There was no clear victor after Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, Argentina’s Rafael Grossi, Costa Rica’s Rebeca Grynspan and Senegal’s Macky Sall fielded questions from U.N. ambassadors this past week.

Plus, other candidates could wait until after the initial auditions to jump into the race to succeed U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres on Jan. 1.

“This role matters,” said General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, who presided over the question-and-answer sessions. “The secretary-general is not only the head of the U.N. and the world’s top diplomat — she or he also represents all 8 billion of us, defending the U.N. Charter and leading on peace, development, human rights.”

How the candidates view the UN's work

All four said they would focus on those three pillars of the U.N., especially its founding role following World War II of ensuring international peace and security and preventing conflicts — which it has not been able to do in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and other global hot spots because of wide divisions. They also pledged to spur reforms to the more than 80-year-old institution.

Bachelet, 74, a two-time president of Chile and former U.N. human rights chief, told the ambassadors that the U.N. must try to avoid crises and that she has the right leadership skills.

“I stand before you to reclaim the urgent need for dialogue,” she said, stressing that the U.N. must anticipate, prevent and unite. The next secretary-general also needs to be “physically present in the field” to help tackle problems, she said.

Grossi, 65, a former Argentine diplomat who has been director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2019, said that with the world so polarized, “there are enormous, huge doubts about our institution” in solving global problems.

Unless the U.N. has effective leadership and support from all countries, it won’t regain a key place at the table, he said, “so we have to concentrate on that.” He also said the next U.N. chief must visit global hot spots.

Grynspan, 65, a former Costa Rican vice president who has been secretary-general of the U.N. trade and development agency since 2021, said she knows how to stand up for principles while under pressure. As secretary-general, she said she would “continue to be the moral voice and the impartial voice that the secretary-general has to be.”

The U.N. has become “a risk-conservative organization,” she warned. “We need to take more risks — and I am ready to fail and try again.”

Sall, 64, who was president of Senegal for 12 years, said the U.N. needs to “regain its place at the global table.”

If chosen, he said he would be “a bridge-builder” and that his first priority would be “to contribute to restoring trust, to calm tensions, reduce fragmentation and breathe renewed hope into our collective action.”

Some candidates are facing pushback

Bachelet, a medical doctor, responded to a letter from 28 Republican U.S. lawmakers calling her a “pro-abortion zealot” and asking Secretary of State Marco Rubio to veto her, saying the issue is controversial and that she respects every country's right to decide.

She called herself a strong believer in women's rights to decide on their own lives and how many children to have. As secretary-general, she said she would do whatever is necessary to advance agreements by U.N. member nations, including on promoting gender equality.

By tradition, the job of secretary-general rotates by region, and this year it is Latin America’s turn. Sall, the only candidate from outside the region, said the U.N. Charter doesn't bar any candidates.

He noted that after a leader from the global north — Guterres is Portuguese — the next U.N. chief should be from the global south. Sall was also the only candidate to spark demonstrations outside U.N. headquarters — both for and against his quest to be secretary-general. Sall has been accused of corruption, which he denies.

What comes next in the race to lead the UN

The four candidates “tried to walk a political tightrope,” said Daniel Forti, the International Crisis Group’s head of U.N. affairs.

“It is not immediately obvious whether any candidate did enough to propel themselves ahead of the others, or to ward off potential challengers who might emerge later,” he said.

The selection will be left to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council, especially its five veto-wielding members — the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France — that remain tight-lipped. The 193-member General Assembly must give final approval.

Minh-Thu Pham, an adviser to former U.N. chief Kofi Annan and CEO of the Starling Institute think tank, said there is a widespread desire for a secretary-general who is willing to take risks and be more active in promoting peace. The U.N. isn’t part of the conversation on major crises “because it hasn't had the courage to take risks.”

Susana Malcorra, a former Argentine foreign minister and senior U.N. official who was a candidate for secretary-general in 2016, said the United Nations “more than ever” needs new leadership and energy.

The global advocacy group she leads, GWL Voices, has been campaigning for the next U.N. chief to be a woman.

The Timberwolves took a 3-1 lead in the series in a game that ended with ejections of Denver's Nikola Jokic and Minnesota's Julius Randle after Jokic became angry when Jaden McDaniels made a meaningless layup with 2.1 seconds remaining and confronted the Wolves' swingman near his bench.

The story before that was Dosunmu, who had the best performance by a sub since Fred Brown scored 45 off the bench for Seattle in a 116-111 loss to Phoenix on April 15, 1976.

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

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler made his 2026 debut and looked strong, giving up two runs and three hits over five innings. The right-hander returned from thoracic outlet decompression surgery after a blood clot was discovered in his pitching shoulder last season.

After the start was delayed 56 minutes because of rain, Wheeler struck out six, walked three and left with a 3-2 lead. Harper had two hits and scored twice for the Phillies, who hadn't won since April 13.

Brad Keller (1-0) tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings for the win. Kyle Backhus got Michael Harris II to ground out with two runners aboard to end it.

Ozzie Albies was 3 for 5 with an RBI and Harris went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for the Braves, who had won nine of 10.

Tyler Kinley (3-1) walked Trea Turner to open the 10th, and José Suarez walked Kyle Schwarber to load the bases before Harper's two-run single gave Philadelphia a 6-4 lead. Two batters later, Brandon Marsh tacked on a two-run single to make it 8-4.

Braves starter Bryce Elder lasted seven innings, giving up three runs and six hits while striking out two and walking one. He exited with a 4-3 lead.

Schwarber led off the Philadelphia eighth with a triple to center field over the head of Eli White and scored on a sacrifice fly by Harper that tied it at 4.

Up next

Braves LHP Chris Sale (4-1, 2.79 ERA) faces RHP Aaron Nola (1-2, 5.06) in the finale of the three-game series Sunday.

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

Game 5 is Monday in Pittsburgh.

Rickard Rakell also scored, and Connor Dewar sealed the win with a late empty-netter for the Penguins. Penguins coach Dan Muse made the right call with the season on the line to bench starting goalie Stuart Skinner in favor of Arturs Silovs.

The 38-year-old Crosby, a career-long foil for the Flyers, not only scored his first goal of the series, but he also set a savvy screen in the third period on defenseman Travis Sanheim that allowed Letang to have a clean look when he ripped his first goal of the series past Dan Vladar for a 3-1 lead.

The goal was crucial after Travis Konecny scored to make it 3-2 and ignite the “Let's go Flyers!” chants that had largely been dormant with the Flyers down early.

The Penguins received a solid effort from Silovs in the net after Skinner was ineffective with three losses and an .873 save percentage. Silovs, who went 19-12-8 this season, made his 11th career playoff start; the previous 10 came with Vancouver in 2023-24 when it was coached by Rick Tocchet.

Tocchet worked wonders with the Flyers in his first season on the bench and it was his fiery postgame speech after an overtime win in March that sparked an R-rated rallying cry.

The Flyers winked at the unprintable battle cry and gave away Game 4 T-shirts to every fan that read: “Puck Everybody.”

Crosby said, not tonight.

Crosby scored on a one-timer against Vladar only 5 seconds into a power play late in the first period for a 1-0 lead.

Vladar, voted the Bobby Clarke team MVP, stayed in the lineup after he suffered an unspecified arm injury in Game 3. Vladar took off both days of the series break and showed no sign of any physical discomfort.

Vladar, incredulously, let a mental gaffe cost the Flyers a goal only 63 seconds into the second period when he misplayed the puck behind the net. Well out of place, an aggressive Rakell jostled the puck free and poked in an empty-netter for the 2-0 lead for Pittsburgh’s first multigoal lead of the series.

Denver Barkey deflected Trevor Zegras’ shot past Silvos, who had 25 saves, that cut it to 2-1 with 4:20 left in the second period. Barkey and Zegras are roommates — and jelled just as well as linemates.

They can now mull over what went wrong on the plane ride back to Pittsburgh. The Flyers won three straight games seven times this season but hadn’t won four straight games since February 2024.

NHL playoff history is still against Crosby and the Penguins. Only four teams that trailed 3-0 in a seven-game series have come all the way back to win — the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1980 New York Islanders, 2010 Philadelphia Flyers and 2014 Los Angeles Kings.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Local 10 spoke with Slater, a St. Jude cancer survivor, who said, “I’m feeling really good.”

Asked what it meant to be at the event, he added, “it means that I beat cancer and I’m really glad to be here.”

The gala featured dinner, entertainment and an auction, with proceeds benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Organizers say the event highlights the hospital’s mission to end childhood cancer worldwide.

Families and supporters gathered to celebrate survivors and the impact of the hospital’s work.

Learn more about the gala and St. Jude’s mission in the video at the top of this page.

“Officers transported an individual over to the Swedish hospital for an observation, at which time two of our officers were shot,” Chicago police Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a news conference in the afternoon. “One was shot critically. It (the death) was pronounced. The second officer right now is fighting for his life in the hospital behind us.”

The officer remained in critical condition Saturday evening, authorities said in a statement.

The suspect, who was not publicly identified, fled the Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital after the shooting at around 10:50 a.m. He was later detained and a gun was recovered, police said.

The hospital said its campus was placed on lockdown, and patients and staff at the health facility were safe.

“Today is a real difficult moment for our city. It’s a tragedy,” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the news conference. The city is providing mental health support services to police officers so they can do their jobs, he said.

Snelling said there is an ongoing investigation, and he could not provide details. But the hospital said in a Facebook posting that an individual in custody of law enforcement was brought to the emergency department for treatment and was “wanded upon arrival,” following the protocols. He was escorted by law enforcement at all times, the hospital said.

It said that the man later fired shots at the law enforcement officers and exited the hospital building. He was later apprehended.

“Those officers were there as transport officers,” Snelling said, referring to the police officer who died and the one who was injured. A weapon was recovered, he said.

He noted that the names of the officers were not released because they want to be sure that their families have been notified. One of them was a 38-year-old officer who had been working for 10 years in the department. The other is a 57-year-old officer with 21 years of service, Snelling said.

DiVincenzo was lost 1:19 into Game 4, the nature of his injury immediately suggesting that it was an Achilles issue. Edwards was lost late in the first half, and even without their starting guards the Timberwolves — behind 43 points from Ayu Dosunmu — beat the Nuggets for a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference quarterfinal series.

“I feel completely devastated for Donte,” Finch said.

Edwards’ left knee appeared to buckle as he landed after contesting a layup late in the second quarter. He was helped to the locker room and the Timberwolves ruled him out for the rest of the game with a left knee injury.

DiVincenzo appeared to injure his lower right leg in the game’s opening minutes when he slipped to the court as he raced to chase a ball. He immediately waved to the bench for help and put little to no weight on his right foot as he was helped to the locker room, and he eventually left the arena in a wheelchair.

“Losing those two guys is really tough, tough emotionally for our guys,” Finch said.

Edwards came into Saturday averaging 23 points and eight rebounds in the series, as the sixth-seeded Timberwolves look to upset the third-seeded Nuggets. DiVincenzo averaged 14.3 points and made 11 of 22 3-pointers in the first three games.

“I was heartbroken,” Dosunmu said in the televised on-court postgame interview when asked about the injuries to DiVincenzo and Edwards. “This is for them. Ant, Donte, they mean so much to the organization. I’m sending them prayers. I hope for a speedy recovery. I hope they’re fine, but this game, personally, was for them.”

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

Inter Miami drew its third straight inside Nu Stadium 1-1, after a two game road win streak.

In the opening minutes of the match, Miami’s Luis Suarez tested New England and Team USA’s goal keeper Matt Turner with a right footed strike at the center of the net.

Moments later, star Lionel Messi struck the ball with his left foot to the top right corner of the goal, where Turner made a diving save.

After the hot start, the Herons cooled down and began controlling possession in order of finding the opening goal.

After 30 minutes, neither team were able to find a breakthrough, with Miami’s best chance of the game coming in the 17th minute from forward German Berterame, when he kicked it off his own leg for a goal kick.

On the brink of halftime, Messi got the ball right behind the six-yard box and tried hitting the bottom left corner, but Turner saved it.

The match went into the break 0-0 after a cagey first 45 minutes.

The second half started with Tadeo Allende subbing on for Inter Miami, replacing Noah Allen.

Five minutes after coming on, Allende scores for Miami but it’s ruled offside immediately by the assistant referee.

Only moments after Allende had his goal ruled offside, New England’s Carlos Gil broke the deadlock with a left-footed goal in the 56th minute, giving New England the lead. Forward Dor Turgeman got attributed with the assist.

Allende received Miami’s first yellow card of the game for a bad foul on Turgeman in the 59th minute.

Inter Miami generated an expected goals of 1.18 after 8 shots and 5 on target in 65 minutes, but couldn’t find the back of the net.

In the 68th minute, Miami’s David Ruiz received a yellow for a bad foul in a dangerous free kick area in New England’s final third. The free kick resulted in a goal kick for Miami.

After receiving his yellow, Ruiz was taken off for academy prospect Preston Plambeck, marking his senior debut with the club.

In the 75th minute, Inter Miami found the equalizing goal thanks to some throwback magic from Suarez, setting up Berterame for an easy tap-in goal.

Inter Miami turned it up a notch after scoring its first goal, with Messi coming close to scoring a second for the Herons.

After the full 90 minutes, the fourth official added a minimum of five minutes.

Messi takes a shot at goal in the 92nd minute, but Turner easily saved it.

The game ended 1-1, after a quiet night from Messi and Rodrigo De Paul.

Miami generated an expected goal total of 3, after having 18 shots and 10 on target.

Miami is now unbeaten in nine straight Major League Soccer matches, sitting in second place of the eastern conference.

The clubs next shot at winning its first home match in Nu Stadium will be on May 2 against Orlando City in the Florida derby.

Now, at 52 years old, the Miami-Dade mother of three is about to graduate from medical school and begin her path to becoming a physician.

“It’s never too late,” Avellan said. “I don’t care how old I am, I’m just gonna do it. You know you live once.”

A Canadian immigrant born to Lebanese parents, Avellan began her career as a physical therapist and later an instructor at a women-only boot camp in southwest Miami-Dade, where she still owns a fitness studio today.

Signs inside her studio reading “Your only limit is you” and “Willpower knows no limits” reflect her determination to achieve her goals.

“That was in my head. And I thought about it every single day for many years,” she said, referring to encouragement from her father-in-law to become a doctor.

Avellan went back to college in her 40s at Florida International University, becoming the first in her family to earn a degree. She was later accepted into FIU’s medical school.

Next week, she is set to graduate, becoming one of the few students to complete medical school after age 50. She will begin a pathology residency at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine in July.

“To know that you’re going to be a doctor, how does that make you feel?” she was asked by Local 10’s Byron Tollefson.

“I get goosebumps thinking about it,” she replied.

Avellan said she could not have done it without her support system, especially her husband, Marcos.

As she prepares to walk across the stage, she hopes her journey inspires others to pursue their dreams at any age.

“Sometimes you’re not satisfied where you are in life and you just settle because you think you’re too old to do anything else,” she said. “Hopefully I can be that inspiration for people to say, ‘You know what, life’s too short, it’s never too late.’”

Some will have instant success. Others will need more time to develop. Not all of them will make the roster.

Teams spent several months scouting, interviewing, dissecting each player’s physical skills and character before the draft. It’ll take a couple of years to determine whether they got it right.

Here are the AP’s early grades:

ARIZONA CARDINALS: B-

RB Jeremiyah Love is a special talent and instant upgrade. But the positional value at No. 3 is questionable. OL Chase Bisontis (34) should open running lanes for Love. Interior DL Kaleb Proctor (104) has potential. In a thin QB class, they took a shot with Carson Beck (65) early.

ATLANTA FALCONS: B

They got a first-round talent in the second round in CB Avieon Terrell (48). He’ll join his brother, AJ Terrell, in the secondary. WR Zachariah Branch (79) is a playmaker in the slot. LB Kendal Daniels (134) should at least be a special teams contributor.

BALTIMORE RAVENS: B+

Guard Olaivavega Ioane (14) is a Day 1 starter. Edge Zion Young (45) was often mocked in the first round. They got two receivers with size in Ja’Kobi Lane (80) and Elijah Sarratt (115), and TE Matthew Hibner (133) fills a void.

BUFFALO BILLS: B

Traded out of the first round, added draft capital and landed a talented edge rusher T.J. Parker (35). CB Davison Igbinosun (62) adds depth. OT Jude Bowry (102), WR Skyler Bell (125) and LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr (126) address areas of need.

CAROLINA PANTHERS: A-

OT Monroe Freeling (19) was often considered a top-10 pick. He’s a prototypical left tackle. DL Lee Hunter (49) is a playmaker on the interior of the line. WR Chris Brazzell II (83), CB Will Lee III (129), OL Sam Hecht (144) and S Zakee Wheatley (151) are among a Day 3 haul.

CHICAGO BEARS: B-

Addressed a major need in the first round with S Dillon Thieneman (25). C Logan Jones (57) went earlier than some expected. TE Sam Roush (69) is a run-blocking specialist. WR Zavion Thomas (89) improves the return unit and CB Malik Muhammad is a value pick.

CINCINNATI BENGALS: B+

They didn’t have a first-rounder after giving up the 10th overall pick for DT Dexter Lawrence. Landed an edge with first-round grades in Cashius Howell at 41. CB Tacario Davis (72) also improves a defense that’s struggled. C Connor Lew (128) is a potential starter found in the fourth round. WR Colbie Young (140) adds size — he’s 6-foot-5 — to a deep group.

CLEVELAND BROWNS: A

Traded down, added more picks and came away with an impressive overall haul. OT Spencer Fano (9) starts right away. WR KC Concepcion (24) has all the tools. Got another in the second round in WR Denzel Boston (39). S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (58) had first-round grades. OT Austin Barber (86) provides more depth and options for the line. C Parker Brailsford (146) fills a need. LB Justin Jefferson (149) is athletic and talented.

DALLAS COWBOYS: A-

Moving up one spot to get the best safety in the draft — Caleb Downs — at No. 11 was an excellent move for the defense. Moving back three spots to No. 23 might have cost them a better option but ended up Malachi Lawrence, who wasn’t a consensus first-round pick. Edge Jaishawn Barham (92), CB Devin Moore (114) and edge LT Overton (137) give new defensive coordinator Christian Parker more talent to develop. OT Drew Shelton (112) has high upside.

DENVER BRONCOS: B

First pick wasn’t until the third round when they got DT Tyler Onyedim (66). RB Jonah Coleman (108) adds depth. OL Kage Casey (111) is versatile. TE Justin Joly (152) gives them a downfield pass receiver. Denver traded a first-round pick for WR Jaylen Waddle so it got a receiver before the draft.

DETROIT LIONS: B+

OT Blake Miller (17) fills a major need. Edge Derrick Moore (44) stays in Michigan and gives the Lions another pass rusher with energy. LB Jimmy Rolder (118) is another Michigan player staying close to home. CB Keith Abney II (157) and WR Kendrick Law (168) are solid value.

GREEN BAY PACKERS: B+

Snagged a first-round talent with CB Brandon Cisse (52). DT Chris McClellan (77) is a needed run-stuffer. Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton (120) could be a fourth-round steal. Versatile OL Jager Burton (153) fits the offense’s personality.

HOUSTON TEXANS: B+

OL Keylan Rutledge (26) provides a boost for a group that’s been a weakness the past two seasons. DT Kayden McDonald (36) is an elite run defender who complements edges Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. TE Marlin Klein at No. 59 was a stretch. Febechi Nwaiwu (106) is a versatile offensive lineman. LB Wade Woodaz (123) has good upside. S Kamari Ramsey (141) is a value pick.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: B+

LB CJ Allen (53) fills a big need. He was projected to go higher so the Colts get great value. S A.J. Haulcy could start as a rookie. OL Jalen Farmer (113) is powerful and versatile. LB Bryce Boettcher (135) and edge George Gumbs Jr. (156) have a chance to develop well in Lou Anarumo’s defense.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: C

Got a pair of Texas A&M teammates with their first two picks. TE Nate Boerkircher (56) is a physical player who’ll boost the run game but the Jaguars could’ve used defensive help. DL Albert Regis (81) is mainly a run-defender in the interior. OL Emmanuel Pregnon (88) has strong potential. S Jalen Huskey (100) and edge Wesley Williams (119) provide depth at needs. TE Tanner Koziol (164), WR Josh Cameron (191) and WR CJ Williams (203) give Liam Coen more options on offense.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: B

Traded up three spots and gave up a third-rounder to get a cornerback they need in Mansoor Delane at No. 6. Landed Chris Jones’ potential successor later in the first round with DL Peter Woods (29). Edge R Mason Thomas (40) is a speedy rusher. CB Jadon Canady (109) boosts a depleted secondary. RB Emmett Johnson (161) and WR Cyrus Allen (176) are decent value in the fifth round.

LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: A

Mendoza won’t play right away but the Raiders don’t have to wait on him to see the impact from this draft class. CB Treydan Stukes (38) and Keyron Crawford (67) will play right away. OL Trey Zuhn III (91) is a versatile fit for new coach Klint Kubiak. CB Jermod McCoy (101) is one of the best prospects in this draft who slipped only because of injury concerns. RB Mike Washington Jr. (122) could provide a 1-2 punch with Ashton Jeanty. S Dalton Johnson (150), CB Hezekiah Masses (175) and WR Malik Benson (195) add depth.

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS: B-

Edge Akheem Mesidor (22) played like a top-10 pick at Miami. OL Jake Slaughter (63) doesn’t seem like a fit because the Chargers signed C Tyler Biadasz. Speedy WR Brenen Thompson (105) stretches the field. OT Travis Burke (117) and S Genesis Smith (131) capped a productive fourth round. Bolstered the trenches even more with DL Nick Barrett (145) and OLs Logan Taylor (202) and Alex Harkey (206).

LOS ANGELES RAMS: C-

Ty Simpson might end up becoming a franchise quarterback, but it’s hard to justify using the 13th pick someone who won’t get an opportunity until Matthew Stafford retires instead of taking a player who can help the team make a Super Bowl run. TE Max Klare (61) is another talented player who doesn’t necessarily address an immediate void. OL Keagen Trost (93) is a 25-year-old prospect who provides depth. WR CJ Daniels (197) could flourish in Sean McVay’s offense. DT Tim Keenan III (232) is a run stuffer.

MIAMI DOLPHINS: B+

OT Kadyn Proctor (12) could be a dominant player. CB Chris Johnson (27) gives Jeff Hafley’s defense a player who can anchor the secondary. LB Jacob Rodriguez (43) has high upside. Reached on WR Caleb Douglas (75), who was projected to go in the middle of Day 3. But got great value with WR Chris Bell (94). TE Will Kacmarek (87), LB Kyle Louis and S Michael Taaffe (158) are among a 13-player draft haul. WR Kevin Coleman Jr. (177) could be a fifth-round gem.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: C

DT Caleb Banks is a superb talent but coming off two foot surgeries. LB Jake Golday (51) could thrive under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. DL Domonique Orange (82) adds more depth. OT Caleb Tiernan (97) is versatile and ready to play. S Jakobe Thomas (98) is a dynamic player. The Vikings made a trade to get speedy RB Demond Claiborne at 198, the potential highlight among their four Day 3 picks.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: A-

Caleb Lomu was considered the best OT in the draft by some analysts so getting him at No. 28 could be a steal. Edge Gabe Jacas (55) has the talent to contribute right away. TE Eli Raridon (95) and OT Dametrious Crownover (196) bolster both positions. QB Behren Morton (234) was among New England’s other five picks.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: B

WR Jordyn Tyson is a tremendous talent who needs to stay healthy to justify the eighth overall pick. DL Christen Miller (42) will help stop the run. TE Oscar Delp (73) fits Kellen Moore’s scheme. WR Bryce Lance (136) highlights the Saints’ Day 3 picks. CBs Lorenzo Styles Jr. (172) and TJ Hall (219) are value picks with upside.

NEW YORK GIANTS: A+

Edge Arvell Reese (5) and OT Francis Mauigoa (10) are foundation players. CB Colton Hood (37) is a first-round talent. WR Malachi Fields (74) could’ve gone higher in this draft. DL Bobby Jamison-Travis (186), OT J.C. Davis (192) and LB Jack Kelly (193) round out an impressive crop in John Harbaugh’s first draft with the Giants.

NEW YORK JETS: A+

Chose David Bailey over Reese at No. 2 in the first of their three first-rounders. Kenyon Sadiq (16) is the best tight end in the draft. Traded up to get WR Omar Cooper Jr. (30) to give the Jets another playmaker with Garrett Wilson. CB D’Angelo Ponds (50) is similar to coach Aaron Glenn. DL Darrell Jackson Jr. (103) and OL Anez Cooper (188) strengthen the trenches. Took a chance on QB Cade Klubnik (110) in the fourth round.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: B+

Swiped WR Makai Lemon (20) from the Steelers but gave up a pair of fourth-rounders to move up three spots. TE Eli Stowers (54) lacks size but is a versatile chip on offense. OT Markel Bell (68) is a developmental talent. Finally got a Georgia player in the sixth round with OL Micah Morris (207). QB Cole Payton (178) is an intriguing selection for a team that values backups.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: C+

They’ll be remembered for the blunder involving Lemon but came away with plenty of talent among a 10-player class. OT Max Iheanachor (21) gives Aaron Rodgers or whoever plays QB more protection if he starts right away. WR Germie Bernard (47) was a makes up for losing out on Lemon. QB Drew Allar (76) seems like a reach but CB Daylen Everette (85) and G Gennings Dunker (96) have high upside. WR Kaden Wetjen (121) should be a dynamic returner. S Robert Spears-Jennings (224) could be the best of the Day 3 crop.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: B

Traded out of the first round and tabbed WR De’Zhaun Stribling (33) to start the second. Edge Romello Height (70) should improve a pass rush that had the fewest sacks in the NFL. RB Kaelon Black (90) could give Christian McCaffrey a few snaps off. Added OTs Carver Willis (127) and Enrique Cruz Jr. on Day 3. DT Gracen Halton (107) gives the Niners a big boost inside.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: B

Jadarian Price (32) replaces Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker. S Bud Clark (64) also fills a void. CB Julian Neal (99) is a tough, physical ideal fit for this defense. CB Andre Fuller (236) might be a find among five Day 3 picks.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: B+

Rueben Bain Jr. (15) gives the Buccaneers an edge rusher they’ve desperately needed. LB Josiah Trotter (46) plays Todd Bowles’ style of defense. WR Ted Hurst (84) has size but he can’t be asked to fill Mike Evans’ shoes. S Keionte Scott (116) is a physical tackler who can help the secondary. OL Billy Schrauth (160) is a talented player who is solid value in Round 5.

TENNESSEE TITANS: B

Made Carnell Tate the first WR off the board at No. 4 instead of taking Reese or another impact defender. But traded back into the first round to get edge Keldric Faulk (31). LB Anthony Hill (60) is a versatile plug-and-play athlete. OL Fernando Carmona (142) can play several positions. RB Nicholas Singleton (165) has the potential to be a fifth-round steal. DL Jackie Marshall (184) is a nice fit for Robert Saleh.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS: B+

LB Sonny Styles (7) gives coach Dan Quinn one of the most athletic players to come out of college in years. WR Antonio Williams (71) can step into the slot or play outside. Edge Joshua Josephs (147) is another potential defensive disruptor. The Commanders only had six picks but ended up with an excellent haul.

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

Mason Miller pitched a perfect ninth for his 10th save, extending his scoreless streak to 34 2/3 innings dating to last season and breaking the previous Padres record set by reliever Cla Meredith with 33 2/3 innings in 2006.

The hard-throwing Miller hasn’t allowed a run since Aug. 5, 2025. It's the eighth-longest shutout streak by a major league reliever since 1961.

Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen was hit by a line drive on his pitching shoulder in the third. He was lifted after three shutout innings as a precaution, manager Torey Lovullo said.

Padres starter Germán Márquez (3-1) gave up four runs in the second, but that was it. He lasted six innings, allowing six hits and a walk while striking out two.

San Diego (18-8) has won 16 of 19 after a 2-5 start.

Jose Fernandez hit a two-run double in the Arizona second and No. 9 batter Alek Thomas followed with a two-run homer.

Brandon Pfaadt took over for Gallen in the fourth, and France got San Diego's comeback started with a solo homer in the fifth.

Pfaadt loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh on two walks and a single before Sheets trimmed the deficit to 4-3 with a two-run single off Taylor Clarke (1-1). Freddy Fermin tied it with a sacrifice fly, and Ramón Laureano gave the Padres a 5-4 lead with another sac fly.

Arizona committed three errors, two in the seventh inning.

France homered again in the ninth.

San Diego played in Mexico for the eighth time and first since a regular-season series against San Francisco in 2023.

Up next

Padres RHP Michael King (3-1, 2.28 ERA) pitches Sunday against Diamondbacks RHP Ryne Nelson (1-2, 6.97).

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

Dozens of dogs took part in the event in Doral, and by the end of the morning, many were worn out, lying down and catching their breath after hours of activity. The walk was designed to give the animals a break from the shelter while helping them bond with people.

Video from the finish shows just how much fun they had — with several dogs ready to nap right on the street after crossing the finish line.

The dogs were walked by University of Miami students and community members, all volunteering their time. The event was started this year by a student who wanted to do more to help shelter animals.

“I’ve always loved dogs — that’s always been my passion,” said Amanda Galante, president of UM Canes for Canines. “I want to have a dog ranch and hold all shelter dogs, but I foster from Miami. I fell in love with it and decided I wanted to do something more.”

Students who participated said the experience helped break stereotypes about shelter dogs.

“I’m sure they’re going to find someone,” said Ava Miss, a UM student who walked one of the dogs. “I think this is a really great way for people to see that shelter dogs are not scary entities, they’re really loving creatures.”

Miami-Dade County Animal Services Director Annette Jose said the department fully supported the idea from the start.

“We couldn’t be prouder to have Amanda create this Canes for Canines club,” Jose said. “It was her idea. She reached out, and we said of course.”

Organizers say the event has already raised money and hope it will lead to more adoptions and foster placements. The goal is to continue connecting people with shelter dogs — especially students — in hopes more animals will find homes.

Authorities said the incident occurred outside the ballroom where Trump and other guests were seated. It was not immediately clear what happened. The event was scrapped and will be rescheduled.

The FBI said the shooter is in custody and that its Washington field office is responding to the shooting.

Trump posted on Truth Social that he would give a statement at the White House tonight.

Compiling accurate and thorough information on a shooting takes time. Reporters are working to piece together the details from eyewitness accounts, authorities and other sources.

Here's the Latest:

Washington Hilton also scene of Reagan shooting in 1981

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside the Hilton — an event that prompted redesigns of the property that increased security and added a special presidential suite near the entrance where chief executives could be taken.

Trump was dispatched there briefly after the incident Saturday night.

MS NOW opens doors for reimagined party after White House Correspondents’ dinner

The network notified guests to still come to its underground party in Dupont Circle to gather and have a bit to eat.”

“While tonight’s event won’t be what we originally intended, we still think it is important to provide a space for friends and colleagues to be together,” the network said.

Its reporting teams were out covering the breaking news, the network said.

Police chief says suspect’s motivations unclear

Carroll, the interim police chief, said that he could not say at this point what the shooter’s motivation was, and that it is too soon to know who the suspect had intended to target in the shooting.

Suspect faces preliminary charges related to firearm possession, assault, Pirro says

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect is being charged preliminarily with two charges related to using a firearm and assaulting an officer with a dangerous weapon, but that there will be many more charges filed “based on the information that we are learning in this very fluid situation.”

Pirro said the suspect would be arraigned on Monday in federal district court.

Police say suspect was armed with multiple weapons

Interim Washington, D.C., police chiefPolice Chiefroll said the suspect was armed with a shotgun, handgun and multiple knives. He said investigators had no reason to believe at this time that anyone else was involved.

Trump ends presser

Shortly after the president concluded his news conference, the White House called a “lid,” which means the press corps will not see him for the rest of the day.

Trump commends Secret Service, says being president is a ‘dangerous profession’

Trump struck a somber tone as he addressed reporters at the White House, saying being president is “a dangerous profession” and that attempted violence against him is “part of the job.”

Trump said more details would be forthcoming about the shooter’s identity and motive, but said that the world was a violent place and, when it came to his own presidency, “When you’re impactful they go after you.”

The president commended the Secret Service and suggested that the shooter wasn’t close to breaching the ballroom where Trump was seated on stage at the time of the incident.

With most of the reporters dressed up for the dinner that was interrupted, Trump also noted: “I see so many tuxedos and beautiful dresses.”

Trump says rescheduled event will be ‘safer’

The president, who had repeatedly said he wanted to continue the dinner until law enforcement said otherwise, insisted it would be rescheduled and would happen. He stressed that the event will be “better” and “we’ll make it safer.”

“I see so many tuxedos and beautiful dresses,” Trump said. “It was a little different evening than we thought. But we’re going to do it again.”

Trump describes scene

As he described the sequence of events, Trump emphasized that the shooter still remained a far distance from the ballroom where thousands of people had gathered for the dinner.

“He hadn’t anywhere close to breached the doors of the ballroom,” the president said.

WHCD extensively studied by Secret Service for decades

The USSS has for years used the annual event to put agents through their paces because the agency has studied the venue extensively for decades.

Shootng suspect identified

The shooting suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told the AP.

Trump describes moment shots rang out

Trump, describing what was going through his mind as the shots rang out, said he initially believed it was a tray being dropped, noting that the noise was “quite far away.” But the first lady, he said, was “very cognizant” that it was a shooting.

“I think she knew immediately what happened,” the president said, recalling that his wife told him, “That’s a bad noise.”

The president said the motivation of the shooter was unclear, but said that “he was a guy who looked pretty evil when he was down.”

Trump: ‘I fought like hell to stay’

The president also reiterated that he had wanted to continue the dinner, saying, “I fought like hell to stay.”

He said in an earlier social media post that law enforcement officials wanted the dinner to end.

Acting AG says investigation is ongoing, charges will be filed shortly

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said charges will be filed shortly and that the nature of the charges would be obvious considering what had happened at the dinner. Blanche stressed that “the investigation is obviously ongoing and just started.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is examining a long gun and shell casings recovered from the scene, as well as interviewing witnesses from the dinner. He urged anyone with information to come forward.

Trump calls for tougher security measures

As he began the news conference, Trump called for tougher security measures, saying that “today, we need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before.”

He cited Saturday’s incident as a reason his ballroom, being constructed at the White House, is needed.

Trump says suspect was armed with multiple weapons

Trump, during a White House press briefing, said the suspect was armed with multiple weapons before being stopped by the Secret Service. One officer was shot, but he was protected by a bulletproof vest.

“He was shot from very close distance with a very powerful gun, and the vest did the job,” Trump said.

Security footage posted by Trump shows a man sprinting through the metal detectors and past law enforcement, who turn toward him with guns raised. Officers then swarm toward the man off-screen.

At the White House

Correspondents, as well as Trump, have arrived at the White House briefing room for a news conference following a shooting incident at the annual correspondents' dinner.

Congressional leaders who attended dinner react to shooting

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he and his wife, Kelly, were at the event and grateful for the law enforcement and first responders “who acted so quickly to bring the situation under control.”

“Praying for our country tonight,” said Johnson, R-La., on social media.

“FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT,” said the House GOP on its account on the social platform X.

“House Republicans unite in praying for those who were in harm’s way,” it said.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was “thankful for the swift law enforcement action to protect everyone” at the dinner, as he also called for an end to violence.

“The violence and chaos in America must end,” said Jeffries, D-N.Y.

WHCA president addresses attendees, says the event will be rescheduled

Weijia Jiang, the senior White House correspondent at CBS News and president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, addressed the crowded room of journalists after the president had left.

She said the president would be holding a press briefing at the White House soon and that he insisted the dinner be rescheduled within the next 30 days. Jiang also said the president had wanted to continue with the event but had to follow security protocols.

Jiang, who had been sitting on the dais next to Trump when the incident unfolded, also emphasized the public service nature of journalism, saying that “when there is an emergency, we run to the crisis, not away from it.”

“On a night when we are thinking about the freedoms in the First Amendment, we must also think about how fragile they are,” she said. “Thank God everybody is safe and thank you for coming together tonight. We’ll do this again.”

Shooter in custody, FBI says

The FBI said the shooter is in custody and that its Washington field office is responding to the shooting.

DC police say offi

cers are at the scene

The city’s Metropolitan Police Department posted a social message that said its officers are at the scene and coordinating with federal law enforcement.

“We will provide updated information once confirmed,” the message said.

The event was getting underway when armed security rushed in

Attendees were eating a spring pea and burrata salad, and waiters had begun preparing to bring out the next course when a security detail appeared on the ballroom floor and yelled for everyone to get down. Journalists in gowns and tuxedos ducked near tables as wine splattered onto white tablecloths and glasses clinked in the hurry to seek safety.

Armed security burst through the doors of the ballroom and raced toward the dais where Trump sat as attendees ducked or crouched under tables. At one point, someone in the room shouted, “USA!”

Trump says the shooter has been apprehended

Trump said that a “shooter has been apprehended” in a post to Truth Social about 30 minutes following a security incident at the White House correspondents’ dinner.

Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance were uninjured in the incident.

Most WHCD attendees are closed inside the ballroom and cannot leave

Dinner organizers said there will be an “announcement shortly, we will be resuming shortly” from the stage. Most attendees are closed inside the ballroom and can’t leave.

A block from the White House, party-goers headed to the Renwick Museum were instead gathered at police tape as the streets and sidewalks were blocked off. Police cars tore up and down the block, sirens blaring. A helicopter buzzed overhead.

Washington Hilto

n hotel commonly stays open to public, while security is focused on ballroom

Generally, the Hilton hotel, where the dinner has taken place for years, remains open to regular guests during the White House Correspondents Dinner. It has typically been focused on the ballroom — rather than the hotel at large — with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself.

In past years, that has created openings for disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests in which security moved to remove guests who unfurled banners or staged demonstrations.

Some in the crowd reported hearing what they believed to be 5 to 8 shots fired

The banquet hall, where hundreds of prominent journalists, celebrities and national leaders were awaiting Trump’s speech, was immediately evacuated. Members of the National Guard took up position inside the building as people were allowed to leave but not reenter. Security outside was also extremely tight.

It was not immediately clear what happened. A law enforcement official confirmed there was a shooter but no further details were immediately available.

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro says Secret Service in charge of building, DC mayor in route

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro posted a short video from the hotel after the incident, saying, “I have been taken out of the ballroom after the sound of the shots fired. The Secret Service is now in charge of this building, this hotel. I just spoke to Mayor Muriel Bowser. She is on her way, and (Police) Chief Jeffery Carroll is on his way. He will be in charge as soon as he gets here.”

Towns had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The 11th-year All-Star became the fourth Knicks player to record a triple-double in a playoff game, joining Walt Frazier, Dick McGuire and Josh Hart.

The Knicks host Game 5 at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, and the series is now guaranteed to return to Atlanta for Game 6 on Thursday.

New York took control midway through the first quarter and maintained the lead for the rest of the game. The Knicks held a 68-44 advantage at halftime and extended that lead to 20 points by the end of the third quarter.

All-Star guard Jalen Brunson, who had 19 points, thinks the Knicks carried momentum from a late surge in Game 3.

“Obviously, we didn't win Game 3, but I think the way we played in the second half as a team propelled us to play the way we did tonight,” he said. "We're trying to continue to push that forward.”

New York, after one-point losses in the previous two games, was able to return to form behind its core of Brunson, Towns and Anunoby.

“The way we've been able to (play on both sides of the ball) these past five quarters is how we've got to play," Brunson said.

Defensively, that means minimizing CJ McCollum, the point guard who carried the Hawks to Game 2 and 3 victories.

McCollum again led Atlanta in scoring with 17 points, but he didn't have the same impact as the last two games. New York held McCollum scoreless beyond the arc after he made nine 3-pointers in the first three games.

“CJ's a handful, so we've just got to keep trying to find ways to show him different looks,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said.

New York also held Nickeil Alexander-Walker to 15 points and All-Star Jalen Johnson to 14.

“Let’s go Knicks!” “Let’s go Knicks!” chants erupted through State Farm Arena as the Knicks led by as much as 24 points in the fourth quarter. Both teams had their reserves in with 3 1/2 minutes remaining.

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

Acting on a telephone tip, then-Associated Press Moscow correspondent Carol J. Williams and another Western journalist drove to a cemetery in the northwestern part of the capital, where they discovered the simple graves of some of the victims. The journalists were briefly detained by police at the cemetery and accused of trespassing but were able to see workers digging the graves for the victims.

As part of its coverage of the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, AP is republishing Williams' story from June 24, 1986:

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By CAROL J. WILLIAMS

MOSCOW (AP) — The 23 fresh graves just inside the main entrance of the Mitinskoye Cemetery are all alike. There is no sign to identify the dead as victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

Each grave has flowers on the mound of earth and a concrete border. Workmen are erecting identical marble tombstones. Eerily empty spaces indicate more deaths are expected.

Six of the headstones bear the names of firefighters the Soviet press has identified as victims of radiation at Chernobyl, and a cemetery official said Tuesday the plot was for those who died as a result of the nuclear accident.

At the cemetery on Moscow’s northwest outskirts, workers toiled in steady drizzle putting up marble headstones bearing the victims’ names, birthdates and the day they died in gold-painted inscription. All the dates of death were after the April 26 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

Some graves had temporary, hand-printed signs with the names and dates.

A cemetery official who declined to give his name to two Western reporters who visited Mitinskoye said a monument will eventually be built to those who died.

“They will all be brought here,” the official said, declining to say how many deaths have occurred as a result of the Chernobyl accident.

The last official report on casualties from the Ukrainian power station was given on June 5, when Soviet officials said 26 people had died, including two killed during the initial fire and explosion.

One of the victims, power plant worker Valery Khodemchuk, will be entombed with the ruined No. 4 reactor because his body was never recovered, the Communist Party daily Pravda reported on May 23.

The newspaper reported that another man, Vladimir Shashenok, had been killed instantly and buried at a village near the power station.

American bone marrow specialist Dr. Robert Gale, who helped Soviet doctors treat those suffering from radiation sickness, has said there would probably be more deaths among the 55 or 60 people still in serious condition.

Those suffering radiation sickness were brought to a Moscow hospital and the deaths presumably occurred there.

At Mitinskoye Cemetery, more deaths seem expected. Fifteen graves form a row at the back of the Chernobyl plot. There is a second row of eight graves, with three graves to the right and five to the left of a gap that would accommodate seven graves.

On the headstones of firefighters Viktor Kibenok, Vladimir Pravik, Nikolai Vashchuk, Vasily Ignatenko, Vladimir Tishchura and Nikolai Titenok are etched gold stars and the ranks they held in the military fire brigade that first responded to the accident.

Graveyard workers declined to say how long ago the burials took place, or whether rituals were separate for each victim or held together for the group.

Bouquets of red and pink flowers left by relatives were carefully placed on the mounded earth on each grave.

“It’s very sad, they were so young,” commented an elderly woman visiting another area of the cemetery. “They were brought here to be treated at hospitals, but they couldn’t be sent home to be buried.”

A danger zone has been drawn around an area of the nuclear power station and all residents of the area have been evacuated.

Cemetery officials confiscated the notes and film of the two reporters, saying reporters needed permission to visit the cemetery.

A policeman stationed at the cemetery said it was off limits to all except family members and special permission was needed from local authorities to copy the names on the headstones or take pictures.

The official later escorted the two reporters to the graves on condition they not make notes or take pictures.

Jared Spurgeon took a shot that Boldy, unmarked in front of the net, tipped with his stick shaft to guide the puck past goalie Jake Oettinger. After losing Game 3 in double overtime and facing defeat again until Marcus Foligno tied it on a second-effort tip-in with 5:20 left in the third period, the Wild showed their resilience.

“The frustration in our room is nonexistent, I would say, not a difficult thing to do,” Boldy said. “It wasn’t much of a difficult thing to do to get our rest the last couple days and come back with a good attitude.”

Boldy, who had a goal waved off in regulation when teammate Joel Eriksson Ek pushed Miro Heiskanen into Oettinger and another discounted in overtime because he made a kicking motion at the puck, has three goals in the series after giving the Wild their first postseason overtime win at home in 12 years.

“I almost touched the roof, I got so excited,” said goalie Jesper Wallstedt, who made 43 saves. “It felt like we were so close, so many times, and it finally went in. It’s such a nice feeling.”

Game 5 is in Dallas on Tuesday night.

“We just couldn’t get any puck luck," Stars coach Glen Gulutzan said. "We’re just going to have to start to finish off some.”

Jason Robertson and Heiskanen scored on the only two regulation power plays for the Stars, who continued their special teams mastery of the Wild and are 8 for 19 in the series.

Brock Faber had the first goal for the Wild, who were again without first-line right wing Mats Zuccarello due to an upper-body injury that occurred in Game 1 and felt his absence on their flagging power play. The Wild were 0 for 4 in regulation, with just one goal in their last 15 opportunities.

The power-play disparity has been stark, much like in the first round in 2023 when Dallas downed Minnesota in six games.

Ryan Hartman was whistled for goaltender interference just 4:31 into the game, and Robertson responded by snapping in a rebound after Matt Duchene — who has seven points in four games — muscled a shot from just outside the crease that ricocheted off Wallstedt.

The Stars, who are playing without top center Roope Hintz, have managed to get shots through the screens and attack the net far more effectively on the man advantage.

After the Wild had two empty power plays in the first period with just three seconds between them, the home crowd that has seen this script many times before booed the last group off the ice.

Even strength is where the Wild must live if they're going to mount a comeback. They're up 9-4 in 5-on-5 goals, including Faber's wrister that tied it later in the first period by glancing off Heiskanen's glove.

Oettinger, who stopped 40 shots in another steely performance in his home state, deserved better on that.

“Jake made some incredible saves,” Robertson said.

Wallstedt has been a bulwark all series. The Wall of St. Paul thwarted plenty more prime chances, but playing 4-on-5 doesn't help. After Faber took a high-sticking penalty, Heiskanen zipped a shot from the slot that eluded Wallstedt's shoulder and scraped the top of the net.

Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist left during the second period after taking an inadvertent skate to the face by Michael McCarron as Lundkvist was being called for tripping McCarron. Lundkvist suffered a deep laceration and didn't return. He'll get further examination in Dallas, Gulutzan said.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

On Saturday, during rounds 4-7 of the NFL Draft, Miami general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan addressed needs on both sides of the ball.

After losing Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb through trade and free agency over the past two seasons, the Dolphins entered Day 3 still in need of pass rush help.

With the No. 130 overall pick in the fourth round, the Dolphins selected Texas EDGE Trey Moore, who is expected to compete for snaps alongside Joshua Uche, David Ojabo and Robert Beal Jr. opposite Chop Robinson.

Moore, 23, appeared in 57 games (46 starts) during his collegiate career, including 12 games (five starts) in 2025. He finished last season with 35 tackles, five tackles for loss and three sacks.

The 6′1, 243-pound defender transferred to Texas for the 2024 season after a decorated career at UTSA. He earned a spot on the Lombardi Award preseason watch list and was named preseason All-SEC third team in 2024.

Moore started all 16 games for Texas in 2024, recording 35 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.

At UTSA, he played in 29 games (25 starts), totaling 105 tackles, 36 tackles for loss, 22.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and nine pass breakups.

Miami also made a trade early on Day 3, dealing the No. 151 overall pick and a seventh-round selection (No. 227) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the No. 158 pick and a sixth-rounder (No. 200).

The move gave the Dolphins an additional selection later in the draft after previously not holding a sixth-round pick from last year’s Darren Waller trade.

Miami selected Pittsburgh linebacker Kyle Louis with the No. 138 overall pick in the fourth round.

Louis brings versatility, with the ability to play linebacker or safety at the next level, and could pair with second-round pick Jacob Rodriguez.

Louis, who is 6′1 and weighs 220 pounds, emerged as a standout early in his college career, earning All-American honors as a sophomore after posting 101 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and four interceptions, including a pick-six.

Across the 2024 and 2025 seasons, the 22-year-old totaled 182 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, six interceptions, one touchdown, six passes defensed and four takeaways. He earned second-team All-ACC honors in 2025 after recording 81 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss in 11 games.

With the No. 158 overall pick in the fifth round, Miami selected Texas safety Michael Taaffe. Taaffe joins Moore and quarterback Quinn Ewers as Longhorns selected by the Dolphins.

Over 53 games, the 23-year-old recorded 222 tackles, 14 passes defensed, seven interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He earned All-SEC honors in 2025 and was a two-time All-American, including first-team recognition in 2025, according to TexasLonghorns.com.

With the No. 180 overall pick in the fifth round, the Dolphins selected Mississippi State tight end Seydou Traore.

Traore, 23, is still relatively new to football after growing up in London, but he has five seasons of college experience, including two in the SEC. Miami hopes he will be able to contribute early as both a blocker and receiver.

Last season at Mississippi State, he caught 35 passes for 369 yards and five touchdowns.

Traore is a product of the NFL International Pathway Program. He was born in France and later moved to the United Kingdom. He began his college career as a wide receiver at Arkansas State before converting to tight end.

With the No. 200 overall pick in the sixth round, Miami selected Texas guard DJ Campbell, continuing a strong draft class filled with Texas prospects.

The pick was acquired in a trade with the Carolina Panthers.

Campbell, who stands at 6′3, 313 pounds is a native of Arlington, Texas, and was a three-year starter for the Longhorns.

The 22-year-old offensive lineman earned third-team All-SEC honors last season after starting all 13 games at right guard.

With their final pick at No. 238 in the seventh round, the Dolphins selected Iowa edge rusher Max Llewellyn.

Llewellyn, 23, played four seasons for the Hawkeyes. In 43 games, he recorded 64 tackles (20.5 for loss), 14.5 sacks, 10 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Dolphins 2026 draft recap

• Round 1, No. 12: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama (trade with Dallas)

• Round 1, No. 27: Chris Johnson, CB. San Diego State (trade with San Francisco)

• Round 2, No. 43: Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

• Round 3, No. 75 Caleb Douglas, WR, Texas Tech

• Round 3, No. 87: Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State

• Round 3, No. 94: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville

• Round 4, No. 130 Trey Moore, EDGE, Texas

• Round 4, No. 138 Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh

• Round 5, No. 158, Michael Taaffe, S, Texas

• Round 5, No. 177 Kevin Coleman Jr., WR, Missouri

• Round 5, No. 180 Seydou Traore, TE, Mississippi State

• Round 6, No. 200 DJ Campbell, G, Texas

• Round 7, No 238 Max Llewellyn, EDGE, Iowa

Sullivan used words like “toughness” and “conviction” when discussing his selections with the media. He now hopes his first draft class as general manager will help move Miami a step closer to returning to the playoffs sooner rather than later.

Monday and his wife, Barbaralee, held up the preserved flag on the field to a standing ovation.

Monday was playing center field for the Cubs on April 25, 1976, against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. In the fourth inning, two men came on the field, spread the flag on the left-center field grass and doused it with lighter fluid.

Monday ran over and snatched the flag with his right hand and sprinted away before giving it to Dodgers pitcher Doug Rau. The crowd responded with a standing ovation.

When Monday came to bat an inning later, the stadium message board read: “Rick Monday...You made a great play.”

A six-year veteran of the Marine Corps reserves, Monday received a bronze sculpture of him running with the flag from Marine Corps members Saturday.

“I had no idea they were going to be here or present me with an honor. Very humbled,” Monday said later on the radio broadcast of the game.

The Cubs and the Dodgers lined up on each baseline for the national anthem, sung by “Phantom of the Opera” star Davis Gaines.

Monday joined the Dodgers the following year, when Tommy Lasorda began his long run as manager. Monday was part of the team's 1981 World Series championship. He has worked as a Dodgers broadcaster on and off since 1985.

The rescued flag will be on exhibit at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, beginning Memorial Day weekend. Monday has preserved the flag and is loaning it to the museum.

“What’s very nice is that flag they were trying to desecrate still has a life,” Monday said.

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

Cora, who was an infielder on the Red Sox 2007 World Series championship team and managed them to a franchise-record 108 wins and another title in ‘18, will be replaced on an interim basis by Chad Tracy. A career minor leaguer whose father, Jim Tracy, served as a big league manager for 11 seasons with the Dodgers, Pirates and Rockies, Chad Tracy had been managing Boston’s Triple-A Worcester affiliate in the International League.

“Alex Cora led this organization to one of the greatest seasons in Red Sox history in 2018, and for that, and the many years that followed, he will always have our deepest gratitude,” owner John Henry said in a statement. “He has had a lasting impact on this team and on this city. He has led on and off the field in so many important ways.”

The Red Sox (10-17) made the announcement Saturday after a 17-1 victory in Baltimore over the Orioles that snapped a four-game losing streak — including a three-game sweep at Fenway Park by the archrival New York Yankees.

The team said it is also parting ways with five members of the coaching staff: hitting coach Peter Fatse, third base coach Kyle Hudson, bench coach Ramón Vázquez, assistant hitting coach Dillon Lawson, and major league hitting strategy coach Joe Cronin.

Game planning and run prevention coach Jason Varitek, the widely respected former Red Sox captain who was the catcher for three of the franchise's four World Series titles this century, has been reassigned to an unspecified role within the organization.

A light-hitting infielder who spent three-plus seasons in Boston as a player, Cora was an Astros bench coach when Houston won it all in 2017. The Red Sox hired him to replace John Farrell, giving Cora his first major league managing job.

In his first season, the Red Sox set a franchise record for wins and beat the hated Yankees and then the Astros in the American League playoffs. Boston then defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to claim a fourth World Series title in 15 years.

The Red Sox finished third in the AL East the next season, missing the playoffs for the first time in five years. Then, during the offseason, The Athletic reported Cora had been a ringleader of an illegal sign-stealing scheme with the Astros during their championship season.

Major League Baseball investigated and suspended Cora for one season, and the Red Sox and Cora agreed he should step down. Ron Roenicke replaced him — an arrangement that from the beginning, despite all parties' protestations, seemed to smooth the way for Cora's eventual return.

Roenicke never had a chance, taking over a team that would soon go on a salary dump that purged Betts, the 2018 AL MVP, along with 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner David Price. After a last-place finish in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Roenicke was let go and Cora returned.

The Red Sox reached the playoffs again in his first season back, beating the Yankees in the AL wild-card game and Tampa Bay in a Division Series to reach the ALCS, where they lost to the Astros. Boston has not won a playoff series since, finishing last in back-to-back years before returning to the postseason last season and losing to the Yankees in the wild-card round.

Bogaerts, a four-time All-Star in Boston, was not re-signed after the 2022 season. Sale, who battled injuries throughout his final seasons in Boston, was traded to Atlanta and rejuvenated his career with the Braves in 2024, winning the NL Cy Young Award. The Red Sox did give Devers a 10-year, $313.5 million contract, but traded him away when he balked at changing positions to make room for free agent third baseman Alex Bregman.

Bregman left after one season, leaving Boston with neither. This season Caleb Durbin has started 24 games at third base; he is batting .165 after hitting his first home run of the year Saturday off outfielder Weston Wilson.

In all, Cora was 620-541 as Red Sox manager. He was the first big league manager let go this season.

According to Sportradar, Cora is the first manager to get fired after winning a game by 16 or more runs since the New York Metropolitans fired Bob Ferguson following an 18-2 win over the Cleveland Spiders in the second game of a doubleheader on May 30, 1887.

The Metropolitans folded after that season.

“These decisions are never easy, but this one is especially difficult given what Alex has meant to the Red Sox since the day he arrived,” Henry’s statement said. “I want to thank Alex, our coaches, and their families for everything they have given to this organization. They have been part of this club in a way that goes beyond the field, and they will always have our respect and gratitude.”

Tracy, 40, had a 323-295 record at Worcester while managing the club to winning seasons in each of his first four years — the first Red Sox Triple-A manager to accomplish that feat since at least the 1930s. The WooSox are tied for first place in the International League East with a 14-11 record.

A catcher at Pepperdine, Tracy led the West Coast Conference with a .367 batting average in 2005 and was the league's player of the year. He was a third-round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2006 but never made it out of the minors, batting .267 with 159 home runs and 706 RBIs in nine seasons.

Chad Epperson, who had been managing the club’s Double-A Portland affiliate in the Eastern League, will serve as the interim third base coach. Collin Hetzler, who had been Worcester’s hitting coach, will join the major league hitting staff in Boston.

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

And she headed straight for the putting green.

For so much that had gone right for Korda, who stretched her lead to eight shots at one point at Memorial Park, there was part of her game she needed to polish. She missed three 4-foot putts over the final 11 holes and had to settle for a 2-under 70 in an otherwise exquisite performance.

“On the back nine I learned that I needed to stay in it and not to focus so much on my mis-hits with my putts,” she said. "So I just needed to keep giving myself opportunities, which I was. I don’t want it to bleed into the other parts of my game where then I start to get so frustrated that it affects my driver, affects my irons. Just didn’t want that at all. I wanted to continue giving myself opportunities even if I want holing them.

“I was still trying my best, and at the end of the day that's all I can control,” she said. “I can't be frustrated with anything but that.”

Korda looked close to unbeatable for so long with another clinic controlling her irons on the heavily sloped greens. And then the gap began to shrink as her contenders did just enough to stay in range.

“I played really solid on the front and then just kind of ... not may have lost concentration, but the wind started picking up and then I just put myself into great positions (and) didn’t kind of execute really well," Korda said.

The heat and humidity also took a toll, and Korda often walked the fairways with an umbrella to shield her from the sun.

Patty Tavatanakit, who went 48 holes without a bogey before making one on the 13th, bounced back with a pair of birdies over the last five holes for a 69 to get within five shots. It was a remarkable scrambling performance for Tavatanakit, who won this major as a rookie in 2021. She got up-and-down seven out of eight times.

Ruoning Yin of China, a Women's PGA champion and former No. 1 in the world, shot 66 and was six shots behind along with Pauline Roussin-Bouchard of France, who had a 67.

Korda was at 16-under 200 to tie the tournament record set by Jennifer Kupcho in 2022, the last year the major was at Mission Hills in the California desert.

For seven holes, this was the best player in women's golf in full flight.

A long bunker shot to 4 feet gave her a birdie on the par-5 opening hole. She hit 8-iron to 3 feet of a dangerous front pin on the par-3 second, hit a gap wedge to 6 feet for birdie on the fifth, and holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the next hole to reach 18 under.

Korda didn't miss a green until a lob wedge to the par-5 eighth was slightly strong and just rolled over the green into a shaved area. She chipped that to 4 feet and missed for her first bogey.

That turned out to be the start of the doldrums. Korda had a 12-foot birdie putt on the 13th that narrowly missed, and then she missed the 4-footer coming back and made bogey. She was just over the green in two on the par-5 14th, chipped that to 4 feet and missed the birdie putt.

She took on another front pin at the par-3 15th in a narrow part of the green. That settled 8 feet behind the pin. The birdie putt never had a chance.

Korda missed only two greens but took 32 putts. The short misses have been noticeable even this year when she was runner-up twice to Hyo Joo Kim in consecutive weeks.

Even so, the American star is right where she wants to be. Korda will be in the final group for all five tournaments she has played this year, including her weather-shortened win to start the year at the Tournament of Champions in Florida.

“I’m just going to focus on myself, kind of work on my process, really dial into that, make sure that I have tunnel vision, and not really focus on the exterior noise,” Korda said.

Tavatanakit one-putted every green through six holes and tried to stay in the game, even when falling eight shots behind. She took on the pin at No. 4 and went down a hill, only to hit a superb flop shot to 2 feet for par. It was like that for so much of the day.

“You just do what you got to do,” she said. “It’s a major championship. It’s playing tough. You’re not going to always have your best, but you just got figure out what’s in front of you.”

Farah O'Keefe, the 20-year-old junior at Texas, had a 72 and remained the low amateur at 7-under 209, putting her in a tie for sixth place and nine shots behind.

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

However, the Herons have yet to win a game at home this season, having played to 2-2 draws against both Austin FC and the New York Red Bulls.

The club looks to win its first home game in its brand-new stadium against Eastern Conference rival the New England Revolution on Saturday night.

Inter Miami sits in second place with 18 points, while New England is right behind with 15 points in third.

With a win, Inter Miami could jump into first place ahead of Nashville SC.

Saturday’s game will also be manager Angel Guillermo Hoyos’ first home match in charge since the departure of Javier Mascherano.

The Herons are projected to come out in a 3-4-3 formation, with Argentine star Lionel Messi playing up front alongside Germán Berterame and Luis Suárez.

In five home matches against New England, Miami has won four and lost one, with the most recent meeting a 4-1 victory for Miami.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.

Authorities said Chledens Deshommes was last seen Friday in the 100 block of Northeast Sixth Avenue.

They said he was last seen wearing a white and gray shirt, black pants with white stripes down the sides and white shoes.

Investigators described Chledens as 4 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing about 80 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances of his disappearance.

Anyone with information is urged to call the Boynton Beach Police Department at 561-732-8116 or 911.

“Amazing day. Probably not kind of sunk in how well we played today, if I’m honest,” Matt Fitzpatrick said. “It was just hole after hole.”

The Englishmen were at 30-under 186 through 54 holes — also a record at the PGA Tour's only team event.

Matt Fitzpatrick continued to deliver after arriving as arguably the hottest player in golf with two wins this spring, including last weekend at Harbour Town. The elder brother, ranked third in the world, highlighted his round with a chip-in birdie on the first hole and a 33 1/2-foot putt for eagle on the par-5 seventh.

His 210-yard approach with a 5-iron on No. 12 settled 4 feet from the hole, setting up a birdie that gave the Fitzpatricks a lead they maintained for the rest of the day.

Alex Fitzpatrick, who plays on the European tour, held up his end as he seeks his first PGA Tour title, which would give him an exemption through 2028 on the same tour as his more accomplished brother.

“He played brilliant golf both last two days. His game has really turned a corner these last few months, and I believe in him to continue that trend,” the elder Fitzpatrick said of his younger brother, who won the Indian Open last month. “He’s doing all the right things, and obviously it was nice for him to have such a big impact there on the back nine.”

Alex Fitzpatrick found the green on the par-4 eighth with a 325-yard tee shot to set up a birdie. He birdied the 16th with a short chip-in and the par-3 17th with an 18-foot putt. Alex reached the par-5 18th green in two to set up his team's eighth birdie of the back nine.

“For me, it feels like no matter what happens tomorrow, it’s going to be a great week regardless,” Alex said. “You know, just spending time with family that I don’t get to do very often is very, very nice. It makes it a little nicer that we’re playing good golf.”

The new low at the TPC Louisiana came after a pre-dawn thunderstorm that resulted in players being allowed to to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairway. The wind also died down as warm, humid air settled over the old-growth cypress swamp on which the course was built for much of the round before a breeze returned late in the day.

“I didn’t think we would have the score we have,” Alex Fitzpatrick said. “We’ve definitely exceeded our expectations for today.”

Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who had a course record-tying 58 in better ball on Thursday that held up for all of 48 hours, shot 62 and dropped into a tie for second with Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat.

Doug Ghim and Jeffrey Kang shot 61 to move into fourth, five shots back.

Zach Bauchou had the event's first hole-in-one since 2024 on the par-3 third hole. He and Sam Stevens finished with a 64 and were eight shots behind.

Billy Horschel — the only player to win the Zurich as an individual and in the team format — shot a 64 with partner Tom Hoge. They were seven shots back heading into Sunday.

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

Sunday will feature hotter temperatures. Expect a high of 87 degrees. Nonetheless, with the heating of the day, showers and a few thunderstorms will take over in the afternoon and evening.

Get ready, the heat switch will be turned on as we head into next week. The end of the week will feature some of the hottest temperatures of the year so far. Highs could reach the lower 90s.

For the family of Skylee Merino, the uncertainty has been overwhelming as they continue searching for answers.

“You never expect something like this to happen to anyone,” said family friend Mary Delgado.

Delgado said Skylee was last seen around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Cypress Commons Plaza off South Gate Boulevard in Tamarac.

“It’s something that is breaking all of us because we have no response or anything,” Delgado said.

A missing teen flyer posted in the area states Skylee was with a man she met on Snapchat. Family members said she later asked friends for a ride that morning, but they were unable to pick her up, and she has not been heard from since.

“Not even her friends know who this guy is because he says don’t follow me on social media,” Delgado said. “So nobody knows anything.”

Delgado said the family has notified both Coral Springs and Tamarac police. Skylee’s sister, who lives out of state, has also launched a social media campaign to help spread awareness.

As the search continues, loved ones say they are holding onto hope the 15-year-old will return home safely.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children says she is believed to be in the Coral Springs and Tamarac area.

Coral Springs police said they have not received any information indicating Skylee is in danger.

Anyone with information is urged to contact them at 954-344-1800.

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“This is my peace every weekend, I’m here pretty much on Saturdays and Sundays just shooting around, getting some rays in. I love it,” Haygood said.

The iconic courts have stood along the beach for years, becoming a staple for the local basketball community. For those who grew up in the area, like Riley Kozak, the courts carry a deeper meaning.

“The culture, the vibe, everything, you know, it’s secluded with the wall. People pull up, walk around and just enjoy the view. There’s nothing really like it in South Florida,” Kozak said.

But that atmosphere has been disrupted after the recent Tortuga Music Festival left damage behind on the courts.

“This is not the first time there’s been an impact by Tortuga and some of the existing facilities we have on the beach,” Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis said.

Chunks of the court are missing, leaving some players frustrated. City officials say the festival will cover the cost of repairs, and there are also longer-term plans in place.

“They take full responsibility and they will restore it. Ultimately we are going to have the Bahia Mar folks completely rebuild the basketball courts,” Trantalis said.

Still, some players are questioning how soon those repairs will happen. The city responded to a viral Instagram video showing the damage, suggesting fixes may not be completed until this summer.

“Someone should use some of that Tortuga money, some of that concert money they got, all those tips, all those drinks sold. They should come back and repave the courts they messed up,” Kozak said.

In the meantime, players like Haygood and Kozak say they’ll keep coming back.

“It’s peace. It’s tranquil. This is my therapy,” Haygood said.

There has also been discussion about replacing the courts with pickleball facilities, but a group of local players voiced strong opposition.

City officials have since backed off those plans, saying basketball on the beach is here to stay.

Gilgeous-Alexander — the league's reigning MVP — hit 15 of 18 shots on a variety of tough looks, frustrating a Suns defense that actually played decently for much of the game. Alex Caruso added 13 points off the bench while Chet Holmgren had 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

The defending champion Thunder will go for the sweep in Game 4 on Monday in Phoenix.

Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 33 points on 11-of-21 shooting while Jalen Green added 26.

Oklahoma City took an 87-79 lead after three quarters and never trailed in the fourth. Gilegous-Alexander hit a difficult fallaway 19-foot jumper to put the Thunder up 102-87 with about five minutes left, deflating the Suns crowd and pretty much ending any hope for a comeback.

The Thunder were leading 69-60 early in the third quarter when Suns guard Devin Booker hurt his left ankle on a drive to the basket. He stayed on the floor for a few seconds in obvious pain before getting up and hobbling back to the locker room.

The five-time All-Star returned a few minutes later to huge cheers from the home crowd, making a short baseline jumper and a 3-pointer to cut the Thunder's lead to 75-69.

Oklahoma City scored the next six points to turn back the rally. Booker finished with 16 points and seven assists.

The Suns took an early 24-15 lead but the Thunder erased the deficit in a hurry, hitting four 3-pointers during a 16-3 run. The game was tight throughout the rest of the first half with Oklahoma City surging ahead late in the second quarter for a 62-53 lead.

Gilgeous-Alexander made all seven of his shots before the break to lead the Thunder with 17 points. Brooks scored 13 for the Suns.

The Thunder were without Williams, the high-scoring guard who hurt his left hamstring in Game 2. Mitchell started in his place and shot just 5 of 20 from the field, but added six rebounds and two assists.

The Suns were without center Mark Williams (foot) and guard Jordan Goodwin (calf). Grayson Allen returned from a hamstring injury and scored seven points in 17 minutes.

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

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The rally took place at the intersection of Southwest 288th Street and South Dixie Highway, where loved ones said Montoto was ejected from a tow truck during the violent collision.

“Our family was devastated,” said Emily, Montoto’s sister. “You broke more than a law, you broke a family.”

Montoto’s mother, Sajay Montoto, sat near the spot where her son’s body landed as she spoke about the loss.

“I would do anything to change places with him,” she said. “He was loved. I was really proud of him.”

Family members said Montoto had just celebrated his 24th birthday on Valentine’s Day.

Two days later, they say, he and his brother-in-law were traveling in a red tow truck that had the green light when another tow truck ran a red light and caused the crash.

Montoto’s brother-in-law remains hospitalized, his family told Local 10’s Samiar Nefzi.

“He was planning on proposing this year,” said Yahily Calderin, Montoto’s girlfriend. “Instead of walking down an aisle, I had to walk into a funeral home.”

Calderin said she later found a love note Montoto had written and tattooed part of it on her forearm.

“What doesn’t it mean to me?” she said. “It’s the last ‘I love you’ I got from him.”

Montoto’s mother said she has been seeking justice since the crash.

“The day he died, I died with him,” she said. “Seeing my son on the floor — and today, I’m trying to do everything to get him justice.”

Family and friends held signs reading “Justice for Albert” and called on Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle to file charges against the driver they say caused the crash.

“It wasn’t an accident. It was a decision a person made,” said family friend Arasay Acosta.

Relatives said the driver has only received a traffic citation so far, which they argue is not enough.

“I don’t think a ticket is enough,” a family member said. “If I were to run a red light right now and hit someone, don’t I get arrested?”

Messages including “This is my son’s blood — where is my justice?” and “A red light is not an accident” were displayed on a fence near the crash site, which is now marked by teddy bears, flowers and posters.

“My son was loved. He was a good kid,” Sajay Montoto said. “Every room he entered, it was like the sun was coming in.”

Emily, Montoto’s younger sister, said they were especially close.

“He knew I loved him with everything in me,” she said. “We did everything together — our whole 20s.”

The family is also calling for stricter laws for drivers with multiple traffic violations.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

La manifestación se realizó en la intersección de Southwest 288th Street y South Dixie Highway, donde seres queridos dijeron que Montoto salió expulsado de una grúa durante la violenta colisión.

“Nuestra familia quedó devastada”, dijo Emily, hermana de Montoto. “Rompiste más que una ley, destruiste una familia”.

La madre de Montoto, Sajay Montoto, se sentó cerca del lugar donde cayó el cuerpo de su hijo mientras hablaba sobre la pérdida.

“Haría cualquier cosa por cambiar lugares con él”, dijo. “Era amado. Estaba muy orgullosa de él”.

Familiares dijeron que Montoto acababa de celebrar su cumpleaños número 24 el Día de San Valentín.

Dos días después, dicen, él y su cuñado viajaban en una grúa roja que tenía la luz verde cuando otra grúa se pasó la luz roja y causó el choque.

El cuñado de Montoto permanece hospitalizado, dijo su familia a Samiar Nefzi de Local 10.

“Planeaba proponerme matrimonio este año”, dijo Yahily Calderin, novia de Montoto. “En vez de caminar hacia el altar, tuve que caminar hacia una funeraria”.

Calderin dijo que luego encontró una nota de amor que Montoto había escrito y se tatuó parte de ella en el antebrazo.

“¿Qué no significa para mí?”, dijo. “Es el último ‘te amo’ que recibí de él”.

La madre de Montoto dijo que ha estado buscando justicia desde el choque.

“El día que murió, morí con él”, dijo. “Ver a mi hijo en el suelo, y hoy estoy tratando de hacer todo para conseguirle justicia”.

Familiares y amigos sostenían carteles que decían “Justicia para Albert” y pidieron a la fiscal estatal de Miami-Dade Katherine Fernandez Rundle presentar cargos contra el conductor que, aseguran, causó el choque.

“No fue un accidente. Fue una decisión que una persona tomó”, dijo la amiga de la familia Arasay Acosta.

Parientes dijeron que el conductor solo ha recibido hasta ahora una multa de tránsito, lo cual consideran insuficiente.

“No creo que una multa sea suficiente”, dijo un familiar. “Si yo me paso una luz roja ahora mismo y golpeo a alguien, ¿no me arrestan?”

Mensajes como “Esta es la sangre de mi hijo, ¿dónde está mi justicia?” y “Una luz roja no es un accidente” fueron colocados en una cerca cerca del lugar del choque, que ahora está marcado con ositos de peluche, flores y carteles.

“Mi hijo era amado. Era un buen muchacho”, dijo Sajay Montoto. “Cada habitación a la que entraba era como si entrara el sol”.

Emily, hermana menor de Montoto, dijo que eran especialmente cercanos.

“Él sabía que lo amaba con todo mi ser”, dijo. “Hacíamos todo juntos, todos nuestros 20 años”.

La familia también pide leyes más estrictas para conductores con múltiples violaciones de tránsito.

La Oficina de la Fiscalía Estatal de Miami-Dade no respondió de inmediato a una solicitud de comentarios.

“Esta es mi paz cada fin de semana, estoy aquí prácticamente los sábados y domingos solo tirando al aro, tomando un poco de sol. Me encanta”, dijo Haygood.

Las icónicas canchas han estado junto a la playa durante años, convirtiéndose en un punto clave para la comunidad local de baloncesto. Para quienes crecieron en el área, como Riley Kozak, las canchas tienen un significado más profundo.

“La cultura, el ambiente, todo, sabes, está apartado con el muro. La gente llega, camina y simplemente disfruta la vista. Realmente no hay nada igual en el sur de Florida”, dijo Kozak.

Pero ese ambiente se ha visto afectado después de que el reciente Tortuga Music Festival dejara daños en las canchas.

“No es la primera vez que hay un impacto de Tortuga en algunas de las instalaciones existentes que tenemos en la playa”, dijo el alcalde de Fort Lauderdale Dean Trantalis.

Partes de la cancha están destruidas, dejando frustrados a algunos jugadores. Funcionarios de la ciudad dijeron que el festival cubrirá el costo de las reparaciones, y también hay planes a largo plazo en marcha.

“Ellos asumen toda la responsabilidad y la restaurarán. En última instancia vamos a lograr que la gente de Bahia Mar reconstruya completamente las canchas de baloncesto”, dijo Trantalis.

Aun así, algunos jugadores cuestionan qué tan pronto ocurrirán esas reparaciones. La ciudad respondió a un video viral en Instagram que muestra los daños, sugiriendo que los arreglos podrían no completarse hasta este verano.

“Alguien debería usar parte de ese dinero de Tortuga, parte de ese dinero del concierto que recibieron, todas esas propinas, todas esas bebidas vendidas. Deberían regresar y repavimentar las canchas que dañaron”, dijo Kozak.

Mientras tanto, jugadores como Haygood y Kozak dijeron que seguirán regresando.

“Es paz. Es tranquilidad. Esta es mi terapia”, dijo Haygood.

También hubo discusión sobre reemplazar las canchas con instalaciones de pickleball, pero un grupo de jugadores locales expresó una fuerte oposición.

Desde entonces, funcionarios de la ciudad se alejaron de esos planes, diciendo que el baloncesto en la playa llegó para quedarse.

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The suspect, Marsel Javaris Smith, who was not a direct employee of the district but worked through Kelly Education, was arrested Friday, according to a message sent to parents and families by Anthony Valachovic, the principal of Northeast High School in Oakland Park.

“We are deeply disturbed by the allegations and are working closely with the Broward Sheriff’s Office regarding this matter,” Valachovic wrote in the statement. “The safety and security of our students and staff remain our highest priorities.”

Officials said Smith, 27, is no longer permitted to work anywhere within Broward County Public Schools.

Jail records show he is facing charges including sexual battery involving a victim between 16 and 17 years old and engaging in a romantic relationship as an authority figure.

A judge found probable cause during a bond court hearing, and Smith was ordered to have no contact with minors or the alleged victim.

School officials said they could not provide additional details due to the ongoing investigation.

It remains unclear whether Smith worked at additional schools within the district.

As of Saturday evening, he was being held on a $30,000 bond at the Broward County Main Jail.

Smith is scheduled to appear before a judge again Monday.

Local 10 News has requested his arrest report from BSO.

El sospechoso, Marsel Javaris Smith, quien no era empleado directo del distrito sino que trabajaba a través de Kelly Education, fue arrestado el viernes, según un mensaje enviado a padres y familias por Anthony Valachovic, director de Northeast High School en Oakland Park.

“Estamos profundamente perturbados por las acusaciones y estamos trabajando de cerca con la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward respecto a este asunto”, escribió Valachovic en la declaración. “La seguridad y protección de nuestros estudiantes y personal siguen siendo nuestras máximas prioridades”.

Funcionarios dijeron que Smith, de 27 años, ya no tiene permitido trabajar en ningún lugar dentro de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado Broward.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrenta cargos que incluyen agresión sexual contra una víctima de entre 16 y 17 años y participar en una relación romántica como figura de autoridad.

Un juez encontró causa probable durante una audiencia de fianza, y a Smith se le ordenó no tener contacto con menores ni con la presunta víctima.

Funcionarios escolares dijeron que no podían proporcionar detalles adicionales debido a la investigación en curso.

No está claro si Smith trabajó en otras escuelas dentro del distrito.

Hasta la noche del sábado, permanecía detenido con una fianza de $30,000 USD en la cárcel principal del Condado Broward.

Smith tiene programado comparecer nuevamente ante un juez el lunes.

Local 10 News solicitó su reporte de arresto a la BSO.

They lost seven consecutive games in March to put their playoff chances in peril. They needed to survive a play-in tournament elimination game — one that many thought they would lose — just to get into the playoffs. And on Saturday, they wasted a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter and found themselves trailing the Detroit Pistons.

In response, they simply did what they do best.

“Fight,” center Wendell Carter Jr. said.

Fight, they did, and the Magic found a way. They outscored Detroit 9-0 in the final 2:51, getting the last punch and the last word in what became a 113-105 win that gave eighth-seeded Orlando a 2-1 lead over the top-seeded Pistons in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.

“We did a good job of staying poised ... not getting rattled,” said Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who finished on the cusp of a triple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. “Very composed from the team, and we got the job done.”

Banchero had the game-sealing shot, too — a 3-pointer that hit the rim, bounced a couple stories into the air, then dropped through the net with the softest of swishes with about 40 seconds left.

“The basketball gods don't reward hesitation,” Banchero said. “That one, I didn't hesitate and they blessed me with that make. A funny shot, but a big shot.”

Detroit probably had one of those coming.

The Pistons, who trailed for most of the game, went on a 26-8 run in about six minutes to turn a 96-79 deficit into a 105-104 lead on a free throw by Cade Cunningham — who led all scorers with 27 points. Cunningham and Tobias Harris combined for 22 points in that spurt, one where Detroit shot 9-for-11 from the floor.

“For parts of the game, we did some good things,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “But down the stretch, they made some tough shots that made it hard for us to finish it out.”

He's half-right. The other half was this — Detroit made no more shots.

When the 26-8 run ended, all nine of the game's remaining points were scored by the Magic. A team that seems to love being in the basketball pressure-cooker found a way, once again.

A 2-1 series lead going into another home game on Monday is Orlando's reward, with the No. 8 seed now two wins away from an upset.

“There's a lot to clean up as well,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

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

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We know there are many in our school system, but we seek an exemplary educator who meets the following criteria:

• 10 or more years teaching at the elementary, middle or high school level in Broward, Miami-Dade, or Monroe counties
• Highly innovative, applying creative teaching techniques to engage students
• Personal story of overcoming challenges or adversity and inspiring others to do the same
• Highly involved in community service or charity work

If you know of a teacher who meets all of the above and is long overdue for some “extra credit,” tell us about him or her.

Upload a photo of your favorite teacher below and complete all the fields to submit your nomination. You can also email your nomination and photo to goodnews@local10.com. Please keep your description to 250 words or less.

A panel will review all submissions and choose one teacher. The deadline to nominate is this Friday, May 1, at 11:59 p.m.

The chosen honoree will be revealed on Local 10 News on Friday, May 22, beginning at 10:30 a.m. as part of the Good News South Florida series.

El papel de los dos agentes de la CIA que regresaban de destruir un laboratorio clandestino de drogas en el estado de Chihuahua, en el norte de México, sigue sin estar claro.

Funcionarios del gobierno local han señalado que formaban parte de un convoy cuando su automóvil se salió de un barranco el fin de semana pasado y el vehículo explotó. También murieron dos agentes mexicanos.

Los estadounidenses fallecidos eran miembros de la Agencia Central de Inteligencia de Estados Unidos (CIA, por sus siglas en inglés), confirmó The Associated Press a principios de esta semana con un funcionario de Estados Unidos y otras dos personas familiarizadas con el asunto, quienes hablaron bajo condición de anonimato para tratar temas sensibles de inteligencia.

La CIA se ha negado a hacer comentarios.

En un comunicado, la Secretaría de Seguridad Ciudadana de México indicó que uno de los agentes estadounidenses ingresó a México como visitante, mientras que el otro entró con un pasaporte diplomático.

También sostuvo que el gobierno de México no estaba al tanto de que agentes extranjeros estuvieran operando o planearan participar en una operación en su territorio.

El organismo indicó que ya revisa el caso con autoridades locales y con la Embajada de Estados Unidos en México.

“La legislación mexicana es clara: no permite la participación de agentes extranjeros en operaciones dentro del territorio nacional”, indicó la secretaría en un comunicado.

“El Gobierno de México reitera su disposición de mantener una relación estrecha, seria y respetuosa con el Gobierno de Estados Unidos, en beneficio de la seguridad de ambos países”.

Autoridades de los dos países han ofrecido versiones contradictorias sobre el tema, y la presidenta mexicana Claudia Sheinbaum admitió el miércoles la participación de fuerzas federales, después de que el gobierno de México dijera que no tenía conocimiento de ninguna operación ni de la participación de Estados Unidos.

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

Banchero had 12 rebounds and nine assists. Franz Wagner scored 17 points for Orlando, which got 15 from Jalen Suggs and a 14-point, 17-rebound game from Wendell Carter Jr.

Cade Cunningham scored 27 for Detroit, which trailed 96-79 with 8:34 left — then outscored the Magic 26-8 over the next six minutes to grab the lead. But the Pistons, who got 23 points from Tobias Harris, couldn't hold on.

Game 4 is Monday night in Orlando.

“We're looking forward to Monday, man," Banchero said.

It’s the 13th time since 1984, when the NBA went to the 16-team format, that a No. 8 seed has taken a 2-1 lead in a first-round series over a No. 1 seed.

Of the previous 12, five finished off the upset. Those teams: Miami in 2023, Philadelphia in 2012, Memphis in 2011, Golden State in 2007 and New York in 1999. And that doesn’t include Denver’s upset of Seattle in 1994, the first 8-over-1 series win in NBA history.

The Magic — who had to win an elimination game at home just over a week ago to escape the play-in tournament — are trying to be the next name on that list.

“Our defense, our composure, our communication ... so important,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said.

They seemed well on their way, until the Pistons roared back behind Cunningham and Harris. Cunningham made a free throw with 2:52 left to give Detroit its first lead of the second half, but the Magic outscored the Pistons 9-0 the rest of the way.

“One game at a time,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “That's what playoff series are. If we win on Monday, we take home-court advantage back. Today's game, we'll learn from it, but it's over with.”

As would be expected by this point in a playoff series between two physical teams, there was a good amount of extracurricular activities — with Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart involved in more than a few of them.

Orlando’s lead at halftime was 61-54, the last two of those points coming after Stewart fouled Carter with one-tenth of a second left.

That capped a half in which Stewart and Orlando’s Goga Bitadze were called for double fouls late in the first quarter, then called for double technicals while continuing to push and shove two seconds after play resumed. Stewart was also whistled for a Flagrant 1 against Suggs in the second quarter, and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ausar Thompson was called for a flagrant in the third against Anthony Black.

“We have to trust ourselves and trust our team that we can guard without fouling,” Thompson said.

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

The Kings trail the Colorado Avalanche 3-0 in their first-round series heading into Sunday's Game 4. Los Angeles was down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks in the first round of the 2014 postseason before rallying for the win.

They went on to capture the Cup.

“You’ve got to be loose now,” Kings interim coach D.J. Smith said. “You know the end result if you don’t win. Sometimes when that happens you grip it a little less and you make a play maybe you wouldn’t have made early on.

“The No. 1 thing you can’t do is get down on yourself, get down on your team, get down on your teammates. I don’t see any of that in the room. … I don’t feel for one second that anyone in that room doesn’t think we can win our next hockey game.”

Colorado leads a series 3-0 for the eighth time in franchise history. The last three times the Avalanche advanced in four games, including twice during their 2022 Cup run.

Buffalo Sabres at Boston Bruins

When/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 2 p.m. EDT (TNT)

Series: Sabres lead 2-1

The Bruins will try to avoid a 3-1 deficit when they get back on the TD Garden ice against the Sabres on Sunday. The Bruins were 29-11-1 at home this season — tied for the most home wins in the league — going more than three months and 13 games without losing in Boston.

The Sabres' 24 away wins were tied for the most in the Eastern Conference.

“We've been a good road team. We've put together some really good stretches on the road where we've played really well," Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff said. "I said you're going to get a different type of atmosphere, but just believe in the way we need to play. And I thought we executed that to a ‘T.’”

The teams had an extra day off after Game 3, which Buffalo won 3-1 to reclaim the home-ice advantage it earned by winning the Atlantic Division for its first playoff berth since 2011 — a drought that is the longest in NHL history.

The Bruins feel like they're on the right track after scoring first in all three games.

“We’re a confident bunch here, and one game doesn’t change that," Boston forward Mark Kastelic said. "We’ll have a good two days here to reset and continue to push forward.”

Colorado Avalanche at Los Angeles Kings

When/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 4:30 p.m. EDT (TNT)

Series: Avalanche lead 3-0

Known for their speed and scoring, the Avalanche have shown their defensive prowess, too, by winning a pair of low-scoring games.

“You’re comfortable winning a 1-0 game. If it’s a little bit more run-and-gun, you can do that, too,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “If it’s physical, you’re able to do that. It’s well-rounded players that can play a 200-foot game that give you the best chance to win, and we have a team full of them.”

The Kings have added incentive to prolong the season — Anze Kopitar. The Kings captain is set to retire after the season.

And Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns has an added incentive to end it quickly: He was on the 2014 Sharks team that blew a 3-0 lead to the Kings.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens

When/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: Canadiens lead 2-1

All three games of the series have gone to overtime, with the Canadiens winning twice to improve to 21-6-6 in one-goal games this season.

Montreal’s fourth line was a plus-3 in Game 3 and the Canadiens are ahead in the series despite not getting a 5-on-5 goal from their top line. Juraj Slafkovsky, who is on the No. 1 line, had three power-play goals in the series-opening 4-3 victory.

The Lightning are beating themselves with penalties and defensive lapses, including three breakaways on Friday night. They have to figure it out quickly or they’ll be heading toward their fourth straight first-round exit.

“We’ve held some pretty darn good players to limited chances in this series,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “We’re just not capitalizing the way we think we can do some things. Our execution has to be (better), we have to elevate now. And it feels like we’ve had bits and pieces of this series where we’ve been pretty darn good, and on the other side of it it’s been a struggle at times.”

Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks

When/Where to Watch: Game 4, Sunday, 9:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN)

Series: Ducks lead 2-1

The two-time defending Western Conference champion Oilers appear to be in a bit of trouble against the upstart Ducks, who have scored 16 goals in the first three games to seize the series lead.

After four consecutive years of long springs stretching into summer, Connor McDavid and his teammates have looked weary. They’ve made far too many mistakes in their own zone, with star defenseman Evan Bouchard standing out for his giveaways and errors in the Oilers’ 7-4 loss in Game 3.

“Any time you let in seven, it’s not a goalie problem,” Oilers defenseman Zach Hyman said. “It’s just (about) defending better. We didn’t give ourselves a chance.”

The Ducks are comfortable playing firewagon hockey as a mediocre-to-poor defensive team with the talent to outscore its mistakes, particularly with the backing of its frenzied home crowd at Orange County’s first playoff hockey in eight years. The fans will be fired up again when the Ducks attempt to push Edmonton to the brink of its first opening-round exit since 2021.

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AP Sports Writers Greg Beacham, Pat Graham and Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.

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

Sabemos que hay muchos en nuestro sistema escolar, pero buscamos a un educador ejemplar que cumpla con los siguientes criterios:

10 años o más enseñando en nivel elemental, intermedio o superior en los condados Broward, Miami-Dade o Monroe

Altamente innovador, aplicando técnicas creativas de enseñanza para motivar a los estudiantes

Historia personal de superación de retos o adversidad e inspirar a otros a hacer lo mismo

Muy involucrado en servicio comunitario o trabajo benéfico

Si conoce a un maestro que cumpla con todo lo anterior y que ya merezca crédito extra, cuéntenos sobre él o ella.

Suba una foto de su maestro favorito abajo y complete todos los campos para enviar su nominación. También puede enviar su nominación y foto por correo electrónico a goodnews@local10.com. Por favor mantenga su descripción en 250 palabras o menos.

Un panel revisará todas las solicitudes y elegirá a un maestro. La fecha límite para nominar es este viernes 1 de mayo a las 11:59 p.m.

La persona homenajeada será revelada en Local 10 News el viernes 22 de mayo, comenzando a las 10:30 a.m. como parte de la serie Good News South Florida.

The role of the two CIA agents who were returning from destroying a clandestine drug lab in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua remains unclear.

Local government officials have said they were part of a convoy when their car drove off a ravine last weekend and the vehicle exploded. Two Mexican officers also were killed.

The Americans killed were from the CIA, The Associated Press confirmed earlier this week with a U.S. official and two other people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters.

The CIA has declined to comment.

A statement from Mexico’s Ministry of Security said one U.S. agent entered Mexico as a visitor while the other entered with a diplomatic passport.

It also asserted that Mexico’s government was not aware of foreign agents operating or planning to participate in an operation on its soil.

The ministry said it is reviewing the case with local authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.

“Mexican law is clear: it does not permit the participation of foreign agents in operations within the national territory,” the ministry said in a statement.

It added: “The Government of Mexico reiterates its willingness to maintain a close, serious, and respectful relationship with the Government of the United States for the benefit of the security of both countries.”

Officials from both countries have offered contradictory accounts on the issue, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum admitting on Wednesday that federal forces were involved after Mexico’s government said it had no knowledge of any operation or U.S. involvement.

O’Donnell was introduced as the sanctioning body’s chief executive officer at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday and vowed to “make some moves” that will return the storied racing series to its roots.

“We lost that in recent years,” O’Donnell said.

Majority owner Jim France stepped down as CEO but will remain NASCAR’s chairman, and his majority ownership stake will not change.

O’Donnell will become the first person outside the France family to hold the CEO title.

Bill France Sr. founded the racing series in 1948 and always had a family member in the top role. Ben Kennedy, France’s great-nephew and the son of NASCAR executive Lesa Kennedy France, was promoted to chief operating officer.

“They’re going to take this thing even further,” Jim France said.

Jim France had been chairman and CEO of NASCAR since the 2019 resignation of his nephew, Brian.

It marks the second promotion in nearly a year for O’Donnell, who has spent 30-plus years guiding NASCAR’s marketing and later competition departments. He was named president in March 2025.

France took a hardline stance in negotiations for the 2025 revenue-sharing agreement, triggering an antitrust lawsuit by Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. The sides reached a settlement in December that granted NASCAR teams the permanent charters they had sought.

France struggled to remember several topics during a shaky first day of testimony and needed several questions repeated.

NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps resigned earlier this year after inflammatory texts he sent during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations were revealed during the trial.

O’Donnell escaped unscathed and now gets tasked with NASCAR’s next phase, which he suggested was to make sure everyone knows it’s a “badass American sport.” He vowed to unite the industry, listen to every stakeholder — including fans — and address matters with urgency.

“It’s what we have to do each and every day,” O’Donnell said. “We've got to showcase that.”

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

Kempthorne died Friday evening in Boise, the statement said. No cause was given. He had been diagnosed with colon cancer last year.

“Beyond his public service, he was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather whose greatest joy came from time spent with family and the people he met along the way,” his family said. “He had a rare gift for truly seeing others — remembering names, stories, and the small details that made each person feel known and valued.”

Kempthorne, a moderate Republican, was elected mayor of Boise in 1985 at age 34, and he was credited with revitalizing the downtown by securing an agreement to build a convention center and promoting other development. He served seven years before winning the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Sen. Steve Symms in 1992.

During his time in Washington, he authored legislation — signed by Democratic President Bill Clinton — to end unfunded federal mandates on state and local governments.

Rather than run for reelection in 1998, he entered an open election for governor, trouncing his Democratic opponent by garnering more than two-thirds of the vote.

President George W. Bush appointed him Interior secretary in 2006, a position he held until the end of Bush's presidency — and during which he lived on a houseboat docked in the Potomac River.

“Dirk was one of the finest public servants I ever knew because he was one of the finest men,” former President George W. Bush said in a written statement Saturday. “He was considerate, smart, and capable. Dirk loved our lands and waters, and as Secretary of the Interior, he was an effective steward of our natural resources.”

He protected polar bears

Environmentalists often found Kempthorne too accommodating to industry, citing his efforts to push oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico and off Alaska. More than 100 conservation groups opposed his nomination as Interior secretary, saying that as a senator he had voted to eliminate federal money for recovery of the endangered wolf, to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration, and to sell off federal public lands.

Yet in 2008, he bucked other advisers in the White House by insisting that the polar bear should be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act because of the loss of sea ice in the Arctic. He was prepared to resign over it when Bush decided to back him.

“As Governor, Dirk left an enduring mark on our state," Idaho Gov. Brad Little said in a written statement. With the partnership of his wife, Patricia, Kempthorne “championed children and families, strengthened public education, and led transformational investments in our transportation system that will benefit Idahoans for generations.”

After leaving the federal government, he became the chief executive of a trade association of life insurance companies.

In a 2023 question-and-answer session with the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Kempthorne recalled helping evacuate nearly 400 U.S. citizens and Afghan allies from Afghanistan two years earlier, as many were being sought by the Taliban following the U.S. military's chaotic withdrawal. Kemthorne and others worked frantically for months to raise money and garner the support of diplomatic channels to charter buses and an Airbus A340 to help resettle the evacuees in the U.S. and Canada.

He helped Afghan refugees

At one point, with the flight fully booked, the organizers received a list of more people who needed to leave urgently.

“That night, at a total loss for answers, alone, I knelt in prayer,” Kempthorne recalled. “I said, ‘Dear God, we cannot leave these people behind, please give a path forward.’ ”

He said he then had a vision of Mother Mary holding the infant Jesus. It gave him an idea: The babies on the flight didn't need their own seats, as their parents could hold them. The organizers confirmed that with the airline and were able to add an additional 50 people to the flight, Kempthorne said.

Kempthorne was born in San Diego and grew up in Spokane, Washington. His father was a regional representative for Maytag, the appliance company. His mother, a homemaker, once worked as a secretary for the Legislature in Nebraska, her home state.

Kempthorne attended San Bernardino Valley College in California before transferring to the University of Idaho, where he served as student body president and met his future wife, Patricia. After graduation he worked as executive assistant to the director of the Idaho Department of Lands before joining the Idaho Home Builders Association as the executive vice president.

Kempthorne is survived by his wife, as well as their children Heather and Jeff and their families.

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Johnson reported from Seattle.

The colt trained by Todd Pletcher and set to be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. is 4-1 after drawing the No. 1 post in the field of 20 horses for the May 2 race. No horse has finished first in the Derby from there since Ferdinand in 1986, and the most recent to be in the top three was Lookin At Lee, who was second in 2017.

Trainer Brad Cox’s No. 6 Commandment and No. 18 Further Ado are the second and third choices on the morning line each at 6-1, followed by No. 12 Chief Wallabee at 8-1 and The Puma at 10-1. Cox's third entrant is 20-1 long shot Fulleffort, who drew the far-outside No. 20 post.

Cox's jaw dropped when he saw Fulleffort's draw, calling it "probably the one I’m maybe not as wild about, as excited about as the other two. He was most happy with Further Ado at No. 18, with three-time Derby-winning jockey John Velazquez aboard.

“Very happy with that post: I wanted him to draw outside, and it looks like there’s some speed to the inside of him there,” Cox said. “I do like the 6 with Commandment. Hopefully he can break and go forward. It looks like there’s a little speed around him. He can maybe save some ground going into the first turn, maybe even into the second turn.”

Two-time Triple Crown champion Bob Baffert has two chances to win the Derby for a seventh time and break a tie with Ben Jones for the most of any trainer, saddling No. 4 Litmus Test (30-1) and No. 14 Potente (20-1). Litmus Test was the last horse to get into the field earlier Saturday when Steve Asmussen and owners decided Chip Honcho will skip the race and point toward the Preakness Stakes on May 16.

A year after Bill Mott's Sovereignty won the Derby and then the Belmont Stakes, son Riley is training his first two horses in the Triple Crown opener. He has No. 2 Albus (30-1) and No. 11 Incredibolt (20-1).

His dad's bid to go back-to-back is Chief Wallabee.

“I don’t know him right now,” Riley Mott said. “He’s our competition. Very formidable, obviously, but we’re just focused on our horses and trying to control the things we can control — unlike the draw. It’s been fun just trying to stay focused but enjoy the moment at the same time.”

Rounding out the field are No. 3 Intrepido (30-1), No. 5 Right To Party (30-1), No. 7 Danon Bourbon (20-1), No. 8 So Happy (15-1), Japan-bred No. 10 Wonder Dean (30-1), No. 13 Silent Tactic (20-1), No. 15 Emerging Market (15-1), No. 16 Pavlovian (30-1), No. 17 Six Speed (50-1) and No. 19 Golden Tempo (30-1)

If there are scratches, there are four also-entered possibilities to join the field: Great White, Ocelli, Robusta and Corona de Oro.

Post time for the race is set for 6:57 p.m. EDT.

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

El comandante principal de la Patrulla Fronteriza, Gregory Bovino, se ufanaba de demostraciones implacables de fuerza y agentes que irrumpían en cocinas de restaurantes, paradas de autobús y estacionamientos de Home Depot.

Los arrestos realizados por agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas alcanzaron su punto máximo en diciembre, con casi 40.000 en todo el país, y fueron casi igual de altos el mes siguiente, según datos proporcionados al Deportation Data Project de la Universidad de California en Berkeley y analizados por The Associated Press.

Los asesinatos en Minneapolis, a finales de enero, de dos ciudadanos estadounidenses a manos de agentes de inmigración y las denuncias de brutalidad policial llevaron a una reestructuración de los principales funcionarios de inmigración. En las semanas siguientes, los arrestos de ICE en todo el país cayeron, en promedio, casi un 12%.

Los sondeos han encontrado que el público en general consideró que el operativo de control migratorio en Minnesota fue demasiado lejos, un factor que pudo haber contribuido al abrupto despido de la secretaria de Seguridad Nacional, Kristi Noem, a principios de marzo.

Los números no siguen el mismo patrón en todas partes

Bovino, que se paseaba con aire desafiante con equipo táctico y era el rostro público de la ofensiva del gobierno de Trump, fue apartado tras los asesinatos en Minneapolis de Renee Good y Alex Pretti. Luego se envió al “zar” fronterizo Tom Homan a las Ciudades Gemelas para trazar un nuevo rumbo y anunció la reducción de agentes de inmigración en el estado el 4 de febrero.

Un análisis de AP de los registros de arrestos de ICE muestra que el departamento promedió 7.369 arrestos semanales en todo el país en las cinco semanas posteriores al anuncio de reducción de Homan, el periodo más reciente del que hay datos disponibles, frente a 8.347 por semana en las cinco semanas anteriores. Esas cifras de arrestos seguían siendo, en promedio, más altas que durante gran parte del primer año del segundo mandato del presidente Donald Trump, y fueron drásticamente más altas que durante el gobierno de Biden.

Sin embargo, las cifras no fueron uniformes en todo el país.

Los arrestos de ICE aumentaron de manera significativa en Kentucky, Indiana, Carolina del Norte y Florida durante esas cinco semanas, en algunos casos alcanzando su mayor conteo semanal desde el inicio del segundo mandato de Trump. Solo en Kentucky, los arrestos semanales se más que duplicaron, llegando a 86 a principios de marzo.

Esos aumentos se vieron compensados por fuertes caídas en un puñado de estados grandes, incluidos Minnesota y Texas.

Muchos de los arrestados no son “lo peor de lo peor” como dice Trump

El gobierno de Trump insiste en que está apuntando a los criminales más violentos que viven ilegalmente en Estados Unidos, y el presidente se ha referido a ellos como “lo peor de lo peor”.

La realidad es más compleja.

Muchos de los delincuentes más peligrosos puestos bajo custodia de ICE ya estaban en prisión, pero muchos otros que fueron arrestados no tienen antecedentes penales.

A nivel nacional, alrededor del 46% de las personas que ICE arrestó en las cinco semanas previas al 4 de febrero no tenía cargos ni condenas penales, cifra que bajó al 41% en las cinco semanas posteriores.

Aun así, eso sigue por encima del promedio semanal del 35% registrado desde que Trump regresó al cargo. Y en varios estados, incluso después del 4 de febrero, la proporción de personas sin antecedentes penales arrestadas aumentó, en lugar de disminuir.

¿Ha habido un cambio de enfoque?

En todo el país, miles de presentaciones ante tribunales federales ofrecen una ventana imperfecta a cómo las tácticas de deportación siguen a toda marcha, aunque la actividad haya disminuido.

Por ejemplo está el caso del hondureño de 21 años sin antecedentes penales que presentó una petición de liberación tras ser arrestado el 22 de febrero en una parada de tráfico en un suburbio de San Diego. El padre de tres hijos ciudadanos estadounidenses —de 5 años, 3 y 10 meses— había estado bajo vigilancia de ICE, según la petición, antes de que agentes con equipo táctico lo detuvieran.

O el de la venezolana de 33 años, una médica conocida del sur de Texas que trabajaba en una región designada como con escasez de servicios médicos, quien fue arrestada a principios de este mes junto con su hija de 5 años, ciudadana estadounidense, cuando se dirigía a la audiencia de asilo de su esposo.

Fue arrestada, indicaron las autoridades, por haber excedido el tiempo permitido de su visa.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, investigador principal del grupo de investigación y defensa American Immigration Council, afirma que ve señales de cambio en la reducción de los números de arrestos y detenciones, pero advierte que es demasiado pronto para saber si esos cambios serán permanentes.

“La administración Trump dice ‘No estamos bajando el ritmo’, ‘Nada ha cambiado’” en la aplicación de las leyes migratorias, dice Reichlin-Melnick. “Pero está muy claro que han dado marcha atrás en algunas de las tácticas” en la ofensiva que arrasó Minneapolis.

Octavio Guzmán, the governor of the region of Cauca, said on X that the device was set off while the bus was traveling along the Panamerican Highway in the municipality of Cajibio. Five children were among the injured, Cauca Health Secretary Carolina Camargo told Noticias Caracol, a TV news program.

Gen. Hugo López, commander of Colombia's Armed Forces,told a news conference that it was a “terrorist act" and blamed the network of a man known as “Iván Mordisco” — one of Colombia’s most wanted figures — and the Jaime Martínez faction. Both are dissidents of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that operate in the region.

Neither Iván Mordisco nor the Jaime Martínez faction abide by the peace agreement signed with the state in 2016.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack on X.

“Those who carried out the attack and killed seven civilians — and wounded 17 others — in Cajibío — many of them Indigenous people — are terrorists, fascists, and drug traffickers,” he wrote.

The attack is the latest in a spate of explosions that have attempted to target public infrastructure. At least 26 incidents have taken place in the past two days in southwestern Colombia, which López said has only affected civilians.

They included a shooting at a police station in the rural area of Jamundi, and an attack on a Civil Aviation radar facility in El Tambo, where authorities took down three explosives-laden drones earlier on Saturday. No one was hurt.

On Friday, two vehicles rigged with explosives were detonated near military units in Cali and Palmira, causing material damage.

The escalation of violence in that region — a territory contested by illegal armed groups linked to drug trafficking — prompted the mobilization of high-ranking officials on Saturday. Led by Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, the delegation that includes regional governors and local authorities, was meeting in Palmira when the deadly explosion occurred.

“These criminals seek to instill fear, but we will respond with firmness,” Sánchez said on X.

Meanwhile, Francisca Toro, governor of Valle del Cauca, has called upon the national government to provide “immediate support.” In a message on X, Toro called for a reinforcement of public security forces, enhanced intelligence operations and “decisive actions” against crime in the face of a “terrorist-level escalation.”

According to authorities, Cauca and Valle del Cauca serve as a critical hub for illicit activities of illegal armed groups vying for control over sea and river access routes leading to the port of Buenaventura — a key transit point used to traffic drugs to Central America and Europe.

The government has also offered a reward of more than 1 million dollars for information leading to the capture of “Marlon,” who is identified as the leader of the region's dissident group. On Friday, local authorities offered more than $14,000 for information leading to the identification and location of those behind the attacks in Cali and Palmira.

Hungary's April 12 election brought an end to Orbán's 16 years in power when voters cast their ballots overwhelmingly for a center-right challenger who promised to crack down on endemic corruption and restore Hungary's democratic institutions that had been eroded under Orbán.

That challenger, the Tisza party led by Hungary's incoming Prime Minister Péter Magyar, won a two-thirds majority in parliament that will allow it to undo many of Orbán's policies.

Since the election, the long-serving prime minister’s future role in Hungarian political life, and whether he will retain a role in government, has been uncertain.

But in a video posted to Facebook, Orbán said his party’s caucus in parliament would be “radically transformed” following the election loss, and that he would not take his seat.

“Our task now is not in parliament,” Orbán said, but in the “reorganization” of his political camp that he calls the “national side.”

“I have led our community for nearly four decades,” Orbán said. “This camp has always been the most united and cohesive political community in Hungary.”

Magyar has vowed to restore democratic institutions and the rule of law, which eroded under Orbán’s rule, and to hold accountable those who he says were responsible for overseeing and benefiting from widespread official corruption.

When the new parliament forms on May 9, it will be the first time since Hungary’s transition from state socialism in 1990 that Orbán has not held a seat among lawmakers.

In his statement, Orbán suggested he would remain the president of his Fidesz party after the party’s congress convenes in June to elect its leader.

Magyar’s party gained 141 seats out of 199 in parliament, the largest majority in Hungary’s post-Communist history. Orbán’s far-right, eurosceptic Fidesz party will control 52 seats, down from 135 before the election.

Durant missed Game 3 with a sprained left ankle on Friday night, when the Rockets blew a six-point lead with less than 30 seconds to go in regulation of an eventual 112-108 overtime loss to fall to 0-3 in the first-round series.

“He’s getting treatment still around the clock,” Udoka said. “I think there’s some soreness and (he's) pushed a lot of swelling out, but it’ll be a matter of if he can go. We’ll try it out I’m sure tomorrow morning and before the game, and we’ll know his status then.”

Udoka was asked how likely he believes it is that Durant will play Sunday as the Rockets try to avoid being swept in the best-of-seven Western Conference series.

“Every day that goes by, the likelihood goes up,” he said. “But I thought he might be OK (Friday) based on shootaround and that’s different going half speed and then ramping it up right before a game. And so you really can’t tell, but he’s doing everything he can to get back.”

Durant missed the opener of the series because of a bruised right knee. He returned for Game 2, scoring 23 points in 41 minutes of the 101-94 loss, during which he injured his ankle late in the game.

His injury problems this postseason came after the 37-year-old ranked second in the league in the regular season by playing 2,840 minutes.

Durant, who is in his first season in Houston after an offseason trade from Phoenix, is the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history.

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

Indiana's star played in her first game for the Fever in nine months after injuries derailed her second season, limiting her to 13 games. She received a warm ovation from the crowd when she was introduced in the starting lineup.

Clark said she had some nerves, but they didn't show early in Indiana's 109-91 win over the New York Liberty. She scored the first basket of the game and then a couple of possessions later hit her signature step-back 3-pointer from deep. After making her first two shots, Clark missed her final eight of the game. She finished with seven points, four assists and three rebounds in just under 17 minutes of play.

“Honestly, my shot felt really good and I was missing long, which is what you want to see,” Clark told The Associated Press after the game. “But it felt good. I felt fast, so that was definitely a positive. I think I struggled in that area last year, but my body felt great. I felt like I was moving well. So overall really happy.”

Before the game Clark said she was happy to just be out there playing again.

“I think anytime you get to put on your uniform and lace up your shoes you don’t take that for granted, especially after coming off last year when I didn’t get to do that very much," she said.

Fever coach Stephanie White noticed a difference in Clark this preseason as opposed to her first two in the league.

“I think that’s the thing, watching her play with joy," White said. “In practice her energy is different, she's carrying herself in a different way.”

This wasn't Clark's first basketball game since suffering a season-ending injury last July. She played for USA Basketball in a World Cup qualifying tournament last month and earned Most Valuable Player honors.

“She was itchy and antsy before training camp started,” said White, who coached her in USA Basketball as well. “Glad she had those games with USA Basketball and came into training camp having played. ... Now it's fine tuning some of those things. She's in a great place.”

While Clark played, a few of the Fever's others didn't. Aliyah Boston was out while still recovering from a lower-leg injury. Lexie Hull is also working her way through a hamstring issue.

White said both would have played if it was a regular-season game.

The Fever were also without Ty Harris (knee) and Damiris Dantas, who is not with the team yet.

New York was missing Rebecca Allen, Marine Fauthoux and Satou Sabally, who were out to build their fitness up. Sabally was the biggest offseason acquisition by the Liberty, signing as a free agent.

Leonie Fiebich, Raquel Carrera, Pauline Astier and Ugonne Onyiah weren't with the Liberty yet as they were finishing up their overseas commitments.

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

The fact that the call came at all for Eli Heidenreich — and from the Pittsburgh native's hometown Steelers no less — gave what can sometimes be a ho-hum final day of the league's marquee offseason event a dash of electricity ... and more than a dash of the feels.

The Las Vegas Raiders started Day 3 by taking McCoy with the first pick of the fourth round, taking a small gamble that the Tennessee cornerback will return to form after missing all of last season with a torn ACL.

Lingering health concerns appeared to make teams reticent to take a supremely athletic defensive back with a sub-4.40 40-yard dash time. Watching three rounds roll by without getting a call wasn't exactly McCoy's idea of a good time.

“I was prepared for whatever happened, but, I mean, I would’ve been excited to go higher, for sure, because, I mean, I had a good pro day, ran some good times and just did good things like that,” McCoy said. “But, I mean, I was prepared for whatever happened. Because, I mean, it’s not in my control.”

The pick reunites McCoy — in a way at least — with top overall pick Fernando Mendoza. McCoy's first career collegiate interception came against Mendoza while McCoy was at Oregon State and Mendoza was playing at California.

McCoy viewed having his stock drop as a slight that will fuel him as he looks to regain the form that had him on a first-round trajectory before the injury.

“I feel like I learned about myself, it’s just like, I feel like I’m super mentally strong,” he said. “I feel I’ve just been through a lot. I got a story that I’m still trying to tell.”

McCoy isn't the only one.

Heidenreich, Navy's all-time leading receiver who starred at Mount Lebanon High — less than 10 miles away from Acrisure Stadium — walked onto the stage in his service dress uniform to a massive roar after Pittsburgh used a seventh-round pick to bring him home.

“It’s the greatest moment of my life,” Heidenreich said. "This is the greatest city in the world with the greatest people in the world. I couldn’t be any happier.”

For higher-profile players selected in rounds four through seven, the overwhelming feeling was likely closer to relief.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik, who began his last season with the Tigers with Heisman Trophy and national title hopes, only to endure a nightmarish fall in which Clemson went 7-6, went to the New York Jets with the 110th pick.

It would be another 139 picks before LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier could exhale. Things might have worked out for Nussmeier, whose patience was rewarded after being selected by the Kansas City Chiefs and head coach Andy Reid.

The fanfare of Thursday night's opening round — replete with a walk down the red carpet for the top prospects who will be tasked to be contributors very quickly — was long gone by Saturday.

Perhaps no player had a more symbolic experience of what Day 3 can feel like than Iowa wide receiver Kaden Wetjen, taken by the host Steelers in the fourth round.

There was no draft party for Wetjen. No camera set up in his family's living room to capture the moment. Instead, Wetjen went golfing while his parents headed to the Drake Relays to watch his younger brother compete.

“So, the plan was to kind of text everybody after I got the information and have everybody over tonight,” Wetjen said. “So thankfully it happened earlier than we expected, and I didn’t shank it into the pond after I got picked, so everything’s going good.”

The fifth round included Ohio State defensive back Lorenzo Styles Jr., following brother Sonny — selected seventh overall by Washington on Thursday — into the pros when he was taken by New Orleans.

The Denver Broncos made Buffalo’s Red Murdock this year’s “Mr. Irrelevant,” taking him with the 257th and final pick.

The final day of the league's offseason festival began with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell telling the rain-soaked fans outside Acrisure Stadium that Pittsburgh had set a record for attendance on Thursday and Friday, with more than 600,000 people packing themselves into the city's North Shore and nearby Point State Park.

The fans were listening. The league said the final attendance number finished north of 800,000, breaking the record of 775,000 set two years ago in Detroit. The draft heads to the National Mall in Washington D.C., next April.

Most of the crowd came to the city's North Shore wearing Steelers black-and-gold and waving the club's signature Terrible Towels.

They waved in abundance when each of the team's Day 2 picks made their way to the stage tucked in the stadium's northeast parking lot, including former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, who was a somewhat surprising third-round selection.

“I'm really excited,” Allar said. “Enjoyed my four years at Penn State ... But I'm really excited to represent Steeler fans and Steeler nation and really win a lot of games.”

That part might not come right away.

Allar joins a quarterback room that includes veteran Mason Rudolph and former Ohio State star Will Howard, a sixth-round choice by the Steelers in 2025. And that doesn't include Aaron Rodgers, who very well could rejoin the club at some point before preparations for the 2026 season turn serious.

That work will start in earnest on Sunday, after the league spent three days in a city whose football roots run deep.

Those roots were exposed in the final hour, when Heidenreich's homecoming provided an emotional topper to a week that was years in the making.

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AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

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

Brantley County Manager Joey Cason called it a “dynamic situation” in a video posted to social media and begged residents to “please evacuate” if ordered to do so.

“This fire is going to move rapidly once these winds get here later today,” he said.

The Highway 82 Fire has been burning since Monday and has destroyed at least 87 homes. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday that is the most for a single wildfire in the state's history.

The blaze was started by a foil balloon hitting live power lines. That created an electrical arc that ignited combustible material on the ground.

An infrared flight that detects heat was conducted overnight Friday, helping officials to better map the fire. A joint statement issued by multiple government agencies said the fire's perimeter was more than 14.8 square miles (38 square kilometers) and it was only about 10% contained.

Meanwhile a second fire about 70 miles (110 kilometers) to the southwest in Clinch and Echols counties, near the Florida state line, has burned more than 46.9 square miles (121 square kilometers) and destroyed at least 35 homes. Started by sparks from a welding operation, that wildfire was also about 10% contained.

Firefighters have been battling more than 150 other wildfires in Georgia and Florida that have sent smoky haze into places far from the flames, triggering air quality warnings for some cities.

An unusually large number of wildfires are burning this spring across the Southeast. Scientists say the threat of fire has been amplified by a combination of extreme drought, gusty winds, climate change and dead trees still littering some forests after being toppled by Hurricane Helene in 2024.

In northern Florida, Nassau County Sheriff’s Office volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews died Thursday evening after he suffered an unspecified medical emergency while suppressing a brush fire. No fire deaths or injuries have been reported in Georgia.

Inicialmente, el Gobernador del Cauca, Octavio Guzmán, comunicó en su cuenta de X que el artefacto fue activado en la vía Panamericana en el sector de El Túnel en Cajibío, con un saldo preliminar de “siete civiles muertos y más de 17 heridos”. Por la noche, el gobernador actualizó la cifra a 14 muertos.

Entre los heridos se encuentran cinco son menores de edad, añadió Guzmán.

En rueda de prensa, el general Hugo López, comandante de las Fuerzas Armadas, calificó al hecho como una “acción terrorista” que adjudicó a las estructuras de alias “ Iván Mordisco ” —uno de los más buscados de Colombia— y de la facción Jaime Martínez, de las disidencias de las desaparecidas Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) que no se acogieron al acuerdo de paz firmado con el Estado en 2016. Precisó que al menos 15 vehículos fueron afectados por la explosión.

“Quiero la máxima persecución mundial contra este grupo narcoterrorista”, escribió el presidente Gustavo Petro, en su primera reacción tras el atentado. Añadió que se dispondrá a “los mejores soldados para enfrentarlos” y pidió a la unidad de análisis financiero colombiana actuar sobre sus finanzas.

El ejército colombiano informó en X que realiza sobrevuelos y acciones de control para verificar la posible presencia de otros artefactos explosivos en esos departamentos.

La potente explosión dejó una escena trágica en el lugar, donde en medio de los hierros retorcidos de los vehículos y sobre el pavimento fracturado se observaban los cuerpos de las victimas. Los heridos fueron trasladados por ambulancias a diversos hospitales para ser atendidos, reportaron las autoridades.

Una ola de condena y rechazo ha levantado la violenta jornada, mientras la Defensora del Pueblo, Iris Marín, pidió a los grupos armados que operan en la zona “cesar de inmediato” los ataques.

A través de su Alto Comisionado para los Derechos Humanos, la ONU condenó las acciones armadas en contra de la población civil que, enfatizó, están prohibidos por el Derecho Internacional Humanitario. Instó a las autoridades competentes a investigar los hechos y “garantizar justicia para las víctimas”.

La Comunidad Andina de Naciones se sumó a la condena.

Al menos 26 hechos “criminales” se han presentado durante los dos últimos días en esa región —disputada por grupos armados ilegales vinculados al narcotráfico— que “solamente han afectado a nuestra población civil”, reportó el general López.

La víspera dos vehículos acondicionados con explosivos detonaron cerca de unidades militares, uno en la capital vallecaucana Cali y otro en la aledaña Palmira, causando daños materiales.

El sábado se reportó un ataque con disparos a una estación policial en una zona rural de Jamundí, en el Valle del Cauca, la neutralización de tres drones acondicionados con explosivos en El Tambo, departamento aledaño del Cauca, y el ataque a un radar de Aeronáutica Civil en la misma zona. Ninguno de estos eventos dejó heridos.

La escalada de violencia en esa área del país andino movilizó a altos mandos liderados por el ministro de Defensa, Pedro Sánchez, quien junto a gobernadores y autoridades mantuvieron un consejo de Seguridad en Popayán.

“Los criminales buscan generar temor, pero respondemos con firmeza”, escribió previamente en X el ministro Sánchez, mientras la gobernadora del Valle del Cauca, Francisca Toro solicitó reforzar la presencia de la fuerza pública, labores de inteligencia y “acciones contundentes” contra el crimen ante la “escala terrorista”, señaló en un mensaje de esa red social.

La región del Cauca y Valle del Cauca constituye un punto clave para las economías ilícitas de grupos armados ilegales que disputan el control de la ruta de acceso marítimo y fluvial hacia el puerto de Buenaventura por donde trafican droga hacia Centroamérica y Europa, según las autoridades.

El gobierno ofrece una recompensa de 4.500 millones de pesos (más de un millón de dólares) por información que permita la captura de alias “Marlon”, subordinado de Mordisco y , quien es señalado como cabecilla de las disidencias en esa región.

La entrada principal del desarrollo estará justo al final de Southwest 97th Street y Calusa Club Drive. Estará cerca de un área de anidación de aves por la que muchos lucharon para proteger.

Es en lo que antes era un campo de golf dentro de la comunidad Calusa Country Club en West Kendall.

Después de siete años de oposición de grupos y residentes, la Comisión del Condado Miami-Dade dio luz verde al desarrollador.

“Supongo que es difícil sentir tanta pasión”, dijo Amanda Prieto, quien lideró a los residentes en la lucha contra el desarrollo. “Pero luego ver que construyan algo de esta magnitud en su lugar es triste”.

El desarrollador fue presionado por activistas y algunos comisionados para hacer concesiones.

El plan original contemplaba 1,300 viviendas. En cambio, ahora construirá poco más de 500.

“Nos alegra que una vez más los comisionados vieran el camino para aprobar esta comunidad y proporcionar más viviendas para el Condado Miami-Dade”, dijo Richard Norwalk, ejecutivo de GL Homes.

Y aunque persisten preocupaciones por el tráfico, el proyecto traerá algunas mejoras, incluyendo tres extensiones de carriles y un semáforo.

Y la línea de viviendas ahora será construida a 330 pies, en lugar de solo 100 pies, del área ahora designada como sitio protegido de anidación de aves.

Prieto dijo que valió la pena la lucha.

“Marcamos una diferencia”, dijo.

El desarrollador no ha informado cuánto costarán las viviendas. Mientras tanto, Prieto dijo que ella y su abogado están evaluando sus opciones.

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The grand entrance for the development will be right at the end of Southwest 97th Street and Calusa Club Drive. It will be near an area a bird nesting ground that so many fought to protect.

It’s on what used to be a golf course inside the Calusa Country Club community in West Kendall.

After seven years of pushback from groups and residents the Miami-Dade County Commission gave the developer the green light.

“I guess it’s difficult to be so passionate,” Amanda Prieto, who led the residents in fighting the development, said. “But then to have something of this scale built in its place is sad.”

The developer was pressed by activists and some commissioners to make concessions.

The original plan envisioned 1,300 homes. Instead, will now build just over 500.

“We’re glad that once again, (commissioners) saw their way to approving this community and providing more housing for Miami-Dade County,” Richard Norwalk, a GL Homes executive, said.

And while concerns of traffic remain, the project will bring some improvements including three lane extensions and a traffic light.

And the line of homes will now be built at 330 feet ― instead of just 100 feet ― from the area now a designated protected nesting site for birds.

Prieto says it was worth the fight.

“We made a difference,” she said.

The developer has not shared what the homes will cost. In the meantime, Prieto said she and her attorney are weighing their options.

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Police say the clip shows a red sports car and a marked Homestead police vehicle stopped at a traffic light. The driver of the sports car recorded the interaction using a 360-degree camera mounted on the back of the vehicle.

In the video, there appears to be a brief verbal exchange between the driver and the officer. The driver claimed the officer asked, “if I wanna run it,” suggesting a race. The driver wrote in a caption that they initially thought the officer was joking, but then the patrol car sped off. The sports car attempts to follow but cannot keep up.

“The biggest reason we put out the press release is to make sure that not everyone paints the picture that this is what the Homestead Police Department does,” said Oscar Roque, the department’s public information officer.

Homestead police say Internal Affairs is now investigating the incident, including who was behind the wheel of the patrol car.

Roque said he does not have details on whether the officer or the driver has been identified.

“At this moment, I’m not privy to that information because our professional compliance bureau replies directly to the chief, and once the chief gets all the information and makes a decision as to who, what, when, where, why and outcome when it comes to that situation,” he said.

There is no timeline for when the investigation will be complete. The department says appropriate action will be taken based on the findings and that updates will be provided once a conclusion is reached.

La Policía dijo que el video muestra un auto deportivo rojo y un vehículo policial identificado de Homestead detenidos en un semáforo. El conductor del auto deportivo grabó la interacción usando una cámara de 360 grados montada en la parte trasera del vehículo.

En el video, aparentemente hay un breve intercambio verbal entre el conductor y el agente. El conductor afirmó que el agente preguntó “si quiero correr”, sugiriendo una carrera. El conductor escribió en un mensaje que inicialmente pensó que el agente estaba bromeando, pero luego la patrulla aceleró. El auto deportivo intentó seguirlo, pero no pudo alcanzarlo.

“La principal razón por la que emitimos el comunicado es asegurarnos de que no todos se formen la idea de que esto es lo que hace el Departamento de Policía de Homestead”, dijo Oscar Roque, oficial de información pública del departamento.

La Policía de Homestead dijo que Asuntos Internos ahora investiga el incidente, incluyendo quién estaba al volante de la patrulla.

Roque dijo que no tiene detalles sobre si el agente o el conductor han sido identificados.

“En este momento, no tengo acceso a esa información porque nuestra oficina de cumplimiento profesional responde directamente al jefe, y una vez que el jefe reciba toda la información y tome una decisión sobre quién, qué, cuándo, dónde, por qué y el resultado cuando se trata de esa situación”, dijo.

No hay un plazo establecido para cuándo concluirá la investigación. El departamento dijo que tomará las acciones apropiadas según los hallazgos y que ofrecerá actualizaciones una vez se llegue a una conclusión.

Corporate sponsors, community partners and some county representatives took part in the effort, along with many families and children, making it a day of volunteering for all ages.

The project is part of an ongoing restoration of the 11.5-acre camp led by the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida. Their goal this year is to plant 10,000 trees at Camp Mahachee, with about 600 planted Saturday.

Organizers say the effort will support the health and sustainability of the camp’s ecosystem, with benefits expected to last well beyond the day of service and help create a resilient outdoor classroom for future generations.

It was a half day of work aimed at making a long-term impact in the treasured natural space in Miami-Dade.

Some of the corporate sponsors include First Citizens Bank, Duane Morris, Native Tree Nursery, and Bank of America.

Douglas, listado con 6 pies y 3 1/2 pulgadas de estatura y 206 libras, registró 54 recepciones para 846 yardas y siete touchdowns en 2025. Sus siete anotaciones por recepción empataron en el séptimo lugar de la Conferencia Big 12.

El jugador de 22 años se une a un grupo de receptores que incluye a Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert y Tutu Atwell, tras una temporada baja en la que Tyreek Hill fue dejado en libertad y Jaylen Waddle fue cambiado a los Denver Broncos por selecciones de primera y tercera ronda.

Con la selección número 87 global, los Miami Dolphins agregaron al ala cerrada de Ohio State Will Kacmarek a su clase del draft.

Los Dolphins renovaron al ala cerrada Greg Dulcich con un contrato de un año y $3.25 millones USD al inicio de esta temporada baja después de separarse de Julian Hill.

Con 6 pies y 5 pulgadas de estatura y 261 libras, permitió solo dos presiones en casi 100 jugadas de bloqueo de pase durante su tiempo con los Buckeyes, según ESPN.

El gerente general Jon-Eric Sullivan ha enfatizado que su club será enfocado en el juego terrestre, por lo que la capacidad de bloqueo de Kacmarek representa un impulso para el corredor De’Von Achane.

Los Dolphins se mantuvieron del lado ofensivo del balón con la selección número 94, eligiendo al receptor abierto de Louisville Chris Bell.

Bell es el segundo receptor abierto seleccionado por los Dolphins el viernes.

Registró 917 yardas por recepción y seis touchdowns en 2025, ambas marcas personales.

Sus 37 recepciones disputadas desde 2023 fueron la mayor cantidad en la Conferencia de la Costa Atlántica, y aporta velocidad a un joven grupo de receptores.

La selección número 94 fue una de las que los Dolphins recibieron de los Denver Broncos en el cambio que envió al receptor Jaylen Waddle el mes pasado.

Bell, con 6 pies y 2 pulgadas de estatura y 220 libras, viene de una rotura de ligamento cruzado anterior sufrida el 22 de noviembre de 2025 contra SMU.

Según Ian Rapoport de NFL Network, el médico que reparó el ligamento dijo a los equipos esta semana que Bell “va adelantado al calendario”, corriendo a más de 18 mph, y tiene una muy buena posibilidad de estar listo para el inicio de la temporada.

Los Dolphins previamente seleccionaron a Jacob Rodriguez con la selección número 43 global en la segunda ronda.

De cara al sábado, el capital de draft de los Dolphins incluye:

• Ronda 1, No. 12: tackle ofensivo de Alabama Kadyn Proctor (cambio con Dallas)

• Ronda 1, No. 27: esquinero de San Diego State Chris Johnson (cambio con San Francisco)

• Ronda 2, No. 43: apoyador de Texas Tech Jacob Rodriguez

• Ronda 3, No. 75: receptor abierto de Texas Tech Caleb Douglas

• Ronda 3, No. 87: ala cerrada de Ohio State Will Kacmarek

• Ronda 3, No. 94: receptor abierto de Louisville Chris Bell

• Ronda 4, Nos. 130, 138

• Ronda 5, Nos. 151, 177 (Dallas), 180 (Dallas)

• Ronda 7, Nos. 227, 238

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Douglas, listed at 6-foot-3 1/2 and 206 pounds, recorded 54 receptions for 846 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. His seven receiving scores were tied for seventh in the Big 12 Conference.

The 22-year-old Red Raider joins a wide receiver group that includes Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Tutu Atwell following an offseason that saw the release of Tyreek Hill and the trade of Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos for first- and third-round picks.

With the No. 87 overall pick, the Miami Dolphins added Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek to their draft class.

The Dolphins re-signed tight end Greg Dulcich to a one-year, $3.25 million deal earlier this offseason after moving on from Julian Hill.

At 6-foot-5 and 261 pounds, he allowed just two pressures across nearly 100 pass-blocking snaps during his time with the Buckeyes, according to ESPN.

General manager Jon-Eric Sullivan has emphasized that his club will be run-heavy, making Kacmarek’s blocking ability a boost for running back De’Von Achane.

The Dolphins stayed on the offensive side of the ball with the No. 94 pick, selecting Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell.

Bell is the second wide receiver the Dolphins drafted Friday.

He recorded 917 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2025, both career highs.

His 37 contested catches since 2023 were the most in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and he brings speed to a young receiving room.

The No. 94 pick was one of the selections the Dolphins received from the Denver Broncos in the trade that sent wide receiver Jaylen Waddle last month.

Bell, at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered on Nov. 22, 2025, vs. SMU.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the doctor who repaired the ACL told teams this week that Bell is “ahead of schedule,” running at 18-plus mph, and has a very good chance of being ready for the start of the season.

The Dolphins previously selected Jacob Rodriguez with the 43rd overall pick in the second round.

Entering Saturday, the Dolphins’ draft capital includes:

• Round 1, No. 12: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor (trade with Dallas)

• Round 1, No. 27: San Diego State CB Chris Johnson (trade with San Francisco)

• Round 2, No. 43: Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez

• Round 3, No. 75 Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas

• Round 3, No. 87: Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek

• Round 3, No. 94: Louisville WR Chris Bell

• Round 4, Nos. 130, 138

• Round 5, Nos. 151, 177 (Dallas), 180 (Dallas)

• Round 7, Nos. 227, 238

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“Sometimes when you’re not looking for it, an angel shows up,” said Darin Jones, Maci’s adoptive father.

After surviving a brutal beating in 2017, a then-2-year-old Maci was left with severe brain injuries.

“Her head was bandaged and you could tell she didn’t know what happened,” Jones said.

“I couldn’t believe anybody could do that to a little kid,” he added. “I said, no one’s going to hurt this kid again.”

And no one has.

In 2018, Jones, a retired captain with the Indian River Sheriff’s Office, and his wife, Lisa, adopted Maci.

“We have the picture with the judge and everybody. It was a happy day,” said Jones.

Since then, the couple have surrounded their daughter with unconditional love, encouraging the now-tween’s passion for singing and dancing, while passing on their love for Miami Dolphins football.

In fact, it was after a weekend game last November when the family met angel number three: Gracie Williams.

“I really think it’s a Godsend that it happened that we met that night,” said Williams, Maci’s friend.

The Joneses got off at the wrong exit on the Turnpike and stopped at a Hooters in Pembroke Pines.

“The first thing that I saw when I came to Hooters was Maci,” Williams said.

Maci’s effervescent personality captured Gracie’s heart, and the two formed an immediate bond.

“We FaceTime every night,” Williams said.

“We went to the zoo, the circus,” Maci said.

Williams has also taken Maci to doctor’s appointments and hosted three fundraisers for a specialty $42,000 stand-up power wheelchair, a device Maci needs to strengthen her legs.

With that additional support, the Joneses surprised their daughter on Christmas Day — a gift that was as much for Maci as it was for her parents.

“We never expected what we got when we met Gracie. I don’t think she did either,” Jones said.

Three angels, three miracles for Maci — all examples that you can overcome evil with good, and with grace.

Of the $42,000 needed to buy the specialty wheelchair, Gracie raised $29,000.

But Maci says the friendship that followed is the bigger gift — one that is truly priceless.

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“A veces, cuando no lo estás buscando, aparece un ángel”, dijo Darin Jones, padre adoptivo de Maci.

Después de sobrevivir a una brutal golpiza en 2017, Maci, que entonces tenía 2 años, quedó con graves lesiones cerebrales.

“Tenía la cabeza vendada y se notaba que no sabía lo que había pasado”, dijo Jones.

“No podía creer que alguien pudiera hacerle eso a una niña pequeña”, agregó. “Dije, nadie volverá a lastimar a esta niña”.

Y nadie lo ha hecho.

En 2018, Jones, capitán retirado de la Oficina del Sheriff de Indian River, y su esposa, Lisa, adoptaron a Maci.

“Tenemos la foto con el juez y todos. Fue un día feliz”, dijo Jones.

Desde entonces, la pareja ha rodeado a su hija de amor incondicional, alentando la pasión de la ahora preadolescente por cantar y bailar, mientras le transmiten su amor por el fútbol americano de los Miami Dolphins.

De hecho, fue después de un partido de fin de semana el pasado noviembre cuando la familia conoció al ángel número tres: Gracie Williams.

“Realmente creo que fue una bendición de Dios que nos conociéramos esa noche”, dijo Williams, amiga de Maci.

Los Jones tomaron la salida equivocada en la Turnpike y se detuvieron en un Hooters en Pembroke Pines.

“Lo primero que vi cuando llegué a Hooters fue a Maci”, dijo Williams.

La personalidad efervescente de Maci conquistó el corazón de Gracie, y las dos formaron un vínculo inmediato.

“Hacemos FaceTime todas las noches”, dijo Williams.

“Fuimos al zoológico, al circo”, dijo Maci.

Williams también ha llevado a Maci a citas médicas y organizó tres recaudaciones de fondos para una silla de ruedas eléctrica especial para ponerse de pie de $42,000 USD, un dispositivo que Maci necesita para fortalecer sus piernas.

Con ese apoyo adicional, los Jones sorprendieron a su hija el día de Navidad, un regalo que fue tanto para Maci como para sus padres.

“Nunca esperábamos lo que recibimos cuando conocimos a Gracie. No creo que ella tampoco”, dijo Jones.

Tres ángeles, tres milagros para Maci, todos ejemplos de que se puede vencer el mal con el bien, y con gracia.

De los $42,000 USD necesarios para comprar la silla de ruedas especial, Gracie recaudó $29,000 USD.

Pero Maci dice que la amistad que siguió es el regalo más grande, uno que realmente no tiene precio.

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Funcionarios estatales dijeron a una corte federal que cumplir con una orden de finales de marzo causaría “daño irreparable”.

La orden exige que el estado proporcione a los detenidos acceso a llamadas legales salientes oportunas, gratuitas y confidenciales, con un mínimo de un teléfono funcionando por cada 25 detenidos.

“Lo que está ocurriendo es una grave violación constitucional, bloqueando el acceso a representación legal”, dijo Katie Blankenship, del grupo Sanctuary of the South, una organización que brinda servicios legales a inmigrantes. “Denles teléfonos. Dejen de quejarse por eso. Dejen de manipular. Dejen de quejarse ante la corte y cumplan con los requisitos básicos que se supone deben cumplir”.

El argumento del estado contra la orden se basa en parte en el costo, es decir, unos $180,000 USD.

Blankenship, quien es una de las demandantes del caso, se burló de esa cifra considerando los cientos de millones de dólares de contribuyentes ya invertidos para construir y operar el lugar.

“Millones, millones de fondos de contribuyentes de Florida fueron destinados a esta instalación y aun así no pueden gastar, ¿qué?, en su presupuesto unos míseros $180,000 USD solo para proporcionar acceso básico a teléfonos?”, preguntó Blankenship.

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En una presentación separada, un representante de la División de Manejo de Emergencias de Florida dijo a la corte que cumplir es difícil debido a la ubicación remota del lugar.

Funcionarios indicaron que “el servicio tradicional de línea fija no es una opción” porque el área “carece de infraestructura de proveedores”.

El representante dijo que el estado necesitaría construir una torre celular o utilizar varios sistemas Starlink y comprar teléfonos celulares. También tendrían que pagar por “técnicos especializados para configurar” el equipo y mantener la conectividad.

“Debieron haber pensado en eso, amigos, ¿verdad? Debieron haber pensado en eso”, dijo Blankenship. “Lo que estamos pidiendo, Christina, es acceso a teléfonos. Eso es todo, ¿verdad? Entonces, ¿cuándo? Como demandante en este caso, francamente no me importa qué hagan para darme acceso a mis clientes. Resuelvan lo que sea que los haga más felices, francamente. Solo háganlo”.

Todas las partes dijeron a la corte que los próximos pasos son una “emergencia”, ya que la decisión final probablemente impactará los derechos legales de detenidos en todo el país, mientras que “inmigración y detención”, dijeron los demandados estatales a la corte, “continúa convirtiéndose en un problema cada vez más complejo para los gobiernos federal y estatales”.

“Hagámoslo”, dijo Blankenship. “Sí, necesitamos establecer un precedente. ‘¿Los centros de detención se están volviendo más complejos?’ No, no lo están. Se están volviendo más inconstitucionales. Necesitamos que la corte establezca un precedente de entender lo que dice la Primera Enmienda.

“Que venga”.

Un analista legal dijo a Local 10 News que proporcionar a los detenidos acceso telefónico a sus abogados es parte del costo de operar, y agregó que se puede cambiar la política migratoria, pero no la Constitución.

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HSBC’s Cherie Wachter says Chichi is believed to be an 8-year-old Chihuahua mix.

Chichi may seem a little unsure at first -- especially when perched on a table -- but she quickly warms up, Wachter says.

At the shelter, she’s described as playful and energetic, rolling around like a puppy and tossing her favorite donut toy in the air.

She’s a small, fluffy dog with a big personality who enjoys car rides, belly rubs and toys that make noise. Staff say she does well with other dogs but would likely love being the center of attention. She’s also reported to be potty trained if kept on a schedule and would do best in a home with older children.

Also up for adoption is Ivan, a 4-year-old cat who was left behind when his owners moved away. The new resident of the home couldn’t keep him, so he was brought to the shelter.

Ivan weighs about 15 pounds -- nearly twice Chichi’s size -- and is described as affectionate and full of personality. He enjoys cuddling, belly rubs and has a mischievous side, even figuring out how to open drawers.

Both animals are available for adoption through the Broward Humane Society.

Cherie Wachter, de la HSBC, dijo que se cree que Chichi es una mezcla de chihuahua de 8 años.

Chichi puede parecer un poco insegura al principio, especialmente cuando está sobre una mesa, pero rápidamente entra en confianza, dijo Wachter.

En el refugio, la describen como juguetona y enérgica, rodando como una cachorra y lanzando al aire su juguete favorito en forma de dona.

Es una perrita pequeña y peluda con una gran personalidad que disfruta los paseos en auto, caricias en el vientre y juguetes que hacen ruido. El personal dice que se lleva bien con otros perros, pero probablemente le encantaría ser el centro de atención. También reportan que está entrenada para hacer sus necesidades si se mantiene en horario y estaría mejor en un hogar con niños mayores.

También disponible para adopción está Ivan, un gato de 4 años que fue dejado atrás cuando sus dueños se mudaron. El nuevo residente de la casa no pudo quedarse con él, por lo que fue llevado al refugio.

Ivan pesa alrededor de 15 libras, casi el doble del tamaño de Chichi, y es descrito como cariñoso y lleno de personalidad. Disfruta acurrucarse, caricias en el vientre y tiene un lado travieso, incluso descubrió cómo abrir gavetas.

Ambos animales están disponibles para adopción a través de la Sociedad Humanitaria de Broward.

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State officials told a federal court that complying with a late-March order would cause “irreparable harm.”

The order requires the state to provide detainees with access to timely, free and confidential outgoing legal calls, with a minimum of one working phone for every 25 detainees.

“What is happening is a gross constitutional violation, blocking access to counsel,” Katie Blankenship, with the group Sanctuary of the South, a group that provides legal services to immigrants, said. “Provide them phones. Stop complaining about it. Stop gaslighting. Stop whining to the court and do the basic requirements that you’re supposed to.”

The state’s argument against the order points partly to the cost: About $180,000.

Blankenship, who is one of the case plaintiffs, scoffed at that figure given the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars already invested to construct and operate the site.

“Millions, millions of Floridian taxpayer funds went into this facility and yet they can’t spend, what, in their budget is a measly $180,000 to just provide basic phone access?” Blankenship asked.

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In a separate filing, a representative for Florida’s Division of Emergency Management told the court that complying is difficult due to the site’s remote location.

Officials stated that “traditional landline service is not an option” because the area “lacks carrier infrastructure.”

The representative said the state would need to either construct a cell tower or employ several Starlink systems and purchase cellphones. They would also need to pay for “specialized technicians to configure” the equipment and maintain connectivity.

“You should have thought of that about that, friends, right? You should have thought about that,” Blankenship said. “What we’re asking for, Christina, is access to telephones. That’s it, right? So, when? As a plaintiff in this case, I frankly don’t care what you do to get me access to my clients. Figure out whatever is the way that makes you the happiest, frankly. Just get it done.”

All sides have told the court that the next steps are an “emergency,” as the final decision will likely impact the legal rights of detainees nationwide, as “immigration and detention,” the state defendants told the court, “continues to become an increasingly more complex problem for federal and state governments.”

“Let’s do it,” Blankenship said. “Yes, we need to set a precedent. ‘Detention facilities are getting more complex?’ No, they’re not. They’re getting more unconstitutional. We need the court to set precedent of understanding what the First Amendment says.

“Bring it on.”

A legal analyst told Local 10 News that providing detainees with phone access to their attorneys is the cost of doing business, adding that you can change immigration policy, but not the constitution.

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Investigators said the teen was airlifted to a hospital, where he later died.

Deputies identified the victim as Trashawn Foster.

Miami-Dade Sheriff Office deputies are still trying to determine what led up to the shooting.

“We don’t know what led to the shooting,” a MDSO spokesperson said. “There’s a park nearby, so we’re not discarding the possibility that there was some sort of argument. Obviously, we have shots fired, and something led to that. That’s what detectives are going to be here looking for.”

The shooting happened near a park off Southwest 125th Court.

Detectives said they found a gun at the scene along with several bullet casings.

Officials also confirmed that two adults are in custody after deputies received a BOLO for a dark sedan. The vehicle was located and stopped, and the two people inside were detained. Investigators said it’s still unclear what their involvement may be.

“The two in custody are adults. However, at this time, we don’t know their involvement, if any,” the spokesperson said.

Deputies say there was an exchange of gunfire between Foster and one of the adults in custody.

A man who identified himself as Erik said he was walking his dog when he heard multiple gunshots.

“I was walking the dog, I was going to take him to the park, and I heard shots fired,” he said. “I saw a whole bunch of kids running, and I saw the kid that got shot. He was 17. He ran into the house where the police are right now, and that was his house.”

MDSO is asking anyone with information to come forward. No arrests have been announced.

Chatrie made off with $195,000 from the bank he robbed in suburban Richmond, Virginia, and eluded the police until they turned to a powerful technological tool that erected a virtual fence and allowed them collect the location history of cellphone users near the crime scene.

The geofence warrant police served on Google found that Chatrie's cellphone was among a handful of devices in the vicinity of the bank around the time it was robbed.

Now the Supreme Court will decide whether geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches. It's the latest high court case that forces the justices to wrestle with how a constitutional provision ratified in 1791 applies to technology the nation’s founders could not have contemplated in their wildest dreams.

Chatrie's appeal is one of two cases being argued Monday. The other is an effort by Bayer to have the court block thousands of state lawsuits alleging the global agrochemical manufacturer failed to warn people that its popular Roundup weedkiller could cause cancer.

Geofence warrants turn the usual way of pursuing suspects on its head. Typically, police identify a suspect and then obtain a warrant to search a home or a phone.

With geofence warrants, police do not have a suspect, only a location where a crime took place. They work in reverse to identify people who were in the area.

Prosecutors credit the warrants with helping crack cold cases and other crimes where surveillance cameras did not reveal suspects' faces or license plates.

Civil libertarians say that geofences amount to fishing expeditions that subject many innocent people to searches of private records merely because their cellphones happened to be in the vicinity of a crime. A Supreme Court ruling in favor of the technique could “unleash a much broader wave of similar reverse searches,” law professors who study digital surveillance wrote the court.

Investigators used geofence warrants to identify supporters of President Donald Trump who attacked the Capitol in the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, as well as in the search for the person who planted pipe bombs outside the Democratic and Republican party headquarters the night before.

Police also credit these warrants with helping identify suspects in killings in several states, including California, Georgia and North Carolina.

An academic group that works to bridge gaps between the police and communities wrote that the court should avoid an all-or-nothing approach in Chatrie’s case.

The Trump administration's position would allow police to use geofence warrants and similar tools “with no judicial supervision or constitutional safeguards,” according to the Policing Project at the New York University School of Law. Chatrie's lawyers want the court to rule out any use of geofence warrants at all, impeding “legitimate law enforcement activities,” the group wrote.

In Chatrie's case, the geofence warrant invigorated an investigation that had stalled. After determining that Chatrie was near the Call Federal Credit Union in Midlothian around the time it was robbed in May 2019, police obtained a search warrant for his home. They found nearly $100,000 in cash, including bills wrapped in bands signed by the bank teller.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nearly 12 years in prison. Chatrie's lawyers argued on appeal that none of the evidence should have been used against him.

They challenged the warrant as a violation of his privacy because it allowed authorities to gather the location history of people near the bank without having any evidence they had anything to do with the robbery. Prosecutors argued that Chatrie had no expectation of privacy because he voluntarily opted into Google’s location history.

A federal judge agreed that the search violated Chatrie’s rights, but allowed the evidence to be used because the officer who applied for the warrant reasonably believed he was acting properly.

The federal appeals court in Richmond upheld the conviction in a fractured ruling. In a separate case, the federal appeals court in New Orleans ruled that geofence warrants "are general warrants categorically prohibited by the Fourth Amendment.”

In the Supreme Court's last case on digital-age searches, in 2018, the court divided 5-4 in favor of a defendant whose movements were tracked by authorities for nearly four months, without a warrant, through the review of cellphone tower data.

An issue in that case that also appears in Chatrie's is whether the defendant had an expectation of privacy that would trigger Fourth Amendment protections.

The Supreme Court has previously ruled that information shared with third parties cannot be considered private.

But Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his majority opinion about the extraordinary computing power of cellphones, describing “seismic shifts in digital technology” and "the exhaustive chronicle of location information casually collected by wireless carriers today.”

Investigadores dijeron que el adolescente fue trasladado en helicóptero a un hospital, donde luego murió.

Agentes identificaron a la víctima como Trashawn Foster.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade todavía intentan determinar qué llevó a la balacera.

“No sabemos qué llevó a la balacera”, dijo un portavoz de la MDSO. “Hay un parque cerca, así que no descartamos la posibilidad de que hubo algún tipo de discusión. Obviamente, hubo disparos y algo llevó a eso. Eso es lo que los detectives estarán investigando aquí”.

La balacera ocurrió cerca de un parque en Southwest 125th Court.

Detectives dijeron que encontraron un arma en la escena junto con varios casquillos de bala.

Las autoridades también confirmaron que dos adultos están bajo custodia después de que agentes recibieron una alerta BOLO por un sedán oscuro. El vehículo fue localizado y detenido, y las dos personas dentro fueron retenidas. Investigadores dijeron que todavía no está claro cuál pudo haber sido su participación.

“Los dos bajo custodia son adultos. Sin embargo, en este momento no sabemos cuál es su participación, si alguna”, dijo el portavoz.

Los agentes dijeron que hubo un intercambio de disparos entre Foster y uno de los adultos bajo custodia.

Un hombre que se identificó como Erik dijo que paseaba a su perro cuando escuchó múltiples disparos.

“Estaba paseando al perro, iba a llevarlo al parque, y escuché disparos”, dijo. “Vi a un montón de jóvenes corriendo, y vi al joven que recibió el disparo. Tenía 17 años. Corrió hacia la casa donde está la Policía ahora mismo, y esa era su casa”.

La MDSO pide a cualquier persona con información que se presente. No se han anunciado arrestos.

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This time, Gov. Ron DeSantis is demanding action on property taxes.

And if lawmakers can’t agree, he’s threatening to call them back again and again.

To get property tax cuts on the November ballot, lawmakers have to act by August — with 60% support in both chambers.

“There will be a special session to do the property tax, and my sense would be, we’ll get there, probably on the first try, but if not, there will be more of those sessions until they put something on the ballot,” DeSantis said.

The pressure comes after a regular session where property tax reform stalled.

House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami-Dade, notes his chamber tried, passing a plan eliminating non-school homestead taxes. But the Senate didn’t take it up and DeSantis didn’t back it.

Perez has said the House remains ready to act, putting the onus back on the governor.

“For the last 18 months or so, he’s been stating to the public and on Fox News and on anyone that’s willing to listen, that he’s going to abolish property taxes,” Perez said. “I’m still waiting for a proposal that has anything to do with property taxes, even if it’s an increase of the homestead exemption by $5,000. I’m opening to having a conversation on anything.”

In the Senate, there’s caution.

Appropriations Chair Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, says senators are still studying the issue, warning Florida’s counties are not all built the same financially.

It means any serious plan may have to include state help for fiscally constrained governments — something Senate President Ben Albritton has questioned, and the House has resisted.

Meanwhile — Democrats have warned lost property tax revenue will just result in new local taxes elsewhere.

Esta vez, el gobernador Ron DeSantis exige acción sobre los impuestos a la propiedad.

Y si los legisladores no logran un acuerdo, amenaza con convocarlos de nuevo una y otra vez.

Para colocar recortes al impuesto a la propiedad en la boleta de noviembre, los legisladores tienen que actuar antes de agosto, con apoyo del 60% en ambas cámaras.

“Habrá una sesión especial para tratar el impuesto a la propiedad, y mi impresión es que llegaremos a eso, probablemente en el primer intento, pero si no, habrá más de esas sesiones hasta que pongan algo en la boleta”, dijo DeSantis.

La presión llega después de una sesión regular en la que la reforma del impuesto a la propiedad se estancó.

El presidente de la Cámara Daniel Perez, republicano de Miami-Dade, señaló que su cámara lo intentó, aprobando un plan que elimina impuestos de vivienda principal no escolares. Pero el Senado no lo consideró y DeSantis no lo respaldó.

Perez ha dicho que la Cámara sigue lista para actuar, devolviendo la responsabilidad al gobernador.

“Durante los últimos 18 meses más o menos, le ha estado diciendo al público y en Fox News y a cualquiera que quiera escucharlo, que va a abolir los impuestos a la propiedad”, dijo Perez. “Todavía estoy esperando una propuesta que tenga algo que ver con impuestos a la propiedad, aunque sea un aumento de la exención de vivienda principal de $5,000 USD. Estoy abierto a tener una conversación sobre cualquier cosa”.

En el Senado, hay cautela.

El presidente de Asignaciones Presupuestarias, senador Ed Hooper, republicano de Clearwater, dijo que los senadores todavía estudian el tema, advirtiendo que no todos los condados de Florida están construidos financieramente de la misma manera.

Eso significa que cualquier plan serio podría tener que incluir ayuda estatal para gobiernos con limitaciones fiscales, algo que el presidente del Senado Ben Albritton ha cuestionado, y a lo que la Cámara se ha resistido.

Mientras tanto, los demócratas han advertido que la pérdida de ingresos por impuestos a la propiedad solo resultará en nuevos impuestos locales en otros lugares.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward arrestaron a Lewin, de 43 años, el jueves y el personal correccional lo ingresó en la cárcel principal del condado Broward en Fort Lauderdale.

Dos bomberos y la víctima de 65 años, quien usa silla de ruedas, reportaron que el ataque ocurrió durante una llamada médica el 31 de enero dentro de una ambulancia en Northwest 31 Avenue y First Street, muestran los registros.

Según la orden de arresto, Lewin y la víctima discutieron por un monitor GPS, y la víctima usó palabras obscenas.

“Lewin instruyó a ambos bomberos ... a colocar a la víctima en el vehículo de rescate, donde no hay cámaras para mostrarle lo que les hace a las personas”, escribió un detective, según la orden de arresto.

Una vez que la víctima estaba en una camilla, Lewin “se acercó” por detrás, le agarró la cabeza y la golpeó con fuerza contra la camilla durante unos 30 segundos, según la orden.

Luego, Lewin “bajó la camilla, presionó sus pulgares en los ojos de la víctima y estranguló al paciente” durante unos 10 segundos, según la orden.

La víctima, que inicialmente llamó al 911 por dificultad para respirar, se quejó de dolor en la cabeza, cuello y ojos, y sus ojos parecían enrojecidos, según la orden.

Personal de rescate de bomberos trasladó a la víctima al Broward General Medical Center.

La víctima dijo a un detective de la BSO que había sido “violentamente maltratado” y afirmó que Lewin colocó sus pulgares sobre sus ojos y “los empujó hacia mi cráneo”, según la orden.

Durante la audiencia de fianza de Lewin el viernes, la defensa dijo al juez del circuito del condado Broward Corey B. Friedman que Lewin es “un hombre de familia”, que llevaba unos 11 años en BSFR y no tenía antecedentes penales.

Lewin enfrentó dos cargos de agresión grave en tercer grado contra una persona de 65 años o mayor. Friedman fijó su fianza en $50,000 USD.

Según los registros judiciales, el juez del circuito del condado Broward Thomas Coleman estaba programado para presidir el caso.

El sheriff de Broward Gregory Tony emitió una declaración sobre el caso la tarde del viernes.

“El arresto de nuestro teniente de bomberos demuestra nuestro compromiso de responsabilizar a los nuestros por sus acciones ilegales”, escribió Tony. “El público puede tener la seguridad de que el debido proceso interno será justo, y cualquier disciplina resultante será apropiada y consistente con la política. Aplaudo a los dos bomberos que reportaron este incidente. Seguiremos exigiéndonos los más altos estándares y sirviendo al público con profesionalismo”.

Lewin salió de la cárcel bajo fianza la noche del viernes.

Lea una sección de la orden de arresto.

La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News Sofia Mendez y la editora senior de asignaciones Frine Gomez contribuyeron a este reporte.

This will allow for the seabreeze to develop each day getting us scattered mainly afternoon and evening showers & storms today and tomorrow. The best chance of seeing some of those storms will be between 3PM-9PM so plan accordingly this weekend.

Fortunately, beach and boating conditions have improved with no advisories in effect but watch for some of those showers and storms later in the day. Highs will be in the middle 80s this weekend but climbing to near 90 degrees next week.

City will play in a record fourth straight Cup final after surviving a scare to beat second division Southampton 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday. Nico Gonzalez's 87th-minute winner completed a comeback after going a goal down in the second half.

Victory kept up City's bid for a domestic treble of trophies, having won the English League Cup and being locked in a race with Arsenal for the Premier League title.

“No team has made four finals in a row. It’s extraordinary and hopefully we can arrive with a good momentum,” City manager Pep Guardiola told the BBC.

Arsenal took advantage of City's semifinal commitments to move three points clear at the top of the standings with a 1-0 win against Newcastle. Eberechi Eze's brilliant first half strike helped Mikel Arteta's team bounce back after defeat to City last week.

"We knew after last week what we have to do, we have to win every game. We can’t focus on other people, we can only focus on ourselves,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said.

At the bottom of the table, a first league win in 2026 wasn't enough to lift Tottenham out of the relegation zone.

Spurs beat relegated Wolves 1-0 to hand Roberto De Zerbi his first victory as coach. But it remained in the drop zone, two points behind West Ham, which clinched a 2-1 win against Everton through Callum Wilson's stoppage time goal at London Stadium.

Liverpool moved up to fourth on goal difference by beating Crystal Palace 3-1. The defending champion leapfrogged Aston Villa which lost to Fulham 1-0.

Treble chaser

Guardiola is chasing a second treble of English domestic trophies after achieving the feat in 2019. A semifinal against Championship side Southampton was not expected to trip up his City team.

But when Finn Azaz curled a shot from outside the area into the top corner in the 79th, a famous Cup upset was on the cards.

Instead, City turned on the style. Jeremy Doku leveled with a deflected shot three minutes later and Gonzalez powered a long-range effort past Daniel Peretz shortly after.

“It was amazing to score at the end. In this amazing stadium, with this atmosphere, an amazing feeling," Gonazlez told the BBC. "It has been a really important week for us. We are alive in the league and in another final.”

Despite being a serial Cup finalist, City's only win during that run was in 2023, having lost in each of the last two seasons.

Back on top

An early goal was just what Arsenal needed to ease the nerves in a crucial title clash against Newcastle. Eze delivered just that when whipping home from outside the box in the ninth.

But it was another tense day for Arsenal fans at Emirates Stadium as the Gunners ground out the win.

Arsenal was three points clear of second-placed City having played a game more. The gap could be six points if Arsenal beats Fulham next Saturday before City plays Everton a week on Monday.

“We’ve got to this point for a reason,” Rice said. "There’s always going to be noise, from home fans, away fans, people outside. It’s about blocking it out and believing in what we can do and that is just winning football matches.”

Defeat for Newcastle was its fifth in a row in all competitions. It has won only three of its last 13 in the league.

Relegation rollercoaster

For a short while everything seemed to be going Tottenham's way.

First, midfielder Joao Paulinha managed to stay onside to slide Spurs into an 82nd-minute lead at Molineux and survive a VAR check.

Moments later, Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall leveled the score at West Ham — cancelling out Tomas Soucek's opener and temporarily helping Spurs climb out of the relegation zone.

But Wilson's winner for West Ham in the 92nd — after going on as a late substitute — saw the fight for survival take another twist.

Spurs' win was it's first in the league since Dec. 28. and further evidence of a lift in form under De Zerbi, who was appointed last month.

The Italian has been in charge for three games and picked up four points.

Liverpool on the rise

Liverpool's title defense unravelled long ago but Arne Slot's team looks well placed to qualify for the Champions League and maybe seal a top three finish.

Alexander Isak scored his first goal since a broken ankle and fibula in December as Liverpool moved up to fourth and level on points with third-placed Manchester United, having played a game more.

United hosts Liverpool next week in a match that will have added intensity given their league placing.

Villa started the day with the chance to move up to third but ended it in fifth, going down to Ryan Sessegnon’s first half goal at Fulham. Villa was also level on points with United and Liverpool.

Salah injured

Mohamed Salah may have played his last game for Liverpool after he was injured and had to be replaced in the second half against Palace.

Salah is leaving Anfield at the end of the season and Slot said he did not have a timeframe on the forward's apparent hamstring issue. The Premier League final round is on May 24.

“The season is in four weeks over, so there are not a lot of games being played,” Slot said.

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

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

Los cuerpos de cuatro de las víctimas fueron hallados entre las ruinas de una casa destruida en los ataques nocturnos, indicó el jefe regional de Dnipropetrovsk, Oleksandr Hanzha.

“Los rusos han estado golpeando Dnipro y otras ciudades y comunidades prácticamente toda la noche”, escribió Hanzha en Telegram acerca de los ataques, que provocaron incendios en distintos puntos de Dnipro y destruyeron parcialmente varios edificios de apartamentos, negocios y una vivienda particular, además de causar 27 heridos.

Otra persona perdió la vida en otro ataque ruso contra Dnipro el sábado por la tarde en la misma zona residencial golpeada durante la noche, indicó Hanzha. Otras siete personas resultaron heridas.

En el suroeste del país, dos personas resultaron heridas en ataques nocturnos con aviones no tripulados sobre la región de Odesa. Edificios residenciales, infraestructura portuaria y automóviles sufrieron daños en el sur de la provincia, explicó el jefe regional, Oleh Kiper, el sábado.

En Rusia, una mujer murió y un hombre resultó gravemente herido por un ataque con drones ucranianos en la región fronteriza de Bélgorod, de acuerdo con funcionarios locales.

Tras los ataques nocturnos, el ministerio de Defensa de Rumania dijo el sábado que se encontraron fragmentos de drones en una zona residencial de la ciudad de Galati, en el sureste del país, cerca de la frontera del socio de la OTAN con Ucrania. No se reportaron víctimas.

Rumania ha confirmado el hallazgo de fragmentos de drones en su territorio en múltiples ocasiones.

Los ataques nocturnos se produjeron luego de un canje de prisioneros el viernes, en el que Rusia y Ucrania intercambiaron a 193 militares.

Los intercambios periódicos de prisioneros han sido uno de los pocos resultados positivos de unas negociaciones de varios meses, mediadas por Estados Unidos, entre Moscú y Kiev que, por lo demás, han sido infructuosas. El diálogo no ha logrado avances en cuestiones clave que impiden poner fin a la invasión rusa de su vecino, que está ya en su quinto año.

Durante una reunión con su homólogo de Azerbaiyán, Ilham Aliyev, el presidente de Ucrania, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, dijo el sábado que Kiev está abierta a continuar las conversaciones de paz con Moscú en Azerbaiyán.

“Hemos celebrado ya esas conversaciones — en Turquía y con nuestros socios estadounidenses en Suiza”, apuntó. “También estamos listos para próximas negociaciones en Azerbaiyán, si Rusia está lista para la diplomacia”.

Guests went diving under tables as the scene unfolded and some reported hearing shots outside the vast subterranean ballroom in the Washington Hilton where the event was being held.

One law enforcement official said a gunman had opened fire. A law enforcement officer was shot in the bullet-resistant vest but is expected to be OK, several sources told The Associated Press.

The shooting suspect — described by Trump as a “sick person” — was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, two law enforcement officials told the AP.

“When you’re impactful, they go after you. When you’re not impactful, they leave you alone,” Trump, safe and uninjured and still in his tuxedo, said at the White House two hours later. "They seem to think he was a lone wolf.”

There was no immediate indication of any other involvement, and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said she had ”no reason” to believe anyone else was involved. Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him.

“There does not appear to be any sort of danger to the public at this time,” Bowser said at a separate news conference.

All officials protected by the Secret Service were evacuated. Those in attendance included Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — and many other leaders of the Trump administration on a night when the nation is at war with Iran.

It was the third time since 2024 that the president had been under threat by an attacker in his immediate vicinity — including the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, that injured him and killed a local firefighter.

“Today we need levels of security that probably nobody has ever seen before,” the president said. But he also said, “We’re not going to let anybody take over our society.”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said charges related to Saturday night's attack will be filed shortly, and that the nature of the charges would be obvious considering what had happened at the dinner. Blanche stressed that “the investigation is obviously ongoing and just started.”

FBI Director Kash Patel, flanking Trump, said the agency is examining a long gun and shell casings recovered from the scene, as well as interviewing witnesses from the dinner. He urged anyone with information to come forward.

Dinner turns to disorder

Guests were dining on a spring pea and burrata salad when noise began — noise Trump said he initially thought was a tray dropping but some journalists believed were five to eight gunshots.

The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Audible gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening; hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.

“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. He fell briefly — he apparently tripped — and was helped up by Secret Service agents. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.

After an initial attempt to resume, the event was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.

“We will do this again,” said Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association. Shortly afterward, staff began breaking down table settings and the presidential lectern.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he and his wife, Kelly, who both attended the event, were “praying for our country tonight.” The House Democratic leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, said “The violence and chaos in America must end."

The banquet hall — where hundreds of prominent journalists, celebrities and national leaders were awaiting Trump’s remarks — was immediately evacuated. Members of the National Guard took up position inside the building as people were allowed to leave but not immediately reenter. Security outside was also extremely tight.

Republican Rep. MIke Lawler of New York, a guest at the dinner, said he heard a pop and “we didn’t know what the hell it was. And then you heard all sorts of things clatter.” Lawler said he gets “death threats often” and said “I think we live in a climate where everybody recognizes its a problem, but I don’t think people fully appreciate how much of a problem it really is.”

The event had initially appeared set to resume after the disorder. Servers refolded napkins and refilled water glasses in preparation for Trump’s return. Another worker prepared the president’s teleprompter for the remarks he was scheduled to make.

Generally, the Hilton hotel, where the dinner has taken place for years, remains open to regular guests during the correspondents’ dinner, and security has typically been focused on the ballroom and rather than the hotel at large, with little screening for people not entering the dinner itself. In past years, that has created openings for disruptions in the lobby and other public spaces, including protests in which security moved to remove guests who unfurled banners or staged demonstrations.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinckley Jr. outside the Hilton — an event that prompted redesigns of the property that increased security and added a special presidential suite near the entrance where chief executives could be taken. Trump was dispatched there briefly after the incident Saturday night.

Event would have highlighted Trump's relationship with press

Trump’s attendance at Saturday’s annual dinner in Washington for his first time as president is putting his administration’s often-contentious relationship with the press on full public display.

Trump arrived to an event where the leaders of a nation at war mingled with celebrities, journalists and even a puppet — Triumph the Insult Comic Dog — in a dinner that typically generates debate about whether the relationship between journalists and their sources should include socializing together and putting aside sometimes adversarial relationships.

Trump was being watched closely at the event held by the organization of reporters who cover him and his administration. Past presidents who have attended have generally spoken about the importance of free speech and the First Amendment, adding in some light roasts about individual journalists.

The Republican president did not attend during his first term or the first year of his second. He came as a guest in 2011, sitting in the audience as President Barack Obama, a Democrat, made some jokes about the New York real estate developer. Trump also attended as a private citizen in 2015.

Trump entered the banquet hall of the Washington Hilton to the strains of “Hail to the Chief” and greeted prominent journalists on the dais, also pausing to laud White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt with a cheerful pointing of his finger.

Past dinners have also featured comedians who poke at presidents. This year, the group opted to hire mentalist Oz Pearlman as the featured entertainment.

Between berating individual reporters, fighting organizations like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press in court and restricting press access to the Pentagon, the administration’s animus toward journalists has been a fixture of Trump’s second term.

A few dozen protesters stood across the hotel in the runup to the event. One was dressed in a prison uniform, wearing a Hegseth mask and red gloves. Another carried a sign saying, “Journalism is dead.”

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AP journalists Michael Balsamo, Zeke Miller and Anna Johnson contributed to this report. Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.

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Police say a car involved sustained heavy damage, with its back window completely shot out. The driver reportedly made it to a Miami fire station to get help.

Local 10 News cameras were rolling near Northwest 20th Street and 12th Avenue, where part of the investigation was unfolding.

No one was hurt.

What led to the gunfire remains under investigation, and there’s no word yet on any arrests.

La Policía indicó que un auto involucrado sufrió daños severos, con la ventana trasera completamente baleada. Según reportes, el conductor logró llegar a una estación de bomberos de Miami para pedir ayuda.

Las cámaras de Local 10 News estaban grabando cerca de Northwest 20th Street y 12th Avenue, donde parte de la investigación se desarrollaba.

Nadie resultó herido.

Lo que provocó los disparos sigue bajo investigación y aún no se informa sobre arrestos.

“People in this neighborhood aren’t receiving the benefits of trees,” said Natasha Harrison, executive director of the Newport Tree Conservancy. “They need more.”

The conservancy has planted hundreds of native trees to create a healthier forest in a 30-acre city-owned park, Miantonomi Memorial Park. Fifteen volunteers met staff from the conservancy at the park in the northern part of the city on Wednesday for Earth Day.

Many native trees in the park’s forest have been crowded out by invasive plants, killed by disease or eaten by deer, rabbits and squirrels. This year, for the first time, the conservancy wanted to dig up native seedlings to nurture the trees in their nursery and replant them in the forest to better their chances of survival.

The conservancy's goal is to grow the tree canopy in the area and raise its low “tree equity score.” The score is a measure of whether there are enough trees in a neighborhood for people to experience the health, economic and climate benefits trees provide.

The conservancy's work was supposed to be aided by federal funding the U.S. Forest Service awarded to the Arbor Day Foundation, a global nonprofit dedicated to tree planting and conservation, Harrison said. As President Donald Trump's administration sought to end environmental justice initiatives, the Forest Service terminated a $75 million grant last year to the foundation, which was working to plant trees in neighborhoods that might not otherwise be able to afford them.

Harrison said the conservancy expected to receive $150,000 from the foundation. The conservancy's donors made up the difference after the cancellation, and volunteers help the nonprofit to achieve its mission.

“It was stressful, but I didn't want to let it derail us,” Harrison said.

The conservancy has been partnering with the city to plant trees throughout Newport for almost 40 years and improve the tree canopy.

At Miantonomi Park, Joe Verstandig, the conservancy's living collections manager, led the group into the forest. He pointed out the invasive species they are working against, like the groves of Aralia spinosa, commonly called devil’s walking stick, Norway maples and Japanese knotweed. He showed them how to methodically dig up the plants they wanted to save, such as the arrowwood that is common throughout Rhode Island, elderberry and American holly.

The group included friends Allie Bujakowski and Mara Swist. Bujakowski lives a mile from the park and walks her dog there. Swist lives nearby in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. They both said they wanted to get their hands dirty for Earth Day and help the conservancy, which planted a tree in Bujakowski's front yard.

“They are getting trees in spaces in the community where we really need them,” said Bujakowski, who wore a Newport mansions hat. “It makes a big difference visually. I see the trees they planted two years ago and they're bringing the birds back.”

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

3 strips thick-cut, naturally cured bacon

2 slices high-quality sandwich bread, such as pan de mieux, milk bread or a good brioche

2 tablespoons of your favorite great quality mayonnaise (I love Kewpie!)

1 cup finely shredded iceberg lettuce

2 to 4 thick slices ripe tomato

Maldon Salt

freshly ground black pepper

Place a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and place a press or skillet on top of it to keep it flat as it cooks. Cook until lightly browned on both sides and the fat has rendered. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate to cool and set aside.

Place bread on the same skillet or griddle and toast in bacon fat over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, until evenly browned on the first side. If there is too much bacon fat in the pan, you can remove a little before toasting the bread. Flip and brown second side.

If you find this to be just too much bacon, you can use ghee or oil instead to toast the bread.

Lay the toasted bread on a work surface and spread mayonnaise on both top slices. Divide lettuce evenly between both pieces of bread. Layer tomato slices on 1 piece of bread and sprinkle generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper.

Break bacon slices in half and layer them onto the sandwich in 3-4 half slices each, alternating the orientation of bacon in each layer for more structural stability. Close the sandwich and cut in half. Serve immediately.

For the salad:

6 bacon strips

2 heads of romaine hearts or 4 heads of gem lettuce, cut in ½-inch pieces

2 heirloom or vine-ripe tomatoes, cored and medium diced

2 ripe avocado, peeled and medium diced

3 Kirby cucumbers, cut into obliques

¼ cup picked dill

¼ cup picked Italian parsley leaves

crumbled blue or goat cheese, if desired

creamy Italian vinaigrette (recipe below).

For the creamy Italian vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels, then chop or crumble into small pieces. Reserve the bacon fat in the pan for another use, if desired.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the vinaigrette; season to taste with salt and pepper

Combine salad ingredients with as much vinaigrette as desired; top with optional cheese and crispy bacon.

1 cup small diced pancetta

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

kosher salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup fresh ricotta

zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove

2 pieces store-bought flatbread or naan

2 cups fresh arugula

¼ bunch fresh basil

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan

Cook the pancetta in a small sauté pan over medium low heat; It will take quite a few minutes for the pancetta to begin rendering, once it does, lower the heat a little and cook until crispy. Drain the pancetta and if you desire, keep the fat drippings for other things. Set the pancetta aside for finishing the flatbread.

Using the same pan as the pancetta (DO NOT WIPE IT CLEAN!), heat over medium-high heat and add the cherry tomatoes, sauté for a couple of minutes or until they start getting a little color. Season them with salt and pepper.

Mix the ricotta with the lemon zest, olive oil and a pinch of salt and black pepper until smooth and creamy.

Rub the flatbread or naan with the garlic clove then brush with the olive oil, a little dust of salt. Toast in a 400°F oven for 6-8 minutes until golden and crispy at the edges.

Spread the whipped ricotta generously over each flatbread. Top with the tomatoes and crumbled pancetta. Toss the arugula with a drizzle of olive oil and place on top. Top with basil leaves and parmesan cheese.

Some U.S. doctors are worried about the potential for a bad year for tick-borne diseases.

“If you have a lot of exposures, there will probably be more cases of tick-related infections,” said Dr. Alina Filozov, an infectious disease doctor at Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, Connecticut.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an early advisory to the public this week to guard against ticks.

Tick bites typically spike in May, but “the data are telling us now is the time to take action,” said Alison Hinckley, a CDC Lyme disease expert. “Ticks are out and people are getting bitten.”

ER visits for tick bites are running high

Current data is very limited, but the early signs are not good.

The CDC's tracking system shows that weekly rates of ER visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017. That's true in all regions of the country, except the south-central United States.

About 85% of U.S. hospital emergency departments send data to the surveillance system, but it doesn't capture people who didn't go to a hospital.

It will take months for systematic tick sampling by researchers to chart changes in tick populations. And because not every bite results in an infection, it will also take time for medical experts to know whether there’s an actual surge in Lyme disease or other illnesses.

Ticks cause disease, including a meat allergy

Ticks are small, eight-legged bloodsucking parasites — arachnids, not insects — that feed on animals and sometimes people.

Tick populations vary throughout the year, and their numbers depend on a few factors. Climate change is widely believed to be having an effect: Ticks like warm, humid weather, and more can be seen after a mild winter. The more deer and mice available for them to feed on may also factor.

Some ticks are infected with germs that can cause serious diseases, including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy. Lyme disease is the most common, with an estimated 476,000 people treated for it each year, according to the CDC. Infections are commonly treated with antibiotics.

So far this year, most ticks seen in the Northeast have been large adult ticks. But in the weeks ahead, juvenile nymphs will become more common. The emergence of nymphs, along with more people spending time outdoors, are among the reasons tick bites tend to be highest in May. Worse, tiny nymphs attached to people are harder to see — and often are there longer — leading to an increased risk of infections, experts say.

A notorious hot spot is seeing a tick surge

Connecticut has a connection to tick-borne disease — Lyme disease is named after a town there. And earlier this month, the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reported that residents were already submitting an average of 30 ticks per day for testing.

State officials also said an unusually high percentage of the submitted ticks — 40% — tested positive for the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.

Several factors have been helping tick populations expand, including unusually high numbers of mice in the last two years, said Scott Williams, a tick researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

All we have so far is an early snapshot, said Megan Linske, a wildlife biologist with the same agency. She expects the problem to continue to worsen, with more ticks spreading over more areas.

How to prevent tick bites

Experts advise that if you go outdoors, note any wooded areas and grassy properties that start bleeding into wooded areas. Ticks tend to perch on ankle-level vegetation with their upper legs outstretched, waiting to latch on to an unsuspecting dog or human.

Try to walk in the middle of paths. Wear light-colored clothing treated with the insecticide permethrin. And use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents.

If you do find a tick, remove it immediately. It's not necessary to go to a doctor unless you think the tick has been on you for days or if you develop a rash or other symptoms, experts said.

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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.

“Turn and burn,” top Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino called the strategy, with relentless displays of force and teams of agents descending on restaurant kitchens, bus stops and Home Depot parking lots.

In December, arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents peaked at nearly 40,000 nationwide and were nearly as high the next month, according to data provided to UC Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project and analyzed by The Associated Press.

In late January, the killings in Minneapolis of two American citizens by immigration officers and growing concerns over the government’s heavy-handed tactics led to a shake-up of top immigration officials. In the weeks that followed, ICE arrests across the country dropped on average by nearly 12%.

Polling has found the general public felt the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota went too far, a factor that may have contributed to the abrupt firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in early March.

The numbers don't follow the same pattern everywhere

Bovino, who swaggered through raid scenes in tactical gear and was the public face of the Trump administration crackdown, was pushed aside following the killings in Minneapolis of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Border czar Tom Homan was then sent to the Twin Cities to chart a new course for immigration enforcement, and he announced the drawdown of immigration agents in the state on Feb. 4.

An AP analysis of ICE arrest records show the department averaged 7,369 weekly arrests nationwide in the five weeks after Homan’s drawdown announcement, , the most recent period for which data is available, down from 8,347 per week in the previous five weeks. Those arrest numbers were still higher on average than during much of the first year of President Donald Trump's second term, and were dramatically higher than during the Biden administration.

The numbers were not, however, uniform across the country.

ICE arrests rose significantly in Kentucky, Indiana, North Carolina and Florida during those five weeks, in some cases hitting their highest weekly count since the start of Trump’s second term.. In Kentucky alone, weekly arrests more than doubled, reaching 86 by early March.

Those increases were offset by steep drops in a handful of large states, including Minnesota and Texas.

Many arrested were not Trump's ‘worst of the worst’

The Trump administration insists it is targeting the most vicious criminals living illegally in the U.S., and the president has referred to them as “the worst of the worst.”

In some cases the description is accurate, but the reality is complicated.

Many of the toughest criminals taken into ICE custody were already in prison, but many others who were arrested have no criminal history.

Nationally, some 46% of the people ICE arrested in the five weeks before Feb. 4 had no criminal charges or convictions, dropping to 41% in the five weeks that followed.

Yet that’s still above the 35% weekly average for the time since Trump returned to office. And in a number of states, even after Feb. 4, the share of noncriminals being arrested went up, not down.

Has there been a change in approach?

Across the country, thousands of federal court filings offer an imperfect window into how the Trump administration’s deportation tactics remain in high gear, even if activity has waned.

Like the 21-year-old Honduran man with no criminal record who has filed a petition for release after being arrested Feb. 22 in a suburban San Diego traffic stop. The father of three U.S. citizen children — ages 5, 3 and 10 months — had been under ICE surveillance, the petition says, before officers in tactical gear pulled him over.

Or the 33-year-old Venezuelan woman, a well-known South Texas doctor who worked in a region designated as medically underserved, who was arrested earlier this month with her five-year-old daughter, a U.S. citizen, on her way to her husband’s asylum hearing.

She was arrested, officials said, for overstaying her visa.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow with the research and advocacy group the American Immigration Council, says he sees signs of change in lower arrest and detention numbers but warns it’s too early to know if those shifts are permanent.

“The Trump administration says: ‘We’re not slowing down,’ ‘Nothing has changed,’” in immigration enforcement, he said. “But it’s very clear that they have pulled back from some of the tactics of Operation Metro Surge,” the crackdown that swept Minneapolis.

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Kessler reported from Washington and Sullivan from Minneapolis. Associated Press reporters Elliot Spagat in San Diego and Gisela Salomon in Miami contributed.

The toll on Friday included two men who were killed in Gaza City, and eight others killed in the southern city of Khan Younis, according to local hospitals. Officials at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said the eight people, including four police officers, were killed after Israel targeted a police vehicle.

Khalid Al-Tanani, of Beit Lahiya, recalled the series of strikes that killed his wife and two of his four children in the northern Gaza Strip.

“With the first shell, thank God we all survived and were calling out to each other. Then they fired the second, third, and fourth shells one after the other. Their voices fell silent. I went inside and found my wife, Islam Al-Tanani, martyred, and my son, Hamza, and Naya in her mother’s arms. I found them martyred.” The children were 4 and 13 years old.

Hamza’s 13-year-old twin survived, along with another of the couple's children. Al-Tanani said they had just started talking about gathering baby items and clothes for the twins.

Family members wailed over the bodies on Saturday. “You took my soul with you, Hamza, you took me with you and broke me, Hamza,” his grandmother sobbed.

Israel's military said several militants had threatened troops in the area and the military targeted them in an airstrike after warning civilians. Al-Tanani said the strikes came without prior notice.

Israel’s military said it had targeted two militants that threatened its troops in Gaza City and did not comment on the third strike in Khan Younis that killed eight.

While the heaviest fighting has mostly subsided, deadly Israeli strikes have repeatedly disrupted the truce since it took effect on Oct. 10. The escalating Palestinian toll has prompted many in Gaza to say it feels like the war has continued unabated.

Israeli forces frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones. Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.

Israeli attacks have killed more than 790 people since the fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel was put in place six months ago, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. 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.

Overall, the health ministry says 72,300 Palestinians had been killed since the war in Gaza began with the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel

The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, on Oct. 7, 2023.

“America’s energy policy should be grounded in facts, fiscal responsibility, and the national interest — not ideology or politics,″ they wrote.

One of the lawmakers is Rep. Jen Kiggans, a former Navy helicopter pilot who represents a coastal district in Virginia where an $11.5 billion wind farm is expected to create 1,000 jobs. Her support for an initiative targeted by Trump shows the scrambled politics of clean energy in an election year where Republicans are at risk of losing the House.

Kiggans could be even more at risk after Virginia voters on Tuesday approved a new congressional map that makes her competitive district more Democratic than before.

Trump's broader campaign against clean energy resulted in the cancellation of nearly $35 billion in U.S. projects last year, according to a report by E2, a clean energy business group. Republican-held congressional districts lost nearly twice as much in investments than did Democratic districts, the report said.

For now, the Virginia project is back on track, along with the other four, because of federal court rulings. But Elaine Luria, a former congresswoman who is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2nd Congressional District represented by Kiggans, said the incumbent's efforts have been futile in the face of Trump’s onslaught.

“Her advocacy did nothing," Luria said. Kiggans did not respond to requests for comment.

A president who hates ‘windmills’

Trump has treated energy issues as another front in the nation's cultural clashes, referring to Democrats' support for clean energy as the “Green New Scam.” He frequently talks about his hatred of “windmills,” which he described as “STUPID AND UGLY” on social media. He issued an executive order on the first day of his second term blocking wind projects and he has insisted that “smart countries” do not use wind power.

Solar farms are not much better in his mind.

“You go around and you see all these things that are 3 miles long by 3 miles wide and you say what the hell is that,” Trump said at the White House last summer.

The administration even agreed to pay $1 billion to a French company to walk away from two U.S. offshore wind leases and instead invest in oil and natural gas projects.

Kiggans voted in favor of Republican legislation to gut clean energy tax credits as part of Trump’s sweeping tax and spending bill even though she has long portrayed herself as a champion of renewable energy. Democrats have turned the issue into campaign advertisements, and Luria said it undermines Kiggans' attempt to “sell herself as if she's a moderate.”

Luria said Kiggans “voted for a bill to make energy more expensive.”

In a Facebook post after the bill was passed in July, Kiggans said her vote “wasn’t about politics — it was about overall results.”

“I had ONE vote, and I voted YES on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act not because it was perfect but because it delivers permanent tax relief for families & small businesses, rebuilds our Navy & invests in national defense," she wrote.

Stephen Farnsworth, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, said front-line Republicans have been put in a difficult position.

“Kiggans is not the only Republican being squeezed" as Trump focuses on his own priorities and the country faces economic headwinds exacerbated by the war with Iran, he said. Although few want to risk upsetting the president, Farnsworth said, “in coastal Virginia politics, there’s not much upside to opposing wind."

U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., has been caught up in a controversy over the Gateway Tunnel, which will add new rail tracks under the Hudson River to alleviate congestion between his state and New York City. Trump tried to block federal funding, a potential setback for commuters in towns that Kean represents. A judge ordered the administration to restore money for the project after Democratic leaders in New Jersey and New York went to court.

An opportunity to lead on offshore wind

Although Trump has dismissed offshore wind turbines as ugly, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is about 27 miles (43 kilometers) out into the ocean, making it difficult to see from land. On a recent visit to the Portsmouth Marine Terminal, where construction is staged, the turbines were impossible to discern along the horizon.

Dominion Energy, which operates the wind farm, says it delivered its first power to the grid last month. The project, first announced in 2013, is expected to create 1,000 jobs and generate about $2 billion in economic activity, the company said.

Once finished, the 176-turbine project could deliver 2.6 gigawatts of power to the grid — enough to supply more than 660,000 homes — at a time when Virginia faces growing energy demand from an expanding hub of artificial intelligence data centers.

“There's an opportunity here for Hampton Roads to be a national leader in offshore wind,'' said Andrew Nissman, a spokesman for the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, which has trained maritime workers for the project.

Nissman declined to comment on the congressional race, saying, ”as with any stop-and-start challenge, it's important the project is moving forward.''

While the wind farm is now partially online, "Kiggans nearly cost her constituents this project by standing with an administration dead set on dismantling the offshore wind industry and voting to repeal critical clean energy tax credits last year,'' said Dan Taylor, Southeast regional field manager for the BlueGreen Alliance, which coordinates labor unions and environmental groups.

“Kiggans claims to prioritize jobs, lower energy costs for Virginians and reducing emissions,” Taylor added. “Yet she voted to kill jobs, skyrocket energy costs to families and increase the emissions driving climate change.”

Mali has previously faced insurgencies fought by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, as well as a separatist rebellion in the country's north.

Most of the details of the unfolding attacks on Saturday came from local residents, who spoke to The Associated Press over the phone.

The al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM claimed responsibility for the attacks on Bamako's international airport and four other cities in central and northern Mali. The claim, posted on its website Azallaq, said the attacks were carried out jointly with the Azawad Liberation Front, a Tuareg-led separatist group.

The Malian army said in a statement that “unidentified armed terrorist groups targeted certain locations and barracks” in Bamako and that soldiers were “engaged in eliminating the attackers.”

Another statement later said the situation was under control.

Near-simultaneous attacks

An Associated Press journalist in Bamako heard sustained heavy and automatic weapons gunfire from the direction of Modibo Keïta International Airport, around 15 kilometers (9 miles) from the city center. A helicopter flew over nearby neighborhoods. The airport is adjacent to an air base used by Mali's air force. A resident living near the airport also reported gunfire and three helicopters overhead.

The U.S. Embassy in Bamako issued a security alert citing reports of explosions and gunfire near Kati and the international airport, and urged U.S. citizens to shelter in place and avoid travel there.

Mali’s government spokesperson Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly, said on state television late Saturday that 16 people were wounded, including civilians and military personnel, and that several militants were killed. He did not provide a death toll.

The governor of Bamako's district, Abdoulaye Coulibaly, announced a three-day overnight curfew, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.

A resident of Kati, a town near Bamako that is home to Mali’s main military base, said he was woken by the sound of gunfire and explosions.

Gen. Assimi Goita, the leader of Mali’s military junta, resides in Kati. The residence of Mali’s defense minister, Sadio Camara, was heavily damaged by an explosion during the attack, a nearby shopkeeper told the AP.

The residents spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

Videos on social media showed militant convoys in trucks and motorcycles moving through Kati's deserted streets, while residents looked on fearfully. Residents of Sevare and Mopti, two towns in central Mali, also reported attacks by gunmen.

Other videos — from the northern towns of Kidal and Gao — showed gunfire exchanges in the streets, with dead bodies lying on the ground.

Insurgents entered Kidal, taking control of some neighborhoods and leading to exchanges of fire with the army, a former mayor of the town told the AP by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.

Separatists join Islamic militants

Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane, a spokesperson for the separatist Azawad movement, said in a post on Facebook that its forces had taken control of Kidal as well as some areas in Gao, another northeastern city.

The AP could not independently verify the claim. Azawad separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali.

Kidal had long served as a stronghold of the separatist rebellion before being taken by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Its capture marked a significant symbolic victory for the junta and its Russian allies.

A resident of Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, said gunfire and explosions started in the early hours of Saturday and were still heard later in the morning.

“The force of the explosions is making the doors and windows of my house shake. I’m scared out of my wits,” the resident said by phone, speaking on condition of anonymity because of concerns for his safety. The resident said the gunfire came from the army camp and the airport, which are right next to each other.

Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said the assault seems to be the largest coordinated attack in years in Mali.

“It’s especially concerning that JNIM apparently has been coordinating today’s attacks with Tuareg rebels, “Laessing said. Jihadis and Tuareg rebels teamed up before, in 2012, he added.

At the time they jointly overran northern Mali, ”sparking the region's security crisis,” Laessing said.

Turning to Russia

Along with Mali, neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso have also been battling al-Qaida and ID affiliates.

Following military coups, the juntas in the three countries turned from Western allies to Russia for help combating Islamic militants. But the security situation has worsened in recent times, analysts say, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.

In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako’s airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.

The statement Saturday by foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi comes after reports emerged that the Trump administration is in discussions to potentially send 1,100 Afghans who assisted the U.S. during its war in Afghanistan and relatives of U.S. service members to Congo.

An organization called #AfghanEvac that supports Afghan resettlement efforts said Wednesday that U.S. officials had informed the group of discussions between the United States and Congo about taking the Afghan refugees who have been in limbo at Camp As-Sayliyah, a U.S. base in Doha, for the past year.

The State Department said it is working to identify options to “voluntarily” resettle the refugees in a third country, but did not confirm which nations were being discussed.

An alternative provided to the refugees was to return to Afghanistan, #AfghanEvac said, where they fear reprisals or even death at the hands of the Taliban, who have been running the country since they seized power in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in 2021, for working alongside the U.S. during the two-decade war.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry “reiterates that Afghanistan constitutes the shared homeland of all Afghans and it invites all those concerned, as well as others sharing a similar situation, (to) return to their homeland, whose doors remain open to them, to do so with full confidence & peace of mind,” Balkhi wrote in his statement.

He added that “those intending to travel to another country may do so at an appropriate juncture through legal & dignified channels.” Afghanistan’s foreign ministry “stands ready to engage with all countries,” Balkhi said, adding that the foreign ministry “underscores to all sides that there exist no security threats in Afghanistan, & none is compelled to leave the country on account of security considerations.”

In a joint statement posted by the #AfghanEvac group on behalf of those in Camp As-Sayliyah, the Afghans said they had received no information from U.S. officials about the talks to potentially relocate them, and had found out about it from the press. The state of limbo they have been living in is taking a severe toll on them, they said.

“Many of us are not well. The uncertainty has been more than some of us can carry. There is deep depression,” the group said, adding that some were struggling with their mental health because of the situation.

“We will say this plainly. We do not want to go to the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the group said, adding that “it is a country in its own war. We have been in enough war. We cannot take our children into another one.”

The African country has been battered by decades-long fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed rebels in its eastern region.

The Afghans in the camp in Doha said returning to Afghanistan was also not an option. “The Taliban will kill many of us for what we did for the United States,” the group said in their statement. “This is not a fear. This is a fact. The United States knows this, because the United States is the reason we cannot go home.”

The relocation discussions, initially reported by The New York Times, come more than a year after President Donald Trump paused his predecessor’s Afghan resettlement program as part of a series of executive orders cracking down on immigration.

That policy left thousands of refugees who fled war and persecution, and had gone through a sometimes yearslong vetting process to start new lives in America, stranded at places worldwide, including the base in Qatar.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece.

The bodies of four people were found in the ruins of a house destroyed in overnight attacks, Dnipropetrovsk regional head Oleksandr Hanzha said.

“The Russians have been hitting Dnipro and other cities and communities practically all night,” Hanzha wrote on Telegram of the attacks, which caused fires to break out across Dnipro and partially destroyed several apartment buildings, businesses and a private house.

Another person was killed in a separate Russian attack on Dnipro Saturday afternoon, according to Hanzha, in the same residential area hit by the overnight strikes. He said that 46 people were wounded in total.

To the southwest, two people were wounded in overnight drone attacks on the Odesa region. Residential buildings, port infrastructure and cars were damaged in the south of the region, regional head Oleh Kiper said Saturday.

In Russia, a woman was killed and a man was seriously wounded by a Ukrainian drone strike in the border region of Belgorod, local officials said.

Leonid Pasechnik, the Russia-installed governor in Ukraine’s Luhansk region — of which Russia earlier this month said it had taken full control, a claim denied by Ukraine — said Saturday that three people were killed in an overnight Ukrainian drone strike on a village. Ukraine did not comment on the attack, and the claim could not be independently verified by The Associated Press.

Following the overnight attacks, Romania’s Defense Ministry said Saturday that drone fragments were found in a residential area of the southeastern city of Galati, as well as on a farm some 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from Galati, near the NATO member’s border with Ukraine. No casualties were reported.

Romania has confirmed drone fragments on its territory on multiple occasions.

The overnight attacks followed a prisoner swap Friday, in which Russia and Ukraine exchanged 193 service members.

Periodic prisoner exchanges have been one of the few positive outcomes of otherwise fruitless monthslong U.S.-brokered negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. The talks have delivered no progress on key issues preventing an end to Russia’s invasion of its neighbor, now in its fifth year.

While meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is open to continuing peace talks with Russia in Azerbaijan.

“We have already held such talks — in Turkey and with our American partners in Switzerland,” he said. “We are also ready for upcoming negotiations in Azerbaijan, if Russia is ready for diplomacy.”

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Morton reported from London. Associated Press writer Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to use the Ukrainian transliteration of Hanzha.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The league confirmed the suspension in a statement late Friday, warning that the decision amounted to “a serious and arbitrary violation of freedom of association” and “a direct assault” on one of Tunisia’s key democratic gains.

President Kais Saied has often cited foreign funding, which rights groups sometimes rely on, as a threat to Tunisia, using it to fuel a populist narrative and accuse his political opponents and social justice activists of being foreign agents and stirring unrest at home.

“This measure cannot be seen in isolation from a broader context in the country marked by increasing systematic pressure on civil society and independent voices,” the group said, adding that it would challenge what it called an unjust decision in court while continuing to defend victims of rights violations without discrimination.

The suspension follows a series of similar measures targeting rights groups in the North African country, where courts last year ordered multiple prominent NGOs to halt activities for a month, including organizations focused on migrants’ and women’s rights.

The decision comes as journalist Zied El-Heni was placed under 48-hour detention over a Facebook post, amid a broader pattern of arrests and legal pressure targeting critics.

Mohamed Yassine Jlassi, a former president of the Tunisian journalists union SNJT, told The Associated Press on the sidelines of a protest in Tunis on Friday that hundreds of people are being detained over speech-related charges, including social media posts.

“Repression has come to affect everyone. Journalism has become a crime, civil society work has become a crime, political opposition has been criminalized,” he said.

“People now increasingly find themselves facing arbitrary prosecutions without the bare minimum guarantees of a fair trial.”

Meanwhile, the investigative outlet Inkyfada faces a court hearing on May 11, as authorities pursue the dissolution of Al Khatt, the association that publishes it.

The group said in a statement that it disputes the legal basis of the case and says the claims cited by the government have not been examined by Tunisian courts since 2024.

These developments add to growing concerns among rights advocates over restrictions on independent media, civil society and any dissenting voices under Saied, who has consolidated power since 2021 and has increasingly targeted groups he repeatedly accuses of receiving foreign funding to stir unrest and destabilize Tunisia’s national interests.

Trump said Thursday that Israel and Lebanon have agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks after talks at the White House. The meeting was the second high-level negotiation between the two countries since last week. The initial 10-day ceasefire, which took effect last Friday, had been due to expire Monday.

The Trump administration is placing economic sanctions on a major China-based oil refinery and roughly 40 shipping companies and tankers involved in transporting Iranian oil. The move, announced Friday, actualizes the administration’s threat to impose secondary sanctions on entities that do business with Iran, an effort to cut off Iran’s key source of revenue — its oil exports.

Airlines worldwide have begun canceling flights as the war in the Middle East strains jet fuel supplies and pushes up prices. Here’s what to know if your flight is canceled.

Here is the latest:

Iran’s foreign minister will visit Pakistan again

That’s according to a report by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

It says Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will return to Pakistan after his current visit to Oman on his way to visiting Russia.

The report said he was expected to be back in Islamabad on Sunday and would join other members of his delegation who had gone to Tehran for consultations and “instructions on the topics related to the end of the war.”

US says it’s hunting for explosive mines in latest push to open the Strait of Hormuz

Trump says the U.S. Navy is clearing Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz. The vital sea route for Persian Gulf oil is closed to most ships, and that’s a strain on the global economy.

Experts say sweeping for underwater explosives could take months despite a tenuous ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran.

Any future claims that the U.S. cleared the waterway where 20% of the world’s oil typically passes might fail to convince commercial freighters and their insurers that it’s finally safe.

“There’s only so much the U.S. can do to give that confidence back to commercial shipping,” said Emma Salisbury, a scholar at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s National Security Program.

Seeking out mines is among the latest tactics announced by the Trump administration to get traffic moving again through the strait as rising energy prices and wider economic effects pose a political risk.

▶ Read more

Trump says Iran presented new offers 10 minutes after he canceled US team’s trip

Amid the stalled negotiations with Iran, the president said the Iranians sent over a new peace proposal, but that it “could have been better,” and rejected it.

“They gave us a paper that could have been better, and interestingly, immediately when I canceled it, within 10 minutes we got a new paper that was much better,” Trump said to reporters on Saturday before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington from Florida.

The President wouldn’t offer specifics about what was in the latest proposal other than saying “they offered a lot.” But he stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said he canceled the latest rounds of negotiations with Iran because it was “a lot of traveling” and because his negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, “weren’t meeting with the leader of the country.”

Trump said the U.S. will “deal by telephone and they can call us anytime they want” before adding that “we have all the cards.”

Israeli fire kills one Palestinian in Gaza, health officials say

The drone strike near a school in northern Gaza City wounded at least two others, according to officials at Shifa hospital, where the casualties arrived.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israel continues to carry out near-daily strikes across Gaza, where more than 800 Palestinians have been killed despite a ceasefire with Hamas since October, according to figures from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

Pakistan PM, Iran president hold ‘warm’ talks on regional situation

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke by phone on Saturday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, holding what he described as a “warm and constructive discussion” on the evolving regional situation.

In a post on the social platform X, Sharif said he appreciated Iran’s continued engagement, including the dispatch of a high-level delegation to Islamabad led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

He added that, with the support of friends and partners, Pakistan remains committed to serving as an “honest and sincere facilitator” to advance durable peace and lasting stability in the region.

Netanyahu orders “vigorous” strikes on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

The statement by the prime minister’s office follows a string of rocket and drone attacks by Hezbollah on northern Israel and on Israeli ground troops in southern Lebanon on Saturday. There were no injuries.

Also on Saturday, Israel launched multiple airstrikes in southern Lebanon while a fragile temporary ceasefire was in effect, killing at least six people it said were Hezbollah militants.

Netanyahu has instructed the army “to vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon,” the statement said, without providing further detail.

Iran’s top diplomat arrives in Oman

Abbas Araghchi has arrived in the capital, Muscat. He’s expected to meet about regional developments. Oman was a mediator for indirect talks before the war.

Iran says continued US naval blockade will trigger ‘powerful response’

Iran’s joint military command warned in a statement Saturday that if the U.S. continues its “naval blockades, banditry, and piracy in the region,” it will provoke a decisive military response from Iran.

The statement, carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, added that if the U.S. and Israel renewed their aggression, they would face more losses.

It remains unclear whether Iran and the U.S. will resume negotiations soon. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Pakistan, the key mediator in the negotiations between the two countries, a few hours ago, with no immediate word on possible resumption of talks. Shortly after, Trump said in a social media post that he called off sending U.S. envoys to Pakistan for negotiations.

Pakistan eases Islamabad restrictions after Iran delegation leaves

Pakistani authorities on Saturday evening began easing restrictions following the departure of an Iranian delegation and a U.S. decision not to send its delegation to Islamabad for potential talks, offering relief to hundreds of thousands of residents after nearly a week of near-lockdown conditions.

The developments signal a setback to Pakistan’s efforts to host a second round of talks.

The Islamabad administration said in a post on the social platform X that entry of all types of public and goods transport has been allowed. It added that bus terminals across the capital have reopened, except for a key terminal on the city’s outskirts, which will remain closed until further notice.

The move is expected to improve the supply of fruit, vegetables and other essential items in the capital.

Trump says he called off dispatching top U.S. envoys to Pakistan for negotiations with Iran

The president said in a social media post, “I just canceled the trip of my representatives going is Islamabad.”

That came shortly after Trump told Fox News that he’d instructed U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner not to go.

He wrote in the subsequent post, “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!”

The president also repeated his past suggestions that the leadership of Iran remains unsettled, writing, “Nobody knows who is in charge.”

Trump’s post followed two Pakistani officials saying Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Pakistan without meeting U.S. officials.

Trump tells Fox News he’s no longer sending Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for Iran talks

Trump says he told top U.S. envoys not to travel to Pakistan to negotiate with Iran, telling Fox News that ″they can call us anytime they want.”

In a brief phone interview, Trump told Fox News that he told U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, “You’re not going to be making any more 18-hour flights to sit around talking about nothing.”

Trump also said of the U.S. side, “We have all the cards.”

His comments on Saturday came after the White House said Friday that Witkoff and Kushner would be heading to Pakistan for another round of negotiations with Iran.

Lebanon’s top Sunni religious authority backs the president’s right to hold talks to end war with Israel

The Supreme Islamic Sharia Council, headed by Lebanon’s Sunni Muslim Grand Mufti Abdul-Latif Derian, said that the “constitutional right” of President Joseph Aoun to pursue diplomatic negotiations to end the war with the “Zionist entity” should be respected.

The council blasted Israel, saying it launched “a devastating and relentless war on Lebanon and committed the most heinous and dangerous crimes.”

Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors to Washington held two rounds of talks this month, the first official meetings between the two countries in decades.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah group is opposed to direct negotiations with Israel and has blasted the meetings held in Washington.

Trump said this week that Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are expected to meet in Washington in the coming weeks.

There has been no official confirmation from Lebanon that Aoun will attend such a meeting with Netanyahu.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry raises death toll to 2,496

The ministry added in figures released Saturday that 7,725 people were wounded in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war that broke out on March 2.

The war started after Hezbollah fired rockets at northern Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked its main backer, Iran.

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on April 17. The ceasefire was extended by three weeks on Thursday.

Despite Lebanon ceasefire, Israeli strikes kill suspected militants and Hezbollah fires on Israel

The Israeli military said that in multiple strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, it killed six people that it said were militants. And several rockets and drones were launched at Israel from Lebanon, the army said, causing no injuries.

A 10-day ceasefire, in effect since April 17, has been repeatedly violated by both sides. On Thursday, Trump said Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend it by three weeks. Hezbollah has not been part of the ceasefire talks.

One strike, in the village of Yohmor, killed three people driving a truck that the army said was loaded with weapons. A second strike in that area killed a person on a motorcycle. A third strike, in the Litani area, killed two people that the army said posed a threat to Israeli ground forces.

Iran’s foreign minister leaves Islamabad without meeting US envoys, Pakistan officials say

Two Pakistani officials say Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has left Pakistan without meeting U.S. officials.

Senior Pakistani officials were at an airport near Islamabad to see him off. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Araghchi had met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and other senior officials about matters including Iran’s red lines in negotiations.

— Cara Anna

Israeli airstrikes kill 4 people in southern Lebanese village

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said that Israeli airstrikes on the village of Yohmor in southern Lebanon targeted a pickup truck and a motorcycle, killing four people.

Saturday’s airstrikes came despite a 10-day ceasefire in place since April 17.

Since the truce went into effect, it has been repeatedly violated by both sides.

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that Lebanon and Israel agreed to extend the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks.

Pakistan’s prime minister meets with Iran’s foreign minister

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday at the prime minister’s office in the capital, Islamabad.

Sharif’s office issued a statement saying the meeting was ongoing.

It said Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir were also present.

No further details were immediately available, and the statement only said the “current regional situation will be discussed.”

Iran’s top diplomat meets with Pakistan army chief

Iran’s top diplomat and Pakistan’s army chief have discussed efforts to launch a new round of talks with the United States.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Telegram that he met with Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir Saturday morning in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital, and explained Iran’s views on ending the war between the Islamic Republic and the U.S.

Araghchi didn’t offer further details, but said Tehran will continue engaging in the Pakistani-led mediation efforts “until a result is achieved.”

Iran’s president calls on people to save electricity

Iran’s president has urged people to reduce their use of electricity after American and Israeli strikes damaged the county’s energy infrastructure, state media reported.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said the government aims to “control consumption” of electricity, according to the Iranian state television.

“Instead of turning on 10 lights at home, turn on two lights. What is wrong with that?” he said.

He said the U.S. and Israel “destroyed our infrastructure,” and noted that the U.S. imposed a blockade on Iran’s ports.

Commercial flights resume at Tehran’s airport

Commercial flights resumed Saturday at Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran for the first time since the war with the United States and Israel started about two months ago.

Iran’s state-run television reported the airport has flights to Istanbul in Turkey, Oman’s capital, Muscat, and the Saudi city of Medina.

Flightradar24, a flight tracking platform, showed at least three Istanbul-bound flights departed Saturday morning.

Iran partly reopened its airspace earlier this month during a ceasefire with the U.S.

Germany to deploy minesweeper ships

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his country plans to deploy minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean, which later could be transferred to the Strait of Hormuz.

“We will deploy a minesweeper to the Mediterranean and provide it with a command and supply ship,” Pistorius told the Rheinische Post newspaper Saturday.

He did not say exactly when the ships are scheduled to depart.

After an end to hostilities between the U.S., Israel and Iran, the German minesweepers could be deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, though such a mission would need to be approved by Germany’s parliament.

“To save time, we have decided to deploy part of the German units to the Mediterranean early on so that — once the mandate is approved — we do not lose any further time,” Pistorius said.

Islamabad locked down before talks

Pakistan’s capital Islamabad appeared to be in a near-lockdown Saturday morning, hours after Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived on a closely watched visit as Pakistan attempts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran.

The weeklong security restrictions have disrupted daily life, with hundreds of thousands of residents struggling to commute even short distances. Checkpoints, road closures and diversions have become routine sights, particularly around sensitive zones.

The usually busy arteries leading to the airport and the heavily fortified Red Zone were largely deserted early Saturday, with movement tightly restricted. Soldiers and police were at key intersections while helicopters circled overhead.

The measures were reinforced over the past 24 hours on the city’s outskirts with additional forces stationed along key airport access routes. Soldiers were visible on rooftops overlooking major approach roads, particularly near the airport where the Iranian delegation arrived late Friday.

Iran executes another man over alleged ties to Mossad

Iran hanged a man Saturday over alleged ties to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and his participation in anti-government protests in January.

Erfan Kiani was the latest in a series of executions in Iran following the war and nationwide protests.

The Mizan news agency of Iran’s judiciary announced Kiani was convicted of charges including attacks on security forces in the city of Asfahn in January.

The agency claimed he was on a “mission for Mossad” without offering evidence.

Human rights activists long have said Iran convicts people in closed-door trials without allowing defendants to properly defend themselves.

There recently have been multiple executions of alleged spies, as well as protesters and those affiliated with an Iranian exiled opposition group.

Pakistan president will travel to China

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is expected to travel to Beijing on Saturday to begin a weeklong visit at the invitation of the Chinese government.

Discussions will include economic and trade cooperation and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

China has played a role in facilitating Pakistan as a host for ceasefire talks between the United States and Iran. Zardari is expected to discuss his country’s efforts to host a second round.

The visit is part of a longstanding tradition of high-level exchanges between Pakistan and China and holds special significance as they mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said.

“It reflects the deep commitment of both countries to further strengthening the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership,” the ministry said.

Iran's foreign minister arrives in Pakistan

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met late Friday with Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir shortly after arriving in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, officials said.

On Saturday morning Araghchi met with Munir and Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, officials said.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said the Iranian delegation will hold talks with Pakistan’s senior leadership on the latest regional developments and efforts to promote peace and stability.

The visit comes as Pakistan is also preparing to receive U.S. envoys, although officials have not specified when Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are due in Islamabad.

Egyptian and Pakistani officials discuss the Iran war

Egyptian and Pakistani foreign ministers late Friday discussed efforts to launch a new round of talks between the United States and Iran.

Badr Abdelatty of Egypt spoke by phone with his Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Ishaq Dar.

The Egyptian foreign ministry said the diplomats affirmed that negotiations are the best way to end the war.

Dylan Harper added 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who trailed by 15 points in the third quarter. Game 4 of the first-round series is Sunday at the Moda Center.

Before the game Spurs coach Mitch Johnson announced that Wembanyama would not play while he continues to recover from a concussion sustained Tuesday night in Game 2.

Jrue Holiday had 29 points for the Trail Blazers. Making their first home playoff appearance since 2021, they couldn't ultimately take advantage Wembanyama's absence.

Portland led 82-67 in the third quarter but the Spurs clawed back with a 21-5 run to take an 88-87 lead into the final period. Castle's step-back jumper and a pair of free throws gave the Spurs a 105-95 lead midway through the fourth and the Trail Blazers collapsed.

“I feel like we have a lot of confidence in ourselves. We know how good we are,” Castle said. “So, down 10, down 15, in a game like that, with a lot of time to go, we just need to string some stops together and keep fighting. I feel we have a lot of dogs that arent going to quit on our team.”

Wembanyama — the league’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and one of three finalists for the Most Valuable Player award — went down in the second quarter of the Spurs' 106-103 Game 2 loss in San Antonio.

Johnson would not elaborate on Wembanyama's condition, only to say he was progressing. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a league-best 3.1 blocks per game this season. His status for Sunday's game was not known.

Luke Kornet started against the Trail Blazers as Wembanyama’s watched from the banch, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Portland went on a 15-2 run in the first half to go up 50-43 and led 65-59 at the break after Jerami Grant's 3-pointer.

In the final moments of the half Fox was handed an offensive foul when he charged toward the basket and elbowed Deni Avdija in the face. Johnson challenged the call and it was overturned to a defensive foul on Avdija, who had a chipped a tooth but kept playing.

“This loss hurts, but we've got another one Sunday, so you can't really hang your hat on it too low,” Holiday said. “Maybe take it on the chin tonight, and then tomorrow, we've got to get back to work.”

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

While none of this dissent indicates an imminent threat to Putin’s rule, analysts say it presents a new and growing challenge for the Kremlin.

“Greater and greater effort needs to be spent on maintaining the status quo,” Mark Galeotti, an expert on Russian politics who heads the Mayak Intelligence consultancy, wrote in an analysis.

Here’s a look at the public outcry in Russia and what is driving it:

Influencers appeal to Putin, while his approvals drop

A 19-minute video by popular Russian blogger Victoria Bonya has received 31 million views on Instagram since it was published 10 days ago.

In the video, Bonya, who has 13.6 million followers on the platform, complained to Putin that he was probably misinformed about some things — local authorities' poor handling of recent floods in the southern province of Dagestan, the culling of livestock in Siberia that prompted protests from farmers, crippling internet restrictions and strains on small businesses.

Bonya, a popular Russian TV host who now lives abroad, emphasized that she supports Putin, but she said ordinary Russians and his own officials are too scared to tell him the truth.

“There’s a lot you don’t know,” she said. “People are screaming at the top of their lungs now. They’ve been robbed of everything they have, and they continue to be robbed. Businesses are dying.”

Reactions to the video snowballed. Other Russian influencers aired similar sentiments in their videos, some of which were later deleted.

In a rare acknowledgment of the public criticism, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kremlin officials saw the video and that “a lot of work is being done” on the issues Bonya mentioned. “None of it is being ignored,” Peskov said.

Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov, a longtime Putin supporter, lambasted the government Tuesday in a speech to parliament, saying that his party had raised the issues before. He threatened a repeat of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution if measures are not taken to deal with the problems.

Forecasts of a revolt also have been regularly floated in pro-Kremlin Telegram channels and by loyal military bloggers.

In the meantime, Russian state-controlled pollster VTsIOM has reported a consistent decline of Putin’s approval ratings in recent weeks. Some observers believe polls in Russia may not reflect the real picture, given widespread crackdown on dissent. But data released by VTsIOM Friday showed Putin's approval at 65.6%, the lowest level the pollster has reported since before the war in Ukraine, down from the 77.8% in late December 2025.

Russia's top independent pollster, the Levada Center, also reported a slight decline in Putin's approvals, from 85% in October 2025 to 80% in March.

Internet restrictions trigger a wave of discontent

Russians across the vast country have faced regular cellphone internet shutdowns since last spring. The authorities have justified them as a way to thwart Ukrainian drone attacks, but critics have argued that the outages are another step in a yearslong effort to bring the internet under tight government control.

The shutdowns came on top of sweeping, ever-growing internet censorship that over the years saw thousands of websites and platforms in Russia blocked or throttled, including the two most popular messaging apps — WhatsApp and Telegram.

Authorities are promoting a new state-backed messaging app, Max, seen by many as a surveillance tool, while also blocking VPNs to stop widespread censorship circumvention.

Public frustration over the measures elicited acts of resistance, including petitions to the presidential administration, a class-action lawsuit against the government, a few street pickets and multiple attempts to organize bigger protests that were quashed by authorities.

The Kremlin appears unfazed. At a government meeting Thursday, Putin again justified the shutdowns as necessary to “prevent terror attacks” and urged authorities to better inform the public about restrictions.

His remarks indicate that the security services “are doing everything correctly, and it will continue for as long as they see fit,” Tatiana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center wrote in a Telegram post.

Strained economy fuels frustration

The critical videos have emerged at a time of growing strain on the country’s wartime economy.

Economic growth stopped after the initial boost from massive military spending wore off. High interest rates imposed by the central bank to control inflation and increased taxes have also weighed on businesses.

Economic Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said recently that the economy's reserves “have been largely depleted,” and Putin said at a televised government meeting earlier this month that economic growth has declined for two months in a row. Russia's gross domestic product shrank by 1.8% between January and February, he said.

Denis Volkov, director of the Levada Center, said economic problems are the main driver of the growing dissatisfaction and declining approval for Putin and the government.

“It begins to show in the opinion polls, when the mood starts to get worse, just because life becomes harder,” Volkov said.

No end in sight for the war in Ukraine

Sam Greene, professor of Russian politics at King's College London, also points to dwindling hopes that Russia’s war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, could soon end.

Those hopes coalesced after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January 2025 and spearheaded an effort to negotiate a peace deal that has since stalled.

“The Kremlin was really putting some weight behind that idea as well. And I think that became priced into public opinion,” Greene said. “And yet that’s not happening.”

The resulting disappointment and frustration means that Putin “pays a bit of a price.”

No imminent demise for Putin either

Galeotti said in his analysis that “none of this can be taken to herald the imminent end of Putin’s rule.”

There is “no meaningful organized opposition,” and Putin’s “control of the security apparatus is unchallenged,” Galeotti said. In a war, “even his critics do not want to destabilize the country.”

Volkov echoed that thinking and said the discontent grows only slowly. Putin’s approvals are declining “from a very high point.”

“For now, we shouldn’t downplay or exaggerate this, because we’re only at the very beginning of the road,” he said.

In the meantime, frustration will continue to deepen, with people feeling empowered by popular public figures voicing criticism, said Abbas Gallyamov, a former Putin speechwriter turned political analyst.

“The feeling of power in politics,” he said, “is largely tied to how widespread the position that you share and defend is.”

Craig Counsell reached 899th managerial victories.

Swanson's 413-foot shot off Tanner Scott (0-1) landed in the left-field pavilion, scoring Pete Crow-Armstrong who singled leading off.

The Cubs trailed 4-0 against Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, who allowed one earned run over 6 1/3 innings and tied his career high with 10 strikeouts. The right-hander struck out seven of the first nine batters he faced.

Then Chicago got to the Dodgers' bullpen.

The Cubs scored six consecutive runs off the erratic trio of Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen and Scott.

They closed to 4-3 in the seventh off Vesia. With two outs, Swanson tripled to center for two runs and Nico Hoerner followed with an RBI single.

Alex Bregman homered leading off the eighth against Treinen, tying the game 4-4.

Ryan Rolison (1-0) got the win with three scoreless innings of relief. Corbin Martin retired the side in the ninth to earn his first save.

The Dodgers led 4-0 on Will Smith's three-run homer with two outs in the third and Hyeseong Kim's RBI single in the fourth.

The Dodgers' big hitters got shut out. Shohei Ohtani struck out three times to go with a walk, while Freddie Freeman was 0-for-4 . Kyle Tucker went 0-for-3 with a walk against his former team.

Up next

Cubs RHP Colin Rea (3-0, 3.00 ERA) was scheduled to start Saturday against scuffling Dodgers RHP Roki Sasaki (0-2, 6.11).

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

Jeffrey Viel and Jackson LaCombe also scored in the third and Lukas Dostal made 20 saves for the upstart Ducks, who have poured in 16 goals in three games to take an early lead in this first-round series against the two-time Western Conference champion Oilers. Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn scored early goals to the soundtrack of a raucous sellout crowd hungry for Orange County's first postseason hockey since 2018.

“It sounded like an army out there almost,” Sennecke said. “They've been waiting eight years for this, nine years for a win, so it was pretty special.”

Just as they've done so many times over their first season under coach Joel Quenneville, the Ducks overcame their clear defensive shortcomings by simply outscoring the powerhouse Oilers, thriving even after Connor McDavid recorded his first points of the series.

“I thought we had a great start to the game (and) did a lot of good things most of the night,” Quenneville said. “It was nice to see the crowd get rewarded with a win. Been a long time coming.”

Game 4 is Sunday night in Anaheim.

McDavid had a power-play goal in the third period and an assist, although the NHL scoring champion still doesn't appear to be at full health. Vasily Podkolzin, Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored, and Connor Ingram stopped 32 shots.

“You look at the goals against, and just some stuff that shouldn't happen, especially at this time of year,” Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. “There was lost coverage in front of the net. Couple of times we were careless with the puck. Early on, they were much more intense. They definitely looked like they wanted it more in the first period. We were able to find our legs. We started skating later in the game.”

Appropriately for a defense-deficient series, the Ducks capitalized on two transition sequences early in the third to take control.

Moments after Sennecke ripped a wrist shot for the tiebreaking goal and the precocious rookie's first playoff point, Carlsson clinically finished a textbook 2-on-1 rush with Troy Terry.

McDavid trimmed the Oilers’ deficit with a fortunate deflection off Pavel Mintyukov’s stick, but the superstar short-circuited another power play later in the third by cross-checking Tyson Hinds.

Viel then flipped home a backhand with 3:03 left to cap a strong game by the Ducks' fourth line, and LaCombe lofted an empty-net goal all the way from the Ducks' goal line to seal Anaheim's first home playoff victory since May 14, 2017, in the conference finals against Nashville.

“We couldn't even hear ourselves out there,” Viel said. “Definitely got us going right from the start.”

The clubs split the series' first two games in Edmonton, but the Ducks demonstrated they could stay with the playoff-tested Oilers despite the obvious deficiencies of an inexperienced group that allowed more goals this season than any other playoff team.

Anaheim rode the wave of crowd energy and dominated play early in Game 3, putting 20 shots on Ingram in the first period. The Oilers surged to a 3-2 lead early in the second, but Killorn tied it with his 39th career playoff goal.

Oilers forwards Adam Henrique and Jason Dickinson missed Game 3 with injuries.

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

Así se acordó durante una conversación telefónica que sostuvieron el viernes ambos gobernantes para evaluar las inversiones y los acuerdos comerciales bilaterales.

Alterno a los diálogos que tiene con Canadá, México también ha mantenido en las últimas semanas conversaciones con la administración del presidente Donald Trump previo a la revisión del T-MEC prevista para julio. A inicios de esta semana visitó la capital mexicana el principal negociador comercial estadounidense Jamieson Greer para avanzar las negociaciones con el secretario de Economía, Marcelo Ebrard.

La Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores de México dijo la noche del viernes en un comunicado que en el diálogo telefónico, Sheinbaum y Carney se comprometieron a seguir fortaleciendo la hoja de ruta para “estrechar aún más la cooperación bilateral” y la amistad ante el “gran momento” que atraviesa la relación.

México es el tercer socio comercial más grande de Canadá, después de Estados Unidos y China. Canadá fue el quinto socio comercial más grande de México en 2024. Pero el comercio con Estados Unidos sigue siendo primordial para ambos países y la continuidad del T-MEC es un tema crucial para los gobiernos de Sheinbaum y Carney.

Sobre los temas abordados en la llamada telefónica, el gobierno canadiense expresó en un comunicado que Carney y Sheinbaum dialogaron sobre oportunidades para ampliar la colaboración en áreas estratégicas como minerales críticos, tecnologías limpias, energía y manufactura avanzada, y celebraron la firma de un memorando de entendimiento sobre seguridad sanitaria industrial y biomanufactura para fortalecer la cadena de suministro farmacéutico.

Además, abordaron la situación humanitaria en Cuba y acordaron apoyar a la isla.

En septiembre pasado, durante la visita que realizó Carney a la Ciudad de México ambos gobiernos acordaron un plan de acción para fortalecer la cooperación entre ambas naciones en diferentes áreas, incluida la seguridad.

Ebrard tiene previsto viajar a Canadá entre el 7 y 8 de mayo junto con una delegación de empresarios mexicanos para explorar oportunidades de inversión, tal como lo hizo en febrero pasado el ministro de finanzas y comercio de Canadá, Dominic LeBlanc, en una visita a México.

The negotiations were meant to follow historic face-to-face talks earlier this month between the U.S., led by Vice President JD Vance, and Iran, led by parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf. But Iranian officials have questioned how they can trust the U.S. after its forces started blockading Iranian ports in response to Iran's war grip on the Strait of Hormuz waterway.

“If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!” Trump said on social media, adding: “Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work!” The White House on Friday said Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would be going to Islamabad.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi left Islamabad on Saturday evening, two Pakistani officials told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

“Shared Iran’s position concerning workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy,” Araghchi later said on social media.

Another ceasefire, between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, was shaken Saturday as each side fired at the other and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to “vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon."

Iran had said any talks would be indirect

Trump this week announced an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran. It has paused most fighting, but the economic fallout is growing two months into the war as global shipments of oil, liquefied natural gas, fertilizer and other supplies are disrupted by the near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Both sides have continued to make military threats. Iran’s joint military command on Saturday warned that “if the U.S. continues its aggressive military actions, including naval blockades, banditry, and piracy” it will face a “strong response."

Even before Saturday’s developments, Iran’s foreign ministry said any talks would be indirect and that Pakistani officials would convey messages. In Pakistan, Araghchi met with Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif about what he called Iran’s red lines for negotiations.

Araghchi went on to Oman, a mediator in talks before the war and the country on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz. The foreign minister will visit Pakistan again on Sunday before visiting Russia, the state-run IRNA news agency reported.

Trump later told journalists that within 10 minutes of him canceling the envoys' trip to Pakistan, Iran sent a “much better" proposal, with no details. He stressed that one of his conditions is that Iran “will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Contentious points in talks include Iran’s enriched uranium and the standoff on the Strait of Hormuz as well as concerns about Iran’s missile program and its support for armed proxies in the region.

Tehran has noted that indirect talks with the U.S. last year and early this year over its nuclear program, the issue long at the center of tensions, ended with Iran being attacked by the U.S. and Israel, adding to its wariness.

The standoff around the strait continues

The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, is nearly 50% higher than when the war began because of Iran's grip on the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes in peacetime.

Iran attacked three ships this week, while the U.S. maintains a blockade on Iranian ports. Trump has ordered the military to “shoot and kill” small boats that could be placing mines.

Germany’s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said his country was sending minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean to help remove Iranian mines from the strait once hostilities end.

Also Saturday, Iran resumed commercial flights from Tehran’s international airport for the first time since the war began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28. Flights were scheduled to depart for Istanbul, Oman’s capital of Muscat and the Saudi city of Medina, according to state-run television.

A growing toll even as ceasefires hold

Since the war began, authorities say at least 3,375 people have been killed in Iran and at least 2,496 people in Lebanon, where new fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah broke out two days after the Iran war started.

Trump announced Thursday that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to extend a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah by three weeks. Hezbollah has not participated in the Washington-brokered diplomacy.

But Israel struck southern Lebanon on Saturday, killing at least six people it aid were Hezbollah militants, and several rockets and drones were launched at Israel from Lebanon.

Additionally, 23 people have been killed in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Fifteen Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, 13 U.S. service members in the region and six members of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon have been killed.

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Ahmed reported from Islamabad and Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; and Will Weissert in Washington contributed.

The bronze figure of Rocky Balboa — arms raised in victory, clad in boxing trunks and boots — has become a point of pilgrimage for people around the world.

For decades, the museum kept an uncomfortable distance from this kind of devotion. Now, it is embracing it — and inviting Rocky in.

Opening this weekend, “Rising Up: Rocky and the Making of Monuments” examines how a fictional fighter became a real-world symbol, placing the statue within the sweep of art history and Philadelphia’s identity. The exhibition is the brainchild of guest curator Paul Farber, who spent years exploring the meaning of the statue and public monuments — including through his NPR podcasts — before bringing the conversation into the museum.

The exhibition spans more than 2,000 years of boxing imagery, tracing a thread of human struggle that Louis Marchesano, the museum’s deputy director of curatorial affairs and conservation, said helps explain Rocky’s enduring pull.

“The common theme that runs throughout 2,000 years of boxing imagery is that people respond to the body under struggle, a conflict in much the same way today as they did 2,500 years ago,” Marchesano said. “It’s not simply about watching two people beat each other up — it’s about endurance, internal fortitude and internal struggle.”

When the bronze statue was left on the steps after filming the “Rocky” movies, the museum fought to have it removed. It was eventually relocated to South Philadelphia before returning to the bottom of the steps in 2006. It was welcomed back, but never fully embraced. The city owns the spot where the statue sits — not the museum.

“The museum has had — and I hate to say this, no pun intended — a rocky relationship with the statue,” Marchesano said.

“It took us decades to come to terms with it,” he added. “But I’m glad that we did.”

According to the Philadelphia Visitor Center, about 4 million people visit the steps each year — rivaling the nearby Liberty Bell in annual foot traffic.

David Muller, a wrestling coach from France who recently brought his students to the steps, said he thinks Balboa’s trials and travails are “good for the next generation.”

“The movie ‘Rocky’ is important for the mind of sport and the mind of life,” Muller said, after running with them up the steps as they raised their hands at the top, smiling and punching the air like boxers.

Kate Tarchalska traveled from Poland with family and made the statue one of their stops.

“He was my hero when I was younger,” she said. “And now I am so glad I could be in the same spot as him.”

Suraj Kumar, visiting his aunt in Philadelphia from St. Louis, made a point to photograph the statue to share with his father, who first introduced him to the films when he was growing up in Bengaluru, India.

“When I got to know this statue is here, I was like, I really have to come down here,” he said.

One gallery places Rocky in the global boxing fever of the 1970s, featuring works by Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol — all created during a time when boxing had the world’s attention.

“In the 1970s, we knew minute by minute who the heavyweight champion of the world was,” Marchesano said. “The artists in this gallery are responding to that global frenzy. Sylvester Stallone, in ‘Rocky,’ was doing the same — thinking about internal and external struggle.”

Another gallery turns to Philadelphia itself, presenting photographs of the Blue Horizon boxing gym and a section on Joe Frazier, whose real-life story at least partially inspired Rocky.

“Without Joe Frazier, Rocky doesn’t exist,” Marchesano said.

When the exhibition closes in August, the statue inside will move to a permanent home at the top of the museum’s steps — a place it has never officially held. The statue currently outside remains on loan from Stallone.

Rocky’s longtime spot at the bottom of the steps won’t be empty — a statue of Frazier will replace it.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Friday that the EU is ready to work with Persian Gulf countries for new projects conveying energy to global markets that wouldn’t be held hostage to war or geopolitical strife.

"The events of the past month have taught us a hard lesson,” von der Leyen told a news conference at the end of an informal meeting of EU leaders in the capital of Cyprus. “Our security is not just related, it is intrinsically linked. A threat to a merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz is a threat to a factory, for example, in Belgium.”

The EU executive called for ramping up defense ties and promoted the bloc's maritime security mission in the Red Sea as a possible naval security option in the Persian Gulf, but focused her public remarks on European support for repairing and building Middle East energy sites.

Diversification of Middle East energy infrastructure

“We are also ready to team up with the Gulf countries to diversify export infrastructure away from solely the bottleneck of the Hormuz Strait," she said, also offering to help repair Gulf energy infrastructure damaged in the war.

A fifth of the world's oil and gas normally passes through the Strait of Hormuz, but the war has largely closed the waterway, spiking fuel prices.

Early Friday, Brent crude was up 98 cents at $100.33 a barrel. U.S. benchmark crude picked up 81 cents to $96.66 per barrel.

Von der Leyen repeated that as a result of the oil and gas price hikes, the 27-nation bloc’s energy bill in the last 43 days skyrocketed by 25 billion euros ($29.3 billion.)

Neither she nor European Council President Antonio Costa offered precise details on which projects are being considered or when they’ll move forward. But von der Leyen referred to the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor between the EU and the world’s largest democracy.

Von der Leyen said a summit between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council scheduled for later this year will give both sides the opportunity to explore such projects.

The EU's focus on its southern neighbors

The rotating EU presidency is currently held by Cyprus, an island nation adjacent to Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Turkey. Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides has sought to bring the bloc closer to countries in the Middle East to shore up their economies and bolster their security.

That focus was underscored by his guests at the EU leaders informal summit: Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El Sissi, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.

“We know that Europe needs Syria as much as Syria needs Europe,” Al-Sharaa said, while Aoun called on EU support for rebuilding his war-ravaged country.

Costa praised Aoun for banning the military activities of Hezbollah that he called “an existential threat” to Lebanon, pledging to assist the country in disarming the militant group.

Costa said that “the European Union is not part of the conflict, but we will be part of this solution.”

Human rights groups blasted EU leaders for not increasing pressure on Israel over its military campaigns in the Middle East.

EU leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they would not lift sanctions on Iran until a wide array of issues were resolved, including ending its missile program and support for proxies within the region.

“It’s too early to talk about relief of any kind of sanctions,” said Costa.

Cyprus itself came under attack early in the war when a Shahed drone fired from Lebanon on March 2 damaged an aircraft hangar at a British military base on the island’s southern coast. Greece, France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands dispatched warships with anti-drone capabilities to defend the island.

That has spurred renewed interest in a clause in the EU's foundational treaties about mutual assistance if a member nation is attacked.

Christodoulides said the EU leaders had agreed to start creating a formal mechanism for such responses because they agreed that “ad hoc arrangements” are unreliable.

——- McNeil reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Baraa Anwer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia contributed to this report.

The late Queen Elizabeth II wowed Congress in 1991 with a speech that celebrated the shared democratic traditions of Britain and the United States, quoted Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ralph Waldo Emerson, and highlighted the deep bonds between the two nations.

Those themes will also be at the top of Charles’ agenda as he celebrates America's 250th birthday and seeks to calm tensions surrounding Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s refusal to support U.S. President Donald Trump’s war against Iran, said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University in Texas.

“We’ve got to always make the distinction that there’s a difference between the government of the U.K. and the kings and queens of Great Britain, who are really always coming to try to put (on) a good face,” Brinkley told The Associated Press. “Politics come and go, prime ministers, presidents, come and go, but there’s something deeper about the special relationship between the United States and the U.K.”

Charles and Queen Camilla will begin their four-day trip on Monday, when they will have tea with the president and first lady Melania Trump, then tour the White House beehive in a nod to the king's focus on conservation. The formal arrival ceremony will take place on Tuesday, with a 21-gun salute, brass bands playing the national anthems of both countries and a contingent of U.S. service members passing in review. The ceremonies will be followed by a meeting between Trump and Charles.

Behind the scenes

But beneath the pomp and pageantry will be a carefully choreographed diplomatic event staged, like all royal visits, at the request of the British government. Starmer resisted pressure to cancel it after Trump belittled the British military’s sacrifices in Afghanistan and criticized him personally for failing to back the U.S. in Iran.

Despite those tensions, Trump has continued to speak warmly about Charles.

“History has shown that President Trump really tries to be impressive whenever he’s dealing with British royalty,” Brinkley said. “And I’m sure it’ll be the same this time around.”

Ever since 1939, when King George VI became the first British monarch to set foot on the soil of the country’s former colony, there’s been a special sort of excitement whenever the royals come to the United States.

Take that first visit, which took place as World War II loomed over Europe. The royals toured the east coast and attended a “picnic” at Roosevelt’s private home in Hyde Park, New York. “King tries hot dog and asks for more,’’ declared the New York Times.

But the big moment was when the royals traveled to Mount Vernon to lay a wreath at the tomb of George Washington, America’s first president. It showed respect at a time of isolationism.

“People could see the handwriting on the wall and know that it was going to be important for the United States and Britain to stay strong for fighting against Hitler,” said Barbara Perry, a presidential scholar at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center.

But bonding over sausages had broader benefits, helping the royals build links to the general public as well as its leadership. After war broke out in September 1939, Queen Elizabeth, the wife of George VI and mother of the future Elizabeth II, wrote to first lady Eleanor Roosevelt to say how moved she'd been by letters from Americans who enclosed small sums for British forces.

“Sometimes, during the last terrible months, we have felt rather lonely in our fight against evil things, but I can honestly say that our hearts have been lightened by the knowledge that friends in America understand what we are fighting for,’’ she wrote.

The queen's connection

Queen Elizabeth II built on those relationships, making four state visits to the U.S. during her 70-year reign. She helped President Gerald R. Ford celebrate America’s bicentennial in 1976 and met with President George W. Bush in 2007 as British and American forces fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Smoothing turbulent waters and reminding both sides about their common bonds were what those trips were all about.

Charles’ visit will be no different. It includes a commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, a ceremony honoring fallen service members and an event to be attended by Queen Camilla to mark the 100th anniversary of Winnie the Pooh stories by British author A.A. Milne.

Awkward events will be avoided.

The royals won’t meet with Jeffrey Epstein's victims, despite calls for the king to address his brother’s links to the convicted sex offender. Nor are there plans for Charles to meet with his son Prince Harry, who has been a critic of the monarchy since giving up royal duties and moving to California.

Those issues aren’t the priority, said Robert Hardman, author of “Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story.”

“He’s going because 250 years ago the Founding Fathers of the USA kicked out his great-times-five grandfather, and he’s going to say, `No hard feelings, it’s been a great divorce, we’ve had a lovely 250 years and let’s reflect on the high points,’’’ Hardman said. “I mean, there are going to be some very, very large elephants in the room during that visit … but, you know, there are plenty of other things for the king to focus on.”

History, not politics

Charles’ speech to a joint session of Congress offers the chance to deliver the message that long-term friendship is more important than transient disputes.

He is also likely to offer a bit of humor, as his mother did when she faced lawmakers in 1991.

Wearing soft peach amid a sea of gray suits, the diminutive monarch began her remarks with a joke about an earlier blunder at the White House when her lectern was so tall it obscured the audience’s view of her.

“I do hope you can see me today from where you are,’’ she deadpanned.

The chamber erupted in laughter. A standing ovation followed. Then she launched into a speech about democratic values, the rule of law and the Atlantic Alliance.

But Charles will have to offer his own take on those ideas, Brinkley said.

“The theme of the speech is going to be American exceptionalism, American history, the importance of U.S.-British alliance, and some memories from the past,” he said. “But also about the love affair the two countries share with each other, even though it goes over rocky rapids from time to time.”

The vote in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah was a largely symbolic “pilot” election, officials said, part of the Palestinian Authority's effort to politically link Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, unpopular in the West Bank and frozen out of U.S.-led postwar plans for ending Hamas rule in Gaza, hopes to establish an independent state in both territories.

Hamas did not field candidates in Deir al-Balah, which was damaged by airstrikes but spared an Israeli ground invasion in more than two years of war. More than 70,000 people were eligible to vote for the municipal government.

Though turnout was low, voters said they were driven to the polls amid a near-total absence of public services. There and throughout the West Bank, voting determines the makeup of local councils tasked with overseeing water, roads and electricity.

“I came to vote because I have a right to elect members to municipal council so they can provide us with services,” said Ashraf Abu Dan in Deir al-Balah.

The West Bank turnout was near the level of previous local elections, surprising observers who expected that a low participation rate would signal apathy and eroded faith in elected office. Election officials reported a preliminary 53.4% overall turnout after polls closed and 22.7% in Deir al-Balah.

Results in individual races are expected on Sunday.

Voters said they wanted a say over local decision-making.

“Municipal laws need to be enforced so people feel there’s justice,” said Khalid al-Qawasmeh, a voter in the West Bank city of Beitunia.

Linking the West Bank and Gaza politically

The Palestinian Authority, which was formed as part of interim peace accords in the 1990s, is the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people. It administers semi-autonomous areas of the West Bank but was ousted from Gaza by Hamas in 2006.

The authority’s popularity has been weakened by corruption and autocratic rule, its failure to establish an independent state while Israel expands West Bank settlements, and divisions with Hamas. Abbas, 90, was elected to what was supposed to be a four-year term in 2005.

Though it has not held presidential or legislative elections since 2006, the Palestinian Authority promoted the local races after reforms it enacted last year in response to demands from international backers.

“We’re talking about geographically linking the West Bank and Gaza Strip,” said Rami Hamdallah, chair of the Ramallah-based Central Election Commission and a former prime minister.

With Gaza mostly decimated by war, the commission chose to hold its first vote in Deir al-Balah but had to improvise because it was unable to conduct traditional voter registration.

Hamdallah said Israel blocked the entry of materials like ballot paper, ballot boxes and ink into Gaza. The commission repurposed materials instead, using wooden ballot boxes and ink from a vaccination drive last year.

The commission said it did not coordinate directly with Israel or Hamas ahead of the vote. Associated Press footage showed security officers keeping order outside polling stations. COGAT, the Israeli military body that oversees humanitarian affairs in Gaza, did not respond to questions about blocking materials.

Palestinian voter turnout has gradually decreased but is relatively high by regional standards, averaging between 50% and 60%.

‘This is chaos, chaos, chaos’

Abbas signed a decree last year reforming elections that now allow voting for individuals rather than slates. In January, another decree required candidates to accept the program of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which leads the Palestinian Authority. It calls for the recognition of Israel and renouncing armed struggle, effectively sidelining Hamas and other factions.

Many cities — including Ramallah and Nablus — did not have contested elections.

With faith in political parties low, they were less important than families and clans in campaigning. Slates in major cities were dominated by Fatah, the faction that leads the Palestinian Authority, and independents, some with ties to other factions.

In Qalqilya, a city where no slates registered to participate, Marwan Ennabi said elections didn't reflect that Palestinian democracy was thriving or capable of changing the deteriorating conditions on the ground.

“This isn't transparency," he said. "This is chaos, chaos, chaos!”

The Palestinian Authority will appoint councils in cities without contested races. It sees local elections as a low-risk way to demonstrate progress political, financial and administrative reforms, said Aref Jaffal, director of the al-Marsad Arab World Democracy and Electoral Monitor.

With the authority incapable of addressing hundreds of new Israeli military gates and settler outposts constricting movement in the West Bank, he said councils have taken on greater importance, overseeing local health centers and schools that residents once accessed elsewhere.

A new governance structure

Hamas won parliamentary elections in 2006 and violently seized control of Gaza from the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority a year later. Hamas did not prevent Saturday's vote from taking place in Deir al-Balah.

Hamas controls the half of Gaza that Israel withdrew from last year, including Deir al-Balah, but the enclave is preparing to transition to a new governance structure under U.S. President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan. That plan excludes both Fatah and Hamas.

The plan established an international Board of Peace and a committee of unelected Palestinian experts supposed to operate and govern under it. Progress toward further phases, including disarming Hamas, reconstruction and transferring power, is stalled.

The elections did not include Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, a recurring point of tension between Israel and Palestinian leaders. Palestinians claim east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Jalal Bwaitel and Imad Isseid in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.

The Dolphins’ lone second-round pick Friday (No. 43 overall) was Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.

At 6-foot-1, 231 pounds, Rodriguez, 23, forced 13 fumbles, recovered five and had six interceptions in his career as a Red Raider.

Rodriguez’s seven forced fumbles in the 2025 season tied a single-season NCAA record.

The Hastings, Minnesota native previously played quarterback for the Virginia Cavaliers.

He was voted the 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and won the 2025 Chuck Bednarik Award, given to the top defensive player in college football.

Rodriguez will join a linebacker group anchored by Jordyn Brooks, who led the Dolphins with 183 tackles last season.

The last time the Dolphins drafted a Texas Tech linebacker, it was Zach Thomas - who eventually earned a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As of Friday, the Dolphins’ draft capital includes:

• Round 1, No. 12: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor (trade with Dallas)

• Round 1, No. 27: San Diego State CB Chris Johnson (trade with San Francisco)

• Round 2, No. 43 Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez

• Round 3, No. 75 Texas Tech WR Caleb Douglas

• Round 3, No. 87: Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek

• Round 3, No. 94: Louisville WR Chris Bell

• Round 4, Nos. 130, 138

• Round 5, Nos. 151, 177 (Dallas), 180 (Dallas)

• Round 7, Nos. 227, 238

The Lakers rallied from a six-point deficit with under 30 seconds remaining and can sweep the series Sunday night in Houston.

“It’s tough to win on the road in the playoffs and even without KD they’re a great basketball team,” coach JJ Redick said. “And that was a huge test for us, especially in that moment when we’re down six.”

Los Angeles opened overtime with a 6-2 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Smart to take a 107-103 lead.

Smart made two free throws with 35.5 seconds to go to make it 111-105. Reed Sheppard made a 3-pointer to get Houston within three with less than 30 seconds left in overtime but Smart made 1 of 2 free throws to push the lead to 112-108.

The 41-year-old James played more than 45 minutes Friday night. He said with top scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves out with injuries he has no choice but to do whatever he can.

“Everyone has to do a little bit more because of how much we’re missing,” James said. “It’s a challenge for all of us and just trying to figure it out together.”

Smart added 21 points and 10 assists, and Rui Hachimura added 22 points for the Lakers.

Even with Durant out for a second game in this series — this time with a sprained ankle after missing Game 1 with a knee injury — the Rockets were in position to close out the game after James had consecutive turnovers that Houston turned into a 101-95 lead.

Houston struggled at times to close out games in the fourth quarter and the problem continued Friday night.

“It’s obviously a weakness of ours to close out and finish,” coach Ime Udoka said. “The amount of mistakes or the type of mistakes are egregious and you can’t have those.”

Durant wasn't on the bench Friday night and Udoka said it was because he was receiving treatment on his injured ankle.

Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 33 points and 16 rebounds. Amen Thompson added 26 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lakers led by 15 early, but were down six before Smart was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 25 seconds to go after a Houston turnover and made all three free throws.

“It was a smart play, and that’s part of my vet savvy, being in the league for 12 years,” Smart said. “I picked up some tricks from some guys, right. So, that helped us a lot.”

James then stole the ball from Sheppard and his 3-pointer tied it at 101-all with 13 seconds to go in the fourth.

Sengun missed a 7-footer and the Lakers had a chance to win, but James' 3-point attempt bounced off the rim to send it to OT.

James, who threw an alley-oop pass to his son Bronny for a basket in the first half, also had 13 rebounds.

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