passes with 248. He held the franchise record for career passing yards (34,183) until Dak Prescott overtook him last season.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Junto a Moreno —acusado de autor directo de cohecho por influir en la entrega del contrato-- fueron condenados a 30 meses de cárcel su esposa Rocío González, su hija Irina Moreno, y sancionó con distintas penas a dos hermanos y una cuñada, de quienes —dijo— recibieron beneficios y ayudaron a encubrir los pagos, según la sentencia.

Tanto Moreno como los otros 19 implicados, uno de los cuales fue declarado inocente, deberán restituir el triple del dinero ilícito recibido en un plazo de 90 días y presentar disculpas públicas en un mes.

Una parte del fallo señaló que la actuación de Moreno en este caso “se adecúa al delito de cohecho en calidad de autor directo”, al valerse de su cargo para ejecutar, intervenir y "favorecer a Sinohydro en la firma del financiamiento del contrato” para construir la central hidroeléctrica.

El hecho juzgado se cometió, según los jueces, cuando Moreno se desempeñaba como vicepresidente (2010 al 2013) durante el mandato del entonces gobernante Rafael Correa, también prófugo de la justicia y condenado en tres juicios por corrupción.

La Fiscalía había pedido una pena de seis años y seis meses de prisión para el exgobernante, de 73 años y con una discapacidad física que le impide caminar por lo que, de acuerdo con la ley ecuatoriana, le corresponde el arresto domiciliario.

A la audiencia acudió personalmente el exmandatario (2017-2021), quien expresó que “he venido a dar la cara en este proceso” y aseguró que no abandonará el país. Adelantó que apelará la decisión judicial.

“No he recibido un solo centavo por parte de Sinohydro”, señaló tras ser declarado culpable. Endilgó la responsabilidad por la firma del contrato a Correa y al exvicepresidente Jorge Glas, preso por otros casos de corrupción. El exmandatario dijo haber rechazado la condición de refugiado en Paraguay, en donde residió los últimos cinco años.

Según la Fiscalía entre 2010 y 2018 funcionó una red de corrupción que recibió sobornos equivalentes al 4% del valor de la construcción de una central hidroeléctrica por parte de Sinohydro. Los receptores de esos sobornos fueron varios empleados públicos, incluido Moreno, empresarios y personas particulares, y el dinero ilícito fue entregado a los beneficiarios a través de transacciones nacionales e internacionales.

Sinohydro comenzó la construcción de la central Coca Codo Sinclair en 2010 con un costo de alrededor de 2.000 millones de dólares y la entregó en 2016. La obra ha sido cuestionada por fallas estructurales.

Moreno, un empresario turístico, alcanzó notoriedad en 2007 cuando llegó a la vicepresidencia de la mano de Rafael Correa (2007-2017). Como vicepresidente lo acompañó hasta 2013, cuando fue sucedido por Glas.

En 2017, Moreno ganó las elecciones presidenciales en representación del movimiento correísta en un binomio con Glas, quien luego dejó el cargo y ahora también cumple prisión por corrupción. Pero poco después de asumir se separó de la agrupación política denunciando irregularidades y se convirtió en el enemigo de su mentor. Sus excorreligionarios lo calificaron de desleal.

Moreno ha señalado a Glas como responsable de la corrupción aduciendo que su sucesor dirigía los sectores estratégicos durante el gobierno de Correa. Tras abandonar la presidencia se radicó en Paraguay durante cinco años y retornó a Ecuador en mayo pasado para enfrentar el juicio.

Hasta el 40% de las tierras del mundo está degradado, según la Convención de las Naciones Unidas de Lucha contra la Desertificación (UNCCD, por sus siglas en inglés), que organiza las conversaciones bienales. También aparecen sequías en zonas que, hace una década, no se consideraban altamente vulnerables, manifestó Yasmine Fouad, secretaria ejecutiva de la convención.

“La sequía llega junto con el impacto del cambio climático”, afirmó Fouad en una entrevista con The Associated Press. “Se vuelve más frecuente, más intensa y más prolongada”.

Los países se fueron de Ulán Bator sin resolver uno de los temas clave de las conversaciones —la creación de un acuerdo mundial sobre sequía jurídicamente vinculante—, y pospusieron una decisión hasta la próxima ronda de conversaciones en Egipto dentro de dos años. El asunto ya se había aplazado en la reunión anterior, hace dos años.

Un suelo sano puede reducir el impacto de la sequía

A menudo se describe la sequía como una falta de lluvia. Pero especialistas en la conferencia señalaron que su gravedad está determinada cada vez más por lo que ocurre con la tierra antes de que deje de llover.

Los suelos sanos absorben y almacenan agua, lo que ayuda a que los cultivos, los pastizales y los ecosistemas naturales sobrevivan a los periodos secos. Los suelos degradados escurren el agua con mayor rapidez y pierden productividad, lo que hace que las comunidades sean más vulnerables cuando suben las temperaturas o las lluvias se vuelven irregulares, según expertos en tierras.

“No se puede mantener un suelo sano sin gestionar el agua”, sostuvo Fouad. “Y no se puede decir que tenemos una gestión sostenible del agua sin garantizar que el suelo y la tierra estén bien”.

La conexión entre la tierra y el agua es especialmente importante para la agricultura. Joao Campari, líder global de alimentación y agricultura de WWF International, dijo que tratar la tierra y el agua como sistemas separados pasa por alto las condiciones básicas necesarias para la seguridad alimentaria.

“Si no tienes agua, no tienes agricultura. Si no tienes tierra, no tienes agricultura”, señaló.

Se espera que la presión sobre la tierra aumente a medida que crezca la demanda de alimentos. Según informes de la ONU, para 2050, con el aumento de la población mundial, el mundo necesitará producir un 50% más de alimentos que en 2012. Pero ampliar la producción despejando pastizales, sabanas u otras áreas naturales puede empeorar la degradación de la tierra, al liberar carbono de los suelos y reducir la capacidad de la tierra para almacenar agua.

La degradación de la tierra también puede agravar las tormentas de arena y polvo. Fouad indicó que, aunque las tormentas se desplazan por el aire, sus raíces suelen estar en el suelo, donde el uso insostenible de la tierra deja el terreno expuesto. Restaurar la vegetación y mejorar la gestión de la tierra puede ayudar a mantener el suelo en su lugar y reducir la cantidad que levantan los vientos fuertes.

Conversaciones en Mongolia recaudan miles de millones de dólares para restaurar pastizales

La conferencia de 12 días puso en marcha una iniciativa sobre pastizales que reúne 1.200 millones de dólares en 45 proyectos. Fouad señaló que el Banco Asiático de Desarrollo también anunció 2.000 millones de dólares para esfuerzos destinados a combatir la degradación de la tierra en la región de Asia-Pacífico.

Los pastizales, que incluyen praderas, sabanas y otras áreas utilizadas por animales de pastoreo y comunidades pastoriles, cubren el 54% de la superficie terrestre del planeta y sostienen a alrededor de 2.000 millones de personas, según la UNCCD.

Campari dijo que las praderas, sabanas y pastizales se están convirtiendo a otros usos a un ritmo aproximadamente cuatro veces mayor que los bosques. Como almacenan grandes cantidades de carbono en sus suelos, su destrucción puede liberar gases de efecto invernadero a la atmósfera incluso cuando se talan pocos árboles.

“Contienen el doble del carbono que hay en la atmósfera”, afirmó Campari. “Así que cuando despejas estos espacios para producir alimentos, significa que todo ese carbono sale del suelo y entra en la atmósfera”.

La restauración de tierras enfrenta un déficit anual de financiación de 278.000 millones de dólares

Se estima que se necesitan 355.000 millones de dólares al año hasta 2030 para cumplir los compromisos mundiales de restauración de tierras, pero la inversión actual es de unos 77.000 millones de dólares, lo que deja un déficit de 278.000 millones de dólares anuales. La financiación privada representa solo alrededor del 6% de la inversión mundial en restauración de tierras, según informes de la ONU.

El desafío no es solo recaudar dinero, sino ponerlo a disposición antes de que la sequía se convierta en un desastre. Más de 70 países cuentan ahora con planes nacionales de sequía, frente a tres en 2013, pero muchos climatólogos dicen que los planes a menudo carecen de la financiación necesaria para convertir en acciones las alertas tempranas, la gestión del agua, la restauración y la adaptación agrícola.

Fouad dijo que los gobiernos deben pasar de los planes de sequía a los planes de inversión, incorporando a empresas privadas, comunidades locales, mujeres y jóvenes en plataformas nacionales que puedan desarrollar proyectos y atraer financiación.

Un nuevo Mecanismo de Inversión para la Resiliencia ante la Sequía, anunciado a principios de esta semana en Ulán Bator, busca movilizar hasta 400 millones de dólares en capital público y privado para proyectos relacionados con la seguridad hídrica, la agricultura sostenible, soluciones basadas en la naturaleza y la restauración de tierras.

Para Esther Penunia, secretaria general de la Asian Farmers Association, la incapacidad de resolver la cuestión legal en torno a la sequía no debería convertirse en una excusa para el retraso.

“No podemos esperar a la COP18 para encontrar soluciones”, afirmó. “Sabemos que tenemos soluciones y podemos aplicarlas siempre que contemos con los recursos necesarios”.

___

La cobertura climática y ambiental de The Associated Press recibe apoyo financiero de múltiples fundaciones privadas. La AP es la única responsable de todo el contenido. Encuentra los estándares de la AP para trabajar con organizaciones filantrópicas, una lista de las fundaciones y las áreas de cobertura que financian en AP.org.

___

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

Leer en español

The owner, Enrique Pomares, told Local 10’s Hannah Yechivi that he let his three dogs outside around 8 a.m., as he does each morning, when the crocodile entered the property and attacked Kygo, the larger dog.

Pomares said he spent about 10 minutes trying to fend off the crocodile and save his dog. he said the crocodile killed Kygo and dragged him toward a nearby canal.

“This morning, our Dutch Shepard got grabbed by a crocodile that was swimming in the canal in the back,” Pomares said. “The dog was trying to get away. I pulled him down several times. (It was) just horrific watching this whole thing go down and ultimately, he killed the dog.”

Pomares said he even threw a kayak into the water in an attempt to distract the crocodile.

“They are known to be back here,” he added. “I have seen them when I go kayaking. They don’t usually bother anybody, but today, I guess it was hungry.”

Pomares said the crocodile then began moving toward him.

“Then he started coming towards me and at that point, all bets were off,” he said. “It was just horrific. He killed the dog and brought it back. We have a little dog in the backyard, and he brought it back in his mouth like (a) trophy to show it to me.

Pomares, who described Kygo as a family member, was able to photograph the crocodile shortly after the attack.

Dexter Lovett, who lives nearby told Local 10 News that he spotted Kygo’s body further down the canal.

“I wanted to let them know the dog was here, so they could come get their dog. Dogs is family,” he said.

South Miami police detectives and a sergeant were investigating the incident.

Police said residents and visitors in the South Miami area are urged to keep children and pets away from canals, waterways, ponds and other areas where a crocodile may be present.

They also warned the public not to approach, feed, harass or attempt to capture a nearby crocodile.

Crocodiles are protected under Florida and federal law.

Anyone who spots the animal should maintain a safe distance and report the sighting to the appropriate wildlife authorities, police said.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials urged the public to never feed crocodiles, as it is illegal and can make them associate people with food.

They also recommend keeping pets leashed and children away from the water’s edge, and swimming only in designated areas during daylight hours, since crocodiles are most active from dusk to dawn.

Police also urged residents to share the warning with neighbors, particularly those who have pets and live or walk in the area.

Residents or visitors with concerns about a crocodile in their area can contact the FWC at 866-392-4286.

Leer en español

There were setbacks, surgeries and moments when the 23-year-old questioned whether he could keep going. There were three torn anterior cruciate ligaments, five knee surgeries and roughly three seasons spent away from the field.

But there was also a dream.

In 2026, Fray is a Major League Soccer champion with Inter Miami CF. He is still only beginning to write his professional story, and his goal remains the same one he had as a kid: playing in Europe.

Soccer in the Blood

Fray’s connection to soccer began before he ever stepped onto the pitch.

“My mom and dad both met playing soccer at Hartford University,” Fray said. “My dad was on the men’s team, my mom was on the women’s team, and then they got married, had kids, and all three of us played soccer.”

Raised in Coconut Creek, Fray started out close to home.

“They had a rec league in Coconut Creek right next to my house, so I played there growing up as a really young kid,” he said.

However, Fray’s path through the academy system wasn’t smooth.

“I played for Weston FC when I was a little younger,” he said. “And then they actually ended up cutting me from the team. They cut me from the academy.”

Instead of walking away, Fray landed with a new club.

“I ended up finding a new team in Miramar. So, I played for Miramar for a bit, two years, and then Inter Miami opened up — there were tryouts — and then ever since then I was in the academy, and then up from there,” he said.

The Work Behind the Dream

Fray’s rise wasn’t built on talent alone. He describes his development as years of work, often with his father taking him back to the field after club practices.

Eventually, soccer became a bigger priority than school.

“I dropped out of high school in my junior year,” he said. “It was just always — my dad was taking me to the field after my practices with my club team. It was a lot of work, but I loved doing it. It was something I enjoyed doing more than school at the time. That was just really healthy for me.”

The mentality for Fray after dropping out was pro or bust, and that’s how he stayed focused and driven.

Three ACLs, One Comeback

If Fray’s rise had one true test, it wasn’t a tryout — it was his knees. Five knee surgeries. Three torn ACLs. Roughly three full seasons lost to recovery. During one stretch, he was out for 15 months, only for the injury to strike again almost immediately after his return.

“I have a really good circle around me, close friends and family — and that was the most important thing that got me through,” he said. “Anytime I felt doubts, or there were times where in my head you tell yourself a bunch of things — I told myself, ‘I can’t do this again. This is gonna be too difficult.’ And then the words of affirmation from my friends and family, like, ‘You can’t give up, this is your dream, this is what you want to do,’ that just kept me going throughout the whole time.”

There were moments when the thought of quitting almost came true.

“I would say initially when the injury would first happen — like when it happened the third time, and because I just came back from being out for 15 months and then it happened again — it was initially like, ‘I can’t do this again, I don’t want to do this again,’” he said. “And then, after the next day, I had to talk to the surgeon. I was like, ‘No, I’m gonna get back to it.’”

Inter Miami backed that resolve.

“It was actually a week after, I think, I tore my ACL — they re-signed me, they re-signed me to a new contract through my option year, and that just spoke volumes [about] how much trust they had in me,” Fray said. “They were by my side the whole time. I thank them for that a lot.”

When health finally returned, so did the fire.

“It was just, it felt like a fire, you know — I was out for so long,” he said. “I was out for 12 months at a time, three separate times.”

“When I finally got back on the pitch, it was like, this is what I love to do,” Fray added. I’ve been watching the game for so long, seeing other people play in the position I wanna play in, knowing I could be there and help the team and build my career. It was really tough for me, so when I finally got the chance to go on the field, it was just like — it all happened. It was amazing, super quick.”

The Debut and the Climb

Fray’s MLS debut came in 2023 against Nashville SC, when he came on as a substitute and played right center back under then-coach Phil Neville.

“It was a surreal moment for me,” he said. “I’ll never forget that day. It was really important.”

His first professional goal came against D.C. United.

“I received the ball at the top of the box, one touch, and then hit it to the far-left side in this beautiful stadium (Chase Stadium),” he recalled. “A lot of memories.”

Even after everything, the MLS Cup wasn’t something Fray let himself picture during the injury years.

“Honestly, that’s not something I thought about when I was going through the injuries,” he said. “It was just like; I was just happy to play. My main goal was just getting back on the field, staying healthy, and the MLS Cup came along the way — it was just the cherry on top.”

Sharing a locker room with some of the sport’s most decorated professionals, like Lionel Messi, raised his own bar.

“It’s with a lot of things. Most of the things are also off the pitch, how he (Messi) eats, how he trains his body. He’s in the gym all the time, and his mentality,” he said.

One memory involving Messi particularly stayed with him.

Fray recalled Messi returning to training almost immediately after winning the Ballon d’Or in 2023.

It was a reminder that greatness doesn’t eliminate the need to work.

“He’s still doing it,” Fray said. “It shows how much he loves the game and respects everyone.”

Playing alongside soccer legends like Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets and Casemiro also helped the Jamaican National player improve his play on the pitch.

“When you lose the ball, they give you slack, and you just have to kind of deal with that. I think that was the biggest issue for me at first — dealing with that type of criticism, which makes you learn,” he said. “They obviously want the best, and they hold you to their standard, which has made me grow so much as a player — not wanting to miss a pass, not wanting to miss a tackle.”

“They’ve instilled that in a lot of the guys here.”

What’s Next

Inter Miami’s 2026 season has had its ups and downs, including an eight-match unbeaten streak followed by a five-game winless run, but Fray isn’t rattled.

“We’re the MLS champs,” he said. “We’re still second place in the league, which could tell you a lot. We’re gonna bounce back, and it’s not a problem.”

Looking further out, Fray’s ambitions point toward Europe.

“That’s my end goal, to go play in Europe,” he said. “I always — that’s my dream since I was a kid, and I’ve communicated that to the club. But I’m very happy here right now. It’s just in the future — that’s where I wanna be.”

Asked where he sees himself in five years, the answer came quickly: “Champions League.”

It’s a career defined by more than talent. It’s defined by refusal to quit after being cut, to quit after a third ACL tear, or to let go of a dream of playing in Europe that remains ahead of him. Fray’s story isn’t finished.