The undisputed star of the weekend? The F-22 Raptor.

Watching it defy the laws of physics, it’s easy to forget this isn’t science fiction. It’s the world’s premier fifth-generation stealth fighter -- one that requires a specially trained pilot to command its power.

There is only one demo pilot for the entire F-22 Raptor Demo Team: Capt. “LaZ” Letourneau.

For more information on this weekend’s air show, click here.

While serving in the military, Beckham turned to TrustedHousesitters.com to find someone to watch his home and Maverick during a short deployment.

That’s where he found Andy Jensen.

“I found Andy online. He had 12 good reviews. It seemed like a good pick at the time,” Beckham said.

Jensen, a South Florida man who wanted to experience Colorado, took the job. He flew to Aurora, and at first, everything seemed fine.

Beckham says Jensen sent updates, including photos of himself smiling with Maverick.

But in early April, while Beckham was overseas, both Maverick and Jensen disappeared. Beckham’s blue Subaru was also stolen.

Home surveillance video shows the two leaving the house on April 2.

Aurora police say the car was found in Denver about a month later with Maverick dead inside.

“Maverick suffered a lot in that car, and it looks like there may have been some external injuries,” Beckham said.

Now, Beckham wants answers -- where Jensen is, what happened, and why.

He says police are searching for him.

“The cellphone he did have, it appears to be offline. It’s not hitting cell towers since April 2. He has no credit cards, no debit cards. It appears he closed his bank account,” Beckham said.

Local 10 went to Jensen’s last listed address in Palmetto Bay.

Someone was home, but no one came to the door.

Police have not found Jensen and are asking for the public’s help in locating him. Officials say they are also working with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office as the search continues.

A spokesperson from Trusted Housesitters released the following statement to Local 10: “Since the situation first came to our attention, we have maintained direct contact with Andrew Beckham and have been assisting law enforcement’s official investigation regarding the sitter. We are committed to supporting the police investigation and will continue to do so.”

Leer en español

The warning comes after four endangered leatherback turtles were killed in recent boat strikes in the Palm Beach County Intracoastal waterway.

From March through October, roughly 40,000 sea turtles come to Palm Beach County to nest.

But just as the season began, conservationists say four leather backs were killed by boat strikes.

“The loss of one of those individuals is a really great loss to the species as a whole,” said Dr. Heather Barron.

Barron says boat strikes can damage a turtle’s brain, spinal cord, limbs, and even internal organs.

“But one thing is certain,” she said. “They’re almost all pretty bad in terms of their impact on the animal. And the prognosis for the animal is often quite grave.”

And during nesting and breeding season, those strikes can make an already vulnerable population even more fragile.

“If many of the sea turtles that would nest in this area are hit by boats and killed, that will be fewer and fewer animals that will ever come back here,” said Barron.

Andy Dehart is the CEO of Lagerhead Marine Life Center.

“We’re critically affecting these species that come here for this valuable time in their life,” said Dehart. “We’re a long way from where we used to be where turtles were caught in by catch and turtles were caught for soup. This isn’t targeted injuries on turtles. It’s just an accident. But what we do hope is that people learn.”

With Memorial Day and the Fourth of July approaching, he says boaters play a key role in preventing these tragedies.

“It’s very preventable if people just monitor their speed,” said Dehart. “There’s no set speed limit. We’re not advocating for a set speed limit, but monitor, go safe in that first mile and a half from shore, put on polarized glasses, and if you can, have a spotter.”

A voluntary sea turtle protection zone remains in place until Oct. 31 and spans all 45 miles of Palm Beach County from shore to one mile out at sea.

Leer en español

Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies said Terrell Barry, 20, is the suspect who has been busted.

They say he is linked to 10 cases connected to a string of Facebook Marketplace robberies all following the same MO.

Local 10 News spoke to one of Barry’s alleged victims.

She said she traveled with her father to 15221 NE Sixth Avenue after a woman on the website had expressed interest in an iPhone 17 Pro Max.

After arriving, she said she received a message from the suspect stating, “I have my boyfriend coming down.”

According to deputies, there are many victims out there who had MacBooks and iPhones stolen just like that.

The charges are piling up on Barry.

MDSO advises people to make these type of exchanges at a safe place like a police station, and this story shows just how dangerous these interactions could be.

This week, however, the company said that revenue dropped nearly 10% in its most recent quarter and sales of major appliances in North America tumbled 7%.

The company that also produces KitchenAid and Maytag products said that the Iran war has led to a “recession-level industry decline" that has shaken consumer confidence.

Whirlpool announced a 10% price hike in April, its largest in a decade, and said that a separate 4% price increase will happen in July to address “multiyear inflationary cost pressures.”

The company had absorbed the higher costs, choosing not to pass them on to customers, but that must change after the company posted a first quarter loss of $82 million, reversing last year's gains.

CEO Marc Bitzer said Thursday that the North American slide in sales has a precedent.

“This level of industry decline is similar to what we have observed during the global financial crisis and even higher than during other recessionary periods,” he said during a conference call.

Whirlpool said that its performance has been impacted by the Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down Trump's emergency tariffs. Rival appliance makers are seeking refunds to reduce the impact of those tariffs, disrupting pricing in the industry further.

The Benton Harbor, Michigan, company estimated that the tariff impact on its competitors was about 10% to 15%, while the impact on its business was around 5%, according to details in its earnings presentation.

But with consumers already worried about high grocery prices and escalating gas prices, many are holding off on big-ticket purchases like major appliances and instead trying to make due with what they already have.

“People are looking at the price of replacing appliances and realizing it’s not something they want to deal with right now,” Mark Stevenson, managing director and product designer at Stove Shield, said in a statement. “Instead, they’re asking how to avoid the damage in the first place.”

Whirlpool also announced that it is slashing its full-year earnings forecast to a range of $3 to $3.50 per share, from its prior outlook of $6 per share. It’s also suspending its dividend while it looks to reduce its debt this year.

Shares tumbled more than 12% Thursday.

Coral Gables police officers took Timothy Kowalewski, 45, into custody on Feb. 16 near the 300 block of U.S. 1.

According to authorities, responding officers found Kowalewski still sitting in the driver’s seat after the crash.

He was driving students back to the school’s campus when police said Kowalewski struck a tree and then a car with the shuttle.

As students quickly exited the bus once it stopped, they could be heard on video asking Kowalewski if he was OK and whether he had anything to drink, noting the smell of alcohol.

After being examined by medical personnel, Kowalewski told officers he did not remember the crash, according to an arrest form.

Officers at the scene said Kowalewski had red, watery eyes and slurred speech, but he refused to perform any field sobriety exercises or provide a breath sample, which led to his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence.

He was taken to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and is facing charges of DUI, DUI causing property damage and refusal to submit to a breath test while driving with a suspended license.

Following the arrest, the University of Miami released a statement to Local 10 which read:

“The incident involving a University of Miami campus shuttle is under further investigation by the Coral Gables Police Department. The safety of our students, faculty, staff, and the broader University community remains our top priority.”

Comey was charged in a two-count indictment last week with “knowingly and willfully" communicating a threat against Trump by posting an Instagram photo of seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47.”

Prosecutors allege the photo constituted a threat against Trump, the 47th president. Comey has said he assumed the seashell arrangement, which he says he found on a beach, reflected a political message — not a call to violence — and that he removed the post once he saw that some people were interpreting it as a threat.

He is currently set to appear Monday in a federal court in Greenville, North Carolina, but his lawyers urged a judge on Thursday to cancel that appearance. They noted that he had surrendered and appeared before a judge in Virginia, where he lives, and that the Justice Department has consented to their request.

The case is the second against Comey, a longtime perceived adversary of the Republican president, brought by Trump's Justice Department. An earlier unrelated prosecution accusing Comey of making a false statement to Congress was dismissed by a judge who concluded that the prosecutor who filed the case was illegally appointed.

Legal experts have questioned whether the Justice Department can meet the high legal standard of proving that Comey intended his Instagram post to be a threat. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has said investigators have evidence beyond just the post itself. He has not elaborated.

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

Collins first confirmed the tremor to WCSH-TV in Maine on Wednesday after facing questions about her health from appearances in recent videos, including her campaign announcement video.

The condition causes trembling in Collins' hands, head and voice, and she said she has had it for the entirety of her nearly three-decade Senate career. It affects millions of Americans over the age of 40 and “does not interfere” with work, Collins said in a Thursday statement to The Associated Press. She said it is not a neurodegenerative condition.

“The tremor is occasionally inconvenient, and sometimes the subject of cruel comments online, but it does not hinder my ability to work and, as I said, is something that I have lived with for decades,” the statement said.

Health issues and candidates' ages have drawn increased scrutiny in high-profile elections following Democratic President Joe Biden’s decision not to seek reelection in 2024 at age 81. Those questions have only lingered with Republican President Donald Trump, who's 79 and in recent months has been seen with bruising on the back of his hand, sometimes concealed with makeup. The White House acknowledged last year that Trump was diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency.

Collins is up for reelection in a seat Democrats need to flip to have a chance to take back the Senate. Her likely opponent is Democrat Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and combat veteran, after Democratic Gov. Janet Mills suspended her campaign last week. Age has been an issue in the contest, with Collins, 73, and Mills, 78, more than three decades older than Platner, 41.

Platner acknowledged early in his campaign his own health problems. He has spoken openly about chronic pain in his shoulder and knees stemming from combat service, and he has said he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after serving at war. Platner has said he has a 100% disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs but continues to work as an oyster farmer.

“There are a lot of disabled combat veterans, or just disabled vets, at 100%, who still work,” Platner told WCSH last year. “It’s a very normal thing.”

Collins was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and said in her statement that she has had the condition for all of that time. Over the years, the condition has been noticeable in Collins’ debates and frequent public appearances.

As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Collins has been at the forefront of the chamber’s many spending disputes this Congress, often leading the floor debate and providing the GOP’s closing arguments. She frequently engages with reporters in the hallways. Her streak of never missing a Senate vote is up to 9,966 and stands as the second-longest consecutive voting streak in the chamber’s history.

Tremors happen when nerves aren’t properly communicating with certain muscles. Essential tremor, sometimes called benign essential tremor, is one of the most common movement disorders, according to the National Institutes of Health.

The risk of developing it increases as people get older, but at least half of cases are inherited, meaning the tremor runs in the family, and those tend to begin at younger ages. It almost always involves shaky or trembling hands but also can affect the head, voice or lower limbs.

___

Kruesi reported from Providence, R.I. Associated Press writers Kevin Freking and Lauran Neergaard in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow the AP's coverage of U.S. Sen. Susan Collins at https://apnews.com/hub/susan-collins.

The Pentagon evaluates wind energy projects during the Federal Aviation Administration review process. But in recent weeks, it has stopped sending any projects back to the FAA, grinding the process to a halt, the American Clean Power industry association said.

In a statement Thursday, the Pentagon said its siting clearinghouse is actively evaluating land-based wind energy projects to ensure they do not impair national security or military operations, in accordance with statutory and regulatory requirements — a process that involves complex, time-consuming interagency coordination.

However, Jason Grumet, CEO of ACP, said there has never been anything remotely comparable to a backlog of this size or a near-systemwide halt in transmittals back to FAA. Calling it a “de facto moratorium” on new land-based wind energy development, he said if the projects remain stalled, it would dramatically obstruct the industry at a time when the power is needed to meet skyrocketing demand and help lower utility bills.

More than 250 projects are pending in over 30 states, totaling at least 30 gigawatts of energy that could power millions of homes if the wind farms are built, ACP said. Wind power is also a climate change solution, as it generates electricity cleanly without emitting planet-warming greenhouse gases.

President Donald Trump has frequently talked about his hatred of wind power and calls turbines ugly. When he returned to office, he ordered a temporary halt to leasing and permitting for wind energy projects. A federal judge struck down that order blocking wind energy development. Trump is particularly hostile toward offshore wind, and the administration recently started buying back leases to stop offshore wind development.

ACP wrote to the Pentagon in March to express its concerns over the scope and duration of delays for land-based wind energy projects. In response, Pentagon official Robert Thompson wrote on April 8 that the department is actively working to ensure wind projects' compatibility with the national security of the United States, that its role in evaluating energy development proposals, particularly wind turbines, is inherently complex and time-consuming and further review will be conducted “as soon as feasible.”

Thompson, the department's principal deputy assistant secretary for energy, installations and the environment, also said there has been delay due to the government shutdown in the fall.

“The department intends to complete review of all companies’ proposals efficiently without compromising the integrity of the review,” Thompson's letter states.

A separate letter to a wind energy developer, dated April 9, makes similar points.

Before a wind farm is built, the FAA conducts a regulatory review to determine whether there are any hazards to air navigation, since turbines exceed 200 feet. The FAA works with defense officials to evaluate whether these structures could pose a national security risk or interfere with radar. Wind developers and defense officials frequently negotiate mitigation agreements to address any concerns.

Wind farms are an attractive option for some farmers and ranchers, who earn money by leasing a portion of their land while continuing their agricultural operations. Top states for wind energy voted for Trump in 2024: Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma and Kansas. Democratic candidate Kamala Harris won Illinois, another windy state.

About 50 of the pending projects are in Texas.

Baringa, the global consultancy firm, said their clients are also saying things are stuck, with projects at different parts of the approval journey, and nothing is being signed. Many need to begin construction by a July 4 deadline to qualify for expiring clean energy tax credits, but they cannot do this without these signatures, said Tom Harper, partner at Baringa. And most are at the late stages of development, with considerable time and resources spent on them, he added.

Wind developers first noticed issues last summer when agreements they had already signed to mitigate any potential adverse impacts were not being countersigned by the Pentagon, despite this previously being routine, ACP said.

The situation escalated in recent weeks— the Pentagon stopped issuing new draft mitigation agreements in February even after negotiations had concluded, then in April canceled meetings to work on these agreements, the association said. Last week, even routine processing for projects that did not require mitigation measures stopped, ACP said.

___

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

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he expected Boyd to miss about six weeks.

“It's kind of the minor meniscus surgery so we know he's going to miss a month, six weeks,” Counsell said ahead of his team's game against the Cincinnati Reds. “Probably closer to six weeks with getting it ramped back up. That's what we're hopeful for. Obviously, we'll see how it all goes and I think the important thing is how much time do we miss throwing. That's probably the biggest thing right here. The knee is going to recover pretty quickly, but how much throwing down time do we have to take?”

Boyd, 35, injured the knee on Wednesday. The left-hander joins starters Cade Horton, Justin Steele and Jordan Wicks on the injured list. Horton (elbow) is out for the season while Steele (elbow) is not expected back until the second half.

Counsell said he had yet to decide how to fill the the scheduled start for Boyd (2-1, 6.00 ERA) on Friday at the Texas Rangers. Javier Assad and Ben Brown are both potential options to enter the rotation.

“We're just trying to think about the innings puzzle moving forward here," Counsell said. "And then you're also just trying to consider what's next. You have to play that game, unfortunately. You always have to play that game: What do we do if something else happens? We just have to make sure we're covered there. ... I don't think we have anybody completely stretched out as a starter right now. So that's what I'm talking about, the puzzle. We're just going to have to put that together. We'll just see what we get there on that day and what that means.”

The Cubs recalled reliever Trent Thornton from Triple-A Iowa on Wednesday and made another bullpen swap Thursday, recalling Gavin Hollowell and designating Corbin Martin for assignment.

Martin allowed three runs in the ninth inning Wednesday night as the Cubs blew a 4-2 lead before coming back to beat the Reds 7-6 on a walk-off walk in the 10th — their third straight walk-off win, 14th straight win at home and eighth straight overall. Martin had a 10.80 ERA in seven appearances.

Thornton pitched a scoreless 10th to pick up the win in his debut with the Cubs.

Hollowell, 28, had a 2.25 ERA in six appearances at Iowa.

The Cubs close out a four-game series with the Reds on Thursday, with Shota Imanaga (3-2, 2.40) facing Rhett Lowder (3-2, 5.09).

___

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

El cierre dejó a miles de trabajadores del sur de Florida desempleados de manera repentina.

“En una hora, todo terminó”, dijo el ex empleado Eric Tirado.

Muchos en la feria de empleo, organizada por CareerSource South Florida, dijeron que todavía tienen preguntas sin responder para su antiguo empleador.

Dijeron que no creen que recibirán su último cheque y que el seguro médico sigue siendo una gran incógnita.

Pero dijeron sentirse agradecidos de ver a la comunidad unirse para apoyarlos en un momento de necesidad.

“Cuando has estado allí por más de dos, tres, cuatro, cinco años, eso es todo. Se convierte en un estilo de vida. Se convierte en una rutina diaria”, dijo el ex empleado Mauricio Valenci. “Cambiar de un día para otro es muy difícil”.

Entre los posibles empleadores se encontraban American Airlines, el condado Miami-Dade y compañías privadas de aviación. También estuvieron representadas varias instituciones educativas que ofrecen oportunidades de reentrenamiento, incluyendo George T. Baker Aviation Technical College y Miami Dade College.

El representante de MDC Marcus Ortega dijo que la institución espera ayudar “a cualquiera que busque mejorar sus credenciales, ya sabes, mejorar un poco en lo que hace, o quizás cambiar a otra carrera o permanecer en la misma carrera pero buscar algo que fortalezca su currículum y prepararse para esta nueva transición”.

Para muchos ex empleados como Tirado, esa transición fue repentina, no planificada y no deseada.

“Bueno, tengo 67 años. Ya estaba contemplando retirarme quizás en tres años”, dijo. “Ellos se me adelantaron”.

Tirado dijo que quiere permanecer en la industria de la aviación.

Los organizadores de la feria dijeron que esperan que sea un punto de partida para trabajadores que podrían hacer la transición a una nueva industria que siga impulsando la economía local, como turismo, logística y servicio al cliente.

“Solo pienso que todo va a estar bien”, dijo Tirado. “Va a estar bien. Pero no lo sé”.

La feria estaba programada para extenderse hasta las 2 p.m. del jueves en el cuarto piso del Concourse J de MIA.

Leer en español

Coqui, a 2-year-old, 16-pound Chihuahua mix, was described by HSBC’s Cherie Wachter as an alert, energetic and affectionate dog who enjoys activity and attention.

Wachter said Coqui has been surrendered twice, in part due to inconsistent potty training, but remains a friendly companion who enjoys car rides, chasing lizards and sleeping under the covers.

Wachter also introduced Cutie, a 9-year-old cat who came to the shelter after her previous family moved.

Cutie recently underwent eyelid surgery to correct a condition that caused her eyelashes to irritate her eyes.

She has since recovered and is described as sweet and slightly shy at first before warming up, and is now available for adoption into a quieter home where she can spend her senior years.

Anyone who is interested in adopting a pet can visit HSBC’s website.

Coqui, una mezcla de chihuahua de 2 años y 16 libras, fue descrito por Cherie Wachter, de la HSBC, como un perro alerta, enérgico y cariñoso que disfruta la actividad y la atención.

Wachter dijo que Coqui ha sido entregado dos veces, en parte debido a problemas inconsistentes con el entrenamiento para hacer sus necesidades, pero sigue siendo un compañero amigable que disfruta los paseos en carro, perseguir lagartijas y dormir bajo las cobijas.

Wachter también presentó a Cutie, una gata de 9 años que llegó al refugio después de que su familia anterior se mudara.

Cutie recientemente fue sometida a una cirugía de párpados para corregir una condición que provocaba que sus pestañas irritaran sus ojos.

Desde entonces se ha recuperado y es descrita como dulce y un poco tímida al principio antes de entrar en confianza. Ahora está disponible para adopción en un hogar más tranquilo donde pueda pasar sus años dorados.

Cualquier persona interesada en adoptar una mascota puede visitar el sitio web de la HSBC.

Leer en español

Police took 32-year-old Jason Orlando Reid, who they said is homeless, into custody on Wednesday.

Officers said they were able to use their “crime analysis unit and video capabilities” to identify Reid as their suspect.

Investigators said one of their officers spotted Reid and took him into custody without incident.

He is facing multiple charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling and burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, as well as a charge of criminal mischief.

As of Thursday morning, Reid remained behind bars at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with a bond listed as “to be set.”

Police took 32-year-old Jason Orlando Reid, who they said is homeless, into custody on Wednesday.

Officers said they were able to use their “crime analysis unit and video capabilities” to identify Reid as their suspect.

Investigators said one of their officers spotted Reid and took him into custody without incident.

He is facing multiple charges of burglary of an occupied dwelling and burglary of an unoccupied conveyance, as well as a charge of criminal mischief.

As of Thursday morning, Reid remained behind bars at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with a bond listed as “to be set.”

Según una orden de arresto preparada por un agente de la Policía de Orlando, el rapero, cuyo nombre real es Bill Kapri, enfrenta un cargo grave de tráfico de MDMA.

El arresto se deriva de una investigación de noviembre de 2025 realizada por la Policía de Orlando luego de que agentes respondieran a reportes de disparos cerca de Children’s Safety Village en Fairvilla Road, en Orlando.

Según la orden, los agentes llegaron y encontraron a varias personas reunidas alrededor de dos vehículos, incluyendo una SUV BMW y una SUV Lamborghini.

La Policía indicó que los agentes percibieron olor a cannabis quemado proveniente del BMW y realizaron una inspección del vehículo, donde encontraron cannabis y una pastilla rosada que dio positivo a MDMA. Durante la investigación, Kapri, de 28 años y actualmente residente en Fort Lauderdale, se acercó a los agentes y observó la inspección, indica la orden.

Los investigadores luego registraron la SUV Lamborghini y reportaron haber encontrado presuntos narcóticos, dinero en efectivo y armas de fuego dentro del vehículo.

Según la orden, los agentes descubrieron una bolsa rosada que contenía una sustancia identificada posteriormente por el Departamento de Cumplimiento de la Ley de Florida como MDMA, junto con aproximadamente $37,000 USD en efectivo y documentos con el nombre de Kapri.

La orden indica que los investigadores también compararon artículos encontrados dentro del vehículo, incluyendo una bolsa y un encendedor, con imágenes publicadas en las cuentas de Instagram de Kodak Black.

Las autoridades dijeron que funcionarios del FDLE confirmaron posteriormente que la sustancia recuperada de la bolsa era MDMA, con un peso aproximado de 25 gramos.

El rapero y otras personas en la escena negaron que la bolsa les perteneciera. Sin embargo, cuando se le informó que había dinero dentro de la bolsa, Kapri intentó en múltiples ocasiones que los agentes le entregaran el efectivo, afirmando que pertenecía a su negocio, según la orden.

Con base en la investigación, la Policía de Orlando solicitó una orden para acusar a Kapri de tráfico de MDMA entre 14 y 200 gramos.

Se espera que Kapri comparezca ante el tribunal la tarde del jueves.

Leer en español

The controversial facility, located in the heart of the Florida Everglades, was opened last summer and has reportedly cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars.

The shutdown talks are preliminary, according to people close to Gov. Ron DeSantis who spoke to the Times.

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security have reportedly concluded that it is too expensive to keep operating the detention center.

A federal official told the publication that DHS has come to consider the center as ineffective.

The DeSantis administration has been spending more than $1 million a day to run Alligator Alcatraz and some private vendors hired by the state to operate it have been struggling to keep up with costs.

As of last month, the center held nearly 1,400 detainees -- all of them men, according to data from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

DeSantis has said from the start that the federal government would pay for the facility, but Florida has yet to receive the $608 million federal reimbursement to run the center over the past year.

The Department of Homeland Security and the Florida Department of Emergency Management did not respond to The Times’ request for comment as of the time of publication.

La controvertida instalación, ubicada en el corazón de los Everglades de Florida, abrió el verano pasado y, según informes, le ha costado al estado cientos de millones de dólares.

Las conversaciones sobre el cierre son preliminares, según personas cercanas al gobernador Ron DeSantis que hablaron con el Times.

Funcionarios del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional habrían concluido que es demasiado costoso continuar operando el centro de detención.

Un funcionario federal dijo a la publicación que el DHS considera el centro como ineficaz.

La administración DeSantis ha estado gastando más de $1 millón USD al día para operar Alligator Alcatraz y algunos proveedores privados contratados por el estado para administrarlo han tenido dificultades para mantenerse al día con los costos.

Hasta el mes pasado, el centro albergaba a casi 1,400 detenidos, todos hombres, según datos del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas.

DeSantis ha dicho desde el principio que el gobierno federal pagaría por la instalación, pero Florida aún no ha recibido el reembolso federal de $608 millones USD para operar el centro durante el último año.

El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional y el Departamento de Manejo de Emergencias de Florida no respondieron a la solicitud de comentarios de The Times hasta el momento de la publicación.

The proposal will start the formal process of rolling back parts of the first-ever limits on PFAS in drinking water finalized during former President Joe Biden's administration. Officials at the time found they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight.

Jessica Kramer, head of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water, said at a conference in Washington, D.C., on Thursday the agency intended to rescind and revisit certain limits she said were improperly issued by the Biden administration. The move would align with actions the EPA had said a year ago they intended to take.

The proposal comes at a time when the agency is facing scrutiny from the Make America Healthy Again movement on issues like PFAS and pesticides. The group in part advocates against corporate environmental harms and has been championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The details of the plan haven't yet been released, but officials previously said they would propose rescinding limits on three types of PFAS, including what are known as GenX substances found in North Carolina. They will then reconsider them. They will do the same with a limit on a mixture of several types of PFAS.

“We need drinking water rules that are legally defensible. We need drinking water regulations that are not susceptible to legal challenge because the explicit process in the Safe Drinking Water Act wasn’t followed. And so that is a huge concern,” said Kramer at a conference focused on ensuring everyone has access to safe drinking water and wastewater.

She said the intent is to start the process over and follow the law. The Biden administration faced allegations they did not follow the correct legal process, moving too quickly on limits on the less common types of PFAS the agency is proposing to rescind limits for.

The agency said they are committed to helping utilities reduce PFAS in drinking water. The agency provides technical assistance and there have been billions of dollars in extra funding available to assist in installing and navigating the expensive and sometimes complex treatment that's needed to remove the chemicals.

The Biden administration’s rule also set tight standards for the two common types of PFAS, referred to as PFOA and PFOS, at 4 parts per trillion. The EPA has said they intend to keep those standards, but give utilities two extra years — until 2031 — to comply.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said last year when they first announced they would take this action that delaying the deadline was “common-sense flexibility.”

“This will support water systems across the country, including small systems in rural communities, as they work to address these contaminants," he said at the time.

On drinking water broadly, the Trump administration said they would defend tough standards to reduce lead in tap water. That's in contrast to their efforts to slash health protections for coal and other polluting energy sources.

“Where they may have taken a wrecking ball to those rules, this is a little more surgical and measured in part because of the resonance of these issues among voters,” said Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs with the nonprofit Environmental Working Group.

Forcing utilities to treat for several types of PFAS can help ensure that other potentially harmful substances are filtered out of water, too, according to the nonprofit.

Benesh also said the move is likely illegal — the Safe Drinking Water Act, which authorizes EPA to regulate contaminants in drinking water, prevents officials from issuing regulations that are weaker than those previously in place.

The public will have a chance to comment before the change is finalized.

___

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

Bajo un cielo gris del sur de Florida, las placas brillaban y las banderas fueron bajadas mientras muchos de los presentes cargaban con un peso que ningún uniforme policial puede proteger.

Uno de los hombres homenajeados fue el sargento David Cajuso, de 33 años, un veterano de 10 años del departamento.

La Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida indicó que Cajuso perdió el control de su motocicleta en la I-75 cerca de Hialeah mientras se dirigía al trabajo.

Fue uno de los 11 agentes homenajeados durante el evento del jueves.

Sus nombres fueron pronunciados cuidadosamente y con solemnidad mientras sus seres queridos contenían lágrimas que ninguna palabra podría consolar por completo.

Leer en español

According to an arrest warrant prepared by an Orlando police officer, the rapper, whose real name is Bill Kapri, faces a felony charge of trafficking in MDMA.

The arrest stems from a November 2025 investigation by Orlando police after officers responded to reports of gunfire near Children’s Safety Village on Fairvilla Road in Orlando.

According to the warrant, officers arrived to find several people gathered around two vehicles, including a BMW SUV and a Lamborghini SUV.

Police said officers smelled burnt cannabis coming from the BMW and conducted a search of the vehicle, where they found cannabis and a pink pill that tested positive for MDMA. During the investigation, Kapri, 28, who is currently living in Fort Lauderdale, approached officers and watched the search, the warrant states.

Investigators later searched the Lamborghini SUV and reported finding suspected narcotics, cash and firearms inside the vehicle.

According to the warrant, officers discovered a pink bag containing a substance later identified by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as MDMA, along with about $37,000 in cash and documents bearing Kapri’s name.

The warrant states investigators also compared items found inside the vehicle, including a bag and lighter, to images posted on Kodak Black’s Instagram accounts.

Authorities said FDLE officials later confirmed the substance recovered from the bag was MDMA, weighing approximately 25 grams.

The rapper and others at the scene denied that the bag was theirs, however when he was informed that there was money in the bag, Kapri tried multiple times to have officers hand him the cash, saying it belonged to his business, the warrant stated.

Based on the investigation, Orlando police sought a warrant charging Kapri with trafficking in MDMA between 14 and 200 grams.

Kapri is expected to appear in court Thursday afternoon.

Leer en español

Under a gray South Florida sky, badges gleamed and flags were lowered while many of the hearts in attendance carried the kind of wight no police uniform can protect against.

One of the men honored was 33-year-old Sgt. David Cajuso, a 10-year veteran of the department.

Florida Highway Patrol said Cajuso lost control of his motorcycle off I-75 near Hialeah while on his way to work.

He was one of 11 officers honored during Thursday’s event.

Their names were spoken carefully and deliberately as loved ones fought back tears that no words could ever fully comfort.

The self-taught sculptor from Utah who works in Mexico is keenly aware of his place as an outsider within the cliquey art world, and is bracing for the critical gaze as he takes one of the most prestigious stages in contemporary art.

A selection process that has been described as “opaque” has cast a shadow over the opening.

Institutions that typically vie for the coveted Biennale commission shied away out of apparent concern that they would be subjected to administration politics after the open call removed language focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion and replaced it with requirements to promote “American values.”

In a seemingly ironic act, Allen created a bronze evil eye to hang on the exterior of the brick, Jeffersonian-style U.S. Pavilion to ward off bad vibes, he joked. It is one of a dozen new pieces that he made for an exhibition that will likely be a defining moment in his 30-year career.

Just days before the Biennale’s opening on Saturday, the evil eye still had not arrived.

“This is really the first circumstance in my life as an artist where I felt the need to defend myself, or my work,’’ Allen told The Associated Press during a walk-through of the pavilion this week. He acknowledged that having lived outside the critical eye for the last three decades “has been actually a pleasure.”

The outsider artist

Allen makes biomorphic sculptures in wood, stone and bronze, and is reluctant to name them to give viewers “a moment of creation when they can decide what it is.”

The Biennale exhibition, titled “Call Me the Breeze,” includes works he made over the last 20 years, interspersed with new work. Alma said he chose the title to reflect his ability to get around obstacles.

“And that’s been my necessity and it’s also because of being self-taught and not having any institutional support very often in life,” he said.

The pavilion’s commissioner, Jeffrey Uslip, said Alma’s institutional independence was part of the appeal.

“I am deeply interested and invested in artists who are not, I guess, academicized … or lobotomized,’’ he said.

Lost and found commission

A prior proposal for artist Robert Lazzarini to stage the show, curated by art historian John Ravenal, fell apart in September, despite having secured U.S. State Department approval, after the project’s required institutional sponsor backed out, Ravenal told AP.

A U.S. State Department attempt to link the Lazzarini project to the newly formed American Arts Conservancy, failed, and a short time later the new project with the AAC as sponsor, Uslip as curator and Allen as artist was announced.

Uslip declined to discuss the selection process.

Ravenal called the process highly unusual, with no apparent committee vetting or application process, noting that the application deadline had expired in July.

“It’s really a loss of a 40-year history of open call and peer review,’’ Ravenal told AP by telephone, describing Allen as “a pawn in this whole thing.”

Allen is aware his willingness to mount the show has been the source of some backlash. But he insists that the Trump administration has not interfered with the show in any way.

“My art is not propaganda,” he said.

Wrong sheep, right moment

In the pavilion’s courtyard, a headless, and thus directionless, sheep stands as a self-portrait of Alma as an outsider. He described it as “a bit shunned because it’s the wrong sheep.”

His most recent work includes bronze wall sculptures that he treats with chemicals in a form of painting, treating the hard metal “as an instantaneous material, like watercolor,’’ he said.

Alma’s journey to the Biennale included a period of homelessness in New York City when he sold his creations from atop an ironing board, a move of admitted desperation that soft-launched his artistic career, establishing his first collectors.

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Palm Springs Art Museum own pieces of Allen’s work, and he participated in the 2014 Whitney Biennial. He made his European debut in Brussels in 2022.

After getting the Biennale commission, he made his first trip ever to Venice in November to view the U.S. Pavilion, a neoclassic brick building built around a courtyard and rotunda. A painting by Hieronymus Bosch titled “The Visions of Hereafter” at Venice’s Accademia depicting heaven, hell and purgatory inspired the show’s organizing principle.

“I wanted there to be a bit of the chaos that we go through,” he said.

Beyond his body of work, Allen attributes his selection to the fact that “I’m just ready to do things at the last minute” and accept challenges as they come.

“When they do, I’m prepared to try it, and fail at it. That’s fine,” he said.

Leer en español

Every single day, roughly 1,500 tons of flowers arrive at MIA, making them the airport’s largest import.

Many of the beautiful blooms come from Colombia.

The flower industry generates about $1.8 billion in annual revenue.

Before those sweet-smelling arrangements arrive in your mother’s arms, every petal gets inspected.

Invasive species could ruin the local ecology, which is almost as bad as disappointing mom with a bug in her bouquet.

“Behind every bouquet, there’s a journey and a responsibility, because the vast majority of these flowers come right here into MIA,” said Daniel Alonzo with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. “Ninety-one percent of all flowers come through here, and that’s where our CBP specialist have been. They’re not just here to move flowers quickly. Their role is to protect the American agriculture, our economy, and really our way of life.”

Todos los días, aproximadamente 1,500 toneladas de flores llegan a MIA, convirtiéndolas en la mayor importación del aeropuerto.

Muchas de las hermosas flores provienen de Colombia.

La industria floral genera alrededor de $1.8 mil millones USD en ingresos anuales.

Antes de que esos arreglos aromáticos lleguen a los brazos de tu madre, cada pétalo es inspeccionado.

Las especies invasoras podrían arruinar la ecología local, algo casi tan malo como decepcionar a mamá con un insecto en su ramo.

“Detrás de cada ramo, hay un recorrido y una responsabilidad, porque la gran mayoría de estas flores llegan justo aquí a MIA”, dijo Daniel Alonzo, de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de Estados Unidos. “El 91% de todas las flores pasan por aquí, y ahí es donde están nuestros especialistas de CBP. No solo están aquí para mover flores rápidamente. Su función es proteger la agricultura estadounidense, nuestra economía y realmente nuestra forma de vida”.

Leer en español

The shutdown meant thousands of workers in South Florida were suddenly unemployed.

“In one hour, it was over,” laid-off employee Eric Tirado said.

Many at the job fair, hosted by CareerSource South Florida, said they still have unanswered questions for their former employer.

They said they they don’t believe they’ll get their last paycheck and health insurance remains a big question mark.

But they said they’re thankful to see the community come together to support them in their time of need.

“When you’ve been there for over two, three, four, five years ― that’s it. It becomes a lifestyle. It becomes a daily routine,“ laid-off employee Mauricio Valenci said. ”To just change from one day to the next is very difficult.”

Prospective employers included American Airlines, Miami-Dade County and private aviation companies. A number of educational institutions offering retraining opportunities were also represented, including George T. Baker Aviation Technical College and Miami Dade College.

MDC representative Marcus Ortega said the institution hopes to help “anyone that’s looking to maybe basically upscale their credentials, you know, get a little bit better at what they do, or maybe move into another career or stay within the same career but look for something to polish up their resumes and get ready for this new transition.”

For many former employees like Tirado, that transition was a sudden, unplanned and unwanted.

“Well, I’m 67 years old. I was already contemplating retiring maybe in three years,” he said. “They beat me to it.”

Tirado said he wants to stay in the aviation industry.

Organizers of the job fair said they’re hoping it’s a starting point for workers maybe transitioning to a new industry that still fuels the local economy, like tourism, logistics and customer service.

“(I’m) just thinking that it’s gonna be OK,” Tirado said. “It’s gonna be OK. But I don’t know.”

The fair is scheduled to run until 2 p.m. Thursday on the fourth floor of MIA’s Concourse J.

The actor, director and producer lay down in a doctor's office in Seoul and underwent microinjections into his face of DNA from salmon sperm. The hope was to reduce inflammation and improve elasticity.

“I look like a got a little sunburn and a little redder than usual, but it’s not bad,” he says to a camera crew after the procedure. “OK, I’m camera ready.”

Kim was putting his face on the line as part of the new CNN series “K-Everything: The Global Rise of Korean Culture,” his love letter to K-beauty, K-pop, K-food and K-film. It debuts Saturday on CNN International and is also available on CNN and HBO Max.

“It's an examination of how Korea has risen in the course of three short generations from a war-torn third world country to one of the most modern places in the world,” Kim says in an interview. “We’ll take a look at how that’s happened through food, through cinema, through beauty products and through music.”

What's the show about?

At a vibrant kimchi festival in Pyeongchang, Kim explores how K-food is reshaping fine dining across the globe. In other episodes, he meets actor Lee Byung-hun, “Gangnam Style” singer-songwriter Psy, BigBang's Taeyang and the songwriters behind the Oscar-winning song “Golden.”

“For those who’ve never been to Korea, this is a nice introduction in a way that is not something taught in a classroom or in a textbook,” Kim says.

In the beauty episode, Kim chats with makeup artist and influencer LeoJ and model Irene Kim on how beauty standards have changed. He tries various serums and face masks and even visits a factory where snail slime is collected to be used in various products.

“I got to meet people from different walks of life, from different cities, from different economic classes, and it just broadened my understanding of the culture,” he says.

Kim was born in South Korea but moved to the United States when he was 1, returning frequently. That makes “K-Everything” a personal journey, which also includes his parents.

Seoul has undergone such an economic and cultural boom that all the landmarks his parents knew from when they were teenagers were gone and they relied on him to navigate. “It was almost a foreign country to them,” he says.

‘A trusted guide’

Kim joins a crowded field of celeb travel hosts, which includes Tony Shalhoub, Rainn Wilson, Eugene Levy, Stanley Tucci,Orlando Bloom, Zac Efron, José Andrés, Chris Hemsworth, Will Smith, Eva Longoria and Ewan McGregor.

Kim, the “Lost” star who recently earned a Tony Award nomination, is a fan of the late chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain, who helped create the role of modern TV travel host.

“I wouldn’t say that this show is as irreverent as Anthony Bourdain’s show was, but I loved it because I felt like he was showing me his take on each country and he was a trusted guide,” he says. “If I can be that for some people then that’s the spirit that I’d like to bring into this show.”

Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent, CNN Originals and creative development, says Kim brings a unique and deeply personal perspective to the series.

“From the first time I met him, it was clear he was incredibly well equipped to tackle this — deeply passionate about the subject and highly knowledgeable. He was also very focused on making sure the way we look at Korean culture translates to a broad global audience, really putting a spotlight on it,” she says.

Kim has never played TV host, but he's an avid traveler and he's not a fish out of water in Korea. He says despite stretching himself, he felt comfortable.

“I get to introduce the world to a culture that I love and have gotten to know and has informed who I am as a performer and as a human being. So to me, it was strangely comfortable and it didn’t feel at all like I was stepping outside of my comfort zone.”

Kim hopes the series can help non-Koreans better understand a culture that has influenced so much of the globe of late and address anti-Asian racism, which surged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“If we can start to understand one another a little bit better through culture, then I think it is one step toward bringing together a global community. And I think the world could use a little more understanding in general.”

Davis, who rose to stardom as a little league pitching sensation, followed developments as WNBA players negotiated historic salaries. As she enters the inaugural season of the WPBL, Davis sees those record gains as a signal to the next generation of women's leagues about what is possible.

“Wanting to be a WNBA player growing up and seeing it not be as huge as it is now,” Davis said, “and just seeing the growth — it’s amazing. I’m excited for what’s to come.”

As the WNBA begins its season under the new CBA, emerging women's sports leagues like baseball and hockey are looking at that progress as a promising roadmap for growth. At the same time, leaders of those startup leagues recognize the WNBA's growth was shaped by decades of player advocacy, work stoppage threats and athletes playing elsewhere to supplement their incomes.

“The WNBA is definitely an example of a league that had to grind and keep showing its worth over and over,” said Justine Siegal, co-founder of the WPBL, which debuts in August. “The recognition is overdue and well-deserved. For us as a new women’s pro league, we don’t see it as the beginning. We see it is we’re part of a momentum that fans want to see.”

Newer women's leagues try to capitalize on current boom

The WNBA's new seven-year CBA will raise the league's salary cap from $1.5 million to $7 million in the first year of the deal. It will also improve player experience with codified charter flights, first-class travel accommodations and expanded mental health support. Perhaps most notably, the deal marks a new era of player compensation, with stars like four-time MVP A'ja Wilson making more than $1 million for the first time in WNBA history.

Those milestones are, in part, the result of surging popularity in women's basketball, with stars like Caitlin Clark becoming household names and driving up viewership. After securing a landmark media rights deal in 2024, players recognized a pivotal opportunity to demand a bigger share of that growing revenue.

“We can kind of show (other leagues) what worked and obviously the strength in numbers,” said New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart. “Realizing the value of your league and your teams."

Newer leagues are still far from the financial scale of leagues like the WNBA or National Women's Soccer League, which is in its 14th year and has benefitted from years of equal pay efforts. A recent report published by the accounting firm Deloitte said soccer and basketball are expected to be the top revenue-generating women’s sports in 2026, with each accounting for 35% of overall revenues.

Still newer leagues are watching closely as they try and capitalize on the current boom those established organizations helped create.

“There is a lot for us to take away from both the player solidarity that led to the deal and the substance of the deal itself,” said, Malaika Underwood, executive director of the Professional Women's Hockey League Players Association, in an email. “In many ways, this new CBA has raised important benchmarks for what women athletes should expect across professional sports.”

Growth won't happen overnight

She added while that kind of growth won’t happen overnight for the PWHL — which is concluding its third season— the league believes it has set itself up for similar success. That has been evident in how the PWHL has blown past initial attendance and revenue projections since its 2024 launch. After adding two franchises last year, the eight-team PWHL is preparing to expand by as many as four more for next season.

Other leagues, like Women's Elite Rugby (WER), are learning from WNBA players' unified approach to advocacy, while recognizing their own unique financial hurdles.

The WNBA, entering its 30th season, is partially owned by the NBA, and while the PWHL isn't financially tied to the NHL, it has been able to leverage partnerships through marketing and shared venues.

That's not the case for WER, which is entering its second season.

“There wasn’t a billionaire benefactor who was willing to write a big check and say, ‘Let’s get this going no matter what the cost,’" said Phil Camm, the league's chief commercial officer. “So we can learn from things, but we have to approach it from a very different perspective.”

Because of the current investment in the women’s sports ecosystem, David Berri, an economics professor at Southern Utah University, predicts it won't be long before women's athletes in rugby, baseball and other emerging leagues become household names and enjoy the same benefits that WNBA players long fought for.

“By the time you get to the end of the century, people are going look back to this point and go, ‘I don’t get it, why weren’t you showing it on television?'" Berri said. "'Why wasn’t it obvious that this was a good idea?’ It’ll seem obvious at that point that you should have done that.'”

___

AP Sports Writer John Wawrow and Women's Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg contributed to this report.

___

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

David Lamont Scipp, de 18 años, enfrenta un cargo de robo armado con arma de fuego o arma mortal en relación con el robo del 6 de julio en General Smoke Shop, en el área de Westgate del condado, según registros carcelarios.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade dijeron que el robo ocurrió poco después de las 7 p.m. en General Smoke Shop, ubicado en el 2975 de la calle NW 62, donde un empleado trabajaba detrás del mostrador en ese momento.

Según los investigadores, Corey Lanard Hayes Jr. condujo un Honda Accord azul que transportaba a Scipp y a Malik Jacari Crossley hasta el estacionamiento de una iglesia cercana antes del robo.

Las autoridades dijeron que Hayes, de 19 años, primero entró solo al smoke shop e hizo una compra en efectivo antes de regresar al vehículo. Luego, Scipp y Crossley entraron juntos al negocio mientras Hayes permanecía afuera, dijeron los agentes.

Los investigadores dijeron que el dúo sacó pistolas de debajo de sus camisas y exigió dinero y propiedad al empleado.

Según un informe de arresto, la víctima les dijo a los sospechosos que no tenía acceso a la caja fuerte y luego fue escoltada a punta de pistola hacia la parte trasera de la tienda mientras los sospechosos buscaban dinero en efectivo y mercancía.

Las autoridades dijeron que la víctima finalmente les informó a los ladrones que había aproximadamente $300 USD dentro de una mochila. Los investigadores dijeron que Scipp tomó la mochila mientras Crossley, de 19 años, continuaba apuntando con una pistola a la víctima.

Los agentes dijeron que los sospechosos robaron productos de CBD y grinders del mostrador delantero antes de que Hayes huyera con el grupo en el Honda Accord.

La víctima corrió desde la parte trasera de la tienda hacia una residencia cercana, donde los agentes fueron alertados, según los investigadores.

Las autoridades dijeron que las cámaras de vigilancia de la tienda captaron el robo, así como a los sospechosos regresando al vehículo después del crimen.

Tras una investigación, los detectives arrestaron el miércoles a Scipp, residente del vecindario Little Haiti de Miami, como el tercer sospechoso. Los investigadores dijeron que fue trasladado a la sede de la MDSO, donde fue informado de sus derechos Miranda e invocó su derecho a guardar silencio.

Hasta el jueves, Scipp permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde su fianza figuraba como “pendiente por establecerse”.

Los registros muestran que Crossley permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza en el Centro de Detención Metrowest, mientras que Hayes ya no aparecía en los registros carcelarios en línea de Miami-Dade.

Leer en español

David Lamont Scipp, 18, faces one count of armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon in connection with the July 6 robbery at General Smoke Shop in the county’s Westgate area, according to jail records.

Deputies with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said the robbery occurred just after 7 p.m. at General Smoke Shop, located at 2975 NW 62nd St., where an employee was working behind the counter at the time.

According to investigators, Corey Lanard Hayes Jr. drove a blue Honda Accord carrying Scipp and Malik Jacari Crossley to a nearby church parking lot before the robbery.

Authorities said Hayes, 19, first entered the smoke shop alone and made a cash purchase before returning to the car. Scipp and Crossley then went inside the business together while Hayes remained outside, deputies said.

Investigators said the pair pulled handguns from underneath their shirts and demanded money and property from the employee.

According to an arrest report, the victim told the suspects he did not have access to the safe and was then escorted at gunpoint to the back of the store while the suspects searched for cash and merchandise.

The victim eventually told the robbers there was about $300 inside a backpack, authorities said. Investigators said Scipp grabbed the backpack while Crossley, 19, continued pointing a handgun at the victim.

Deputies said the suspects stole CBD products and grinders from the front counter before Hayes drove the group away in the Honda Accord.

The victim ran from the rear of the store to a nearby residence, where deputies were notified, according to investigators.

Authorities said surveillance cameras from the store captured the robbery as well as the suspects returning to the vehicle after the crime.

Following an investigation, detectives arrested Scipp, who lives in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood, as the third suspect on Wednesday. Investigators said he was taken to MDSO headquarters, where he was read his Miranda rights and invoked his right to remain silent.

As of Thursday, Scipp was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”

Records show Crossley was being held without bond at the Metrowest Detention Center, while Hayes was no longer listed in Miami-Dade online jail records.

Hill, de 32 años, compareció ante el tribunal vestido con una camisa blanca, sentado junto a sus abogados y manteniendo una expresión seria durante todo el proceso. Hall y su equipo legal estaban sentados al otro lado de la sala.

Según una demanda de 15 páginas, Hall y Hill se conocieron en mayo de 2023 después de que él la invitó a pasar varios días en su casa de Southwest Ranches. La demanda alega que Hall participó en ejercicios de línea ofensiva junto a Hill y su entrenador durante la visita.

El documento afirma que las tensiones aumentaron después de que Hall presuntamente empujó a Hill hacia atrás durante uno de los ejercicios, lo que hizo reír a los presentes, incluidos miembros de la familia de Hill. La demanda también alega que Hill se sintió avergonzado y, poco después, embistió a Hall durante una jugada posterior, causándole una fractura en la pierna derecha.

Hall, de 36 años, fue sometida a una cirugía que incluyó “implantación de hardware metálico”, según la demanda, y ahora asiste semanalmente a terapia física. Ella alega que continúa experimentando dolor persistente y debilidad.

También afirmó que Hill no le brindó atención médica cuando ocurrió el incidente.

Ella busca hasta $50,000 USD en daños, alegando agresión, agresión física, imposición intencional de angustia emocional y negligencia.

El equipo legal de Hill negó haber actuado incorrectamente, argumentando en documentos judiciales que Hall fue negligente al participar en lo que describieron como ejercicios de fútbol americano extenuantes y potencialmente peligrosos.

La selección del jurado continúa. Se espera que el caso avance a juicio una vez que se conforme el panel.

Hill fue liberado de los Dolphins en febrero después de pasar cuatro temporadas con el equipo.

Lea la demanda en el documento a continuación.

MC Docket (13)

Jury selection began Wednesday, with six jurors chosen from a pool of 100 applicants.

Leer en español

Hill, 32, appeared in court dressed in a white shirt, seated with his attorneys and maintaining a serious expression throughout the proceedings. Hall and her legal team were seated across the courtroom.

According to a 15-page complaint, Hall and Hill met in May 2023 after Hill invited her to spend several days at his Southwest Ranches home. The lawsuit alleges Hall participated in offensive line drills alongside Hill and his trainer during the visit.

The filing claims tensions escalated after Hall allegedly pushed Hill backward during one of the drills, which made observers laugh, including members of Hill’s family. The suit also alleges that Hill became embarrassed and, shortly after, charged into Hall during a subsequent play, causing a fracture to her right leg.

Hall, 36, underwent surgery that included “metal hardware impantation,” according to the lawsuit, and now attends weekly physical therapy. She alleges she continues to experience persistent pain and weakness.

She also claimed that Hill failed to get her any medical attention when the incident occurred.

She is seeking up to $50,000 in damages, alleging assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.

Hill’s legal team has denied wrongdoing, arguing in court filings that Hall was negligent in participating in what they described as strenuous and potentially dangerous football drills.

Jury selection is ongoing. The case is expected to proceed to trial once a panel is seated.

Hill was released from the Dolphins in February after spending four seasons with the team.

Read the lawsuit in the document below.

MC Docket (13)

Israel meanwhile said it killed three Hezbollah militants in a strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut the day before.

Hamas negotiator Khalil al-Hayya's 32-year-old son, Azzam, was wounded by a strike in Gaza City on Wednesday that killed another person and wounded several others. The Israeli military has not commented on the strike. The older al-Hayya is based abroad.

Israel has continued to carry out regular strikes against what it says are militant targets — also killing civilians — since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted major military operations in October. That agreement also led to the release of the remaining hostages taken in Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.

Key stipulations of the agreement remain unmet, including the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an international stabilization force and Israel's withdrawal from the half of the territory its troops still control. Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violations.

Israel has killed several Hamas leaders and their relatives

Hamas accused Israel of trying to pressure negotiators through targeted killings. It was not clear if the younger al-Hayya was the target of the strike.

In comments to Al Jazeera after his son was wounded, Al-Hayya said that if his son was targeted, “it would be an honor to me, to him, and to all Palestinians.”

When asked about disarming, al-Hayya said Hamas would be ready to discuss the second phase of the ceasefire agreement only after Israel fulfills the first phase, which includes a cessation of hostilities and a surge in humanitarian aid.

Israeli strikes have killed several top Hamas leaders and their family members over the years. Another son of al-Hayya, Hammam, was killed in an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar in September.

Al-Hayya's daughter, Tasnim, speaking at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, said her father's hand would not be forced by the deaths of his children.

“We are like all our people. Everyone has suffered and everyone has sacrificed. We are one of them,” she said.

Palestinians still struggle despite shaky ceasefire

An Israeli strike on Thursday killed three Hamas-affiliated security forces at a guard post, according to Shifa Hospital. A fourth security officer was critically wounded, the Hamas-run Interior Ministry said. The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas command center.

More than 72,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas' 2023 attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people and took 251 hostage. Palestinians in Gaza are still contending with myriad daily struggles, from lack of water to rodent infestations in sprawling tent camps.

Relatives of three people killed Wednesday in a separate Israeli strike on Gaza gathered in the courtyard of Shifa Hospital on Thursday to say their final goodbyes, embracing as they wept.

The family members had just moved out of a school where they were sheltering and were setting up new tents when they were struck. A man, his son and his nephew were killed, according to a relative, Yahiya Kishko.

A rare strike on Beirut

In Lebanon, the Israeli military said it had killed Ahmed Balout, who it identified as a commander in Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, along with two other militants. There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.

Wednesday's strike occurred in the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a large presence but which is also home to many civilians. It was the first time Israel had struck the area since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was announced on April 17. Fighting has continued in southern Lebanon.

Israel says it has killed more than 85 Hezbollah militants and struck 180 sites used by the group in the last week, without providing evidence.

___

Ezzidin reported from Cairo. Associated Press reporter Sally Abou AlJoud in Beirut contributed.

Leer en español

Police said the first incident ― for which Torey Eugene Williams was arrested on Oct. 30 ― happened on Oct. 10 in Davie.

Davie police said a tow driver and a spotter had pulled into a shopping center at 6946 Stirling Road to take the 46-year-old’s Lexus GS. An arrest warrant states as they lifted the vehicle and began to pull forward, Williams walked towards them with his finger on the trigger of a gun and said, “Put my car down,” pointing the weapon at the tow truck driver.

Authorities said the crew unhooked the sedan and Williams got inside and took off.

Five days later, on Oct. 15, Miramar police said a tow driver trying to repossess the Lexus at Williams’ home in the 2700 block of Riviera Drive was also greeted by an angry, armed Williams. This time, police said Williams fired a shot into the tow truck.

According to a report, Williams admitted to police that he came out with his gun, telling the driver to “put my muthaf---ing car down.”

Detectives said that Williams claimed he then slipped and the gun fell out of his hand, discharging a round into the tow truck when it hit the ground.

Authorities said video footage showed that he “exited the home and turned in the direction of the tow truck” and its driver “when the firearm discharged.”

Months after the incident, authorities filed a “not in custody probable cause affidavit” in the Broward court system on April 27. On Wednesday, Williams was taken into custody.

Court records show he’s facing two aggravated assault charges stemming from the Davie incident and one charge of shooting or throwing a deadly missile into a vehicle, dwelling or aircraft in connection with the Miramar case.

Broward Sheriff’s Office records show that Williams was being held in the agency’s Main Jail on a $5,000 bond as of Thursday morning.

La Policía indicó que el primer incidente, por el cual Torey Eugene Williams fue arrestado el 30 de octubre, ocurrió el 10 de octubre en Davie.

La Policía de Davie dijo que un conductor de grúa y un observador llegaron a un centro comercial ubicado en el 6946 de Stirling Road para llevarse el Lexus GS del hombre de 46 años. Una orden de arresto indica que mientras levantaban el vehículo y comenzaban a avanzar, Williams caminó hacia ellos con el dedo en el gatillo de un arma y dijo: “Bajen mi carro”, apuntando el arma al conductor de la grúa.

Las autoridades dijeron que el equipo soltó el sedán y Williams entró al vehículo y huyó.

Cinco días después, el 15 de octubre, la Policía de Miramar indicó que otro conductor de grúa que intentaba embargar el Lexus en la casa de Williams, ubicada en la cuadra 2700 de Riviera Drive, también fue recibido por un Williams molesto y armado. Esta vez, la Policía dijo que Williams disparó contra la grúa.

Según un informe, Williams admitió ante la Policía que salió con su arma y le dijo al conductor que “bajara mi maldito carro”.

Los detectives dijeron que Williams afirmó luego que se resbaló y el arma se le cayó de la mano, disparándose contra la grúa al golpear el suelo.

Las autoridades indicaron que las imágenes de video mostraban que él “salió de la casa y se giró en dirección a la grúa” y hacia su conductor “cuando el arma se disparó”.

Meses después del incidente, las autoridades presentaron una “declaración jurada de causa probable sin custodia” en el sistema judicial de Broward el 27 de abril. El miércoles, Williams fue arrestado.

Los registros judiciales muestran que enfrenta dos cargos de agresión agravada relacionados con el incidente de Davie y un cargo de disparar o lanzar un proyectil mortal contra un vehículo, vivienda o aeronave en relación con el caso de Miramar.

Los registros de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward muestran que Williams permanecía detenido en la cárcel principal de la agencia con una fianza de $5,000 USD hasta la mañana del jueves.

The new concert film, co-directed by Eilish and three-time Academy Award winner James Cameron, was his idea. Cameron emailed Eilish's mother, Maggie Baird — a friend of his wife via their shared interest in plant-based diets and environmentalism — and suggested they shoot Eilish's “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour in 3D.

It is new territory for Cameron, in some ways, and old hat in others. His production company has done a number of concert films, including one with Eilish's musical hero Justin Bieber, but Cameron hasn't sat in the director's chair of a project like this one. A 3D concert film also brings up a number of technical challenges — a passion of Cameron's, as anyone who has seen the blockbuster “Avatar” franchise could attest to — and as a fellow outlier of industry, the pairing succeeds.

Eilish, too, is no stranger to film: She's the subject of the 2021 documentary, “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” and a concert film released that same year, “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles.” This, however, is her first time co-directing a feature. And where “The World's a Little Blurry” served as a composite of her come-up and various successes, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” is dedicated to the concert film format while pushing its boundaries.

While no movie can serve as the perfect replica of a transformative live music experience, “Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)” works an immersive magic. Every seat is the best seat in the house in these shots; common issues with concert films find solutions. Audience members are celebrated like additional characters. When the camera is on them, their voices are heard loud — sniffling, screams, cheers, off-key sing-alongs get their shine, sometimes above Eilish in the mix, mimicking the experience of swaying in the crowd.

In 3D, her minimalist set is given a visceral tangibility. Fans see Eilish jump through trap doors, hook into safety harnesses, chug water, dance off screen, become teary eyed and embrace her band mates. At nearly two-hours of runtime, it passes like zephyr, a thrill ride so fun it feels too short.

There is also new insight for the Eilish fan: Cameras escort the pop star backstage and underneath it. In the beginning of the film, viewers experience the tour's opening scene — and then they get to see it again, from Eilish's perspective. In other moments, Cameron is on screen with Eilish as she co-directs, giving the film the intimacy of a behind-the-scenes DVD extra detailing how the movie was made … in the middle of it. It's a compelling watch and demonstrates a deep understanding of a dedicated pop music audience, where accessibility is the most valuable cultural currency.

“You're like a tuning fork,” Cameron says to Eilish in one scene. “And they're hitting the same beats.”

There is little narrativizing, what often ruins a fine film, turning it into a vanity project. Eilish is shown backstage strengthening her ankle after suffering a sprain, mostly to highlight the physicality of her performance. In another, she plays with puppies, a brief reminder of her animal rights activism. They're welcomed breaks, but not totally memorable. The strength of the film is Eilish on stage — not in its interview interludes.

For years, Eilish has chosen to perform solo on stage. In this movie, fans will learn it is because she has long wanted to mimic a hip-hop performance, where a rapper can command a stage with just a microphone, the strength of their songs and charisma. “I just wanted the freedom of being a guy running around,” she tells Cameron. The performance that follows is “Bury a Friend” from her first record, a song with production that pulls inspiration from hip-hop — a masterful exhibition of influence creating innovation.

The only place where the structure falters is in a candid conversation about desirability and femininity followed by the Oscar-winning “Barbie” theme “What Was I Made For?” Other songs in Eilish's discography would've driven the point home with more subtlety and acuity.

But the moment comes and goes. What is left are big songs and bigger emotions. When a fan in the front row is heard wailing, “Billie! Billie! Billie,” with tears in her eyes and a handmade sign asking for a hug, the viewer has no choice but to hope she gets that embrace, that Eilish makes individual eye contact with her, that a connection can be realized in some brief, healing moment. “I understand that need and that desperation,” Eilish says in one scene, describing herself as a superfan like the ones before her. “I want to be the artist I would want to be a fan of.”

Concert films are engineered for loyal listeners: To relive the night, or experience it for the first time, or to revel in the joy of being a face in the crowd. That goes for Eilish as well.

“To get to see these close up, beautiful, 3D shots of these fans who I would never have gotten to see have that emotional reaction,” from the stage in the middle of her performance, Eilish told The Associated Press last month, “I feel really grateful for that gift.”

Spoken like a true fan.

“Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” a Paramount Pictures release in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for strong language and suggestive references. Running time: 114 minutes. Three stars out of four.

Leer en español

The change was confirmed on the supermarket’s FAQ section of its website.

It comes after Publix previously announced last year that customers would be allowed to open carry, following a change in Florida law.

That decision led to mixed reactions from customers.

The new Florida law allows open carry but includes restrictions: it’s still prohibited for those under 21 or with felony convictions. Private businesses can also opt out.

Local 10 News has reached out to Publix for comment and is awaiting a response.

Los agentes detuvieron a Jasmine Castellanos, de 30 años y residente de Hialeah, y a William Thad Page, de 48 años y residente de Miami Beach, el miércoles.

Según la Policía, el gerente del hotel B and B Hotel Miami Airport, ubicado en el 5125 de la calle NW 36, alertó a los agentes tras observar a Castellanos y a Page entrar a una sala exclusiva para empleados destinada al almacenamiento de paquetes entregados para huéspedes registrados del hotel.

El gerente dijo a la Policía que ambos se hospedaban en la habitación 305, ubicada justo al lado de la sala de almacenamiento.

Luego, los agentes revisaron videos de seguridad que mostraban a Castellanos, Page y a un tercer hombre no identificado, a quien la Policía dijo conocen como “Cognac”, entrando a la sala de almacenamiento y saliendo poco después “con paquetes ocultos bajo su ropa” para luego dirigirse directamente a la habitación 305, según un informe de arresto.

Además, la Policía indicó que cuando llegaron al hotel, el gerente les alertó sobre una camioneta blanca U-Haul que salía del lugar con Page dentro. Los agentes localizaron la camioneta y realizaron una parada de tráfico a corta distancia, y Page fue detenido sin incidentes, indicó la Policía.

Las autoridades dijeron que Castellanos fue localizada por agentes en el estacionamiento del cercano Ramada Inn, ubicado en el 5001 de la calle NW 36, y no se resistió al arresto.

Ambos enfrentan cargos graves de allanamiento.

Page también fue acusado de posesión de metanfetamina, así como de posesión de una sustancia controlada con intención de vender y posesión de parafernalia de drogas con intención de uso.

Los registros indican que Page ya estaba en libertad bajo fianza por un delito grave al momento de su arresto.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, ambos permanecían detenidos en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza “pendiente por establecerse”.

Leer en español

Officers took Jasmine Castellanos, 30, of Hialeah, and William Thad Page, 48, of Miami Beach, into custody on Wednesday.

According to police, the manager of the B and B Hotel Miami Airport, located at 5125 NW 36th St., alerted officers after observing Castellanos and Page enter an employees-only room designed for storing packages delivered for registered hotel guests.

The manager told police the two locals were staying in room 305, which was located directly next to the storage room.

Officers then reviewed security footage that showed Castellanos, Page and a third, unidentified man who police said goes by the name of “Cognac” enter the storage room and leave shortly after “with packages concealed under their clothing” and go straight into room 305, according to an arrest form.

Additionally, Police said when they arrived to the hotel, the manager alerted them to a white U-Haul van that was leaving the business with Page inside. Officers located the van and conducted a traffic stop a short distance away, and Page was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Authorities said Castellanos was caught by officers in the parking lot of the nearby Ramada Inn at 5001 NW 36th St. and did not resist being taken into custody.

Both are facing felony burglary charges.

Page was also charged with methamphetamine possession, as well as for possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use.

Records indicate Page was already out on felony bond at the time of his arrest.

As of Thursday morning, both remained behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

“Don’t sell your tickets," Embiid said. “This is bigger than you. We need you guys.”

Of more pressing concern for the Sixers and their fans, they need Embiid.

The 2023 NBA MVP, Embiid missed Game 2 of the second-round series against the Knicks with a sprained right ankle and a sore right hip.

The 76ers put up a far better fight without Embiid than in the Knicks’ 137-98 romp in Game 1, yet still lost 108-102 on Wednesday night. It's the Knicks who hold a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals when the series shifts to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday night and Game 4 on Sunday.

Recent history proved, the Knicks should feel right at home once they play in Philadelphia.

Spurred by affordable train fare, cheaper tickets compared to Madison Square Garden and a simply overzealous passion for Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the Knicks team stamped a legitimate NBA championship contender, New York fans have flooded Philly and provided a home-court edge on the road.

The Sixers’ strategy to ward off Knicks fans in this playoff series was to try through Ticketmaster to geographically restrict sales.

Geo-fencing, in sports ticket lingo.

A message on their website over the weekend read: “Xfinity Mobile Arena is located in Philadelphia, PA. Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of Greater Philadelphia area. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside Greater Philadelphia area will be canceled without notice and refunds given.”

The 76ers — and other sports teams in all leagues that cut off sales outside city limits — essentially shut the front door of their home but leave all the windows open. There are so many ways around the game plan through the various resale platforms — no proof-of-Philadelphia ID needed — it hardly seemed worth the effort.

The splashy headline for a day could turn into a cold reality check on Friday night — there’s nothing that can prevent big-spending backers of the Knicks from buying from Philadelphia fans who choose to sell.

“I think they’re soft,” Knicks fan Bryan Reinah, of Queens, said at Game 2. “They’re afraid of the Knicks takeover. I think last time we played them it was 47% Knicks fans. Everybody hops on the trains and goes right down. Tickets are cheaper and the Knicks fans travel well. They’re afraid of it.”

The 76ers' plan did spark national headlines even though the policy is not new or even uncommon in sports.

The thought is, why not try?

Of recent note, the Detroit Pistons tried the same tactic in last season's playoffs and limited ticket sales on Ticketmaster to residents of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Ontario, Canada. The Carolina Hurricanes did the same to New York Rangers fans during the 2024 and 2022 NHL playoffs.

Hey, maybe these cities just don't like New Yorkers!?

Ah, maybe not as the policy through the decades has enforcement well beyond the five boroughs.

Take 2001, when Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, a former senior executive with America Online, wrote a computer program that banned Pittsburgh residents from buying tickets on the Capitals' website.

"Pretty cool, isn’t it?” Leonsis said in 2001. “I got a lot of emails from Pittsburgh saying I was mean-spirited and unfair. I don’t care. I’m going to keep doing it.”

The Sixers said this season's effort was designed to ensure that tickets remained in the hands of local fans who have supported the team all season.

Neither the Sixers nor Ticketmaster said how many face-value tickets went on sale Sunday.

Ticketmaster put out a statement that covered its geo-fencing policy with a peppy social media post.

“Who gets to buy tickets to sports games? Let us break it down,” the video noted. “Sometimes, sports teams put limits on who can buy tickets for big, in-demand matchups. This is a way to give local fans the best shot at attending the event and to limit scalpers who are located hundreds of miles away, who are trying to flip to the tickets just for a profit.”

Ticketmaster said those rules and decisions come directly for the team.

When the Knicks played at Philadelphia in Game 6 of a first-round series in 2024, Sixers owners Josh Harris, David Blitzer and David Adelman and former minority owner Michael Rubin joined forces to buy more than 2,000 tickets they handed out to people who serve the Philadelphia community.

Tickets for Game 3 on StubHub as of Thursday started at about $220 a pop in the upper deck and topped $1,000 in the lower bowl.

Sixers or Knicks fans, that's some serious cash.

The amount of blue-and-orange and Brunson jerseys in the stands on Friday night will be the final word on if Sixers fans were serious about listening to Embiid and keeping tickets in house.

___

AP freelance writer Adry Torres in New York contributed to this story.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Agentes respondieron al área de Northwest Third Avenue y 14th Street, según Carey Codd, portavoz de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward.

Cerca del lugar, Blanche Ely High School, ubicada en 1201 NW 6 Ave., salió a las 2:40 p.m., según Nadine Drew, portavoz de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado Broward.

La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Sofia Mendez, contribuyó a este informe.

Ubicación

Vea el informe de la tarde

Leer en español

Deputies responded shortly after 2:15 p.m. to the 1300 block of Northwest Third Avenue, according to Carey Codd, a spokesman for the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

“On scene, deputies located a teenage male with a gunshot wound to the leg. Paramedics transported him to a nearby hospital for treatment of the injury which is not expected to be life-threatening,” Codd wrote in a statement.

BSO later confirmed that the teen was inside a home when another male pulled out a gun to show it off.

“At some point, the firearm discharged, and the victim was shot in the leg,” Codd said in a news release.

He said the suspect fled the scene after the shooting.

Neighbors were left shaken.

“As a mother of a teenage daughter myself, it’s really sad that these type of things happen around here,” said Yvette Hernandez.

“When you have kids and you hear like a gunshot and you live around here, that makes you think like what are you gonna do?” said James Clairontus.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Sofia Mendez contributed to this report.

Location

Watch afternoon reports

Según una declaración jurada de arresto de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, Angel Caleb Pagan, de 18 años, fue arrestado el miércoles en Barbara Goleman Senior High School en Miami Lakes.

Pagan enfrenta cargos de hurto mayor en segundo grado relacionado con propiedad valorada entre $20,000 USD y $100,000 USD y manipulación de evidencia física.

La Policía identificó a otros dos coacusados como Matthew Martinez, de 17 años, y Jacob Diaz, de 17 años, quienes seguían prófugos hasta la tarde del miércoles.

Los investigadores indicaron que Pagan y Martinez trabajaban en una tienda UPS ubicada en el 8555 de la calle NW 186 y ambos asisten a la misma escuela secundaria.

Según la declaración jurada, la investigación comenzó después de que dos propietarios de negocios reportaran que 80 cajas con productos de Bath & Body Works y Victoria’s Secret desaparecieron entre el 21 de marzo y el 13 de abril.

Los detectives dijeron que la mercancía robada estaba valorada en aproximadamente $40,000 USD.

Las víctimas dijeron a los investigadores que operan un negocio minorista en línea que envía productos a centros de distribución de Amazon y directamente a clientes. La pareja indicó que los paquetes desaparecidos habían sido entregados en la tienda UPS para envío, pero nunca llegaron a sus destinos.

Según la declaración jurada, un video de vigilancia del 13 de abril supuestamente mostró a Levy entregando 10 cajas en la tienda UPS. Los investigadores dijeron que solo cinco de las cajas fueron registradas en el sistema de envío, mientras que las otras cinco, valoradas en casi $2,900 USD, nunca llegaron a los centros de distribución de Amazon ni a los clientes.

Los detectives también indicaron que las víctimas posteriormente descubrieron parte de su mercancía siendo vendida en línea a través de Facebook Marketplace. La declaración jurada alega que Diaz publicó artículos robados a la venta por tan solo $1 USD cada uno.

Los investigadores revisaron videos de vigilancia del interior de la tienda UPS y reportaron haber visto a Pagan y Martinez recibiendo paquetes de Levy antes de mover las cajas cerca de una salida trasera.

Los detectives dijeron que posteriormente se vio a Martinez sacando cinco cajas por la puerta trasera mientras Pagan actuaba como vigilante.

Las autoridades también acusaron a Pagan de manipular el sistema de vigilancia de la tienda. Según el informe, las imágenes mostraron a Pagan apagando el sistema el 15 de abril aproximadamente a las 5:08 p.m., dejando sin grabaciones adicionales hasta que el dueño de la tienda restableció la energía más tarde esa noche.

Los agentes dijeron que Pagan fue detenido y trasladado a la estación del Distrito Noroeste para ser interrogado. Después de ser informado de sus derechos Miranda, los investigadores dijeron que se negó a responder preguntas relacionadas con el caso.

El caso continúa bajo investigación. Los registros judiciales muestran que Pagan fue trasladado al Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight tras su arresto.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, permanecía detenido en TGK. Los registros carcelarios en línea indican que su fianza estaba “pendiente por establecerse”.

Leer en español

According to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit, 18-year-old Angel Caleb Pagan was arrested Wednesday at Barbara Goleman Senior High School in Miami Lakes.

Pagan faces charges of second-degree grand theft involving property valued between $20,000 and $100,000 and tampering with physical evidence.

Police identified two co-defendants as Matthew Martinez, 17, and Jacob Diaz, 17, who both remained at large as of Wednesday afternoon.

Investigators said Pagan and Martinez both worked at a UPS Store, located at 8555 NW 186th St., and both attend the same high school.

According to the affidavit, the investigation began after two business owners reported that 80 boxes containing Bath & Body Works and Victoria’s Secret products had gone missing between March 21 and April 13.

Detectives said the stolen merchandise was valued at approximately $40,000.

The victims told investigators that they operate an online retail business that ships products to Amazon fulfillment centers and directly to customers. The couple said the missing packages had been dropped off at the UPS Store for shipment but never reached their destinations.

According to the affidavit, surveillance video from April 13 allegedly showed Levy delivering 10 boxes to the UPS Store. Investigators said only five of the boxes were scanned into the shipping system, while the remaining five — valued at nearly $2,900 — never arrived at Amazon fulfillment centers or customers.

Detectives also stated the victims later discovered some of their merchandise being sold online through Facebook Marketplace. The affidavit alleges that Diaz listed stolen items for sale for as little as $1 each.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from inside the UPS Store and reported seeing Pagan and Martinez accepting packages from Levy before moving boxes near a rear exit.

Detectives said Martinez was later seen taking five boxes out through the back door while Pagan acted as a lookout.

Authorities also accused Pagan of tampering with the store’s surveillance system. According to the report, video footage showed Pagan shutting off the system on April 15 at approximately 5:08 p.m., leaving no additional recordings until the store owner restored power later that evening.

Deputies said Pagan was taken into custody and transported to the Northwest District station for questioning. After being advised of his Miranda rights, investigators said he declined to answer questions regarding the case.

The case remains under investigation. Court records show Pagan was transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center following his arrest.

As of Thursday morning, he remained held at TGK. Online jail records list his bond as “to be set.”

Norfolk Constabulary said that the arrest came Wednesday evening after a man was reported “behaving in an intimidating manner” near the home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in eastern England.

“Officers attended, and the man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offense and possession of an offensive weapon,” the force said Thursday.

The suspect is being held for questioning at a nearby police station. The term offensive weapons covers knives, truncheons and other items used to cause injury. Police didn’t specify what type of weapon was involved.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that a man wearing a ski mask ran toward the former royal while shouting abuse. It said the incident occurred near the Sandringham Estate while the former prince was out walking his dogs, and that Andrew and his protection officer got in their car and sped away.

Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles III, moved to the king’s private Sandringham Estate, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of London, after he was evicted from his longtime home near Windsor Castle following revelations about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

Andrew, 66, now lives at Marsh Farm, a property on the Sandringham Estate, after leaving Royal Lodge last year.

He was stripped of all his honors and titles and banished from public view by the royal family after years of scandal over his money woes and links to questionable characters, including Epstein.

One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, alleged that she was forced to have sex with the then-prince three times starting when she was 17. He denied it, but eventually settled the case for an undisclosed sum and acknowledged Giuffre’s suffering as a victim of sex trafficking. Giuffre died by suicide in April 2025, aged 41.

In February, he became the first senior British royal in almost 400 years to be arrested when he was held for hours by British police on suspicion of misconduct in public office in a case related to his links to Epstein. It was an extraordinary move in a country where authorities once sought to shield the royal family from embarrassment.

Police previously said they were “assessing” reports that Mountbatten-Windsor sent trade information to Epstein, a wealthy investor and convicted sex offender, in 2010, when the former prince was the United Kingdom’s special envoy for international trade.

Correspondence between the two men was released by the U.S. Justice Department along with millions of pages of documents from the American investigation into Epstein.

Leer en español

Authorities identified the suspect as Kelvin Jamari Thomas.

Jail records show he is facing charges including armed robbery/carjacking, aggravated fleeing and eluding and cocaine possession with intent to sell or deliver.

The incident happened just after 1 a.m. Feb. 5 near Northwest Fifth Avenue and Northwest 29th Street in Wynwood.

According to an arrest report from the Miami Police Department, two victims were sitting inside a gray 2025 Chevrolet Corvette shortly after 1 a.m. when an armed suspect approached the driver’s side door wearing a Nike Tech hoodie and a black ski mask.

Police said Thomas pointed a gun at both victims and ordered them out of the vehicle before demanding the keys.

The victims complied, and the suspect drove away in the Corvette.

One of the victims left a cellphone inside the vehicle and used a GPS application to track both the phone and the Corvette, police said. Officers later traced the vehicle as it traveled through Homestead and eventually toward Miami Gardens.

Authorities from the Florida Highway Patrol, and Miami Gardens Police Department and MPD coordinated efforts to locate the Corvette.

According to a separate FHP arrest report, troopers spotted the Corvette near Northwest Seventh Road and Northwest 168th Drive in Miami Gardens around 2 a.m. after a be-on-the-lookout alert was issued.

Troopers attempted a traffic stop, but the Corvette fled at speeds reaching approximately 120 mph through residential streets and onto the Palmetto Expressway, authorities said.

The pursuit ended when the Corvette crashed near Northwest 42nd Avenue and Northwest 183rd Street, slamming into a police vehicle and a fence at a nearby Shell gas station, according to investigators.

Police said Thomas then ran from the wrecked Corvette before officers captured him after a brief foot chase.

They said a black handgun and black ski mask were recovered near the crashed vehicle.

While being escorted to a patrol vehicle, Thomas allegedly told troopers, “I just took the car, that’s it,” according to the report.

No injuries were reported.

During questioning, detectives said Thomas also removed a plastic bag containing suspected cocaine from his hoodie pocket and threw it on the ground.

As of Thursday, he was being held at the Metrowest Detention Center, where his bond was not listed at this time.

Las autoridades identificaron al sospechoso como Kelvin Jamari Thomas.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrenta cargos que incluyen robo armado/carjacking, huida agravada para evadir a las autoridades y posesión de cocaína con intención de vender o distribuir.

El incidente ocurrió poco después de la 1 a.m. del 5 de febrero cerca de Northwest Fifth Avenue y Northwest 29th Street en Wynwood.

Según un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Miami, dos víctimas estaban sentadas dentro de un Chevrolet Corvette gris modelo 2025 poco después de la 1 a.m. cuando un sospechoso armado se acercó a la puerta del conductor usando una sudadera Nike Tech y una máscara negra de esquí.

La Policía dijo que Thomas apuntó con un arma a ambas víctimas y les ordenó salir del vehículo antes de exigir las llaves.

Las víctimas obedecieron y el sospechoso huyó en el Corvette.

Una de las víctimas dejó un teléfono celular dentro del vehículo y utilizó una aplicación GPS para rastrear tanto el teléfono como el Corvette, indicó la Policía. Los agentes posteriormente rastrearon el vehículo mientras se desplazaba por Homestead y luego hacia Miami Gardens.

Autoridades de la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida, el Departamento de Policía de Miami Gardens y el Departamento de Policía de Miami coordinaron esfuerzos para localizar el Corvette.

Según un informe de arresto separado de la FHP, los agentes localizaron el Corvette cerca de Northwest Seventh Road y Northwest 168th Drive en Miami Gardens alrededor de las 2 a.m., luego de emitirse una alerta de búsqueda.

Los agentes intentaron detener el vehículo, pero el Corvette huyó a velocidades de aproximadamente 120 mph por calles residenciales y luego por la autopista Palmetto Expressway, dijeron las autoridades.

La persecución terminó cuando el Corvette chocó cerca de Northwest 42nd Avenue y Northwest 183rd Street, impactando un vehículo policial y una cerca en una gasolinera Shell cercana, según los investigadores.

La Policía indicó que Thomas huyó corriendo del Corvette accidentado antes de que los agentes lo capturaran tras una breve persecución a pie.

Las autoridades dijeron que recuperaron una pistola negra y una máscara negra de esquí cerca del vehículo chocado.

Mientras era escoltado hacia una patrulla, Thomas presuntamente les dijo a los agentes: “Yo solo tomé el carro, eso es todo”, según el informe.

No se reportaron heridos.

Durante el interrogatorio, los detectives dijeron que Thomas también sacó de su bolsillo una bolsa plástica que contenía presunta cocaína y la lanzó al suelo.

Hasta el jueves, permanecía detenido en el centro de detención Metrowest, donde aún no se había establecido una fianza.

Leer en español

The “Saturday Night Live” star gave a special shoutout to his mother and a jeweler on Calle Ocho for providing him with a special accent for his Thom Browne suit -- an azabache.

The traditional Cuban protection charm made of black stone is typically gifted to babies to ward off negative energy. 

Hernandez explained on the red carpet that his mother bought the charm at Sammy’s Joyeria in Little Havana where they’ve been getting some extra visitors.

“I think this will be a trend now. I think people will start believing more, you know, in these type of things,” Martha Lima, of Sammy’s Joyeria, said.

“For him to mention Calle Ocho, you know, it’s great,” Julia Lima said. “It’s not only for us, but for all the Spanish community, you know. I’m bringing back the azabaches.”

La estrella de “Saturday Night Live” le dio un reconocimiento especial a su madre y a un joyero de la Calle Ocho por proporcionarle un accesorio especial para su traje de Thom Browne: un azabache.

El tradicional amuleto cubano de protección hecho de piedra negra generalmente se regala a los bebés para alejar las malas energías.

Hernández explicó en la alfombra roja que su madre compró el amuleto en Sammy’s Joyeria en Little Havana, donde han recibido algunos visitantes adicionales.

“Creo que esto será una tendencia ahora. Creo que la gente comenzará a creer más, ya sabes, en este tipo de cosas”, dijo Martha Lima, de Sammy’s Joyeria.

“Que él mencionara la Calle Ocho, ya sabes, es genial”, dijo Julia Lima. “No es solo para nosotros, sino para toda la comunidad hispana, ya sabes. Estoy trayendo de vuelta los azabaches”.

Fellow No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka said this week the players should consider a boycott.

“It’s more about respect. Because I think we give much more than what we are getting back,” Sinner said on Thursday at the Italian Open. “It’s not only for the top players; it’s for all of us players.”

Sinner wouldn’t commit to a boycott.

“It’s tough to say,” he said. “I cannot predict the future in a way. But in the same time I also believe that somewhere we need to start.”

The players have targeted the upcoming French Open for reducing players’ share of revenue to an alleged 15% — compared to the 22% at ATP and WTA events like the Italian Open this week.

The same group of players sent a letter a year ago to the heads of the four Grand Slams seeking more prize money and a greater say in decision-making. Wimbledon increased its 2025 total pot by 7%, the U.S. Open by 20% and the Australian Open in January by 16%.

“It’s not nice that after one year we are not even close to conclusion of what we would like to have,” Sinner said. “I truly believe that within 48 hours you have not only a response but you also have a meeting.”

French Open organizers announced last month they were increasing overall prize money by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million), with the total amount up 5.3 million euros from last year. But the players’ statement said “the underlying figures tell a very different story,” claiming they will receive a smaller share of tournament revenues.

The players claim their share of Roland Garros revenue has declined from 15.5% in 2024 to 14.9% projected in 2026.

Wimbledon has not yet announced its prize money for this year.

“I think in the next couple of weeks we know also the prize money we’re going to have in Wimbledon. We truly hope that it’s going to be better. Then, of course, U.S. Open,” Sinner said.

Including profit sharing and an end-of-the-year bonus pool, men’s players actually get about 30% of the share of revenues at ATP Tour events like the Italian Open.

“We’ve been quiet for a long time and now the time has come to raise our voice,” Sinner added in Italian. “We’re not asking for 50% — we wouldn’t even dare — but right now we’re getting too little.”

French Open organizers have not responded to requests for comment.

Djokovic not involved but lends support

Novak Djokovic announced in January he was cutting ties with the Professional Tennis Players Association he co-founded, and that sued the sport’s governing bodies last year.

And while the 24-time Grand Slam champion said he has not been involved in the current player protest, he said the “players know that they’ll always have my support.

“The new generations are coming up," Djokovic added. “I’m glad that there is willingness from the leaders of our sport, like Sabalenka, to really step up and really understand the dynamics of how the tennis politics works and understand the nuances and really what needs to be done not only for her benefit and well-being, but for everyone.”

One of the big issues affecting tennis governance was that there were seven organizing bodies: The four Grand Slams, ATP, WTA and International Tennis Federation.

“Tennis, as any big global sport, is a big business,” Djokovic said. “It needs to be approached from all sides with willingness to work together and figure out what the formula is.”

___

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

El cambio fue confirmado en la sección de preguntas frecuentes del sitio web de la cadena de supermercados.

Esto ocurre después de que Publix anunciara el año pasado que los clientes podrían portar armas visibles, tras un cambio en la ley de Florida.

Esa decisión provocó reacciones divididas entre los clientes.

La nueva ley de Florida permite el porte abierto de armas, pero incluye restricciones: sigue estando prohibido para personas menores de 21 años o con condenas por delitos graves. Los negocios privados también pueden optar por no permitirlo.

Local 10 News se comunicó con Publix para solicitar comentarios y está a la espera de una respuesta.

Though the non-binding advice to sports governing bodies does not yet apply also to Russia, it seemed to point toward being closer to ending Russia’s isolation in Olympic circles during its war on Ukraine as the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games approaches.

Athletes from Russia and its military ally Belarus had to be approved as neutrals who did not support the war for individual events at the 2024 Paris Olympics and February’s Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The countries were barred from all team sports at the Olympics.

“The IOC reaffirms that athletes’ participation in international competition should not be limited by the actions of their governments, including involvement in a war or conflict,” the Olympic body said.

The IOC noted the qualification period “starts this summer” for Los Angeles, where more than 200 national Olympic teams are set to compete for more than 350 medal events on the program.

The updated Olympic position more than four years into the war on Ukraine also comes after repeated calls from critics of Israel for sporting sanctions to be applied because of the conflict in Gaza.

The IOC has under president Kirsty Coventry and her predecessor Thomas Bach resisted those requests, and on Thursday cited its task to “navigate the ever-increasing complex realities and consequences of the current geopolitical context.”

IOC awaits anti-doping investigation

One barrier to Russian athletes' full return is an ongoing World Anti-Doping Agency investigation into recent reports, including by the New York Times, implicating Russian anti-doping agency official Veronika Loginova.

The IOC said its executive board noted “with concern the recent information” being looked at by WADA, without naming Loginova.

The Russian Olympic Committee has been suspended by the IOC since October 2023 for incorporating regional sports bodies in illegally occupied eastern Ukraine.

“Whilst the ROC has held constructive exchanges with the IOC on its suspension,” the IOC said, “it remains suspended while the IOC Legal Affairs Commission continues to review the matter.”

Coventry told reporters at an online news conference there is no set timetable to complete the legal review.

Pushback from sports bodies

Track and field's World Athletics excluded athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus out of its international events within days of the war starting. The IOC's move Thursday will not change that.

“Our council has made a clear decision that when there is tangible movement towards peace negotiations it can begin to review its decisions,” the Monaco-based track body said.

Sports officials in northern European and the Baltic countries have taken strong positions against Russia and Belarus since 2022, and the Swedish sports confederation on Thursday called the IOC's advice “deeply unfortunate.”

Neutral athletes at the Olympics

A total of 32 neutral athletes competed in Paris, combining to win five medals including one gold in trampoline by Ivan Litvinovich of Belarus. One silver medal was won by the 20 neutral athletes in Milan and Cortina.

At the previous Olympic editions, a Russian team of 335 athletes went to the Tokyo Summer Games held in 2021 and 209 went to the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Belarus sent 101 and 26, respectively.

A Belarus team should now expect to regain privileges at the 2028 Olympics — march under a national flag in the opening and closing ceremonies, wear uniforms in national colors, and hear the anthem played for gold medalists.

Doping case for Belarusian medalist

The IOC announced its Belarus news hours after a positive doping test was revealed for one of the country's four medalists at the Paris Olympics.

Weightlifter Yauheni Tsikhantsou, who took bronze in the men's 102-kilogram class in Paris, is not suspended while his case is prosecuted by the International Testing Agency. Growth hormone was found in a sample Tsikhantsou gave in March, the ITA said Thursday.

IOC updates on Olympic Games in 2030

The IOC board chaired by Coventry gave updates on the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps and picking a host for the 2030 Youth Olympic Games.

An ongoing review of the Winter Games program will be confirmed in June but cannot include in France any sports not played on snow and ice, Coventry said. There has been speculation about adding new sports or boosting the winter program with indoor sports from the Summer Games.

The youth hosting contest was moving to a vote next month but stalled Thursday because of IOC uncertainty about a strategy for what it aimed to achieve, Coventry said, noting “very disjointed” views worldwide.

The bidders are Asunción, Paraguay; Bangkok, Thailand; and Santiago, Chile.

___

AP Winter Olympics at https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Leer en español

Exclusive video obtained by Local 10 News shows what police say happened inside a Liberty City apartment moments before officers arrived.

The video captures a barrage of gunfire echoing through the apartment unit for several seconds.

About 40 seconds into the recording, someone can be heard screaming. Moments later, a woman runs out of the apartment yelling down the hallway, “He shot them.”

Police identified the suspect as Antwan Carter. Investigators say Carter killed his girlfriend’s brothers, Jahiem and Gianni Pierre.

According to Miami police, surveillance video shows Carter running to a car to retrieve a gun after getting into an argument with the brothers that turned physical.

The sister told police her brothers came to protect her because of a previous domestic violence incident involving Carter.

A GoFundMe page has been created online to help the family with funeral expenses.

Police said video also shows Carter pacing back and forth outside the apartment, banging on the locked door and yelling, “I bet one of you won’t open up.”

According to the arrest report, the sister urged her brothers not to open the door, but Jahiem opened it anyway. Police say Carter immediately started shooting.

Gianni died first.

Jahiem, who was injured, ran to take cover with his sister, but investigators said he collapsed on top of her.

The report states that after the shooting, Carter sat at the edge of the bed and told his girlfriend, “You see what you made me do?” She responded, “I told you to leave.”

The woman then ran out of the apartment screaming, “He shot them.”

Police said when officers arrived, Carter confessed, telling them, “I’m the one. I have the firearm.”

He remains in jail facing murder charges.

Un video exclusivo obtenido por Local 10 News muestra lo que, según la Policía, ocurrió dentro de un apartamento en Liberty City momentos antes de que llegaran los agentes.

El video capta una ráfaga de disparos resonando dentro de la unidad del apartamento durante varios segundos.

Aproximadamente 40 segundos después de iniciada la grabación, se escucha a alguien gritar. Momentos después, una mujer sale corriendo del apartamento gritando por el pasillo: “Él les disparó”.

La Policía identificó al sospechoso como Antwan Carter. Los investigadores aseguran que Carter mató a los hermanos de su novia, Jahiem y Gianni Pierre.

Según la Policía de Miami, un video de vigilancia muestra a Carter corriendo hacia un vehículo para buscar un arma luego de discutir con los hermanos en un altercado que se tornó físico.

La hermana dijo a la Policía que sus hermanos acudieron a protegerla debido a un incidente previo de violencia doméstica relacionado con Carter.

Se creó una página de GoFundMe en internet para ayudar a la familia con los gastos funerarios.

La Policía indicó que el video también muestra a Carter caminando de un lado a otro fuera del apartamento, golpeando la puerta cerrada y gritando: “Apuesto a que uno de ustedes no va a abrir”.

Según el informe de arresto, la hermana les pidió a sus hermanos que no abrieran la puerta, pero Jahiem la abrió de todos modos. La Policía asegura que Carter comenzó a disparar de inmediato.

Gianni murió primero.

Jahiem, quien resultó herido, corrió para refugiarse junto a su hermana, pero los investigadores dijeron que colapsó encima de ella.

El informe indica que después de la balacera, Carter se sentó al borde de la cama y le dijo a su novia: “¿Ves lo que me hiciste hacer?”. Ella respondió: “Te dije que te fueras”.

Luego, la mujer salió corriendo del apartamento gritando: “Él les disparó”.

La Policía dijo que cuando los agentes llegaron, Carter confesó al decirles: “Soy yo. Tengo el arma de fuego”.

Permanece en la cárcel enfrentando cargos de asesinato.

Ahora, un programa piloto favorable para inquilinos en la ciudad de Nueva York ha puesto a prueba un enfoque distinto: baterías enchufables que pueden alimentar aires acondicionados sin depender de la red durante los picos de demanda, lo que ayuda a quitarle presión a la red en sus momentos de mayor tensión y, al mismo tiempo, mantiene frescos a los residentes.

“Básicamente es una versión potenciada de la batería portátil que usarías para cargar tu teléfono cuando sales”, señaló Andrew Wang, director ejecutivo de Every Electric, la empresa que respalda el plan piloto, que se ha asociado con la compañía energética de la ciudad Con Edison.

Los dispositivos, cuyo tamaño es semejante al de un horno de microondas, se cargan cuando la demanda de electricidad es baja y luego hacen funcionar durante unas horas las unidades de aire acondicionado de ventana cuando la demanda se dispara. Se trata de uno de los muchos socios que participan en los programas de respuesta a la demanda de Con Edison, que pagan a los clientes para que reduzcan o desplacen su consumo eléctrico con el fin de respaldar la red.

El programa piloto se está ampliando a más de 1.000 hogares este verano y los participantes pueden recibir recompensas en forma de reembolsos en efectivo.

Los expertos señalan que esta iniciativa refleja el cambio más general hacia las llamadas plantas de energía virtuales, en las que muchos recursos energéticos pequeños y distribuidos se coordinan para reducir la presión durante los picos de demanda. A gran escala, soluciones como esta podrían tener un impacto significativo en la confiabilidad y la asequibilidad de la electricidad.

Por qué la electricidad se encarece durante los episodios de calor

Cuando la demanda de electricidad se dispara, las empresas de servicios públicos suelen recurrir a centrales eléctricas de respaldo que no operan con tanta frecuencia y que, por lo general, son menos eficientes y más contaminantes, indicó Kevin Brehm, gerente de RMI, una organización sin fines de lucro que investiga sistemas energéticos y la transición hacia energía limpia.

Con el tiempo, esos picos pueden hacer que las empresas de servicios públicos construyan más centrales eléctricas, a menudo alimentadas con combustibles fósiles, para satisfacer la demanda, y los costos terminan trasladándose a los consumidores.

“Está la cuestión de las emisiones, y también hay una cuestión realmente importante relacionada con la asequibilidad”, manifestó Brehm.

Por eso, las compañías eléctricas suelen pedir a los residentes que ahorren energía durante los días más calurosos del año, y fijan tarifas más altas en las horas pico para incentivar a la gente a ahorrar electricidad. Esas estrategias “pueden ser difíciles de sostener porque no saben exactamente cómo se van a comportar los consumidores”, añadió Brehm.

Ahí es donde pueden ayudar soluciones como la de Every Electric.

Las redes de baterías pueden aliviar la presión

Las empresas de servicios públicos y los gobiernos buscan cada vez más maneras de gestionar el aumento de la demanda eléctrica a medida que las olas de calor se vuelven más frecuentes e intensas.

Un enfoque es el programa de respuesta a la demanda de Every Electric, que paga a los clientes para que reduzcan o desplacen su consumo de electricidad durante periodos de alta demanda.

Los programas de plantas de energía virtuales son otra solución que se expande estado por estado en Estados Unidos. Dichos programas conectan miles de pequeños dispositivos energéticos, como baterías domésticas o electrodomésticos inteligentes, y los coordinan para devolver energía a la red cuando la demanda se dispara, aliviando la presión sin construir nuevas plantas. California, por ejemplo, trabaja para desarrollar uno de los más grandes del mundo, pagando a cientos de miles de participantes para que envíen energía almacenada de vuelta a la red durante eventos climáticos extremos. La mayoría de estos programas se limita a propietarios de viviendas con paneles solares.

Con Edison señaló que las baterías pueden ayudar a reducir la demanda máxima, respaldar la energía renovable y disminuir la necesidad de nueva infraestructura.

El programa de Every Electric funciona específicamente para personas con unidades de aire acondicionado de ventana, que por lo general son inquilinos, aunque no exporta energía de vuelta a la red. En su lugar, reduce la demanda al usar energía almacenada en la batería.

Aun así, Brehm sostuvo que programas como este forman parte del impulso más amplio para integrar los dispositivos energéticos de los consumidores en la red y recompensar los servicios que prestan.

“No puedo poner paneles solares en mi techo”, comentó Bianca Pasternack, una inquilina de la ciudad de Nueva York inscrita en el programa. “Esto al menos es algo accesible y fácil. Fue realmente una cuestión de configurarlo y olvidarse”.

Crece el programa piloto de baterías enchufables para unidades de aire acondicionado

La batería se enchufa a la unidad de aire acondicionado y luego al tomacorriente de la pared. Se vincula a una aplicación para teléfonos inteligentes que detecta cuándo la demanda es baja, cargando la batería durante las horas fuera de pico y usándola para alimentar el aire acondicionado durante los periodos pico, por lo general de 1 a 4 de la tarde o de 4 a 8 de la tarde durante los meses más calurosos.

Los participantes también pueden ganar dinero por participar, aproximadamente el equivalente al costo de una factura eléctrica de julio, según la empresa. Pasternack dijo que recibió una tarjeta de regalo de 100 dólares al final de la temporada.

La empresa afirma que su plan piloto ha crecido de unos 200 kilovatios de capacidad flexible el año pasado a aproximadamente 2 megavatios este verano, y que podría ampliarse mucho más. En comparación, el programa de California supera los 200 megavatios. La empresa busca expandirse a otras ciudades, indicó Wang.

Aunque el programa de Every Electric actualmente opera a pequeña escala, Brehm dice que sistemas como este podrían reducir de manera importante la presión sobre la red si llegan a suficientes hogares.

“Es cuestión de cómo logramos alcanzar esa escala”, expresó, al señalar que la adopción generalizada es un tema clave que depende de lo fácil que sea desplegar la tecnología e integrarla en la red. Agregó que el proceso de instalación de Every Electric es fácilmente accesible. “Es conectar y usar, y no necesitas un montón de permisos”.

___

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.

Según la Policía, la balacera fue reportada alrededor de las 4 a.m. en la cuadra 1000 de Southwest 15th Avenue.

La Policía indicó que los agentes llegaron a la escena y encontraron a una víctima con un disparo en la pierna.

Los agentes administraron primeros auxilios a la víctima antes de que Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue llegara y la trasladara al Broward Health Medical Center con heridas que no ponen en peligro su vida.

La Policía dijo que la víctima se negó a presentar cargos contra el sospechoso y rechazó proporcionar una descripción de esa persona.

No se divulgaron más detalles de inmediato.

Leer en español

According to police, the shooting was reported at about 4 a.m. in the 1000 block of Southwest 15^th Avenue.

Police said officers arrived at the scene and found a victim who had been shot in the leg.

Officers administered first aid to the victim before Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue arrived and transported him or her to Broward Health Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the victim declined prosecution against the suspect and declined to provide a description of that person.

No other details were immediately released.

Iran effectively seized control of the critical waterway after the U.S. and Israel attacked it on Feb. 28. Weeks of heavy bombing and a U.S. naval blockade imposed last month have yet to loosen its grip. Iran says it will only reopen the strait if the war ends and the blockade is lifted. U.S. President Donald Trump is seeking wider concessions, including the rollback of Iran's disputed nuclear program.

Here is a look at the strait by the numbers:

21 miles (34 kilometers)

This is the width of the strait, which bends like an elbow, at its narrowest point between Iran and Oman. Ships follow narrow lanes to safely navigate the shallow water, making it even more of a chokepoint.

20%

Before the war, a fifth of the world’s traded oil typically flowed through the strait every day, as well as large supplies of natural gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products.

100-130

The number of ships that passed through the strait each day before the war began, including oil tankers and cargo ships, according to research firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

534

The number of ships that are believed to have passed through the strait from the start of hostilities through May 4, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence. Many are believed to have carried Iranian oil. In normal times, an estimated 6,500 to 8,450 ships would have transited the strait during the same period.

50%

The amount that the average price of gas in the U.S. has risen since the war began. The average price of a gallon was $4.56 on Thursday, according to AAA. The closure of the strait has also nearly doubled the cost of jet fuel.

Up to 10%

Insurance rates for ships have skyrocketed from 1% of the ship’s goods up to as much as 10%, according to shipping experts.

45 million

The number of people who could experience hunger, mostly in Asia and Africa, if the strait does not open soon, according to the U.N. World Food Program. The blocking of fuel and fertilizer shipments could soon push the price of food and other necessities out of reach for those already in a precarious situation, it said.

10

The number of mariners who have been killed since the Iran war began, according to the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization.

32

The number of ships that have come under attack, according to the International Maritime Organization.

1,550

The number of vessels, from 87 countries, currently stranded in the Persian Gulf, according to the U.S. military.

22,500

The number of mariners stranded on these ships, including many from South and Southeast Asia.

15,000

The number of U.S. soldiers, accompanied by 100 aircraft, committed to enforce Project Freedom, according to the U.S. military. Trump's initiative to guide ships through the strait was paused on Tuesday, just two days after he announced it.

2

The number of ships that the U.S. said it successfully guided through the strait as part of Project Freedom. ___

Associated Press writer David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, contributed.

Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary opened the event by saying his agency was “removing all petroleum-based food dyes" from U.S. foods. But the specifics did not become clear until the final minutes, when Kennedy revealed that the government had “an understanding” with foodmakers to voluntarily stop using the chemicals. A “national standard and timeline” for completing the process would soon follow, according to an FDA statement.

More than a year later, the FDA has not introduced any of the detailed, scientific regulatory documents needed to establish a safety issue with the half-dozen widely used dyes. Instead, the FDA maintains an online list of manufacturers that have pledged to phase out the chemicals.

The administration’s handling of food dyes reflects its approach to a number of health priorities. Instead of using the time-consuming process of federal rulemaking, which can stretch across multiple administrations, officials working under Republican President Donald Trump have found a quicker approach: Announce sweeping changes first and deal with the regulations later.

“It speaks volumes that the administration has yet to produce a document articulating the scientific basis for the voluntary request,” said Susan Mayne, a Yale University public health expert and former director of the FDA’s food program. Meanwhile, the FDA's website continues to carry the government's longtime conclusion that “the totality of scientific evidence” does not show a link between synthetic dyes and health problems.

“If FDA has changed its position, then FDA should document why and pursue a ban,” Mayne said.

A spokesperson for Kennedy said the administration has used “multiple approaches” to quickly make more progress on food dyes “than at any point in the past.”

“FDA engaged industry early in this effort to encourage timely changes while continuing its scientific and regulatory work,” said Emily Hilliard of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “The agency maintains its role in evaluating safety and will continue to use its regulatory authorities, guidance, and review processes as appropriate.”

The lack of initiative in drafting new regulations is particularly striking at the FDA. Under federal law, the agency is supposed to refrain from making major policy announcements in news releases, speeches or other informal settings.

But a string of changes from Makary and his deputies have appeared first in articles in subscription-only medical journal articles, television interviews or online posts, including new restrictions on COVID-19 vaccines and other therapies.

Traditionally, those changes would be published first in the Federal Register, giving consumers, experts, and companies a chance to comment and suggest revisions to FDA proposals.

FDA has faced little pushback from industry

Almost as surprising as the agency’s shift away from rulemaking is the fact that the powerful companies FDA regulates have put up little resistance.

The FDA has faced hundreds of lawsuits over the decades — from drugmakers, pharmacies, tobacco companies and others — that accused the agency of failing to follow the legally required steps for new regulations and guidelines.

But drugmakers and other multibillion-dollar companies are sitting on the sidelines, at least for now.

Industry observers point to the administration's unusual willingness to pressure drugmakers, including on drug pricing concessions sought by Trump.

“Does the government have the ability to basically bully companies?” asked Dan Troy, the FDA’s former chief counsel. “Yes, and I think we’re seeing that.”

One of the biggest FDA changes came last May, when Makary and then-vaccine chief Dr. Vinay Prasad published a medical journal article announcing that the FDA would no longer routinely approve COVID-19 shots for healthy adults under age 65 and children without underlying health problems. To win approval for that group, vaccine manufacturers would need to conduct large studies that many experts say may not be feasible in today's post-pandemic environment.

As with other vaccine decisions, Makary and Prasad bypassed the agency’s outside experts, who had traditionally been consulted on major decisions involving the shots. Makary says FDA advisory panels are often biased and take too much time and money to convene.

“We had all of this experience looking at the safety of how these vaccines work, and then these two cowboys come and say: ‘We’re going to make this policy’,” said Dr. Kathryn Edwards, who previously led the FDA’s vaccine panel.

Edwards and other experts say the lack of pushback from vaccine manufacturers may reflect the tremendous power the FDA holds over them.

“Ultimately, you need the FDA to license your product,” said Edwards, a retired vaccine scientist at Vanderbilt University. “If you’re going to try and buck the FDA -- especially in this environment — the likelihood of your product getting a positive review is going to be pretty low.”

Earlier this year, the FDA briefly refused to consider a new mRNA flu shot from Moderna. The agency reversed its decision after pushback from the company and the White House.

Recent FDA changes may have little staying power

There may be other reasons why normally litigious companies are not challenging the agency.

Some FDA initiatives have the potential to benefit companies, including a program that awards ultrafast reviews to drugs favored by the Trump administration.

Even seemingly burdensome changes may have little staying power because the agency is not going through the process to enshrine them in federal rules or guidelines. That includes stringent new standards to win approval for CAR-T therapies that were previously approved for various forms of cancer, based on early results.

“Anything that this administration does that they don’t embody in law can easily be undone by a future administration,” Troy said.

Still, with more than two years remaining under Trump, there are signs at least some companies may be willing to raise objections.

The FDA last year began releasing rejection letters for drugs it declined to approve. Previously, that information was considered confidential and the property of drugmakers.

Last month, an unnamed drugmaker filed a formal petition challenging the practice, noting the FDA had provided “only a two-sentence explanation addressing its purported legal authority” to release the letters.

The petition does not carry the force of a lawsuit, but it invokes the same language as numerous legal challenges to the agency, calling the FDA’s action “arbitrary and capricious.”

___

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.

Now, a renter-friendly pilot program in New York City is testing a different approach: plug-in batteries that can power air conditioners offline during peak demand, helping take pressure off the grid at its most stressed moments while still keeping residents cool.

“It’s basically a souped up version of the power bank that you would use to charge your phone when you go out,” said Andrew Wang, the chief executive officer of Every Electric, the company behind the pilot, which has partnered with the city's energy company Con Edison.

The devices, about the size of a microwave, charge when electricity demand is low and then run window AC units for a few hours when demand spikes. It's one of many partners participating in Con Edison's demand response programs, which pay customers to reduce or shift electricity use to support the grid.

The pilot program is expanding to more than 1,000 homes this summer and participants can get rewarded in cash rebates.

Experts say this initiative reflects the broader shift toward so-called virtual power plants, in which many small, distributed energy resources are coordinated to reduce strain during peak demand. When scaled, solutions like this could have a significant impact on power reliability and affordability.

Why electricity gets pricier during heat events

When electricity demand spikes, utilities often turn to backup power plants that don’t run as often, and are typically less efficient and more polluting, said Kevin Brehm, a manager at RMI, a nonprofit that researches energy systems and the transition to clean power.

Over time, those spikes can push utilities to build more power plants, often fossil-fuel based, to meet demand, with the costs eventually passed down to consumers.

“There’s a question of emissions, and then there’s also a really important question around affordability,” said Brehm.

That’s why power companies often ask residents to conserve energy during the hottest days of the year, and set higher rates during peak hours to encourage people to conserve power. Those strategies “can be hard to rely on because they don’t know exactly how consumers are going to behave,” Brehm added.

That’s where solutions like Every Electric’s can help.

Battery networks can take the pressure off

Utilities and governments are increasingly looking for ways to manage rising electricity demand as heat waves become more frequent and intense.

One approach is Every Electric's demand response program, which pays customers to reduce or shift electricity use during periods of high demand.

Virtual power plant programs are another solution expanding state by state. They connect thousands of small energy devices, like home batteries or smart appliances, and coordinate them to send power back to the grid when demand spikes, easing strain without building new plants. California, for example, is working to develop one of the world’s largest, paying hundreds of thousands of participants to send stored energy back to the grid during extreme climate events. Most of these programs are limited to homeowners with solar panels.

Con Edison said batteries can help reduce peak demand, support renewable energy and lessen the need for new infrastructure.

Every Electric’s program works specifically for people with window AC units, who are typically renters, though it does not export power back to the grid. Instead, it reduces demand by using stored battery power.

Still, Brehm said programs like it are part of the broader push to integrate consumer energy devices into the grid and reward the services they provide.

“I can’t put solar panels on my roof,” said Bianca Pasternack, a New York City renter enrolled in the program. “This is at least something that’s accessible and easy. It was very set-it-and-forget-it.”

Pilot program of plug-in batteries to AC units is growing

The battery plugs into the AC unit, then into the wall outlet. It’s connected to a smartphone app that detects when demand is low, charging the battery during off-peak hours and using it to power the AC during peak times, usually from 1 to 4 p.m. or 4 to 8 p.m. during the hottest months.

Participants can also earn money for taking part, roughly the equivalent of the cost of a July electric bill, according to the company. Pasternack said she received a $100 gift card at the end of the season.

The company says its pilot is growing from about 200 kilowatts of flexible capacity last year to roughly 2 megawatts this summer, and could expand much further. By comparison, California's program exceeds 200 megawatts. The company is looking to expand to other cities, Wang said.

Although Every Electric's program currently operates at a small scale, Brehm says systems like this could meaningfully reduce strain on the grid if they reach enough households.

“It’s a matter of how we’re able to get to that scale,” he said, noting that widespread adoption is a key issue that depends on how easily the technology can be deployed and integrated into the grid. He added that Every Electric’s installation process is easily accessible. “It’s plug-and-play and you don’t need a ton of permissions.”

___

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

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the week ending May 2 rose by 10,000 to 200,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s fewer than the 205,000 new applications analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet were expecting.

The previous week’s new claims figure, which was the fewest since 1969, was revised up by 1,000 to 190,000.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Despite dwindling layoffs shown in government data, the Iran war, now in its third month, has injected a large degree of uncertainty about how it will affect the U.S. and global economies even as Iran and the U.S. remain under a ceasefire agreement with growing optimism that an end to the war is near.

U.S. financial markets have rebounded near record levels and prices for a barrel of U.S. crude oil remain elevated around $90 per barrel. That’s down from highs of $112 last month, but still 36% higher than before the war began. Gas prices also much higher since the war began — AAA says the national average Thursday was at $4.56 a gallon —- saddling businesses and consumers with higher costs.

Last week, the government reported that a key inflation measure jumped in March as gas prices soared, the latest sign that the Iran war is driving the cost of living sharply higher.

An inflation gauge monitored by the Federal Reserve rose 0.7% in March from February, up sharply from the previous month, the Commerce Department said. Compared with a year ago, prices rose 3.5%, the biggest increase in almost three years.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core inflation was also up in March.

This comes at a time when U.S. inflation is already above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. Last week, the Fed opted to leave its benchmark rate alone, citing economic uncertainty caused by instability in the Middle East and still-elevated inflation.

Lower interest rates can boost the economy and hiring, but also tend to fuel inflation. Fed officials voted to cut rates three times to close 2025 out of concern for a weakening job market.

The Labor Department reported last month that U.S. employers added an unexpectedly strong 178,000 new jobs in March, nudging the unemployment rate back down to 4.3%. That followed a surprisingly large loss of 92,000 jobs in February. Revisions also have trimmed 69,000 jobs from December and January payrolls, a sign that the labor market remains under strain.

The government issues its monthly jobs report for April on Friday.

A number of high-profile companies have cut jobs recently, including Morgan Stanley,Block, UPS, Amazon and Disney.

Weekly jobless aid applications have stabilized in a range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 since the U.S. economy emerged from the pandemic recession. However, hiring began slowing about two years ago and tapered further in 2025 due to President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff rollouts, his purge of the federal workforce and the lingering effects of high interest rates meant to control inflation.

Employers added fewer than 200,000 jobs last year, compared with about 1.5 million in 2024, according to the data firm FactSet.

Economists say the American labor market appears stuck in a “low-hire, low-fire” state that has kept the unemployment rate historically low, but has left those out of work struggling to find a new job. The recent artificial intelligence boom and the investment required to develop it is also making companies reluctant to hire.

The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which evens out some of the weekly ups and downs, fell to 203,250, down 4,500 from the previous week.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending April 25 declined by 10,000 to 1.77 million.

The letter underlines how the Democratic Party — both its leaders and the base — has grown increasingly critical of Israel.

Since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and the latest Israel-Hezbollah war in Lebanon, the Israeli military has regularly issued maps covering large areas of territory along with warnings telling all residents of the zones to flee. Israel had previously used a similar approach in Gaza.

The senators said the sweeping warnings have “been used to permanently displace people and destroy homes and towns” and that some civilians who refused to leave their homes in the areas have been killed by subsequent strikes.

The 12 senators led by Vermont Sen. Peter Welch, in a letter dated May 4 to CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper that was provided to The Associated Press, state that Israel’s practice of unilaterally declaring mass evacuation warnings in Lebanon and Iran “likely contravene international laws the United States has helped develop around humane warfare.”

The other signatories include senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.

The letter asked the CENTCOM chief whether U.S. forces have coordinated military targets with Israeli forces during the recent war with Iran, whether they provided assistance or intelligence helping Israel’s military to impose the evacuation zones in Lebanon and Iran, and whether CENTCOM signed off on U.S. military support for the targeting of people or infrastructure in the evacuation zones. It also asked whether the U.S. military has reviewed the legality of the practice.

The Israeli military declined to comment when asked about the letter. CENTCOM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past, Israel has said the evacuation maps aim to keep civilians out of harm’s way. It says Hezbollah has positioned fighters, tunnels and weapons in civilian areas across southern Lebanon, from which it has launched hundreds of drones and missiles — without warning — into northern Israel.

International law experts say Israel’s warnings are inconsistent and often overly broad and open-ended. In Lebanon, residents say the warnings sometimes come with short notice or in the middle of the night, causing chaos and confusion, while in some cases, the warnings prompt evacuations but are never followed by a strike. In other cases, strikes in residential areas come with no warning.

A shift in the party stance

Observers said the move is part of a larger shift in the stance of Democratic Party leaders on U.S. military assistance to Israel. Democrats have also been critical of the Trump administration's entry into the war on Iran alongside Israel.

The letter came nearly three weeks after more than three dozen Democrats supported an effort by Sanders to block arms sales to Israel, signaling a growing discontent in the party with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the wars in Gaza and Iran.

The two resolutions to block U.S. sales of bulldozers and bombs to Israel were opposed by all Republicans and rejected 40-59 and 36-63.

Jon Finer, former deputy national security adviser under President Joe Biden, said the recent steps by Democratic senators reflect a “growing concern about Israeli conduct of various wars that cause civilian harm and U.S. complicity in that" across the spectrum within the Democratic Party.

Asked why the Democratic Party is taking these steps now and not at the time when the war in Gaza and the Israel-Hezbollah war broke out — when the Democratic Biden administration was in power — Finer said: “our operational integration with Israel appears to be growing, which is part of it, but the truth is the Democratic base has been moving in this direction for some time and Washington has been catching up.”

Andrew Miller, a former senior official on Israel and Palestinian Affairs at the State Department, said the letter “represents a shift among congressional Democrats moving from questions of the legality of Israeli military operations to concerns about the complicity of the U.S. military.”

“It demonstrates that Democrats are taking international law very seriously and that is a welcome development,” Miller said.

The evacuation zones

Israel has issued dozens of evacuation warnings in Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began on March 2. Over 1 million people in Lebanon have fled their homes during the war.

Israel has also issued similar warnings for Iranians, both during the 12-day Israel-Iran war last year and during the U.S.-Israeli war launched on Iran on Feb. 28. In one case last year they warned 300,000 people in Tehran, Iran's capital, to evacuate.

On Wednesday, the Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee issued an evacuation warning to residents of 12 villages in southern Lebanon saying Hezbollah is using them to launch attacks. The warnings came despite a ceasefire that has been nominally in place since April 17, although Israel and Hezbollah have been carrying daily attacks since then.

The senators said the declaration of evacuation zones does not absolve Israeli and U.S. forces “from the absolute legal responsibility to determine that each individual person or civilian facility targeted by drones, jets, and gunfire is, in fact, a military target.” It said the use of the zones has been linked to “the deaths of thousands of civilians," describing them as “kill zones.”

In response to questions by the AP last month, the Israeli military said it issues warnings by phone, text, radio broadcast, social media and leaflets dropped from the air, in accordance with the “principles of distinction, proportionality and feasible precautions” under international law.

___

Associated Press writer Julia Frankel contributed to this report from Jerusalem.

The indictment identified the man as Yona Schreiber, 36, from the Israeli-occupied West Bank settlement of Peduel. It comes after a video of the assault received wide condemnation from foreign and Christian leaders.

Schreiber was arrested last week, and Israel's attorney general recommended extending his detention for the duration of the case. Schreiber’s lawyer refused to speak to an Associated Press journalist at the court.

According to the indictment, Schreiber attacked a woman in Jerusalem, just outside of the walls of Jerusalem’s Old City, because she was wearing a habit that identified her as a Catholic nun. He pushed her and then kicked her while she was lying on the ground, and also attacked a passerby who attempted to halt his attack, the indictment said.

Schreiber is being charged with simple assault, and assault motivated by religious hostility.

Olivier Poquillon, the director of the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research, said that the nun was a researcher at the school. He called the attack an “act of sectarian violence” in an X post.

Religious groups have documented a rise in acts of harassment and violence against Christian pilgrims and clergy as well as Palestinian Christian residents, including assaults and spitting, often by extremist ultra-Orthodox Jews.

The arrest comes as Israeli treatment of religious minorities is under scrutiny, weeks after police limited access for holiday worship in Jerusalem’s holiest sites because of security concerns during the Iran war.

Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was prohibited from holding a private Mass at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday, the first time in centuries Catholic leaders have been prevented from observing Palm Sunday at the church. After the uproar, Jerusalem police eventually worked out a compromise for a limited Easter Mass at the church.

Israel also drew international criticism after a soldier photographed himself bludgeoning a fallen statue of Jesus on the cross with an ax in southern Lebanon. Israeli leaders later disavowed the incident and said that he would be reprimanded, and assisted local residents in replacing the statue.

The Israeli military also opened an investigation into a soldier photographed shoving a cigarette into the mouth of the statue of the Virgin Mary, which was apparently photographed several weeks ago. The military said that it views the incident with “utmost severity.” And there have been questions and concern about Israeli soldiers bulldozing parts of a Catholic convent in southern Lebanon.

Last month, Israel’s Foreign Ministry appointed former Ambassador George Deek to be the special envoy to the Christian world, in response to the incidents. Deek previously served as Israel’s ambassador to Azerbaijan and was Israel’s first Arab Christian ambassador.

Deek condemned the soldier filmed smoking a cigarette with a statue of the Virgin Mary, and stressed that Israel “is committed to preserving religious freedom and the dignity of all religions.”

Israel’s founding declaration includes safeguarding freedom of religion and all holy places, and it portrays itself as an oasis of religious tolerance in a volatile region.

But some church authorities and monitoring groups have lamented a recent increase in anti-Christian sentiment and harassment. The issue is particularly pronounced in Jerusalem’s Old City, a densely populated area with narrow alleyways of ancient stones, which houses holy sites for Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Wadie Abunassar, the coordinator of the Holy Land Christian Forum, last week called attacks targeting Christians a growing phenomenon. He attributed the quick response to the attack on the nun to the fact that it was caught on video.

He said that he felt “great anger on the system and great sadness, because I feel that this will not end anytime soon.” One of the problems, he said, was insufficient deterrence against such violence.

“Many times in such cases there are no arrests and if there are arrests, sometimes after one or two days, (suspects) are released,” he added. “In some cases, the police do not recommend the prosecution to file charges or to indict them. And in some cases, when there is indictment, the indictment is mild.”

___

Sam Metz contributed to this report from Ramallah, West Bank.

A free kick that should have led to a second yellow card for handball by Paris Saint-Germain defender Nuno Mendes was overturned after just 29 minutes when Bayern badly needed a way back into Wednesday's game.

“That would have been a decisive moment if PSG had lost a player so early,” said Bayern’s Konrad Laimer, who instead was eventually judged — on the fourth official’s advice — to have handled the ball seconds earlier.

Two years ago, a potential goal in stoppage time by Bayern’s Matthijs de Ligt to force extra time at Real Madrid was ruled out by a quickly raised flag for a possible offside that was marginal at best.

In 2024, Bayern’s then-coach Thomas Tuchel called the on-field ruling a “disastrous decision” that “feels almost like a betrayal.”

It is now six years and counting — and two semifinals exits — since six-time European champion Bayern last played in the final.

An added frustration is the passage of play around the Nuno Mendes handball could not be reviewed by the VAR system — though a similar incident could be next season when the rules are updated.

Key moment

PSG took a deserved third-minute lead in Munich on Wednesday when Ousmane Dembélé finished a fast break driven by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s skills and speed.

That made it 6-4 on aggregate to PSG, and Bayern seeking a big change in momentum.

It seemed to come when Laimer surged forward and flicked the ball up to the side of Nuno Mendes, whose outstretched right arm made his body bigger and blocked the ball.

Referee João Pinheiro blew his whistle and signaled with his left arm a free kick to Bayern. Another yellow card for Nuno Mendes, already booked for tripping Michael Olise, seemed inevitable.

Before Pinheiro reached the spot to take the free kick, his right arm was out in the PSG direction of play. The Portuguese referee gave a thumbs up signal to his fourth official on the touchline, Espen Eskas from Norway.

Laimer was judged to have handled the ball several meters (yards) further back when he first controlled the bouncing ball. Television replays were inconclusive.

“You don’t feel it during the game itself. I thought I had played the ball with my stomach, and then Mendes with his hand,” Laimer said. “The referee whistled for handball against me five seconds later. That’s really strange.”

No VAR review

The VAR protocol today allows video review of “clear and obvious errors” in four game-changing situations: A goal, a penalty, direct red cards, mistaken identity when the wrong player is shown a red or yellow card.

Starting at the World Cup next month, VAR can intervene to overturn a red card if a second yellow was shown in error.

Nuno Mendes never was shown a second yellow on Wednesday. However, a similar situation next season will let the referee follow their first instinct and review the whole passage of play at a pitchside monitor.

“I though he was giving it,” Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said of Pinheiro moving toward a second yellow for Nuno Mendes. “I felt he pulled out because he realized he had already given him a yellow and he didn’t want to send him off for that, and he’s turned it around to the other side.

“I’ve seen it from a few angles. I don’t see Konrad Laimer touch the ball with his hand.”

Instead of playing one hour against PSG down one man, Bayern faced a full-strength opponent and did not score until Harry Kane’s goal at the very end of a 1-1 game that cut the overall score to 6-5.

Minutes after the Laimer decision, Bayern was correctly denied a penalty for handball by PSG’s João Neves because the ball was played to his arm by a teammate. That nuance is not specified in The Laws of the Game but it is in a supplementary document called Football Rules.

PSG will defend its Champions League title against Arsenal on May 30. Bayern’s wait goes on.

___

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

Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis outlined the proposed revisions on Thursday, casting them as necessary to safeguard future generations given global concerns about AI’s risks to democratic governance and humanity itself.

“It’s very important that, in this process of constitutional revision, we take care of the world that will host our children,” Mitsotakis told lawmakers from his governing center-right party.

The proposed changes would include a provision that says: “Artificial intelligence shall serve the freedom of the individual and the prosperity of society, ensuring that risks are mitigated and that the advantages it provides are fully realized.”

Dozens of other changes would include expanding postal voting, increasing mandatory schooling from nine to 11 years and banning retroactive taxation.

“These challenges already dominate today: from the climate crisis and protection of water resources to renewable energy sources, but above all the use of artificial intelligence,” the prime minister said. “This great revolution must also be constitutionally placed at the service of individual freedom and social well-being.”

The lengthy revision process involves a series of votes by two successive parliaments and typically requires some cross-party support.

Greece has been an eager adopter of AI and modern technology since emerging from a major financial crisis eight years ago, upgrading border surveillance and rebuilding its tax administration.

A powerful government services platform now manages everything from obtaining a divorce to buying tickets for domestic soccer matches.

Last month, the government unveiled plans for a full social media ban for children younger than 16 — a move it said was intended to pressure the European Union to adopt similar rules.

Some constitutional experts in Greece argue AI must be legally required to serve democracy because major private technology platforms now hold enough data and power to operate beyond effective public oversight.

Evripidis Stylianidis, the government’s lead lawmaker on the constitutional revision, said the changes would serve as a long-term guardrail on AI use.

“Many issues today are defined at the international level,” he told state radio Thursday. “The protection and proper use of artificial intelligence touches all human rights in daily life and is something that must concern us in the constitutional revision.”

Once an outlier on the nation’s highest court, Justice Clarence Thomas has become a towering figure in the conservative legal movement over the last decade as he helped secure landmark rulings on abortion, voting and Second Amendment rights.

The only justice with a longer tenure is liberal William O. Douglas. Thomas would overtake Douglas in 2028 if he remains on the court, and there is no sign he plans to retire anytime soon.

“I think he’s more energized and excited now than when I first met him,” said John Yoo, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, who served in Republican President George W. Bush's administration after his time as a Thomas clerk three decades ago.

Thomas was confirmed in 1991 after contentious hearings that included sexual harassment allegations. More recently, his acceptance of luxury trips has raised a storm of ethics questions. He's nevertheless gone from near-silence at oral arguments to asking the first questions and penning a landmark ruling expanding Second Amendment rights.

Following the nomination of three conservative justices by Republican President Donald Trump, Thomas is now the most senior member of a supermajority that's also overturned abortion as a constitutional right, ended affirmative action in college admissions and sharply limited the Voting Rights Act.

“The court has radically moved in his direction over the course of his time on the court,” said Stanford University law professor Pamela Karlan. Thomas' seniority means he can decide who writes an opinion if he's part of a majority that doesn't include Chief Justice John Roberts, a factor that can nudge other votes behind closed doors, Karlan said.

Off the bench, Thomas' sphere of influence also includes his large, close-knit network of former clerks, who have served in the Trump administration and are increasingly filling out the ranks of federal judges.

“That is an important legacy that he will leave,” said Sarah Konsky, director of the Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School. “Even as justices' own time on the court winds down, significant influence lives on through their clerks.”

That’s not to say Thomas’ time on the court is up. In a recent speech, Thomas tied the nation’s highest ideals to a conservative vision of limited government — and launched a broadside on progressivism seen by critics as unfair and inappropriate. In the room at the University of Texas, though, it earned a standing ovation.

Thomas, who became the second Black member of the court, now has a tenure that tops 34 years, putting him ahead of Justice Stephen J. Field, who was nominated by President Abraham Lincoln before the end of the Civil War and served as the only 10th justice until 1897.

For Thomas, 77, it’s a long way from the hearings at which his nomination by Republican President George H.W. Bush was nearly derailed by allegations that he had sexually harassed Anita Hill, a charge he forcefully denied.

Thomas has more recently come under scrutiny for lavish, undisclosed trips from a GOP megadonor and the conservative political activism of his wife, who backed false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. The justice has said he wasn’t required to disclose the trips he took with friends and ignored calls to recuse himself from cases related to the election.

On the court, though, recent years have also brought perhaps the most significant work of his career, especially a 2022 opinion he wrote that found people generally have the right to carry a gun in public. The justice did not respond to a request for comment on his tenure.

His own jurisprudence has changed little over the years, said Scott Gerber, author of “First Principles: The Jurisprudence of Clarence Thomas." Even as the majority moves his way, he’s continued to write dissents that get noticed.

“He’s incredibly consistent,” Gerber said. Once known for solo dissents, “now he writes majority opinions.”

___

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

Angelo Binaghi, the president of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, is also campaigning to turn the Rome event into a fifth Grand Slam.

The players have targeted the coming French Open for reducing players' share of revenue to an alleged 14.3% — compared to the 22% at ATP and WTA events like the Italian Open this week.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff were among players this week threatening a boycott of the Slams if they don’t start receiving more compensation.

“The players have our full support,” Binaghi said. “It’s scandalous that we’re required by the ATP to share a bigger cut of the revenues with the players and the four Grand Slams hand out a smaller cut.

“It’s shameful and creates competitive disparities, too, because the four nations (that organize the Slams) have a huge amount of money to invest in their technical sectors that other nations don’t have,” Binaghi added. “I want to blow apart this monopoly.”

Italian Open prize money

It should be noted that the Italian Open has offered less prize money for women than men for years. The total men's prize money this year in Rome is $9.6 million while the women's prize money is $8.3 million.

But next week the women's champion in Rome will earn 1.055 million euros — slightly more than the 1.007 million euros handed out to the men's winner.

Fifth Grand Slam

For more than a year, Binaghi has been campaigning to turn the Italian Open into a fifth Grand Slam alongside the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — upending a century of tennis history.

With Jannik Sinner dominating at No. 1 and three other Italians in the men's top 20 rankings — No. 10 Lorenzo Musetti; No. 12 Flavio Cobolli and No. 20 Luciano Darderi — Italian tennis is booming.

Italy has won the Davis Cup for three straight years and the Billie Jean King Cup — the women’s team event — for the last two years.

So Binaghi, who took over the federation a quarter century ago when it was nearly bankrupt, wants to take advantage of the boom for his Grand Slam dream.

“We’re experiencing a stretch of tennis in Italy that will be tough to repeat, because it also needs to be considered in comparison with the Italian soccer debacle," Binaghi said, referring to how Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.

Foro Italico running out of room

Besides tradition and scheduling issues, Binaghi faces another major obstacle toward making the Italian Open bigger: There’s little room for expansion at the Foro Italico.

“We’re open to organizing a (fifth Grand Slam) anywhere in Italy — on any surface,” Binaghi said.

Work on a retractable roof for Campo Centrale is slated to start immediately after this year’s Italian Open and be ready for the 2028 edition.

Capacity for the revised stadium will increase from 10,500 to 12,400.

The Italian Open is hoping to pass 400,000 ticket sales this year, while the French Open last year had a total attendance of nearly 700,000.

“If we’re going to aim big, we shouldn’t focus exclusively on the Foro Italico, because there are a lot of issues here in terms of transport and temporary venues,” Binaghi said.

So would Binaghi be willing to move the tournament away from the Foro and its statue-lined courts?

“These days, the beauty factor is just added value; it’s not decisive,” he said. “The people don’t come to see the statues anymore. They come to see Sinner, Musetti, (Jasmine) Paolini and the other Italian players.”

The Italian Open wanted to add a mixed doubles tournament this year on the weekend before the singles events start but ATP and WTA rules wouldn’t allow it because the Madrid Open ends those days.

Sinner favored to end drought

While Jasmine Paolini earned Italy the titles in both women’s singles and doubles (with partner Sara Errani) last year, Sinner is an overwhelming favorite this year to become the first Italian man to win at the Foro since Adriano Panatta 50 years ago.

Apart from the Olympics, the Italian Open and French Open are the only big titles in tennis that Sinner hasn’t won and his top rival, Carlos Alcaraz, is out of both tournaments due to a right wrist injury.

Binaghi said if Sinner raises the trophies in Rome and Paris, “maybe I should step down.

“If it happens,” Binaghi said of Sinner winning those two titles, “we’ll take stock of all the opportune and logical consequences.”

___

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

The average price of a gallon of gas in the U.S. was $4.55 on Thursday, according to AAA. That was 44% higher than a year ago.

McDonald's Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company has been making progress bringing lower-income customers back into its stores with value meals. But fast food visits by customers with household incomes of $45,000 or less are still declining overall, and the spike in gas prices won't help, he said.

“Clearly, when you have elevated gas prices... that is going to disproportionately impact low-income consumers. And so we expect the pressures there are going to continue,” Kempczinski said Thursday during a conference call with investors.

McDonald's said same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, fell in the U.S. and some international markets in April. That was partly due to a big surge in sales last April, when a popular Minecraft meal drove traffic. Kempczinski said it's too early to get a read on sales in May and June, although the company is hoping a new beverage lineup which launched in the U.S. this week will generate interest.

“Certainly consumer sentiment is heightened anxiety, let’s just say, and it may have an impact. But, you know, our focus is on controlling what we can control,” Kempczinski said.

McDonald's shares were flat in early trading Thursday.

In the January-March period, McDonald's global same-store sales rose 3.8%. That was better than the 3.7% increase Wall Street was expecting, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

The company kept customers interested with limited-time menu items like the Big Arch burger, a 1,020-calorie behemoth that went on sale in the U.S. in March. The burger became a viral sensation after Kempczinski posted a video of himself taking a nibble from one and was mocked for his tentative bite. Tom Curtis, president of rival Burger King, posted his own video taking a vigorous bite of his chain’s new Whopper.

The Big Arch burger costs well over $8 in many U.S. markets. So McDonald's is trying to emphasize value in other parts of its menu. The company cut prices on some U.S. combo meals in September, and starting April 21, McDonald’s U.S. stores began offering 10 items that each cost less than $3.

Kempczinski said McDonald's experience in other markets like Germany and Australia has shown that the combination of meal deals and low-priced individual items is the best value strategy.

“You need to have a meal deal offering there to be able to drive interest and excitement around some of our core menu items,” Kempczinski said. “But you also need entry-level price points for those folks who are maybe a little bit more stressed around affordability and are looking for, you know, ‘What can I get for $3 or less?’”

The Chicago chain said its revenue rose 9% in the first quarter to $6.52 billion. That was also higher than the $6.47 billion Wall Street was expecting, according to FactSet.

McDonald’s net income rose 6% to $1.98 billion. Adjusted for one-time items, the company earned $2.83 per share. That was also higher than analysts’ forecast of $2.74.

“If our hearts must break, let them break open,” said the rabbi, who leads Kehillat Israel where 300 families out of 900 lost their homes. “This tragedy has really pushed us closer to one another. We're working to change the things we need changed.”

Faith leaders both in the Pacific Palisades and in Altadena and Pasadena — devastated by the pair of fires that tore across Southern California — have relied on interfaith and community partnerships to rally congregants who are picking up the pieces 16 months later.

They’ve had to learn on the fly about insurance coverage and local land use regulations while still trying to keep their scattered flock together and raising money for basic needs. Pastors in Altadena have had to fight to protect the rights of Black people who decades ago found pathways to home ownership in that community despite redlining — but now risk losing their land to outside developers who sense an investment opportunity.

And throughout this span, faith leaders have had to cater to the emotional and spiritual needs of their communities and think about how they want to rebuild their sanctuaries that were lost or damaged in the fire. More than a dozen houses of worship burned to the ground or were damaged.

Interfaith relationships have become stronger after the fires

This would have been difficult for faith leaders to handle but for the interfaith relationships that became closer and stronger after the fires, said the Rev. Grace Park, associate pastor at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, which burned down.

Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, Jews and yogis have not just found common ground in human suffering and loss, but have learned how to lean on one another in a time of dire need, she said.

“It’s a sense of mutual affection and respect, learning from each other and leaning on one another,” Park said. “We’re sharing the joys and the deep valleys of what it means to lead through a time of tragedy.”

Brother Satyananda, a senior monk at the Self Realization Fellowship, lost his living quarters and belongings in the fire. Much of the campus, started by Paramahamsa Yogananda who brought ancient spiritual practices from India to the West, fortunately survived the fire.

Satyananda recalls one day when Bernstein picked up on his sadness and offered him “motherly compassion.”

“We share the same profession where we’re tuned to people in need,” he said. “Now, our relationship has changed because we’re tuning into each other. There’s a greater level of trust.”

Pastor BJ King, who leads LoveLand LifeCenter, worked with the late Rev. Cecil B. Murray to heal communities and build interfaith coalitions after the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

“Back then, there was a choice whether or not to get involved,” he said. “But with these fires, there is no choice. It has affected everybody.”

Pastors have had to acquire new skills

King’s congregation has switched to online services after their leased church building in Altadena suffered smoke damage. Twelve families lost their homes. In addition to helping meet people’s basic needs, King has created a program organizing gatherings to connect therapists with those in need of mental health.

“Many people didn’t even know they needed that,” he said.

One of the most powerful roles faith leaders have played after the fire is to “continue to talk with power, people in charge,” said Pastor Jonathan DeCuir, who leads Victory Bible Church in Pasadena. He and others in the region have continued to meet with local officials and even conferred with Gov. Gavin Newsom to keep things moving for their communities.

DeCuir chairs the board of a nonprofit called Legacy Land Project, which provides financial aid, legal support and guidance on building contractors, as well as medical care to those affected by the fires.

The disaster has brought a level of camaraderie that DeCuir says he has never seen among the region's clergy.

“Denominational lines have been crossed,” he said. “Even if we have different theological stances or approaches to ministry, we are all now looking at how to care for our people and community. If we don’t come together, Altadena will never ever be the same. The people won't be there anymore. That, to me, is terrifying.”

While a church is more than a building, physical churches do appear as “beacons of hope” in traumatized communities, said Pastor Mayra Macedo-Nolan, executive director of Clergy Community Coalition in Pasadena. Her group has lobbied for houses of worship to be prioritized on the same footing as businesses in the rebuilding plan.

“When people start seeing churches rebuilding in Altadena, they’re going to feel like it’s going to be OK because the churches are coming back,” she said.

Reimagining a purposeful future

On April 26, the Altadena Fountain of Life Church broke ground to build a new sanctuary after their house of worship, which had stood for over three decades, was destroyed in the fire. Pastor Jonathan Lewis, who ministers to about 75, hopes the church will be ready in time for Easter next year.

“It’ll be a Resurrection Sunday for our church, too,” he said.

Alexis Duncan, who grew up in Altadena attending that church, came to the groundbreaking with her 6-year-old daughter. She lost both her home and her church building.

“It means everything to me that they’re rebuilding because I want the church to be there for my daughter as she grows up,” she said. “This new beginning gives me and my family hope and the encouragement to come back.”

Some churches like Altadena Community Church, a United Church of Christ congregation, are pausing to rethink their future purpose. The Rev. Michael Lewis, who took over in February after the previous pastor retired, said the congregation is looking into several possibilities for the one-acre lot, including affordable housing.

“We know that a church is not intended to be a landlord and the pastor is no property manager,” he said. “But, we’re also thinking about who is able to return to Altadena? How will this rich, economically diverse community that was scattered by the fire come back?”

The church has been around since the 1940s. A haven for actors, poets and musicians, the former sanctuary also served as a vibrant performance space. Lewis said they hope to incorporate a performance stage into the new facility.

“It’ll look different from what we had before,” he said. “Once we figure out how to build community, we can decide what physical structures will help us support that community.”

As for Kehillat Israel, on May 15, members will carry their Torah scrolls back to their sanctuary, marking one of the first returns by a house of worship to the Palisades since the disaster.

Judaism has had “a long history of starting over,” Bernstein said.

“It’s encoded in our cultural approach to the world, that there are things that can always be taken away from you,” she said. “But what you become can never get taken away.”

___

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

There were no reports of deaths after the tornadoes cut across the state's southwest late Wednesday evening, said Scott Simmons, a spokesperson for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

He said 12 of those hurt were transported from a hard-hit trailer park in the small community of Bogue Chitto, about an hour's drive south of the state capital in rural Lincoln County.

Most of the two dozen homes at Gene’s Mobile Home Supply were flattened into heaps of splintered boards and twisted metal. People picked through the debris Thursday morning under cloudy skies as a chain saw buzzed in the background.

Krystal Miller and six others — including babies as young as 4 weeks old — grabbed a Bible and sheltered in their home's hallway when the tornado sent the building cartwheeling through the air.

“We just flipped, and it threw us all out,” she said. “It scattered everybody out. … I can’t find the Bible.”

She said her young son was in the hospital for monitoring and another child was injured in the face.

“The trailer is in pieces but we made it out,” Miller said. “I'm feeling grateful.”

One intact trailer lay flipped on its roof near the tree line. Several cars, some with hazard lights blinking, appeared to have been picked up by the storm.

“We know there were at least three tornadoes,” said Daniel Lamb, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service office in Jackson.

“The same storm produced at least two tornadoes from Franklin, Lincoln into Lawrence counties, and then there was another one from Lamar possibly into Forest County.”

He said there may have been more. “Those are just the ones that we are able to confirm by radar before even having gone down there.”

“Pray for Mississippi,” Gov. Tate Reeves posted online, saying the state Emergency Management Agency was coordinating response efforts.

Many roads were still blocked in Lincoln County and teams from the agency were assessing the damage.

“We ask that you please refrain from sightseeing as crews are working,” the department posted early Thursday.

The governor said a volunteer rescue group was providing a 50-person shelter pod, a high-powered generator and 10 pallets of supplies to the county, which reported at least 200 damaged homes.

Lamar County to the southeast reported about 275 homes damaged, according to the state emergency management agency. Another 10 to 12 homes were damaged in Lawrence County.

More storms were expected Thursday with the possibility of tornadoes across parts of Alabama, Georgia and Florida, the weather service said. Strong storms also were possible for parts of the Carolinas and Texas.

___

McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire.

Authorities in Nigeria's Kogi state said that gunmen attacked an Islamic orphanage that was operating illegally and abducted 23 pupils in an “isolated area” of Lokoja, capital of Kogi State, on April 26. Fifteen of those abducted were immediately rescued.

The troops intercepted and recovered nine of those abducted within a forest area in the state, army spokesman Hassan Abdullahi said in the statement, which was dated Wednesday but released on Thursday.

“The rescued victims comprised five boys, two girls, and two adult females, believed to be the wives of the proprietor of the orphanage,” Abdullahi said.

The development would mean that there could be one more pupil missing, but the statement didn't mention if anybody else was unaccounted for.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Armed groups attack schools and abduct students because they are seen as strategic in drawing attention and exacting huge ransoms, according to analysts. Several hundred students have been kidnapped across Nigeria.

Lamine Yamal is out for the rest of the season and so is Brazil star Estêvão.

There was also a scare when Mohamed Salah hurt his hamstring recently.

Injuries to some of soccer's biggest names are mounting ahead of the World Cup which starts in five weeks.

Mbappé is expected to play again for Real Madrid this month and there is no suggestion his issue will rule him out of the World Cup. But every setback to France's best player will be of concern to the national team.

Barcelona's teenage sensation Yamal — recuperating from a leg muscle injury — is also expected to be part of Spain's squad and appear at his first World Cup.

And initial fears about Salah have been dispelled.

Others, however, have not been so fortunate.

France's Hugo Ekitike sustained an Achilles injury in April that could take more than six months to fully recover, ruling him out of the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and possibly the start of next season.

Brazil stars Rodrygo and Éder Militão are definitely out. So is Bayern Munich and Germany forward Serge Gnabry after injuring his adductor in training.

Meanwhile, the absence of Spain and Manchester City midfielder Rodri in recent weeks because of a groin injury is also worrying after he missed the majority of last season due to ACL damage. City manager Pep Guardiola has given positive updates about Rodri's recovery in recent days and the former Ballon d’Or winner should play again this season.

Players and coaches have increasingly warned about the impact of an ever-packed playing schedule, and the expanded World Cup comes a year after the relaunched, supersized Club World Cup. The Champions League has also been expanded in recent years.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta describes the demand on players as “an accident waiting to happen."

Players definitely ruled out of the World Cup

Argentina: Joaquín Panichelli (ACL)

Brazil: Éder Militão (hamstring), Rodrygo (ACL)

France: Hugo Ekitike (Achilles)

Germany: Serge Gnabry (adductor)

Netherlands: Xavi Simons (ACL)

United States: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles), Patrick Agyemang (Achilles)

Ones to watch

Algeria: Goalkeeper Luca Zidane, the son of France icon Zinedine Zidane, is a doubt after a facial injury during an on-field collision last month.

Argentina: Cristian Romero has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury. It has not yet been confirmed if he is out of the World Cup, with Tottenham not giving a timeframe for his recovery.

Brazil: Teenage sensation Estêvão will not play again for Chelsea this month after a hamstring injury. There are conflicting reports as to whether he will recover in time for the World Cup.

Croatia: Veteran midfielder Luka Modrić broke his cheekbone last month but is expected to be available for the World Cup.

Morocco: Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi has been sidelined with a right thigh injury.

United States: Defender Miles Robinson hasn’t played since April 18 because of a leg injury.

___

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

___

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

Incoming drones were destroyed over 20 Russian regions, including Moscow, according to the Defense Ministry, in Ukraine’s second-biggest aerial attack since Russia’s all-out invasion more than four years ago. The largest was in March when it launched 389 drones.

Dozens more Ukrainian drones were launched during daylight hours Thursday, the ministry said, including some heading again toward Moscow. Nearly 100 flights in and out of the Russian capital's three main airports — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo — were delayed or canceled by midday, the Moskva news agency reported.

The attacks came ahead of Russia’s most important secular holiday, Victory Day, which marks the anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Russian authorities have declared a unilateral ceasefire in Ukraine for Friday and Saturday.

Ukraine had responded to that with its own suspension of hostilities from midnight Tuesday. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow disregarded the goodwill gesture and launched fresh attacks.

“Russia has not stopped any type of its military activity. Unfortunately, it has not stopped. Ukraine will act symmetrically,” Zelenskyy said in his regular evening video address Wednesday.

He said Thursday on X that Russia’s attacks have been ceaseless, with drones, missiles, artillery shelling and glide bombs hitting civilian areas of Ukraine, including the power grid and rail network.

In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest, a drone strike wounded nine people, including three children, local officials said.

Tension has grown as Russia’s Victory Day celebrations approach and U.S.-led peace efforts gain no traction. Rustem Umerov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, was in the United States on Thursday and preparing to meet with Trump administration representatives, according to Zelenskyy.

All mobile internet access and text messaging services will be shut down in the Russian capital on May 9, state media reported Thursday, citing the country’s Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media.

A traditional parade in Moscow won’t feature the usual tanks, missiles and other military equipment for the first time in nearly two decades.

The Russian Defense Ministry cited the “current operational situation” as a reason for excluding military equipment.

Russian authorities say they are concerned about possible Ukrainian attacks, as Kyiv has expanded its long-range drone and missile capabilities.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that additional security measures were being taken due to the “rather complex operational situation.”

The measures being taken “are necessary to ensure the safety of citizens, which is an absolute priority,” Peskov told reporters.

Among the foreign dignitaries expected to attend the Victory Day ceremonies on Saturday are Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith, and Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was to meet with Putin and lay flowers at the tomb of the unknown soldier but stay away from the parade.

Russia repeated its recent warnings to Ukraine that it would take decisive action — including a potential mass strike on Kyiv — if Ukrainian attacks disrupt the occasion.

“We have strengthened our focus on the possibility of retaliatory measures,” presidential aide Yuri Ushakov told journalists Thursday.

Also, Russia’s Foreign Ministry advised foreign embassies and international organizations located in Kyiv to evacuate their offices in case such a strike did take place.

Ukraine’s air defense shot down 92 of the 102 drones Russia launched overnight, the military said.

Russia maintains a significant advantage in drone numbers, regularly deploying hundreds in a single attack.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

On April 24, nearly two weeks after the first passenger had died on board, more than two dozen people from at least 12 different countries left the ship without contact tracing, the ship’s operator and Dutch officials said Thursday.

Three passengers have died in the outbreak — a Dutch couple and a German national — and several others are sick. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure.

None of the remaining passengers or crew on the ship are currently symptomatic, the Netherlands-based Oceanwide Expeditions cruise ship company said Thursday.

The World Health Organization says the risk to the wider public is low. Hantavirus is usually spread by the inhalation of contaminated rodent droppings and isn't easily transmitted between people.

“We believe this will be a limited outbreak if the public health measures are implemented and solidarity is shown across all countries,” said Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud, the WHO's alert and response director on Thursday.

1st hantavirus case on board was confirmed May 2

Three people, including the ship’s doctor, were evacuated Wednesday while the ship was near the West African island country of Cape Verde and taken to specialized hospitals in Europe for treatment.

The body of the Dutch man who was the first to die on board on April 11 was taken off the ship on the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena on April 24, when his wife also disembarked. She then flew to South Africa a day later and died there.

The ship's operator said Thursday that a total of 30 passengers — including the deceased Dutch man and his wife — left the vessel at St. Helena. The Dutch Foreign Ministry has put the figure at about 40. The company had not previously said publicly that dozens more people left the ship on April 24.

It wasn't until May 2 that health authorities first confirmed hantavirus in a passenger on the ship, the WHO says. That was in a British man evacuated from the ship to South Africa three days after the St. Helena stop. He was tested in South Africa and is in intensive care there.

Passengers who disembarked April 24 are being monitored

It emerged Wednesday that a man tested positive for hantavirus in Switzerland after he disembarked at St. Helena, though his precise movements in between aren’t clear.

On Thursday, Singaporean health authorities said they were monitoring two men who got off the ship at St. Helena, flew to South Africa and then home. The two men, who arrived in Singapore at different times, were being isolated and tested, officials said.

Authorities in St. Helena, the volcanic British territory in the South Atlantic where passengers disembarked, said they were monitoring a small number of people who were considered “higher risk contacts.” Those higher risk contacts were being told to isolate for 45 days, the St. Helena government said.

South Africa is tracing contacts from an April 25 flight

The Dutch health ministry said Thursday that a flight attendant on a plane briefly boarded by an infected cruise passenger in South Africa was showing symptoms of hantavirus and would be tested in an isolation ward at a hospital in Amsterdam. The cruise passenger, also a Dutch woman, was too ill to fly and was taken off the plane in Johannesburg, where she died.

If the woman tests positive, she could be the first known person not on the MV Hondius to become infected in the outbreak.

The vessel is now sailing to Spain’s Canary Islands, where it is expected to arrive on Saturday or Sunday, with more than 140 passengers and crew members still on board.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday that he had been in regular touch with the ship's captain, and that morale improved once it began moving again.

Authorities in South Africa are also trying to trace contacts of any passengers who previously got off the ship. They have focused mainly on an April 25 flight from St. Helena to Johannesburg, the day after passengers disembarked there.

A French citizen with “benign symptoms” is in isolation and undergoing medical tests, after being identified as a contact case linked to the ship passenger who flew April 25 from St. Helena to Johannesburg and was confirmed to have hantavirus, the French Health Ministry said in a statement Thursday.

The Dutch woman from the cruise ship who later died in South Africa briefly boarded that flight, officials have said. It's not known how many other cruise passengers also were among the 88 people on it, but flights from St. Helena go to South Africa and are rare, normally once a week.

The body of the third fatality, a German woman, is also still on board the ship after she died on May 2.

Unlike other hantaviruses, Andes virus may spread between people

Tests have confirmed that at least five people who were on the ship were infected with a hantavirus found in South America, called the Andes virus. The only hantavirus thought to spread human-to-human, it can cause a severe and often fatal lung disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

The ship departed from Argentina and investigations into the outbreak’s source are focusing there.

The Dutch couple that presented the first two cases had traveled through Argentina, Chile and Uruguay on a bird-watching trip before boarding the ship, the WHO said. They visited sites where the species of rat known to carry Andes virus was present.

The WHO is working with health authorities in Argentina to understand the couple's movements and has arranged to ship 2,500 diagnostic kits from Argentina to laboratories in five countries.

Argentina’s health ministry said there were 28 deaths from hantavirus last year, up from an average mortality rate of 15 in the five years before that. Nearly a third of cases last year were fatal, it said.

___

Quell reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. AP writers Jill Lawless in London and Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed.

The Iranian effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping, with hundreds of commercial ships bottled up in the Persian Gulf and unable to reach the open sea. Still, hope that the two-month conflict could soon be over buoyed international markets.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Islamic Republic was reviewing messages from Pakistan, which is mediating peace negotiations, but Iran “has not yet reached a conclusion, and no response has been given to the U.S. side,” Iranian state TV reported.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Middle East peace efforts at the Vatican with Pope Leo XIV, whose opposition to the Iran war has led to open sparring with President Donald Trump.

The Trump administration has sent mixed messages on its strategy to end the war. A tenuous ceasefire and previous declarations that military operations were over have given way to new threats of bombing if Tehran does not accept a deal that allows for resumption of oil and natural gas shipments disrupted by the conflict.

Trump also suspended an attempt by the U.S. military to open a safe passage for commercial ships through the strait, saying the pause would allow more time to reach a peace agreement. An official in Saudi Arabia said Thursday that the kingdom and U.S. ally refused to support Trump's effort to reopen the strait by force.

The ceasefir e between the U.S. and Iran has largely held since April 8. But in-person talks between the two countries hosted by Pakistan last month failed to reach an agreement. The war began Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran.

Pakistan says it expects a deal soon

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke by phone Thursday with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry said.

“We expect an agreement sooner rather than later,” Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Thursday. “We hope the parties will reach a peaceful and sustainable solution that will contribute not only to peace in our region but to international peace as well.”

He declined to give a timeline.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, speaking in televised remarks, said Islamabad remained in “continuous contact with Iran and the United States, day and night, to stop the war and extend the ceasefire.”

In other regional developments, direct talks between Israel and Lebanon were scheduled to resume next week in Washington, according to a U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss plans for the closed-door meetings. The official said talks will be held May 14 and 15.

Iran creates agency to control passage at Hormuz

Iran established a new government agency to approve transit and collect tolls from shipping in the strait, shipping data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Thursday. The move has raised concerns about eroding the freedom of navigation on which global trade depends.

The agency, called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, is “positioning itself as the only valid authority to grant permission to ships transiting the strait,” Lloyd’s reported in an online briefing. Lloyd's said the authority had emailed it an application form for ships seeking passage.

Iran has effectively closed the strait, a vital waterway for the shipment of supplies of oil, gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products, while the U.S. is blockading Iranian ports. The disruptions have sent fuel prices skyrocketing and rattled the global economy.

The new Iranian agency formalizes an existing, albeit murky, vetting lane that takes vessels through the strait’s northern waters near the Iranian coastline. Iran controls which ships are allowed to pass and, for at least some vessels, imposes a tax on their cargo.

Maritime law experts say Iran’s demands to vet or tax vessels violate international law. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea calls for countries to permit peaceful passage through their territorial waters.

Iran's president reports lengthy meeting with new supreme leader

Top Iranian officials have said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is playing a key role in overseeing negotiations with the U.S. But he remains in hiding and has not appeared in public since he was wounded early in the war.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he met recently for more than two hours with Khamenei. In remarks aired Thursday on Iranian state television, Pezeshkian praised the supreme leader’s “sincere” behavior in what he said was a long in-person meeting.

Khamenei has only released a series of written statements since being named supreme leader in March. He replaced his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the war’s initial strikes.

Saudi official says kingdom did not support US effort to reopen strait

Trump did not consult with U.S. ally Saudi Arabia before launching the short-lived effort to force open a shipping passage through the strait, according to a Saudi official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“We told them that we are not part of this and that they can’t use our territories and bases for this,” the official said Thursday.

The official said Saudi Arabia sent a message to Iran that the kingdom would not be involved in U.S. attacks related to Trump’s attempt to reopen the strait.

Trump suspended the effort, dubbed Project Freedom, during its second day Tuesday. Only two American-flagged merchant ships are known to have passed through the U.S.-guarded route. The U.S. military said it sank six Iranian small boats threatening civilian ships.

___

McHugh reported from Frankfurt, Germany, and Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press journalists Sally Abou AlJoud, in Beirut; Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece; Matthew Lee in Washington; Samy Magdy and Amir-Hussein Radjy in Cairo; Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, Pakistan; and Nicole Winfield in Vatican City contributed to this report.

Supporters of President William Ruto, who is seeking a second term in elections next year, use the phrase to describe the political violence that authorities will not tolerate. Opposition figures use it to condemn what they see as Ruto’s aggressive — and underhanded — campaign tactics.

At times it can seem as if goonism is up against goonism, an unwelcome turn of events in this East African nation where the contest for political power is becoming ever more vigorous and tinged with a sense of danger.

Many Kenyans doubt Ruto's commitment to the religious values he espoused before taking power in 2022.

Ruto vowed to raise a kind of born-again Christian nation, fearful of God and at peace with itself.

But as president, he appears to have benefited from the lawlessness that is now a national scourge as religious and political leaders warn that political violence threatens democratic gains. His critics charge that such chaos rises in part from Ruto’s uncompromising style of leadership.

“Goons, goons, goons,” yelled preacher Wilfred Lai during a recent Sunday sermon in which he lamented what had befallen Kenya. “Everyone who wants to rule this country by that kind of thing, I speak as a prophet of God: You shall fall.”

He added: “You can’t use goons and you are telling us that you are taking us into a better place. You are a liar and the truth is not in you.”

Although Lai, the pastor of a megachurch in the coastal city of Mombasa, didn't mention Ruto by name, many Kenyans suspect he had the president in mind when he gave that sermon, parts of which were shared online.

Some former supporters say Ruto has betrayed Christian values

Lai is among evangelical preachers who embraced Ruto when he was vice president and seeking to replace President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose backing he didn't have. At the time, Ruto was widely seen as a pious politician.

Ruto said he was fighting for the downtrodden, for those whose manual labor put food on the table. The leader — nicknamed “Nabii,” Kiswahili for “God’s prophet” — said he had risen so high in politics by the grace of God, unlike rivals he depicted as the entitled sons of political dynasties. Ruto won a tight race.

For many of his supporters, however, Ruto changed as soon as he won the presidency.

Although he continued to go to church on Sundays, some noticed that he stopped carrying the Bible and no longer quoted it regularly. His decision to demolish a chapel within the compound of the statehouse — to be replaced by a modern facility — was criticized by some as self-aggrandizing. Others saw betrayal in Ruto’s aggressive income tax measures months after his inauguration.

Thousands of young people took to the streets of Nairobi, the capital, forcing authorities to withdraw some tax proposals but not quite cooling popular anger. Ruto later faced more protests triggered by the death in police custody of a blogger.

Although the protests failed to remove Ruto, they left him wounded and determined to show strength. While his position remains precarious ahead of next year’s vote, some of his adversaries admit he is cunning and still hard to defeat.

After protesters stormed the parliamentary building in 2024, Ruto vowed that such a thing would never happen again. Last year, facing protesters who held placards saying “Ruto must go,” the president urged the police to “break” the limbs of protesters and said he was going nowhere.

“If we go this route, we will not have a country,” Ruto said in a televised address. “The country belongs to all of us. And if there’s no country for William Ruto, there’s no country for you.”

Some saw that as a veiled threat, and some opposition figures suspect the gangs materializing at opposition events are sponsored by the state.

“We must say no, collectively, to the new specter, the new norm, of goonism,” Kalonzo Musyoka, a prominent opposition figure, told a local broadcaster. “The goons are very well-known. So for anybody to pretend that it is the work of united opposition, he really must be ashamed, even before God, that this is state-sponsored.”

Political violence is on the rise

Men armed with machetes and guns can break up political rallies or prevent them from commencing. While opposition figures accuse authorities of fomenting violence, Interior Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen recently warned goons that “since the politician won’t be with you when you commit the crime, we’ll come for you.”

Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, Ruto's ally, said last month that “the culture of goonism has no place in a democratic society.”

In a notable event last month, an opposition lawmaker from western Kenya was manhandled in a restaurant by men questioning his political views. Sen. Godfrey Osotsi’s injuries required hospitalization. The attack sparked protests in his home area and was condemned by religious leaders.

Ruto hasn't given up on church leaders — whose influence cuts across social networks — in his quest to retain power. His choice of where to pray on a given Sunday may be unpredictable. Sometimes church leaders, from Methodist to Pentecostal pastors, congregate near him at the statehouse.

Other religious leaders are critical, provoked most recently by insults traded between Ruto and his former deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, who fell out with the president, was impeached and now is the leader of the Wantam movement to make Ruto a one-term president.

Their exchanges can be venomous.

In March, after Gachagua called Ruto a thief who would steal a funeral home, the president called Gachagua a “cold-blooded pig” who stole from his brother.

Days later, the head of the local conference of Catholic primates, Archbishop Maurice Muhatia, rebuked Ruto and Gachagua at a gathering of bishops. “Disagreement is OK, but insulting each other in public is a disgrace,” Muhatia said. “Give us a break.”

Expert warns that election could turn ‘very bloody'

Kenyan elections are often fractious affairs. There was a violent gang, known as Mungiki, that played a role in deadly violence that followed the 2007 election.

There is a pervasive sense this time that more is at stake, with a president who won’t back down. Some worry that Ruto is verging on authoritarianism, unlike his recent predecessors.

Kenyatta, Kenya’s fourth president, is a jolly man who tolerated internal opposition from Ruto while they served together. Mwai Kibaki, whom Kenyatta replaced, was a gentleman who once called a news conference to deny he had a second wife.

Kenya's current president is different, and goonism is “a product of gangster theology” of which Ruto is the high priest, said Christine Mungai, an independent writer based in Nairobi.

Ruto has mastered “how to perform public piety” while simultaneously working “to make life harder for everyone,” she said.

It isn't clear who Ruto's main election opponent will be. It could be Musyoka or Fred Matiang’i, a former cabinet secretary for the interior. While Gachagua is likely ineligible to seek the presidency after his impeachment, his support will be crucial for the opposition.

If Ruto and opposition figures don't tone down the rhetoric “the election is going to be very bloody,” said Karuti Kanyinga, a Kenyan development scholar who is a visiting professor at Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study in South Africa. “Everyone will have their own protection gangs.”

___

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

Wembanyama responded by setting a suffocating tone as San Antonio handed Minnesota its largest postseason loss in franchise history, beating the Timberwolves 133-95 on Wednesday night to even their series at one game apiece.

Despite posting 11 points, 15 rebounds and setting an NBA postseason record with 12 blocks, Wembanyama shouldered much of the blame for the Spurs' 104-102 loss to the Timberwolves on Monday in Game 1.

The 7-foot-4 All-Star knew he needed to do more, especially offensively.

Was there some anger and frustration and a desire to get back on the court for Game 2? Absolutely.

“There always is,” Wembanyama said. “In the playoffs, magnify that.”

What resulted was what Minnesota coach Chris Finch said was a punking before a raucous sellout crowd.

The Timberwolves were held to 35 points in the first half while shooting 7 for 24 from the field and 2 for 15 on 3-pointers.

Minnesota closed the game shooting 40% from the field, 30% on 3-pointers while committing 22 turnovers. San Antonio had a 58-36 scoring advantage in the paint, a 55-43 rebounding advantage and had nine blocked shots compared to two for Minnesota.

“We got beat in every way possible, it’s as simple as that,” Timberwolves forward Julius Randle said. “There’s not really much to say from this game. They outhustled us, out-physicaled us, executed, played better defensively, more energy. They just beat us in every way in this game. We’ve got to come back in the next game and be better.”

Game 3 is Friday in Minneapolis followed by Game 4 on Sunday at the Target Center.

The Spurs and Timberwolves went deep into their benches Wednesday with 10 minutes remaining in the game with only the margin of defeat undecided.

San Antonio's 38-point victory toppled Minnesota’s previous largest postseason defeat of 30 points to the Los Angeles Lakers on April 29, 2003.

“I know this team’s capable of doing all of this,” Wembanyama said. “To be honest, I’m expecting this kind of response from myself, from my teammates. So, I’m not surprised by any means and I’m just going to keep working so we approach more games like we did tonight.”

After blowing a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter Monday, Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox both took accountability for the two-point loss.

Wembanyama andFox combined for only 21 points in Game 1. The All-Star duo was a combined 0 for 12 on 3-pointers with Wembanyama missing eight.

“They acknowledged it, them being the leaders on our team,” Spurs guard Stephon Castle said. “Coming out of Game 1, I mean, it’s going to happen. You're going to have bad shooting nights, but I mean, we have nothing but confidence in those two. So, I expect them to play well the rest of the series like they did tonight.”

Wembanyama set the tone early in Game 2, scoring seven points on 3-for-4 shooting.

The Spurs missed their first three shots, but Wembanyama followed the third attempt by flying through the lane and throwing down a right-handed dunk to open the scoring.

Wembanyama had 14 points and nine rebounds in the first half while leading a defensive effort that limited Minnesota to 35 points, the fewest points by a San Antonio opponent in the first half of a playoff game since Memphis had 31 in 2013.

“I just think we respond well to adversity,” Castle said. “I think we’ve done that all year. I mean, I don’t think we were too shell shocked coming out of Game 1. I think we knew why we lost Game 1 and we addressed it right away. And I feel like that’s what carried us through tonight.”

___

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

Last week, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said he hopes the U.S. would make the “right choices” relating to the self-ruled island when he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not excluded the use of force to take it. Beijing has been ramping up its military pressure by sending warplanes and naval vessels around the island almost daily.

“The Taiwan question is at the core of China’s core interests and the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian Thursday.

“Abiding by the One China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués and honoring the commitments made by U.S administrations on the Taiwan question, is the due international obligation of the United States and the prerequisite for a steady, sound, and sustainable China-U.S. relationship," he added.

Such strong language so close in time to the two leaders' meeting is rare for Beijing, said Arthur Zhin-Sheng Wang, a defense expert at Taiwan’s Central Police University. The new language also explicitly links U.S. diplomatic actions on Taiwan to Washington's relationship with China.

China and Taiwan split after a civil war in 1949. The U.S. is the island's largest unofficial ally and also sells weapons to Taiwan as part of a law which requires it to ensure Taiwan can defend itself. Those weapons sales and diplomatic support is a primary source of tension between China and the U.S.

Separately, China's top diplomat Wang said Thursday in a meeting with visiting American senators that ties with both sides have managed to keep things stable amid disruptions.

During a meeting with members of a U.S. bipartisan congressional delegation, led by Sen. Steve Daines, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi credited Presidents Xi Jinping and Trump for “helping steer the direction of bilateral relations at critical moments.”

“Over the past year, China-U.S. relations have gone through many twists and disruptions, but we have still managed to maintain overall stability," Wang said.

Daines, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a strong supporter of Trump, agreed and said that both countries should look for stability.

“I strongly believe that we want to de-escalate, not decouple. We want stability, we want mutual respect,” he said.

Daines hinted at one possible outcome to the two leaders' meeting next week, saying, "perhaps we could see some more Boeing airplanes purchased, which I know would be something we would like to see."

The senator also recognized China's efforts to help reduce tensions in the Middle East and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. He said that Wang's meeting on Wednesday with the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was proof of China's engagement.

Ahead of Trump's visit to China, scheduled for May 14-15, the U.S. government has been pressing Beijing to use its influence with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.

It was Daines' second trip to China since Trump took office last year. He previously visited in March 2025, when the two countries were locked in frictions over trade tariffs and efforts to combat illegal fentanyl trade.

—-

Wu reported from Bangkok.

The military said that any “hostile design” against Pakistan would be countered with “greater strength, precision and resolve” than what India witnessed during the May 2025 conflict, which Islamabad named “Marka-e-Haq,” or “Battle of Truth.”

Pakistan and India had exchanged tit-for-tat strikes following an attack by gunmen in the Indian-controlled part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, most of them Hindu tourists. India blamed Pakistan-backed militants for the massacre, an allegation Islamabad denied while calling for an independent investigation.

India launched strikes inside Pakistan on May 7, triggering retaliatory attacks by Pakistan that included drone incursions, missile strikes and artillery fire. Dozens of people were killed on both sides before a ceasefire was reached on May 10 following U.S. mediation.

Pakistan at the time claimed it shot down at least seven Indian military aircraft, including a French-made Rafale fighter jet. India acknowledged suffering some losses but did not provide details.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly took the credit for helping avert a wider war.

Pakistan and India have long had strained relations and have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, which is claimed by both in its entirety.

Al considerar la conservación como algo esencial para la supervivencia humana, Turner veía la restauración de hábitats, la gestión responsable y el trabajo con especies en peligro como formas de abordar el cambio climático, la pérdida de biodiversidad y el agotamiento de recursos.

“Quiero inspirar a la gente a preocuparse por el medio ambiente", afirmó en una entrevista de 2016 con una publicación de viajes. "Cuando nos conectamos con la naturaleza, nos sanamos a nosotros mismos. Cuando protegemos la naturaleza, sanamos el planeta”.

La muerte del magnate de los medios el miércoles deja un legado de conservación que abarcó décadas, desde que compró su primer bisonte hace medio siglo hasta las labores actuales de restauración a gran escala y reintroducción de especies. Sus ranchos en Nuevo México, Montana, Nebraska y otros lugares se han convertido en laboratorios vivientes. Sus “estancias” en la Patagonia son modelos de ecoturismo.

Y, según Turner Enterprises, que administra sus tierras además de otros intereses empresariales e inversiones, Turner se aseguró de que sus propiedades siguieran protegidas frente al desarrollo inmobiliario.

De la recreación a la restauración

Turner compró su primer bisonte en 1976, cumpliendo un sueño de la infancia.

“Cuando era un niño, de unos 10 años, leí la revista National Geographic y tenía un artículo sobre bisontes, y decía lo cerca que estuvieron de extinguirse. Entonces decidí que, si podía, haría lo que estuviera a mi alcance para ayudar a que los bisontes regresaran”, recordó en el programa de la cadena CNN de 2019, “Ted Turner: Captain Planet".

Pero, añadió, “primero tuve que ganar mucho dinero. Porque los ranchos no son baratos”.

Turner compró su primer rancho en 1987. No mucho después, adquirió el Flying D Ranch cerca de Bozeman, Montana, que ahora es uno de los mayores y más destacados ejemplos de “renaturalización”.

Al principio utilizó sus propiedades para la caza y la pesca antes de trabajar en la restauración de hábitats y la reintroducción de especies nativas. El Flying D, por ejemplo, había sufrido sobrepastoreo, así que sustituyó las operaciones tradicionales de ganado vacuno por una manada de bisontes para restaurar el ecosistema nativo.

En Vermejo Park Ranch, comprado a mediados de la década de 1990 a Pennzoil y con una extensión de más de 2.253 kms cuadrados (870 millas cuadradas) cerca de la frontera entre Nuevo México y Colorado, el equipo de Turner ha trabajado para restaurar laderas y valles degradados por el sobrepastoreo, la minería y la tala indiscriminada. También alberga una manada de lo que los administradores del rancho describen como bisontes salvajes genéticamente puros.

En total, Turner fue dueño de 13 ranchos en seis estados. En algunos de ellos, Ted Turner Reserves y Turner Enterprises han entrelazado programas que generan ingresos —como la cría de bisontes, las actividades recreativas y el turismo— con la ecología.

“Quería que una parte de Estados Unidos siguiera preservada y, de algún modo, protegida como era en la época en que los indígenas americanos recorrían esas tierras", comentó el miércoles Tom Johnson, expresidente de CNN. "En esta era de desarrollo y comercialización y mala ordenación del territorio, limpió los arroyos y trajo de vuelta a los lobos grises y al perrito de la pradera. Quiero decir, realmente le importaba la naturaleza y estaba viendo lo que estaba pasando”.

Jennifer Morris, directora ejecutiva de The Nature Conservancy, señaló el miércoles que Turner no solo creía en proteger la naturaleza sino que actuó en consecuencia y lo hizo a gran escala.

“Invirtió en tierras, restauró ecosistemas y mostró lo que es posible cuando se combina la visión con un compromiso real", explicó en un comunicado. "Su trabajo ayudó a redefinir la conservación, demostrando que las tierras privadas y el capital privado pueden ser fuerzas poderosas para el bien público”.

No exento de polémica

Turner compró sus ranchos en Argentina durante una ola de privatizaciones en las décadas de 1990 y 2000, cuando extranjeros adinerados adquirieron enormes extensiones de terreno. Esto, en ocasiones, despertó sentimientos nacionalistas y preocupaciones por la explotación de recursos y el acceso público a ríos y lagos. La fama de Turner lo convirtió en un blanco para las críticas, pero al final recibió menos a medida que se enfocó en el ecoturismo de bajo impacto y la conservación.

En el oeste de Estados Unidos, no todos los ganaderos estaban satisfechos cuando Turner cambió las prácticas de gestión de las tierras en sus ranchos, incluyendo la sustitución del ganado vacuno por bisontes.

Su apoyo a los lobos, incluido un programa de cría de lobo mexicano en el Ladder Ranch en Nuevo México, provocó la ira de organizaciones ganaderas que alertaban sobre que estos animales salvajes mataban al ganado.

Y, para disgusto de algunos ganaderos, Turner crió la mayor manada de bisontes del mundo, ampliando la genética de la especie e impulsando los mercados de su carne al abastecer de hamburguesas y filetes a cerca de tres docenas de locales de Ted’s Montana Grill en 14 estados.

“Al convertirlo en un producto, al hacer un negocio de ello, hizo que la gente se metiera en el negocio de la cría de bisontes, lo que amplió de manera drástica el acervo genético y ha hecho que la manada de bisontes sea extremadamente saludable”, señaló el miércoles el restaurador George McKerrow, cofundador de Ted’s Montana Grill.

De bisontes a aves

En entrevistas, Turner describió su papel como el de un cuidador, no un propietario, y subrayó que los negocios y la conservación podían alinearse mediante el “ecocapitalismo”, un concepto que popularizó.

Lo que comenzó con las pezuñas de los bisontes ayudando a restaurar el pasto de la pradera continúa a través del Turner Endangered Species Fund, que da un impulso a la tortuga de Bolson —la tortuga más grande y rara de Norteamérica— mediante un programa de cría en cautividad en el Armendaris Ranch, en Nuevo México.

En Vermejo y en el Bad River Ranch, en Dakota del Sur, el equipo de Turner colabora con científicos estatales y federales para recuperar al hurón de patas negras, uno de los mamíferos más raros del planeta, con una población silvestre estimada de menos de 300 ejemplares.

Desde halcones aplomados y borregos cimarrones del desierto hasta murciélagos y mariposas monarca, todo le importaba a Turner. Su filosofía giraba en torno a la interconexión de todos los seres vivos y la idea de que ninguna especie debería ser descartada. Era tan sencilla que quedó inmortalizada en una pegatina para parachoques.

“Salven todo”.

___

Rico informó desde Atlanta.

___

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

Starmer’s center-left Labour Party is bracing for big losses in polls that will choose about 5,000 local councilors and a handful of mayors across England, as well as semiautonomous parliaments in Scotland and Wales. They are the biggest set of elections since Labour swept to power in a landslide in July 2024, and Starmer’s opponents have painted them as a midterm referendum on the prime minister.

Polls will close at 10 p.m. (2100 GMT), and some local authorities will count ballots overnight, but the bulk of the results are likely to be declared on Friday afternoon.

A rout could trigger moves by restive Labour lawmakers to oust a leader who led them to power less than two years ago. Even if Starmer survives for now, many analysts doubt he will lead the party into the next national election, which must be held by 2029.

Starmer’s popularity has plunged after repeated missteps since he became prime minister in July 2024. His government has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living — tasks made harder by the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, which has choked off oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

The prime minister has been further hurt by his disastrous decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as Britain’s ambassador to Washington.

Labour is defending about 2,500 seats on English local councils, and party members are apprehensive it may lose many of them.

Starmer already survived a crisis in February, when some Labour lawmakers, including the party’s leader in Scotland, urged him to quit over the Mandelson appointment.

He has vowed to serve out his five-year term, but a bad result could spark a challenge from a high-profile rival such as Health Secretary Wes Streeting, former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner or Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. Alternately, Starmer could face pressure from the party to set a timetable for his departure after an orderly leadership contest.

Hard-right Reform UK expected to win big

Luke Tryl of pollster More in Common said the local elections are likely to see “the total collapse of the traditional two-party system” that was dominated for decades by the Labour and Conservative parties.

The big winner is expected to be hard-right party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, which is aiming for working-class, former Labour strongholds in England’s north and on London’s outer edges with its anti-establishment, anti-immigration message. The Green Party is also likely to gain hundreds of council seats in urban centers and university towns.

The main opposition Conservative Party is also expected to lose ground, with the centrist Liberal Democrats making some gains.

Starmer didn’t even mention the Conservatives in his final preelection message, framing it as a choice between “progress and a better future” under Labour and “the anger and division offered up by Reform or empty promises from the Greens.”

Farage said on the eve of the election that a strong result for Reform would mean Starmer is “gone by the middle of summer.”

Both Reform UK and the Greens have grown rapidly in the last year or two, and are facing increased scrutiny as a result. Farage is facing questions over a 5 million pound ($6.8 million) donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire that he accepted in 2024, but did not declare. He says it was a personal gift.

The environmentalist Greens, who have stressed their pro-Palestinian credentials under self-described “eco populist” leader Zack Polanski, have fired several candidates for antisemitic social media posts.

Reform also is eyeing breakthroughs in Scotland and Wales, though pro-independence nationalists the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are likely to form governments in Edinburgh and Cardiff.

“Labour’s going to lose to Reform in some places, Greens in others, and here and there they’ll lose one or two seats to the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives as well,” said Tony Travers, a professor of government at the London School of Economics. “They’re fighting on four fronts in England — five in Wales and Scotland.”

Both the Vatican and the U.S. State Department stressed that Rubio’s meetings with Leo and the Vatican’s top diplomat underscored strong bilateral ties. Those relations, though, have been strained over Trump’s repeated broadsides about Leo’s calls for peace and dialogue to end the U.S.-Israeli war.

Rubio, a practicing Catholic, has often been called on to tone down or explain Trump’s harsh rhetoric. He had an audience first with Leo, which was complicated at the last minute by Trump’s latest criticism of the Chicago-born pope. During a 2½-hour visit, Rubio then met with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who on the eve of his visit had strongly defended Leo and criticized Trump’s attacks.

“Attacking him like that or criticizing what he does seems a bit strange to me, to say the least,” Parolin said Wednesday.

After the meetings, the U.S. State Department said that Rubio and Parolin discussed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East. The discussion reflected the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom.”

In a separate statement about the audience with Leo, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said that the two discussed the situation in the Middle East and the Western Hemisphere. “The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he said.

The Vatican, for its part, said that during Rubio’s meetings with both Leo and Parolin, “the shared commitment to fostering good bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America was reaffirmed.”

It said the two sides exchanged views on the current events “with particular attention to countries marked by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, as well as on the need to work tirelessly in favor of peace.”

Rubio also has meetings Friday with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Those meetings might not be much easier for Washington’s top diplomat, given both have strongly defended Leo against Trump’s attacks and have criticized the Iran war as illegal — drawing the president’s ire.

A mission to smooth ties

The tensions began when Trump lashed out at Leo on social media last month, saying the pope was soft on crime and terrorism for comments about the administration’s immigration policies and deportations as well as the Iran war. Leo then said that God doesn’t listen to the prayers of those who wage war.

Later, Trump posted a social media image appearing to liken himself to Jesus Christ, which was deleted after a backlash. He has refused to apologize to Leo and has sought to explain away the post by saying that he thought the image was a representation of him as a doctor.

Rubio said that Trump’s recent criticisms of Leo were rooted in his opposition to Iran potentially obtaining a nuclear weapon, which he said could be used against millions of Catholics and other Christians.

Leo has never said Iran should obtain nuclear weapons and that the Catholic Church “for years has spoken out against all nuclear weapons, so there is no doubt there.”

“The mission of the church is to preach the Gospel, to preach peace. If someone wants to criticize me for announcing the Gospel, let him do it with the truth,” Leo said late Tuesday, after Trump again accused him of being “OK” with Iran having a nuclear weapon.

By Thursday, tensions seemed to have eased.

Rubio gave Leo a small crystal football paperweight. He acknowledged Leo’s known allegiance to the Chicago White Sox, saying “you’re a baseball guy,” but noted that the football had the seal of the State Department on it.

“What to get someone who has everything?” Rubio joked as he gave Leo the paperweight.

Leo, for his part, gave Rubio a pen apparently made of olive wood — “olive being of course the plant of peace,” Leo said — with his coat of arms on it and a picture book of Vatican artworks.

Trump also has criticized Meloni and other NATO allies for a lack of support for the Iran war, recently announcing plans to withdraw thousands of American troops from Germany in the coming months.

Vatican seen as willing to have dialogue

Giampiero Gramaglia, former head of the ANSA news agency and its onetime Washington correspondent, said that he didn’t expect much to come out of Rubio's visit for Italian or Vatican relations. He, and other Italian commentators, believe Rubio instead was looking to smooth over relations with the pope for his own political ambitions, as well as the upcoming midterm U.S. congressional elections and 2028 presidential race.

“I doubt Rubio has the role of conciliator for Trump,” he told Italy's Foreign Press Association. “I have the perception that Rubio’s mission is more about himself” and his political ambitions as a prominent Catholic Republican.

The Rev. Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture office, said that Rubio’s mission wasn’t to “convert” the pope to Trump’s side. Rather, Washington “has come to acknowledge — implicitly but legibly — that (Leo’s) voice carries weight in the world that cannot simply be dismissed.”

“The situation created by President Trump’s remarks required a high-level, direct intervention, conducted in the proper language of diplomacy: a semantic corrective to a narrative of frontal conflict with the church,” he wrote in an essay this week.

Cuba is also on the agenda

Rubio said that topics other than the Iran war were on the agenda for the Vatican visit, including Cuba. The Holy See is particularly concerned about the Trump administration’s threats of potential military action there following its January ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump has said frequently that Cuba could be “next,” and even suggested that once the Iran war is over, naval assets deployed in the Middle East could return to the United States by way of Cuba.

Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants and a longtime Cuba hawk.

“We gave Cuba $6 million of humanitarian aid, but obviously they won’t let us distribute it," Rubio said. “We distributed it through the church. We’d like to do more.”

___

Matthew Lee, the AP's diplomatic writer, reported from Washington.

___

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

It’s a rare moment of respite and catharsis amid the harsh realities of life in the Gaza Strip. The children, some wearing sliders on their feet, dance next to mangled metal rods jutting out from a mound of rubble and shattered concrete. The school that trains them is in the Nuseirat refugee camp, a crowded, built-up camp in central Gaza dating back to the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

“I come to this center because I discovered that I have a talent for breakdancing, and I also come here to release the negative energy inside me and to enjoy,” said Habiba Abu Khater, one of the children from around five to 14 years old who train at the school. She said she's been attending for four years and is happy about her progress after starting from scratch.

Instructor Fayez Saraj said the school, established in the camp in 2004, helps children build their self confidence and improve their mental health through break dance, gymnastics, and contemporary dance.

The movements "help the child with psychological release, especially from the difficult situations we experienced during the years of war," he said. “We have a significant role in … moving them from an atmosphere of depression and frustration to one of joy.”

Israel’s military offensive in Gaza has killed more than 72,600 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, caused widespread destruction and displaced most of the territory’s residents.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants.

Israel launched the offensive after Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 251 hostage in their attack on Oct. 7, 2023.

While the heaviest fighting has mostly subsided since a fragile ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, deadly Israeli strikes have repeatedly disrupted the truce. Hamas and Israel have accused each other of violating the ceasefire. Palestinians in Gaza are still contending with myriad daily struggles.

—-

Associated Press writer Mariam Fam in Winter Park, Florida, contributed to this report.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served the warrant Wednesday in the ongoing investigation into Smart's disappearance. Her remains were never found and she was declared legally dead in 2002. Paul Flores was convicted in October 2022 and ultimately sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Law enforcement searched a home in the central coast town of Arroyo Grande occupied by Flores’ mother, Susan Flores, according to public records and reporting by a podcast that has closely followed the case.

“The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to bringing Kristin home to her family,” the sheriff's statement said. “No further information is available.”

The “Your Own Backyard” podcast, which helped investigators crack the case by bringing forward additional witnesses, first reported the search and said the home belongs to Flores' mother. Attempts to reach Susan Flores for comment Wednesday were not successful.

Smart went missing from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996 after returning from an off-campus party. Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape and that the last person she was seen with was Flores, a fellow student.

Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested in 2021.

Prosecutors alleged Smart’s remains were buried on Ruben Flores’ property and later moved. He was acquitted of accessory charges. That property is different from the one searched on Wednesday.

Paul Flores was sentenced in March 2023 to prison, where he has been physically attacked at least twice.

In 2024, a judge ruled that Paul Flores must pay just over $350,000 to Smart's family for costs they incurred after her death.

The family has said it would forgo restitution if Flores would tell them where Kristin’s body was. Flores’ attorney, Harold Mesick, said in 2024 that the defense did not know where her remains are. Flores maintains his innocence.

The county district attorney’s office said Wednesday it was helping the sheriff's office with the investigation.

“While those responsible for Kristin’s death — and those with knowledge of her whereabouts — could provide answers at any time, we remain firmly committed to using every lawful tool available to locate Kristin’s remains and to support her family until she is brought home,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement.

“I just told them we got punked,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said.

Stephon Castle had 21 points and De'Aaron Fox added 16 points for San Antonio, which shot 50% from the field and 41% on 3-pointers. It was the highest-scoring playoff game for the Spurs since a series-clinching 145-105 win over Denver on May 4, 1983.

Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. each scored 12 points for Minnesota.

Edwards came off the bench again as Minnesota continued to restrict his minutes in his second game back from a hyperextended left knee.

Games 3 and 4 are Friday and Sunday in Minneapolis.

With Wembanyama playing more aggressively on offense from the outset, the Spurs put the series-opening loss behind them quickly.

Minnesota's previous largest postseason defeat was by 30 points to the Los Angeles Lakers on April 29, 2003.

Only the margin of victory was in doubt Monday as both teams sent their starters to the bench with 10 minutes remaining and the Spurs leading 104-66.

“I told the guys after the first game it’s the natural tendency for the team that steals the first game, the away team, to get blown out in Game 2," Edwards said. “We can’t come out cool and we came out cool and what happened — we got blown out.”

After combining to score 21 points on 10-for-31 shooting in Game 1, Wembanyama and Fox combined to go 12 of 25 from the field Wednesday.

The All-Star duo scored the Spurs' first 11 points as they raced to a 29-point lead in the first half.

“Just trying to set the tone,” Wembanyama said.

Fox finished 2 for 2 on 3-pointers after missing on four attempts in Game 1.

“We’re at our best when (Fox is) in attack mode,” San Antonio coach Mitch Johnnson said. “He has probably the strongest ripple effect on our team in terms of when he’s in attack mode pushing the pace, because you have Steph (Castle) and Dylan (Harper) that follow suit with that. And then our shooters get shot in transition. Victor plays in space and so on and so forth.”

The Spurs missed their first three shots, but Wembanyama followed the third attempt by flying through the lane and throwing down a right-handed dunk to open the scoring.

Minnesota was held to 35 points in the first half. The Timberwolves shot 29.8% from the field before halftime and were 2 for 15 on 3-pointers as they fell behind by 25 points.

“I loved how everyone had everybody’s back (defensively),” Wembanyama said. “Tonight looked like a system that worked.”

___

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

En un mitin nocturno junto a cientos de sus seguidores, el líder del partido Renovación Popular llamó “loca” a la candidata conservadora Keiko Fujimori, de Fuerza Popular, por permitir que “roben” las elecciones, y “Roberto Carlos” al nacionalista Roberto Sánchez, de Juntos por el Perú, del que dijo que tiene “un millón de amigos imaginarios" que le suman votos falsos en pueblos remotos de Perú.

López Aliaga alega que en Perú hubo “un fraude único en el mundo” en los comicios del 12 y 13 de abril, que habrían perjudicado su candidatura, pero no ha presentado pruebas de ello. Misiones de observadores electorales, incluida la de la Unión Europea y la organización peruana Transparencia, niegan esa posibilidad.

Sánchez y López Aliaga pugnan por su pase al balotaje del 7 de junio para disputar la presidencia con Fujimori, de acuerdo al lento conteo oficial electoral.

Según las autoridades electorales, tras contabilizarse el 98,4% de las actas de votación presidencial, Fujimori lideraba el miércoles el conteo de votos con 17,14%, seguida de Sánchez con 12,04% y López Aliaga con 11,89%.

El Tribunal Electoral condenó el viernes una protesta de simpatizantes de López Aliaga en la puerta de la casa del presidente del Tribunal, Roberto Burneo, en la que lo insultaban y pedían elecciones complementarias. Las autoridades han anunciado que no habrá dichas elecciones, una de las solicitudes de López Aliaga.

Las elecciones del 12 de abril se extendieron un día luego que más de 63.000 boletas electorales no llegaron a 211 mesas de votación en una zona de Lima, mientras que el 99,8% restante de casillas a nivel general sí abrieron. Los afectados de las 211 mesas pudieron sufragar el 13 de abril, según las autoridades.

López Aliaga advirtió que, si el 15 de mayo las autoridades “se atreven a proclamar" a los dos candidatos que disputarán la presidencia en una “segunda vuelta trucha (falsa) y corrupta”, realizará una gran marcha con sus simpatizantes de todo Perú. Antes ha indicado que, en caso de que no se anulen las elecciones, iniciará una "insurgencia".

El aspirante ultraconservador también le advirtió a Fujimori que perderá las elecciones por cuarta vez.

“Usted sabe bien que va a perder las elecciones... es la cuarta vez que va a perder”, manifestó, recordándole que fue derrotada en la segunda vuelta presidencial de los comicios de 2011, 2016 y 2021.

La misión electoral de la Unión Europea ha pedido evitar el uso de lenguaje violento en los comicios peruanos.

Fujimori dijo a periodistas desde la región amazónica de Loreto que está “en contra” de la solicitud de insurgencia de López Aliaga, quien la apoyó durante la segunda vuelta de 2021.

Surging gas prices, an unpopular war in Iran and tariffs that have hit the state’s auto industry hard have all contributed to concerns about a worsening political environment for Michigan Republicans.

The latest warning sign came Tuesday, when a Democrat won a special election by almost 20 points in a state Senate district that Kamala Harris won by less than 1 point in 2024. The previous officeholder, a Democrat, carried the seat by 6 percentage points in 2022.

“To get to this margin in that kind of a district means that Democrats and independent voters are working in tandem to send a message to the Trump administration,” Michigan pollster Richard Czuba said of Tuesday's result.

The sentiment could pose a challenge for Michigan Republicans in a midterm year when voters will decide the governor’s office, control of the Legislature and a premier U.S. Senate race. The mood of voters in Michigan also matters for a national Republican Party that sees the state — which Donald Trump flipped in 2024 — as central to its coalition and a midterm map that will again hinge heavily on the industrial Midwest.

‘If they don’t get Iran figured out pretty quick, we’re screwed’

Nationally, Trump’s approval rating on the economy fell between March and April as the Iran war sent prices higher, according to an AP-NORC poll. The April poll found that approval had eroded even among Republicans, with 62% having a positive view of the way Trump is handling the economy, down from 74% in March.

Trump’s economic approval remained low among independents, who have an outsized role in deciding elections in swing states like Michigan. About 2 in 10 independents approved of Trump’s performance on the economy in the April poll, down slightly from about 3 in 10 in March. Only about one-quarter of U.S. adults approved of his handling of the cost of living.

Michigan voters may be feeling the impacts more than those elsewhere in the U.S. Gas prices in Michigan are averaging around $4.80 per gallon, the 10th-highest in the nation, according to AAA, after they jumped by over 80 cents in a week.

Jared Kaufman, 26, is among those frustrated by rising costs and the war in Iran. He voted for Democrat Chedrick Green in Tuesday's election, saying he’s a teacher who doesn’t make much money. The sacrifices being made “for something that is nowhere near us” are unnecessary, he said.

Tariffs have also created new anxiety in a state deeply tied to the auto industry and cross-border trade with Canada. While Trump has argued the tariffs will strengthen domestic manufacturing, suppliers and smaller manufacturers in Michigan say the uncertainty has made it harder to plan investments and expansion.

“The more stability there is in the environment, the easier it is for me to make decisions to grow and expand,” said John Lytle, president of Promess Inc., a manufacturer outside Detroit. “That’s probably been the biggest impact it’s had on us.”

Jason Roe, a strategist and former executive director of the Michigan GOP, conceded that the political environment isn’t good right now, but argued Democrats have their own problems and that Trump still has time to bring costs down.

“But if they don’t get Iran figured out pretty quick, we’re screwed,” he added.

A messy top of the ticket race

The worsening political climate is also colliding with internal divisions at the top of the GOP ticket.

With Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer term-limited and leaving office at year's end, the governor's race was once viewed as Republicans' best pickup opportunity. Michigan has a long history of electing a governor from the opposite party once an incumbent leaves office.

The overwhelming favorite in the GOP primary was Rep. John James, a veteran who represents a competitive House district and has been endorsed by Trump in previous elections, including two failed bids for U.S. Senate (Trump has not endorsed in this year's GOP primary). But frustration with his campaign has steadily built within the party, spilling into public view in recent weeks.

After it was announced in April that James would miss a GOP debate in an important swing county where all other major candidates were attending, a wave of Republicans criticized him.

“The data is clear: if John James wins the Aug. 4, 2026, primary, Republicans will almost certainly lose the general election in November,” said Chris Long, a member of the Michigan GOP's leadership team, in a social media post calling for James to drop out.

James has said that he will take part in two debates in July.

Democrats have their own concerns. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is expected to lead the Democratic field, though Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson is also running. Some in the party worry that Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a former Democrat now running for governor as an independent, could pull votes from their nominee.

But James' campaign has also been complicated by the late entry of Perry Johnson, a millionaire businessman who mounted long-shot bids for governor in 2022 and president in 2024. Johnson has aggressively attacked James — and has the money to sustain it, announcing a $10 million television ad buy in February.

Republican strategist Dennis Lennox criticized James as running “an awful campaign,” but added that no matter who is the nominee, it will be a tough cycle.

“Anyone who isn't being paid to say otherwise will concede that 2026 is going to be a very difficult year for Republicans,” said Lennox.

In a statement, James spokesperson Hannah Osantowske dismissed the criticism as “sore losers griping,” arguing that James remains the GOP frontrunner and “the only Republican beating both Democrats in November.” She also dismissed Johnson’s campaign.

“Michiganders are not buying what he is selling,” Osantowske said. “They want a trusted Trump ally, combat veteran and proven job creator. That is John James.”

Republicans hope to break a three-decade Senate losing streak

The governor's race is top of the ticket in Michigan, but national Republicans are also looking to crush Democrats' chances of winning control of the Senate by flipping Michigan's open Senate seat.

Former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers is running again on the GOP ticket, after losing in 2024 by less than 20,000 votes to freshman Sen. Elissa Slotkin.

Democrats are in the midst of a competitive — and increasingly messy — Senate primary with three high-profile candidates vying for the party's nomination in the Aug. 4 primary.

Still, questions linger about whether Rogers can win a race he lost even with Trump on the ballot. No Republican has won a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since 1994.

Rogers maintains the most cash on hand of any Senate candidate, due to a non-competitive GOP primary, but was behind Democratic candidates Mallory McMorrow, a state senator, and Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a former health official, in fundraising in the first quarter of 2026. The Senate Leadership Fund, the leading super PAC for Senate Republicans, announced an initial $45 million investment in the Michigan race early in April.

Czuba said the influx of outside money may not help Rogers if it further nationalizes the race.

“If the conversation is nationalized in Michigan, we see how poorly the president's numbers look right now,” said Czuba. “If undecided voters disproportionately view Donald Trump negatively, I'm not sure what the path is for Mike Rogers.”

___

Associated Press journalist Mike Householder in Bay City, Michigan, contributed to this report.

The proposed painting of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building is one piece of a broader plan the Republican president has said will make Washington more beautiful.

Trump is making numerous changes inside and outside the White House and its grounds, most notably razing the East Wing to build a 1,000-person ballroom. Across the street from the mansion, Lafayette Park is closed for renovations that include getting the fountains working again.

The National Capital Planning Commission is scheduled to begin considering the plan on Thursday, according to its meeting agenda. Trump calls for painting all or most of the Eisenhower building's gray granite exterior with white paint. He last year called the gray a “really bad color.”

Josh Fisher, a White House official, in April told the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts — a separate federal agency that also must approve the proposal — that the Trump administration prefers painting the entire building because the exterior is stained and in “great disrepair.”

The White House also presented an alternative proposal to paint most of the building in white while leaving the granite as is on the base.

Fisher said in April that experts consulted by the government could not guarantee that an exterior cleaning would improve the condition of the building.

But the proposal has alarmed preservationists, architects, historians and others who argue that granite is not meant to be painted and that paint would trap moisture, deteriorate the stone and not solve problems the administration wants to fix.

There's also scant public support for the paint job.

Hundreds of pages of public comment submitted to the National Capital Planning Commission and available on the agency's website were overwhelmingly against the plan on the grounds that the granite would be harmed by being painted and that problems would remain, at great expense to taxpayers. Others suggested improved landscaping, lighting and other steps to improve the building's appearance.

Members of the Society of Architectural Historians sent a letter this week to Will Scharf, a top White House aide and chair of the planning commission, outlining why the project “will adversely and permanently alter this important part of American heritage and should be rejected.”

A report by the planning commission's staff recommends that commissioners support cleaning the building but said more information is needed to evaluate the proposals to paint the exterior.

Staff also recommends asking the White House to provide information about the type of paint to be used, including where it has been successfully used on exterior granite facades in other projects. It also recommends the White House summarize other ways to achieve the goal, including cleaning the building and/or lighting.

The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A lawsuit against the proposed paint job is working its way through federal court.

The Eisenhower building sits across a driveway from the West Wing, and its granite, slate and cast iron exterior makes it one of America’s best examples of the French Second Empire style of architecture. It was the original home for the State, War and Navy departments, and it currently houses ceremonial offices for the vice president and offices for the second lady, the National Security Council and other White House components.

At its April meeting, the fine arts commission directed White House officials to return at a future date to present more information, including the results of paint testing.

Member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh — who performs as Mo Chara — had been charged with a terror-related offense for displaying a flag of Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, (which is banned in Britain as a terrorist organization) during a London concert in 2024. The case was eventually thrown out and the band used the experience of going to court, and the party that ensued in their support, as inspiration for some of the tracks on “Fenian.”

The record's title is also an act of defiance, reclaiming a word that has historically been used as derogatory term directed toward Irish people.

During the band’s various court appearances, fans lined the streets outside court to support the Belfast trio — singing, playing instruments and chanting “Free Mo Chara” — a refrain that's sampled on the band’s new track “Carnival.”

Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí discussed recording “Fenian,” the importance of their live shows and if they think they can get visas to tour the U.S., with The Associated Press recently.

The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: How is this process different from writing your first record?

MO CHARA: We were writing the tracks as Dan Carey (producer) was creating the tracks so like the lyrics and the production was like kind of developing at the same time, same place, which I thought was interesting. It was a very organic feeling. It was the first time we’d ever done it like that.

MÓGLAÍ BAP: Obviously when we were in the studio we had, we were in the Magistrates’ Court during that period, during the seven weeks we had to leave the studio and go to the courts and then also had the Wembley Arena concert so it was quite a busy time.

Usually studio time for bands it’s quite (a lot of) down time but we were kind of going into the chaos of going to court — Mo Chara was obviously — but actually ended up not much of a hindrance. It kind of helped us and we used that in the song “Carnival,” we sampled the crowd outside the court case saying “Free Mo Chara.”

AP: How would you describe your live performances, it feels like a celebration with that kind of energy. Is that important to you?

DJ PRÓVAÍ: Because we have a reputation of being like a band that’s live shows are good, you know people already come with that kind of energy and they have that expectancy so whenever they’re in there they’re up here already. Even when the show’s starting it’s kind of sits here alrdy. (gesturing toward the ceiling)

MO CHARA: It’s almost like the hard work’s all been done before the show so people are coming in and they’re full of energy now. They’re giving us a show as well.

MÓGLAÍ BAP: I think the origins of that is like because we started off doing the music in Irish, a big part of our challenge was to connect with the audience and interact with them in a way that they can enjoy the music without understanding it. Just kind of bringing that energy on stage was a way for the crowd to actually enjoy it because most people don’t know what the (expletive) we’re saying.

AP: Do you think you’d be able to go to America? Is there a plan? Are you trying to get visas?

MO CHARA: See, the thing was we never actually got turned down for a visa, like there was a lot of miscommunications there and I think the media kind of ran with the story that they wanted. We were never turned down.

What happened was we were changing our promoters in America so what happens is you have to reapply for a new working visa and then obviously with the court case going on we didn’t apply for one. So now that the court case is over, I don’t see any reason why we won’t get our visa accepted. Obviously we’ve never been convicted of any crimes in any country in the world.

We just didn’t apply for it because we thought it was probably the wrong time to do it. So I think now with everything being over, there’s no reason why we won’t be back in America soon.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman entered the pleas Thursday in Boulder County District Court. He now faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the attack in downtown Boulder last June 1.

Soliman’s attorneys revealed he would plead guilty in a Sunday court filing in a related federal case. Soliman has meanwhile pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges.

Prosecutors are weighing whether to seek the death penalty in the federal case, according to his attorneys.

Soliman initially pleaded not guilty in state court to murder and dozens of attempted murder and assault charges for throwing two Molotov cocktails at demonstrators at a pedestrian mall in downtown Boulder, a city of 100,000 people northwest of Denver that’s home to the University of Colorado.

Karen Diamond, 82, was injured in the attack and later died. A dozen others were also injured.

Soliman, who is expected to be sentenced later Thursday, made no comments through two translators. He just agreed to guilty pleas and said he understood the judge's reading of the charges.

In a statement read in court by a prosecutor, Diamond’s sons asked that Soliman not be allowed to see his family again “since he is responsible for our mother never seeing her family again.”

Andrew and Ethan Diamond said their mother suffered “indescribable pain” for over three weeks before her death. “In those weeks, we learned the full meaning of the expressions living hell and fate worse than death,” Diamond’s sons said in the statement.

Soliman is an Egyptian national who federal authorities say was living in the U.S. illegally. Investigators allege he planned the attack for a year and was driven by a desire “to kill all Zionist people.”

Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer said the victims included some of her close friends.

“It was a horrific attack,” Winer said by email this week. “Their lives were changed forever.”

Soliman’s federal attorneys have said in court filings the attack “was profoundly inconsistent” with Soliman’s prior conduct and “came as a total shock to his family.”

Soliman had been living with his family in a two-bedroom apartment in Colorado Springs — about 97 miles (156 kilometers) away — at the time of the attack. He had moved to the U.S. from Kuwait in 2022 with his wife and their five children and worked in a series of low-paying jobs.

The couple divorced in April.

Investigators allege Soliman told them he intended to kill the roughly 20 participants at the weekly demonstration at Boulder’s Pearl Street pedestrian mall. He threw two of more than two dozen Molotov cocktails he had with him while yelling, “Free Palestine!”

Police said he told them he got scared because he had never hurt anyone before.

Federal prosecutors allege the victims were targeted because of their perceived or actual connection to Israel. Soliman’s federal defense lawyers argue he should not have been charged with hate crimes because he was motivated by opposition to Zionism, the political movement to establish and sustain a Jewish state in Israel.

An attack motivated by someone’s political views is not considered a hate crime under federal law.

State prosecutors have identified 29 victims in the attack. Thirteen were physically injured. The others were nearby and considered victims because they could have been hurt. A dog was also injured in the attack, and Soliman was charged with animal cruelty.

Soliman’s wife, Hayam El Gamal, and their children spent 10 months in immigration detention until a federal judge in Texas ordered their release in April.

An immigration appeals court had dismissed their case to stay in the U.S. and issued a deportation order. But U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio allowed their release on the condition that El Gamal and her oldest child, who is 18, wear electronic monitoring.

Soliman’s attorneys seek to block the family’s deportation until a judge determines they won’t need to be present for court proceedings in his federal case.

The Russian activist has lived under protection since 2022 because French officials believe Russia is trying to kill him.

In April 2025, a crew of Russian men staked out Osechkin's home and the surrounding area in southwestern France for several hours, taking videos and photos in suspected groundwork for an assassination, according to court documents seen by The Associated Press that are not public. Several years earlier, Osechkin said, a red dot — which he thought was a laser sight for a gun — appeared on his wall.

Elsewhere in Europe, Lithuanian officials disrupted a plot last year to kill a Lithuanian supporter of Ukraine and another against a Russian activist. Officials in Germany have similarly broken up two plots: one to target the head of a German weapons company supplying Ukraine, the other against a Ukrainian military official. Polish authorities arrested a man in 2024 in what they said was a plot to assassinate Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And that same year, a Russian helicopter pilot who defected was killed in Spain — with Russian operatives the prime suspects.

While Russian officials have long been accused of silencing the country’s enemies abroad, three Western intelligence officials from different countries told AP that a campaign of targeted killings has ramped up since President Vladimir Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The officials said Russia's security services are now more brazen in their choice of targets, going after Russian activists and foreign supporters of Ukraine, in addition to the usual suspects like military defectors. All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

“This campaign is not by accident or chance," said one of them, a senior European intelligence official. "There is political authorization.”

The intelligence officials, a former senior British counterterrorism official and prosecutors in Lithuania see the campaign as connected to Russia's broader efforts to undermine European countries that support Ukraine, including 191 acts of sabotage, arson and other disruption linked to Russia by Western officials that the AP has mapped across Europe since the beginning of the war.

Many accused in that campaign are people who were recruited as cheap proxies for Russian intelligence operatives. Moscow is now using that model to target its perceived enemies abroad, according to the French court documents, officials and information from the Lithuanian prosecutor.

Putin's spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told AP he didn't see “any need” to comment. Russian officials have previously denied that Moscow is behind attempts to kill its opponents abroad.

The AP spoke to three of the people targeted: Osechkin; Lithuanian activist Valdas Bartkevičius; and Ruslan Gabbasov, who advocates for independence for the Russian region of Bashkortostan.

A trip to the seaside

Three of the four men detained by French police in the plot to kill Osechkin traveled to the beach resort of Biarritz, where Osechkin lives, in April 2025, court documents show. They surveilled his house “with a view to assassinating him and subsequently intimidating all political opponents of the Russian authorities living in France,” the documents said.

All four were born in Russia's Dagestan region. One has multiple criminal convictions while another said he had been arrested by Russia's domestic security service and fled the country to avoid being sent to Ukraine.

Osechkin founded a rights group for prisoners years ago and runs a project that exposes abuses in Russia's prison system, but he said the threats against him escalated after he began investigating alleged Russian abuses in Ukraine and helping Russian military defectors flee.

He moved to France in 2015 and was put under police protection seven years later when French officials received information that his life was in danger.

“If it weren’t for them, I probably would have been killed,” he said.

Targets say Moscow wins if they hide

Across the continent in Lithuania, Gabbasov, the activist from Bashkortostan, discovered an Apple AirTag tracker hidden on his car in February 2025. Police told him to leave the device and followed the people following him, he said.

A few weeks later, Gabbasov said he was attending celebrations marking Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union with his wife and 5-year-old son when officers called and told him not to return home.

The next day, he said officers told him: “Yesterday, a killer was detained near your house; he was waiting for you with a gun. ... He was ready to wait for you all night.”

Lithuanian authorities, he said, offered him the chance to completely “disappear” — change his name, move and stop his work.

He turned them down, saying many people from his mainly Muslim home region near Kazakhstan see him as a leader in the campaign for independence. The region is important to the Kremlin, Gabbasov said, because of its gold reserves and because large numbers of its men have been sent to fight in Ukraine.

“I can’t betray them all by simply disappearing, especially out of fear,” Gabbasov said, adding that would play into Moscow’s hands.

“What difference does it make to them?” Gabbasov asked, referring to Russia’s security services. “They could kill me ... or I could hide from everyone and stop engaging in political activity. That’s exactly what they want.”

A plot to put a bomb in a mailbox

The authorities in Lithuania made the same offer to Bartkevičius, after he said they discovered a plot to kill him with a bomb planted in his mailbox in March 2025.

But disappearing also wasn't an option for the activist who raises money for Ukraine and who gained notoriety for his anti-Russian acts, including urinating on a Russian war memorial.

That, he said, would be “social death."

Lithuanian prosecutors charged 13 people from at least seven countries with involvement in the two plots — among at least 20 people authorities have detained, charged or identified as involved in such plots in Europe over the past year.

The people involved in the Lithuanian cases were directly ordered by Russian military intelligence, prosecutors said, and some had connections to Russian organized crime and could be linked to other arson and espionage plots elsewhere in Europe.

Moscow's switch to relying on such proxies can be traced to a previous attempted assassination, Cmdr. Dominic Murphy told AP before he retired as head of the counterterrorism squad at Britain’s Metropolitan Police.

In 2018, former Russian spy Sergei Skripal was poisoned with a nerve agent in Salisbury, England — an attack the U.K. government accused Moscow of carrying out with military intelligence officers.

In response, Britain and other Western nations kicked out hundreds of Russian diplomats — and spies — making it harder for Russian officers to operate in Europe, Murphy, a lead investigator, said.

The fact that most of the plots made public by Western officials since 2022 have been foiled could indicate that it’s harder for Moscow to carry them out with proxies, as opposed to its own officers, one of the Western intelligence officials said.

Still, the attempted killings may serve additional purposes, they said, including scaring the Kremlin’s opponents into silence and wasting European law enforcement resources.

Pointing to the case of Maxim Kuzminov — the helicopter pilot who defected and was threatened with death by masked men in military fatigues on Russian state television — the official said it’s clear Russia’s security services can kill someone in Europe if they really want to.

For that reason, the European intelligence official said, targets will never be safe.

“Even if you thwart an operation once, you still need to be ready in case they strike again.”

The grand jury indictment filed April 21 by the U.S. Justice Department is an extraordinary strike against the Alabama-based organization, which works to combat discrimination and racism particularly in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The SPLC denies wrongdoing, and no individual is charged.

The group has drawn criticism from conservatives including FBI Director Kash Patel, especially after it included Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA in a report about “hate and extremism.” Kirk was killed during a Utah college appearance in 2025.

Supporters say the SPLC is being unfairly targeted by the Trump administration for its civil rights triumphs.

An arraignment on charges of money laundering conspiracy, wire fraud and false statements to a bank was set for Thursday in federal court in Montgomery.

The Justice Department accuses the organization of defrauding donors by using their money to fund the same extremism it says it fights. At least $3 million went to informants affiliated with the Ku Klux Klan, the Aryan Nations, the National Socialist Party of America and other groups between 2014 and 2023, the indictment says.

CEO Bryan Fair said the payments went to confidential informants to monitor threats of violence from the extremist groups. The information gathered helped save lives, he said, and was frequently shared with the FBI.

“We are outraged by the false allegations levied against SPLC,” Fair said when the charges were filed.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recently acknowledged that the organization has a history of sharing information with law enforcement after he was challenged for saying the opposite.

“That's well-documented, and there's no dispute there. They aren't charged with any of that conduct,” Blanche said.

___

Associated Press writer Ed White in Detroit contributed.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is tech’s favorite candidate to be the next leader of California.

The 43-year-old former tech executive jumped into the crowded race in January, touting himself as a pragmatic problem-solver. A moderate Democrat, Mahan has built his statewide profile mainly by criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature's response to homelessness and crime. His centrist message has appealed to tech leaders who want a business-friendly governor to succeed Newsom, a longtime tech ally who’s terming out.

In just three months, Mahan has raised more than any of his rivals, many of whom have been running for more than a year. ( Billionaire Tom Steyer is largely self-funding his campaign.)

During a Tuesday night debate on CNN, he criticized his rivals as career politicians while crafting himself as the candidate with practical solutions to the state’s challenges.

“We don’t need MAGA values, but we also don’t need more of the same,” Mahan said, referring to President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement supported by Republican rivals Chad Bianco and Steve Hilton, whom Trump has endorsed.

But Mahan doesn’t appear to have yet gained the momentum he expected or the widespread name recognition to beat his rivals — and he’s running out of time to win over voters ahead of the June 2 primary. His ties to tech are of particular concern to labor unions and a segment of Democratic voters who question whether he’ll stand up to the industry.

A Silicon Valley mayor

“People do not want somebody who is a puppet of these big tech billionaires, of these AI billionaires — and that’s who he has always been,” said Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, president of the California Labor Federation, which has endorsed Steyer, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Mahan said he's the only candidate who has experience with the behemoth industry, pointing to a coalition he created in San Jose where more than 900 public agencies work together to explore responsible ways to implement artificial intelligence in government. In Tuesday's debate, he said he supports taxing AI companies to fund workforce development.

“Voters can see past the kind of, you know, shallow connection that because I’m the mayor of the largest city in Silicon Valley, that might mean that I’m not willing to regulate tech,” Mahan told The Associated Press. "It’s actually been quite the opposite.”

Observers note California is known for leading the way on policies aimed at both boosting and reining in its home-grown tech industry.

“If they can ensure that they get a governor in California who’s weak on tech accountability, then that can save them a lot of money across the states,” J.B. Branch of Public Citizen, a progressive consumer rights advocacy group, said of the Silicon Valley leaders supporting Mahan.

Tech's efforts to exert political influence

Across politics, the tech industry is flexing its political muscle as public skepticism about social media and artificial intelligence rises. Independent groups backed by tech companies and billionaires have already committed at least $40 million to influence California legislative races.

Political committees backing Mahan have raised more than $25 million, including donations from Google co-founder Sergey Brin, venture capitalist Michael Moritz and Reddit CEO Steve Huffman.

Some donors, like Brin and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, are hedging their bets — they also gave to Hilton, the former Fox News host.

Mahan is “focused on actually solving problems — building more housing, improving public safety and making it possible for people to live and work here again,” Garry Tan, who leads a startup accelerator that helped launch companies like Airbnb and DoorDash, said through a spokesperson.

From the Ivy League to business and politics

A Harvard graduate, Mahan was classmates with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who he's said persuaded him to go into tech instead of law school.

Mahan was part of the team that built an early Facebook app called Causes that allowed users to promote nonprofit organizations. He then co-founded Brigade, a nonpartisan online voter network.

But that's not at the center of Mahan's campaign. He's focused instead on his upbringing as the son of a postal worker and a schoolteacher. He's the only major Democrat who wants to suspend the state's gas tax.

He defeated a labor-backed candidate for mayor in 2022 after serving two years on the city council. As mayor, he convinced council members to direct more city money toward short-term housing to get homeless people off the streets and made them eligible for arrest for rejecting shelters. Both efforts faced fierce opposition, but San Jose last year saw a drop in the number of people without access to shelters, according to county data.

He bucked Newsom in 2024 by backing a tough-on-crime ballot measure. Mahan has since tamped down his criticism, saying the governor has focused on the right issues.

Tech support is a double-edged sword

Mahan has committed to not raising taxes to fix budget holes — including with a one-time tax on billionaires that most of his rivals are also against. He wants to incentivize elected state officials and appointees by tying future pay raises to improvements on issues like unemployment rates and homelessness.

“Raising taxes isn’t always the answer, Tom,” he pointedly said Tuesday when Steyer pitched a plan to make corporations pay more in property taxes.

Mahan raised more than $13 million in 11 weeks, allowing him to launch television ads to reach voters in some of the most expensive markets in the country. Two independent expenditure groups have spent more than $18 million to boost him.

As of last month, only about 730 donations given to Mahan’s campaign were less than $250, indicating limited grassroots support. In contrast, almost all of Porter’s 46,000 donations were under that amount, as were about 5,600 of those to former state attorney general Xavier Becerra.

Still, voters' support for the other Democratic candidates "is very soft" Mahan said of his chance. “Even if people are leaning a certain way, they’re still persuadable.”

Tech moguls’ support of Mahan’s candidacy and his plans to regulate them were among the most popular topics during a recent “Ask Me Anything” session Mahan hosted on Reddit, where people can ask questions anonymously.

Several people asked when Mahan would drop out to prevent a catastrophic scenario for Democrats where two Republicans could advance to the November election. One asked which Democrat he would endorse after exiting the race.

“I plan to win!” he responded.

Protesters shouted “No Jim Crow” outside the House and Senate chambers as lawmakers convened to consider the legislation. As the Republican-led House later voted for the new map, Democratic lawmakers locked arms at the front of the chamber while protesters yelled and made noise. A final vote in the Senate would sent the map to Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who called lawmakers into special session.

The redistricting effort in Tennessee is one of several rapidly advancing plans in Southern states as Republicans try to leverage a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act.

The court ruled that Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second Black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with the federal law. The high court's decision altered a decades-old understanding of the law, giving Republicans grounds to try to eliminate majority-Black districts that have elected Democrats.

Louisiana has postponed its congressional primary to give time for state lawmakers to craft a new House map. Legislation awaiting a final vote in Alabama also would upend the state’s congressional primaries if courts allow the state to change its U.S. House districts. In South Carolina, meanwhile, Republican lawmakers urged on by Trump have taken initial steps to add congressional redistricting to their agenda.

The states are the latest to join an already fierce national redistricting battle. Since Trump prodded Texas to redraw its U.S. House districts last year, eight states have adopted new congressional districts. From that, Republicans think they could gain as many as 13 seats while Democrats think they could gain up to 10. But some competitive races mean the parties may not get everything they sought in the November elections.

Tennessee Republicans act despite protests

As a first step to adopting new House districts, Tennessee lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation that would repeal a state law prohibiting mid-decade redistricting. They then passed a bill that would reopen a candidate qualifying until May 15 to allow time for new people to enter the U.S. House primaries and existing candidates to switch districts or drop out.

The proposed House map would break up Tennessee’s lone Democratic-held district, centered on the majority-Black city of Memphis, creating a ripple effect of alterations to districts throughout the western and central parts of the state.

Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton said the proposed districts were drawn based on population and politics, not racial data.

But Democrats dismissed such assertions.

“These maps are racist tools of white supremacy at the behest of the most powerful white supremacist in the United States of America, Donald J. Trump,” said state Rep. Justin Pearson, a Black Democrat from Memphis who is running for the U.S. House.

State Rep. Torrey Harris, another Black Democrat from Memphis, said he would lose part of his voting power as a result of the congressional districts.

“You cannot celebrate democracy while carving out Black communities,” he said. “We all know it, whether we say it or not, that this map impacts Black people negatively.”

Democrats noted that the state Supreme Court in April 2022 rejected a challenge to the current congressional map, finding it was too close to the election to make changes. This year, there’s even less time before the Aug. 6 primary, raising the potential of confusion for both candidates and voters, Democrats said.

A plan for a new primary advances in Alabama

Protesters watching an Alabama legislative committee Thursday erupted in shouts of “shame” as Republican lawmakers advanced legislation to authorize special congressional primaries if the state can put a new congressional map in place for the November midterms.

In the wake of the Supreme Court decision arising from Louisiana, Alabama is seeking to overturn a court injunction that created a second U.S. House district with a substantial percentage of Black voters. That map led to the 2024 election of Rep. Shomari Figures, a Black Democrat. Republicans want instead to use a 2023 map drawn by state lawmakers that would give the GOP an opportunity to reclaim Figures’ district.

If a court grants Alabama's request, the legislation under consideration would ignore the May 19 primary results for congressional seats and direct the governor to schedule a new primary under the revised districts.

The House passed the legislation on a party-line vote Thursday after four hours of fiery debate. A final vote in the Senate is expected Friday.

South Carolina may add redistricting to its agenda

The South Carolina Senate could take up a resolution Thursday giving lawmakers permission to return later, after their regular work ends, to redraw congressional districts that could eliminate the state’s only Democratic-held district. The proposal, which passed the House on Wednesday, needs a two-thirds vote in both chambers.

Republican House leaders said after the vote that they plan to introduce a new map Thursday and hold committee meetings on Friday. But during debate Wednesday, Republicans fended off specific questions from Democrats, including why they were willing to stop the June 9 U.S. House primary elections well after candidates filed and how much a rescheduled primary could cost.

Democratic Rep. Justin Bamberg said he felt sorry for Republicans who, he said, were giving up their principles to follow the whims of Trump.

“The president of the United States is a very powerful man. Wields a heavy, heavy thumb — Truth Social, X, Meta, Instagram. To be honest I don’t envy our Republican colleagues,” Bamberg said.

___

Chandler reported from Montgomery, Alabama; Collins from Columbia, South Carolina; and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press reporter Kristin M. Hall contributed.

Two Miami friends say they have a plan to help rebuild it all in half the time -- from an unlikely place inspired by the South Beach nightclub scene.

“It’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever worked on in my life,” said Fabio Galarce. “I’ve never done anything with so much momentum.”

The mission is ambitious.

“We are on a mission to save the Gulf oyster and localize oysters in the South Florida and Central Florida markets,” Galarce said.

High-end clubs, hotels and restaurants are all looking for quality oysters, and Galarce, a club promoter, teamed up with former professional baseball player Josh Wilkie to launch Everglades Oysters.

“So, Everglades Oysters is the southernmost tropical farm in the United States,” Galarce said. “We are the biggest off-bottom agriculture farm in the Gulf. And we are on a mission to save the Gulf oyster and localized oysters in the South Florida and Central Florida markets.”

The duo secured a 74-acre tract in the Ten Thousand Islands, where the Everglades meets the Gulf.

“We are the tropical oyster, the warm water oyster story is ours to tell,” Galarce said.

“Here we are growing oysters on the top water column in water that is brackish coming off of the Everglades,” Wilkie said.

Wilkie, a former major league pitcher, grew up around oysters in South Carolina before moving to South Florida as part of the tech industry. But the opportunity to farm oysters brought him back to his roots.

“We have an infinite amount of nutrients coming from the Everglades system, the filtration system, and then the organic matter that flows into here,” Wilkie said. “The water quality here is exceptional. It is of the temperature that the oysters thrive.”

Because of those conditions, the oysters grow six times faster than some northern farms and can grow year-round using a unique process.

“It’s called flip farm equipment,” Wilkie said. “It’s very cutting edge. It allows us to bring all the tumbling and all the processing of an oyster out here and handling out here and using the wave energy and natural energy of the ocean.”

The quality, quantity and local sourcing are already winning over chefs across the region.

“The overwhelming amount of chefs are supportive,” Galarce said. “We’re well on our way to over 100 restaurants that we work with in South Florida. Our goal is to have hundreds by the end of the year.”

Everglades Oysters supplies restaurants including Stubborn Seed on South Beach, but the company’s mission extends far beyond serving seafood.

“Fundamentally, the biggest benefit is keep the shells out of the trash because they don’t incinerate, they weigh a lot, they’re a big burden on the trash system,” Galarce said.

“We give the chefs buckets with lids and they collect the shells as they’re consuming them in the restaurant,” Galarce said. “When our driver comes the following week to do a delivery, they’ll pick up the consumed shells.”

The company collects empty oyster shells from restaurants and transports them to an avocado farm in Homestead, where they are dried in the sun for six months.

Keeping the shells out of landfills is one benefit, but the larger goal is restoring Florida’s oyster reefs.

“The big overarching goal is to save the Gulf oyster,” Galarce said. “Over 90% of the oyster reefs in the wild are functionally extinct.”

The recycled shells can help repopulate coastal oyster beds because oyster larvae are naturally attracted to empty shells.

“That oyster is filtering and sequestering nitrogen, carbon,” Galarce said. “50 gallons of water is being filtered by each oyster each day.”

The company’s early success is fueling plans for rapid expansion.

“This year, we plan on planting more than 2 million oysters,” Galarce said. “So by 2027, there’s gonna be an abundance of oysters from the Everglades in South Florida.”

For Wilkie, the work combines business with environmental impact.

“It’s a perfect mix of everything I love,” he said. “I love being outside. I love the water. We had this really cool mission to not only sell a great product but also do something environmentally impactful and meaningful and giving me a lot of purpose with what I’m doing.”

The founders say the farm’s success should not come as a surprise. Thousands of years ago, the Calusa tribe built its culture and islands around oysters and their shells, relying on the nutrient-rich waters flowing from the Everglades into the Gulf.

“I think it is a blessing in disguise,” Stroh said.

The surprise shutdown of the airline Saturday may have derailed the couple’s careers, but not their spirit.

“We’re gonna come up from this -- just a little stepping stone to get where we need to get,” Strausberg said.

That next step is a new passion project centered around pets.

“We do dog grooming, boarding, doggie daycare,” Stroh said.

The couple now runs Sunnyside Pups, using skills they said they learned while working in the airline industry.

“The compassion, empathy and patience above all and we use it every single day in our business and with the fur babies that we look after, so I’m very grateful for everything I learned from Spirit,” Strausberg said.

“Working at Spirit is kind of like the school of hard knocks in the service industry, so it’s definitely -- we’re polished in that regard,” Stroh added.

“This is plan A,” Stroh said. “A lot of flight attendants -- it’s hard to stay out of the industry. They go from one to the other. I don’t see that in our cards anytime soon.”

Roughly 5,000 other people across the state, most of them in South Florida, are now scrambling to find work.

A job fair planned Thursday at Miami International Airport in Concourse J could help some of those former Spirit employees.

“I wanted to retire here, I loved this job,” said flight attendant Dante Taylor.

But Taylor said he needed the health insurance from his job, which stopped in the middle of his treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma.

“What are we supposed to do?” Taylor said. “When coverage from Marketplace, even though it’s backdated, it’s not effective until June 1. We need coverage now.”

The fallout also includes Spirit’s new $250 million headquarters in Dania Beach.

Broward County’s mayor is now floating the idea of turning the vacant property into a new county administration building.

But no matter what happens with Spirit, the married couple said they are focused on flying high with their new dog grooming business.

“I applied to Delta and I was gonna move forward with the interview, but I decided I want to pursue this instead,” Strausberg said.

Taylor, a flight attendant, had worked for Spirit Airlines for about seven years when he found out that his health insurance had expired, and he was jobless on Saturday.

“I wanted to retire here. I love this job ... It really felt like somebody stabbed me right here in my chest ... What are we supposed to do when coverage from Marketplace or COBRA ... is not effective until June 1. We need coverage now,” Taylor said.

Related fundraiser

Joe Lopez joined Spirit Airlines in 2011. In an instant, he said he lost the seniority and benefits that took him years to build.

Lopez said that after he was laidoff he applied for unemployment benefits, and he has applied for other jobs to stay in the industry.

“I am so grateful that I still have some savings,” Lopez said.

Taylor wished they could have had more time to prepare.

“I want to know why not give us a better heads up,” Taylor said. “Why lead us on to the fact that we thought it was safe to continue working there.”

Rick Beasley, the executive director of CareerSource South Florida, is hoping to change lives on Thursday with a job fair.

“American Airlines has jumped in,” Beasley said, adding that the list of employers also includes Miami Dade College, Atlantis University, and Miami Dade County Public Schools.

It’s from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Miami International Airport’s South Terminal Auditorium’s Concourse J, third level. For more information, call 1-800-385-3920.

Related social media

🚨THIS THURSDAY🚨
@CareerSourceSFL is hosting a Specialized Job Fair at @iflymia from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. for displaced Spirit Airlines employees.

Additionally, Spirit employees in Florida affected by this layoff may call a dedicated help line at 1-800-385-3920 if they need help… pic.twitter.com/QkADARoOhr

— FloridaCommerce (@FLACommerce) May 5, 2026

LOCAL LAYOFFS

With more than $2.5 billion in losses since 2020, the bankruptcy filings followed in 2024 and 2025, and the shutdown was on Saturday after a last-minute $500 million government bailout failed.

“We have 18,000 people that live in this country that are great people and great employees,” President Donald Trump said about Spirit Airlines employees nationwide on April 23 at the White House.

Spirit Airlines filed the layoff notices on Monday with the FloridaCommerce, the state’s lead agency for workforce, and reported laying off more than 4,850 employees in Florida.

That included more than 3,260 layoffs in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. There were 2,529 at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, 551 at the Spirit Support Center in Dania Beach, and 181 at Miami International Airport.

Related document: Notice of layoff (May 2-13)

Helpful link: Spirit Airlines restructuring page

Related stories

• Commissioner: Family Success Centers ready to help ex-Spirit Airlines employees living in Broward
• Spirit Airlines reports over 4,850 job cuts in Florida
• While still wearing Spirit Airlines uniforms, job seekers start asking for help
• Jobless former Spirit Airlines employees march in Dania Beach
• Spirit Airlines asks guests not to go to the airport, or expect rebookings

Upcoming job fairs

CareerSource South Florida is hosting a job fair for former Spirit Airlines employees from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Miami International Airport’s South Terminal Auditorium’s Concourse J, third level. For more information, call 1-800-385-3920.

Miramar is hosting a job fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 20 at the Miramar Cultural Center, at 2400 Civic Center Place. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit the Evenbrite page.

The Port Everglades Career Fair & Expo is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on May 27 at the Broward County Convention Center at 1950 Eisenhower Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. Admission and parking are free. Here is a list of the participating companies >

Resources

• Broward County has four Family Success Centers to help with housing and utilities.
• Department of Labor: Rapid response services includes guidance on COBRA continuation coverage
• American Airlines launches “Supporting Spirit” career page
• United Airlines launches program to prioritize former Spirit Airlines employees when hiring. Here is the career page >
• Southwest Airlines was recruiting on this page.
• JetBlue’s jobs page
• JetBlue announced an extension of the “jumpseat agreement for the next two weeks, subject to space availability and limited to cabin seating” for those who were stranded while working for Spirit Airlines, and also announced “preferential employment interviews.”
• Delta releases statement of help
• For more information about help from the Association of Flight Attendants, call 1-800-385-3920
• CareerSource Broward offers services such as job placement and career coaching at three centers at 4941 Coconut Creek Parkway, 2550 West Oakland Park Boulevard, and 7550 Davie Road Extension in Hollywood.
• Employ Miami-Dade has services for job seekers.
• CareerOneStop has a database for job centers
• To file an unemployment benefits claim in Florida, call 1-800-204-2418 or visit this page.
• Find your local food bank, on this Feeding America page

Playing without the injured Joel Embiid, the 76ers put up a far better fight than in the Knicks' 137-98 romp in Game 1. The game featured 25 lead changes — the most in a playoff game in 11 years — and 14 ties. Neither team led by more than seven points.

“Most importantly it’s staying poised, staying composed,” Brunson said. “Just figuring out one just play at a time, one step at a time and not looking too far ahead.”

Those kinds of situations are made for Brunson, who made the tiebreaking basket with 5:06 remaining and added another jumper for a 103-99 advantage with 3:45 to play before Mikal Bridges' basket made it a six-point game.

“They started switching a little bit and he got to his spots and scored a bucket and that’s what he’s expected to do for us,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said of Brunson.

OG Anunoby added 24 points for New York, though he left late in the game, went to the locker room and didn't return to the bench. Brown said after the game he didn't have an update on the forward's status.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Knicks, whose Game 1 victory made them the first team to win three straight postseason games by at least 25 points.

Tyrese Maxey scored 26 points for the 76ers, who face another big climb after falling behind 3-1 against Boston in the first round.

The series moves to Philadelphia for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday, where Embiid will find out if gets his wish for the arena to be filled with Sixers fans or if New Yorkers made their way in.

Embiid was ruled out with right hip and ankle injuries after waking up with soreness and being unable to go through the 76ers’ morning shootaround.

But the 76ers, who won Game 2 in Boston without him while he was still recovering from a late-season appendectomy, got 19 points each from Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. and 17 from VJ Edgecombe to nearly overcome their big man’s absence.

They were ahead for the final time at 99-96 after Oubre’s 3-pointer before Josh Hart — who had appeared to hurt his left hand or wrist in the third quarter and left the game — made a 3-pointer with 6:52 remaining.

“I thought we had maybe four wide-open shots in a row that didn’t go,” 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. “We just needed to keep the scoreboard moving and we played great offense. We just didn’t shot-make.”

The 25 lead changes were the most since the Spurs and Clippers combined for 31 on May 2, 2015.

Maxey managed only 13 points in Game 1 but was back to leaving defenders in the dust Wednesday, scoring 15 points in the second quarter and 19 in the first half.

The Knicks did a better job on him in the second half, led by Bridges, who also contributed 18 points.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

“I think, at a very basic level, people think we’re making policy decisions, we're saying we think this is how things should be, as opposed to what the law provides,” he said. “I think they view us as purely political actors, which I don’t think is an accurate understanding of what we do.”

His remarks to a conference of judges and lawyers from the 3rd U.S. Circuit in Pennsylvania came at a time of low public confidence in the court, and about a week after the court handed down a decision that hollowed out the Voting Rights Act.

The high court struck down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana, finding it was an unconstitutional gerrymander based on race. The decision weakened the Civil Rights era law that has increased minority representation in Congress, and it opened the door for more redistricting across the country that could aid Republican efforts to control the House.

In recent years, the conservative majority court has also handed down landmark rulings overturning the constitutional right to abortion, expanding gun rights and ending affirmative action in higher education.

Roberts didn’t reference any specific decisions in his remarks, but said the court is “simply not part of the political process.”

Opinions, he said, are based on the Constitution — though he acknowledged disagreement with some outcomes. “One thing we have to do is make decisions that are unpopular,” he said.

Criticism, he said, should focus on rulings rather than personal attacks. He condemned the targeting of lower-court judges, a sentiment he’s repeated amid rising threats to the judiciary. “That’s not appropriate and it can lead to very serious problems,” he said.

High-profile criticism of judges in personal terms has come from Republican President Donald Trump, who also targeted Roberts and other justices who voted against him in the opinion that struck down tariffs the president levied under an emergency-powers law.